51����

A Mantua woman who worked at 51���� in the Office of the President from 1951 to 1971 recently celebrated her 110th birthday. She recalls her time at 51���� and shares a few reflections from her long life. 

The Crystal, a three-story, glass atrium and entrance to the Akron Art Museum, provided the perfect backdrop for these diamonds in the rough, a coming-of-age collection manifested in the proud work of multi-talented, middle and high school students from Akron participating in a program designed to illicit self-expression through poetry, art and virtual reality.

The 51���� Museum presents its summer exhibition titled “Sparkle: The Style and Jewelry of Aileen Mehle.” In honor of the 51���� Museum’s 40th anniversary, this exhibition pays tribute to Aileen Mehle, a friend of the museum founders and widely syndicated society columnist. 

The 51���� Board of Trustees approved the establishment of two new schools – the School of Aeronautics and the School of Engineering – within the College of Aeronautics and Engineering during the Board’s regular quarterly meeting held June 25, 2025, on the Kent Campus.

51����’s nationally distinctive Master of Public Health (MPH) program provides students interested in continuing their public health educational journey online with several options, including the MPH with concentrations in health policy and management or social and behavioral sciences, and the STEM-designated MPH in epidemiology. The program positively impacts current graduate students and alumni in different ways.

An innovative design, energy-efficient systems, water conservation technologies and environmentally responsible construction materials are some of the features that earned Crawford Hall, 51����’s newest – and largest – academic building, LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

When Jayrelis Capeles walked across the stage at 51���� this spring, she was already brimming with emotion. She had just earned not one, but two degrees — in psychology and sociology — and was celebrating the end of her college journey that began in 2021. But the most unforgettable moment wasn’t the walk or the tassel turn.

51���� graduate student Lauren Paterson and former teacher Marc Myers were recently featured on WBUR’s ‘Here and Now’ sharing their work together on The Legacy Project.

To better serve you through our vast resources and knowledgeable librarians, 51���� Libraries will join other OhioLINK institutions in replacing the KentLINK platform with a new library system that will offer a host of benefits to support 21st-century teaching, learning and research. 

Jaime Shuster, Ph.D., blends psychology, public health and research to improve patient care at Cleveland Clinic.

51���� alumna Emily Clark discusses her journey from an English degree to her high-tech career, where she solves business challenges using artificial intelligence. Clark credits much of her success to her education at 51����.

51����’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering thoroughly prepares graduates for successful careers in aviation – whether that means piloting a fixed-wing airplane or one of America’s most beloved aircraft. 

A group of school administrators from Brazil recently completed the 10-day Design Innovation Change Agent Workshop at 51����’s Design Innovation Hub, where they immersed themselves in design innovation techniques as they endeavor to innovate their school system at home.

51���� has signed a new international partnership with Bennett University in India that will establish a 2+2 Dual Degree Program in Fashion Design to provide students with a unique educational opportunity.

If you look into the stands of the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center during a 51���� women's basketball game, you’ll find a mother-daughter pair of students from Brazil cheering with all their might. Five thousand miles from home, Hetty and Fernanda have found new activities and friends in the United States.

Eleven 51���� students are taking part in the university’s Brain Health Research Institute Undergraduate Fellows Program for Summer 2025.

As a doctoral student of sociology, Adedayo Adeagbo is doing her research on dignity care for aging people using advancements of technology in healthcare. With a specialization in medical sociology, Adeagbo’s thesis is built on the perceptions and attitudes of healthcare workers and the use of robots for caring for older adults.

What began as a senior capstone project for aerospace engineering students at 51���� has grown into a full-fledged student organization preparing to take flight in a national competition.

Three friends who attended schools together their entire lives, beginning at 51����’s Child Development Center, have graduated together in 51����’s spring Class of 2025. Now, they are contemplating where their post-graduate lives will take them and how they will maintain their close friendship. 

Fueled by resilience and a hunger to learn, 2019 51���� graduate Ya’el Courtney has transformed adversity into ambition, carving a path for herself that took her from foster care to post-doctoral scholar at Stanford University.

Elisa Grecar and her daughter Maddie McGee made a meaningful memory this May when they graduated together from 51���� – Grecar with a degree in psychology and McGee with a degree in zoology.

An exhibit of rare Salvador Dalí paintings and a collection of garments designed by 51���� School of Fashion students inspired by the Dalí artwork has opened at Peg’s Gallery in Hudson, Ohio. 

Summer camps for kids interested in architecture don’t come along often – at least that’s what Elise Bolton’s mother discovered when she searched for one. But then, not a whole lot of 11-year-olds may dream of becoming architects. 

Sarah Spinner Liska, director of the 51���� Museum, has been honored with the inaugural Artist Empowerment Award from Summit ArtSpace, recognizing her outstanding work in expanding access to the arts and championing inclusive creative spaces.

Mary Kay Cabot's career covering Cleveland sports began with a simple internship at The Plain Dealer while she was a student at 51����. More than 40 years later, that internship has led to the highest honor in professional football journalism.

Former 51���� quarterback and New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has been voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame as the 37th inductee, the team announced Monday.