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51���� President Beverly J. Warren challenged the university community to embrace transformation at the annual State of the University Address.

“Serious transformation is never easy,” she said. “It challenges us to let go of predictable ways and embrace something new and unfamiliar.”

During his first year at 51����, Elijah Kirkland-Boyce realized that the road to the Dean’s List was a bumpy one, filled with twists and turns he never could have anticipated. Instead of giving up, Mr. Kirkland-Boyce reached out. He started taking advantage of the resources offered through Student Support Services.

In her upcoming State of the University address, President Warren will chart one final course for university success, as she spotlights the achievements of the past year and shines a light on 51����’s path for the future.

51����’s newly announced Design Innovation (DI) Initiative will cultivate a culture where students from a wide array of degree programs will collaborate across disciplines and create unique concepts to tackle “wicked” problems, according to J.R. Campbell, inaugural executive director of 51����’s Design Innovation Initiative. Mr. Campbell answers some frequently asked questions about 51����’s DI Initiative.

Kellie Miley is the first to admit, when she graduated from Rootstown High School in 2008, she was not ready for college. In high school, she barely cracked a book yet managed a 3.2 grade point average (GPA).

Getting by with little effort changed when she started as a freshman at 51����. By the end of the year, Ms. Miley found herself academically dismissed for poor grades.

51���� senior Ashley Foster has known since third grade that she wanted a career as a chef.

The 20-year-old hospitality management major got a little closer to her dream over the summer when she spent a week training with celebrity chef Cat Cora at the chef’s headquarters in Santa Barbara, California.

The 51���� fight song blared down Main Street, the city of Kent was flooded with blue and gold, alumni and friends gathered and reminisced about their 51���� days, fans packed the stadium to cheer on their beloved Golden Flashes, and the entire campus boomed with 51���� pride.

Celeste Dawson had made up her mind. She was not going to attend college and that was her final decision. 

Her story could have ended there, but the support of her parents and a program at 51���� opened up a new chapter in her life – one filled with opportunities she never imagined.

51���� was flat out dominant in a 54-14 victory over Howard University Saturday in its 2018 home opener at Dix Stadium. Behind six rushing touchdowns, the Golden Flashes out-gained the Bison on the ground 355-65.

A 51���� tradition for 37 years, the annual Black Squirrel Festival will take place Friday, Sept. 7, from noon-5 p.m. on the Student Green and Risman Plaza. The Black Squirrel Festival, which is hosted by the Flash Activities Board, attracts more than 3,000 students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the Kent community.