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The �������� alumni family will grow by more than 2,500 new graduates as the university holds its fall commencement. The accomplishments of the Fall Class of 2020 will be recognized with a virtual commencement recognition ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 19.

While colleges across the country have worked to find ways to recruit the next class during the pandemic, �������� is being recognized for its unique and innovative techniques to find the class of 2025. In lieu of typical on-campus events, the �������� admissions team has traveled across Ohio and hosted “KSU2U” drive-in presentation experiences for prospective students and families.

��������’s College of Business Administration offers one of the nation’s most outstanding online Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company profiles the college in its Top 50 Online MBA Programs for 2021 ranking.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder sometimes have a difficult time with social interaction and building relationships. The Autism Society of Greater Akron wanted to help those on the spectrum socialize with others freely and make friends by creating an adult social club. The club was then made possible with two �������� affiliates and Wendy Cline, a support specialist and licensed social worker at the Autism Society of Greater Akron.

�������� has named Margaret (Peggy) Shadduck, Ph.D., of Richardson, Texas, as its new vice president for Regional Campuses and dean of the College of Applied and Technical Studies. Shadduck was selected following a national search.

When the order came in the spring of 2020 to go remote, faculty and students in �������� Ashtabula’s nursing program were concerned. How would they stay connected in a remote environment? How would the students stay engaged? Enter “The Net,” a virtual community for nursing students, faculty and nursing support staff at �������� Ashtabula. 

�������� President Todd Diacon recently notified 23 �������� staff members that they are the 2020 recipients of the President’s Award of Distinction. The award was created as a recognition program to reward staff members who have demonstrated outstanding achievements, service, leadership and dedication to �������� in advancing the university’s strategic priorities and core values.

Dane Paris, a junior biology pre-med student in ��������’s Honors College, has already left his mark at �������� despite facing challenges along the way. His outstanding leadership has not gone unnoticed, and he credits the support he has gotten through �������� for his growth and successes. 

The �������� Board of Trustees ratified the university’s Fiscal Year 2020 Efficiency Report and Master Recommendations report, which showed an effectiveness and efficiency savings for Fiscal Year 2020 of $31,286,881. The savings is $6.2 million more than originally estimated.

A year before Timothy Griffin graduated from �������� at Tuscarawas in 2017 with an Associate of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology degree and a certificate in computer-aided design for manufacturing, a single phone call would launch his career and have him designing life-saving firetrucks before he graduated.

�������� has announced the recipients of the 2020 Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards (ORSA). Sponsored by the University Research Council and the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, this award honors ��������’s exceptional researchers and scholars.

�������� has announced the recipients of the New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award. These awards recognize the hard work and dedication of faculty who have been at �������� for 10 years or less and are sponsored by the University Research Council.

�������� President Todd Diacon and others express their appreciation for the hard-working employees who have pulled together to keep our campuses operating throughout the pandemic.

�������� is marking the promotions and tenure of 135 faculty members during the 2019-2020 academic year.

�������� has inducted 53 employees into its 20-Year Club Service Awards Program for 2020.

Jonathan V. Selinger, professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar in ��������’s Department of Physics, in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.

�������� alumna 1st Lt. Ashley White-Stump is featured along with other American heroes in the new National Museum of the United States Army, which just recently opened in Virginia.

Since March, COVID-19 has become a widespread topic of conversation. Finding ways to explain what this virus is, how one can treat it and how to slow the spread of the virus are just a few commonly asked questions with few clear answers. Xiaozhen Mou, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and her research team recently received funding for their hard work as part of Ohio’s statewide collective effort to discover traces of COVID-19 virus particles in wastewater.

��������’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA Kent) Chapter, along with two School of Media and Journalism (MDJ) alumnae, earned national recognition at the 2020 PRSSA Annual International Conference. Public relations alumna Jill Golden, won the highest individual award, the National Gold Key award, and alumna Carrie Kandes, APR, earned the Teahan Professional Adviser award.

�������� will recognize the accomplishments of its Fall Class of 2020 graduates with a virtual commencement recognition ceremony. Students, faculty, staff, parents and friends are invited to tune into the virtual ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 11 a.m.