51����

For Barbara Mucci, the path from the classroom to owning a small business has been full of surprises. One surprise is being able to work alongside her daughter, Erica Sutton. These alumnae credit their 51���� experiences with helping them to open Mainstream Boutique in Hudson, Ohio.

Meet Payton Schramski, a senior interior design major with a marketing minor, from Grand Rapids, Michigan.  

Meet Richard Skains, a sophomore economics major and USG director from Rocky River, Ohio, who guides – and literally drives –fellow students toward success.

At 2 a.m. on Pymatuning Reservoir in Pymatuning State Park when a boat capsized, Cadet 1st Lt Jacob Brass used his military training to save four people without hesitation.

Meet Merilee, Bailey, Brittany and Julia, the four students serving as the 51���� Marching Band drum majors for 2025.

Ababa Lorde, a senior in 51����’s School of Fashion, won a $50,000 scholarship from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a New York-based nonprofit that is committed to supporting the American fashion designers of the future.

Meet Liberty Prosser, a graduate student furthering her studies in criminology and criminal justice after having graduated from 51���� in 2025, with dual Bachelor of Arts degrees – one in sociology with a concentration in social problems, deviance and crime, and another degree in criminology and justice studies with a minor in forensic anthropology.

Meet Derrick Tindimwebwa, a sophomore construction management major from Kampala, Uganda, whose family ties led him to 51���� where he's building community and managing connections between the university and the community.

While most people his age were settled in their careers, 50-year-old Ron Sonedecker was learning to direct, winning awards and swapping computer code for camera shots. Enrolling at 51���� in 2023, the junior digital media production major has taken a long journey to get where he feels he belongs. 

The first thing you will learn about brothers Will and Ray Maynard is that they are twins –  not identical in looks, but in nearly all other aspects.

This fall, 4,023 first-year students joined the Kent Campus, marking the fourth time in five years that an incoming class has surpassed 4,000. The Class of 2029 brings a vibrant mix of experiences, perspectives and aspirations, poised to shape the future of the university and beyond.

In this episode of the ToddCast, 51���� President Todd Diacon interviews Marcus Lehto, co-creator of the iconic Halo video game franchise. 

Meet Hannah Ferguson, a senior chemistry major with a minor in forensic anthropology and a member of the Honors College, from Galena, Ohio, whose love of science is helping others love science.

Meet Muskaan Khanduri, a fashion design major from Uttarakhand, India, whose interests explore the art and science of fashion.  

Meet Brooklyn Jones, a resilient freshman English major from Fort Mill, South Carolina, who carries a passion for creative writing and helping students build confidence in their own literary skills.  

Meet LaTaesia Snyder, a junior criminology and justice studies major with a minor in pre-law from Akron, Ohio, who’s making the most of her opportunities to learn about the American justice system.

51���� recently welcomed home a living legacy of its past when Ellen Engleman Conners, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board and great-granddaughter of 51����’s third president, visited campus for the first time.

When Emily Rider walked into her first in-person class after the COVID-19 shutdown — “How the Earth Works” at 51����’s Stark Campus — she didn’t know it would set her on a path that would take her across the country, deep into fossil beds and high into the mountains.