Impact Stories
Your Gift Causes an Effect that Reaches Far Beyond Kent State
At Kent State University, what sets us apart is how we come together: to cause discoveries, achievements, sensations and breakthroughs that change the world. When you give through Kent State to an area that matters personally to you, your support becomes a long-term investment in curing diseases, advancing sustainable technologies, enriching vibrant arts communities and ensuring the future of a skilled workforce ready to impact society.
Gifts made through Kent State support scholarships and programs that allow students to pursue their dreams and enter careers that shape our world. With more than 1,100 donor-funded scholarships and programs supported each year, every gift causes an effect – for both the donor and the recipient.
Donors choose exactly where they want their contributions to go. Each and every gift made through Kent State has an impact, no matter the size.
Read on to learn about the effect our generous donors have on our Kent State community and beyond.
Rising Scholars Compete in NASA Challenge
A team of Columbiana County Rising Scholars students recently participated in the finals of the NASA HUNCH culinary competition at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to determine if their culinary creation would be a future meal for International Space Station astronauts.
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Institute Explores Peace and Conflict
LaKaleb Bowen, ’24, is a criminology and justice studies major who admits to becoming captivated by Kent State’s education-abroad programs, noting that his most recent trip to Kigali, Rwanda, was an extraordinary experience focused on peace and conflict in the country.
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Sharing Their Love of Education with Future Generations
Kent State University has held a special place in the hearts of Lynda Grieves and her husband George “Bill” Grieves Jr., ’58, who passed away in 2019. For their 60th wedding anniversary, Bill and Lynda chose to create a scholarship through a charitable gift annuity instead of…
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Rollie, ’64, and Frances Layfield Help Students Build Skills for Success
Hard work and discipline are a driving force for Rollie Layfield, ’64, and they have served him well throughout his life and his career in business. He credits both his degree program in business administration and his time in the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)…
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Legacies Change Lives: Dylan Cahill
The moment Dylan Cahill stepped foot on the Kent Campus, he knew that Kent State University was the place for him. Born and raised in Texas, Dylan visited Northeast Ohio for family gatherings and always felt a connection.
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Modern Humans Using Ancient Tools
Kent State anthropology professor Metin Eren, Ph.D., has a hands-on approach when teaching students about prehistoric stone tools that involves immersing themselves in a specially equipped lab in Lowry Hall that features everything from flint arrowheads to a ballistics station.
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Dean Kahler’s 'One Bad Day' Fuels a Lifetime of Purpose
Dean Kahler, ’77, one of the nine wounded in the May 4, 1970, shootings, wasn’t supposed to be at Kent State that day.
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Increasing Belonging for Graduate Students
A new program will foster a stronger sense of belonging to address research that demonstrates that graduate students are less likely to feel a sense of identity attached to their graduate school than those connections to undergraduate school experiences.
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Alumni Support Global Education Experiences
Kent State has received two $1 million donations in support of Global Education experiences for students. These gifts will make education-abroad experiences available to more students through the Global Education Endowment fund that was created in 2022.
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Help us Celebrate Kent State’s 114th Birthday
Kent State is turning 114, and we are celebrating by raising funds for Kent State scholarships and programs. This year, the Kent State University Foundation has pledged $5,000 to match employee gifts dollar for dollar (up to $250 per donor until the match money runs out) to the…
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