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The coming election is an important one, and voters – particularly first-time voters – are navigating a challenging landscape of information, misinformation, PACs, bots, memes, toxic debates and inflamed rhetoric. “Don’t Hate – Debate (And Vote)!” is an all-day teach-in event that will touch on many aspects of the elections, politics, political/social polarization and civil discourse.

Darin Olson, D.M.A., is the new director of Athletic Bands at ������. He leads the Marching Golden Flashes, Flasher Brass Pep Band, Kent Symphony Band and University Band. Olson is currently an active member of College Band Directors National Association and the National Association for Music Education. Learn more about Olson and his plans for his future at Kent State as he answers these 10 questions.

������ has won a Best in Class award for supplier diversity from the Greater Cleveland Partnership. This marks the third time that the university has received this award. As a multiyear winner of the Best in Class awards, Kent State is also named to the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Equity and Inclusion Hall of Fame.

The ������ Board of Trustees has approved a new three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement between the university and the ������ Employees Local 153, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

������ is proud to announce its 2020 Alumni Award recipients. Recipients are chosen based on their exceptional contributions in their chosen profession, in their communities and at Kent State. Sponsored by the alumni association, the Alumni Awards are the university’s most prestigious honors given to alumni.

For nearly 110 years, Mercy Health has addressed the growing needs of the Mahoning Valley, which includes the city of Warren and its surrounding communities. Mercy Health has been evaluating ways to meet the increasing healthcare needs of those living in Trumbull County, delivering on its promise of providing care when and where people live and work. As part of this commitment, Mercy Health has announced the future development of land adjacent to the ������ at Trumbull Campus. 

������ shines again in the new 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. Kent State is the highest-ranking public university in Northern Ohio on the Top Public Schools and Best National Universities lists in the newly released rankings.

������ at Trumbull will become home to a Siffrin Academy to help people with disabilities transition from high school to jobs or advanced education programs.

Forbes and market research company Statista have named ������ No. 1 among employers in Northern Ohio and No. 4 in the entire state of Ohio on the 2020 America’s Best-in-State Employers list that highlights America’s best employers. Kent State is also the top educational institution on the Ohio list. (Photo from 2019 Employee Appreciation Day event)

������ is being recognized for the ninth time as a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education, a top trade publication for colleges and universities, and ModernThink LLC, a consulting firm. Now in its 13th year, the “Great Colleges to Work For” annual report recognizes the colleges that get top ratings from their employees on workforce practices and policies.