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Top 19 News Stories of 2019

Last year was full of memorable moments for Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹. From the announcement of our new president, to epic commencement celebrations to a historic win by the Golden Flashes football team, we’ve had a lot to share.

The social team reviewed which news stories had the highest levels of engagement – your likes and reactions – to see which ones resonated with you most. Here’s a look at the top 19 news stories of 2019.

Frisco Bowl Champion Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ football team

1. HISTORY! KENT STATE WINS FIRST BOWL GAME 51-41

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ won its first bowl game ever, beating Utah State in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl in Texas.

It was quite a year for alumni Julian Edelman. Not only was he named Super Bowl LIII MVP, but he also graduated from Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ with the Class of 2019 in our spring One University Commencement ceremony.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ moved up three spots on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges list and is one of six universities in Ohio – as well as the only university in Northeast Ohio – included on the Top Public Schools list.

The university also jumped up 15 spots on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Schools list, an improvement which put Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ in the top 100 rankings.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ University Recognized as Tree Campus USA for 11 Consecutive Years

For the 11th year in a row, Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ met five core standards of effective campus forest management to be recognized as a Tree Campus USA by Arbor Day Foundation.

Fashionista, a popular fashion-news site, ranked Á½ÐÔÉ«Îçҹ’s Fashion School No. 15 internationally and No. 5 nationally, an improvement from the 2017 rankings.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ student Jake Thompson rescued a driver from a semi tractor-trailer after watching the vehicle flip over from a severe gust of wind.

Our preview of the One University Commencement at Dix Stadium created excitement for the ceremony.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ celebrated 5,300 new graduates and conferred 5,307 degrees during spring 2019 commencement ceremonies.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ ranked No. 4 among 250 companies in 25 industry sectors, and No. 1 among universities in Forbes America’s Best Employees for Diversity 2019 list.

Todd Diacon, Ph.D., Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ University’s 13th President

Todd Diacon, Ph.D., was announced as the successor to former President Beverly J. Warren. President Diacon began his term as Á½ÐÔÉ«Îçҹ’s 13th president in July.

Á½ÐÔÉ«Îçҹ’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering is one of three programs in the nation selected as a Delta Propel Partner, a program by Delta Air Lines for students who are studying to be future commercial pilots.

Nearly 3,000 new graduates became Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ alumni after the fall 2019 commencement ceremonies in which 2,722 degrees were conferred.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ Fashion School graduate Kaycee Marshall, who designed a line of women’s formalwear for women with disabilities, specifically those in wheelchairs, featured her work on “Today with Hoda and Jenna.â€

Construction for Á½ÐÔÉ«Îçҹ’s first parking deck, which is part of Phase One of the 10-year facilities master plan to transform the Kent Campus, was approved by the Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ Board of Trustees.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ professor Kerry Jo Bauer built and draped costumes for many characters on Netflix and the Jim Henson Company’s “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.â€
 
Steve and Marjorie Harvey (middle) are surrounded by the eight scholarship recipients who will be attending Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ in the fall and university staff members who accompanied them to the show. (Photo provided by the "Steve" television show)
 

Steve Harvey, a former Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ student, featured eight of Á½ÐÔÉ«Îçҹ’s incoming freshmen on his talk show and awarded these individuals scholarships to attend the university.

Á½ÐÔÉ«Îçҹ’s BFA Musical Theatre program, a multifaceted program that focuses on developing students’ skills in music, theatre and dance, was ranked in the top 30 by On Stage Blog.

According to DesignIntelligence, a bi-monthly report that provides original research, commentary, and best practices to design leaders, students of Á½ÐÔÉ«Îçҹ’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design rank among the most-hired in the country.

POSTED: Friday, January 17, 2020 04:16 PM
Updated: Friday, December 9, 2022 10:08 AM
WRITTEN BY:
Erica Fowler