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�������� alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and the community are encouraged to save the date for one of the university’s long-standing traditions. �������� will celebrate Homecoming 2021 on Saturday, Oct. 2.

One of ��������’s newest faculty members in the Department of Geology has already made her mark with the recent publication of her and her colleagues’ work to better understand the effects of global warming as it relates to the arctic ocean. Allyson Tessin, assistant professor, specializes in biochemistry, oceanography and sedimentary geology. She is currently studying the relationship between the chemistry of the ocean and climate change.

In 1996, Theodore Albrecht, professor of musicology, was diligently working on his original project of annotating, translating and studying approximately 430 letters written to Ludwig van Beethoven by his friends and family. Then a new opportunity presented itself. Albrecht found that his two projects worked together to add further understanding and context, giving him the opportunity to add depth and discover new details of Beethoven’s life.

�������� will hold in-person commencement ceremonies in May for the Spring Class of 2021 and will welcome back all 2020 alumni for an in-person graduation ceremony during Homecoming Weekend this fall.

The Akron Community Foundation has awarded the QUEST Mentorship Program, an initiative within the LGBTQ+ Center that provides 1:1 mentor/mentee relationships for students to focus on career guidance and general support, a $2,000 micro-grant for the coming year.

QUEST Mentorship .

Amazon’s Alexa, iPhone’s Siri, the Roomba and many more innovations are examples of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is changing the world and simplifying life for everyone, resulting in a growing demand for AI professionals. �������� will start admitting students in the master's in Artificial Intelligence program starting fall 2021. The program will be offered within the Department of Computer Science.

With the celebration of Women’s History Month in March, it seemed fitting that the �������� Women’s Center would officially kick off its 25th anniversary, continuing throughout 2021.

The year 2020 presented many challenges requiring major changes and adjustments for organizations everywhere. Instead of going the traditional route with an annual report for 2020, WKSU explored this past year with “2020: A Year in Review,” celebrating its 70th anniversary, highlighting its adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic and covering major historical events.

In keeping with the commitment to honor and remember the events of May 4, 1970, �������� will hold a virtual May 4 51st Commemoration this year. The virtual commemoration will feature a video premiering at noon on Tuesday, May 4, that focuses on the nine wounded students: Alan Canfora, John Cleary, Thomas Grace, Dean Kahler, Joseph Lewis, Donald Mackenzie, James Russell, Robert Stamps and Douglas Wrentmore.

COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed the way people experience their education. Over the summer of 2020, ��������’s eight-week Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program transitioned to a completely remote environment, and the results were surprising. 

The �������� community celebrates the life of Professor Emeritus Edward W. Crosby, Ph.D., known as the “father of Black History Month,” as his work in founding the Institute of African-American Affairs at �������� and his contribution to the success of thousands of students inspired all who knew him.

�������� at Tuscarawas student Jason Keller is doing what he loves—telling stories through photographs. He was recently honored by the Ohio News Media Association with the Best Feature Photo award, capturing the image of a Navy veteran saluting the crowd while riding in a military jeep during a parade in Sugarcreek, Ohio. The photo was judged best out of all entries from weekly newspapers throughout the state for the Osman C. Hooper Weekly Newspaper contest.

Windy Cole, adjunct instructor for the College of Podiatric Medicine at ��������, penned an article for Podiatry Today called “Can Remote Patient Monitoring Have An Impact For Patients With Diabetes?” which covers the phenomenon of remote patient monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The �������� Board of Trustees approved the establishment of two new institutes – the Anti-Racism and Equity Institute and the Environmental Science and Design Research Institute – during the Board’s regular quarterly meeting held March 10.

The future of storytelling is constantly changing, but �������� is connecting students to the university through new communication avenues. One platform rising in popularity and mass-consumption that colleges like �������� are taking advantage of is podcasts.

��������’s College of Nursing and Cleveland Clinic Akron General are joining forces to offer an adult/adolescent Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) certificate program beginning this fall. This collaborative one-year program was created to address the regional and national shortage of SANE-certified registered nurses, especially in rural areas. 

The Auxiliary at Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital recently donated $25,000 to �������� at Trumbull’s Nursing program. The gift will establish a new scholarship endowment that will provide support to nursing students from Trumbull and Mahoning Counties. The volunteer organization was established in 2017. It supports health and wellness initiatives within the local community. Proceeds from The Gift Shop at Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital made the donation possible.

�������� has partnered with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins since 2018, allowing this nationally recognized hockey team to work closely with the university and providing professional and recreational aid to the �������� community. The partnership includes multiple facets that focus on future Golden Flashes, current students and alumni alike. 

Four new middle school teachers started the school year with high hopes and big dreams, ready to establish their classrooms, teach dynamically and build community with their young students through daily, face-to-face interaction. Instead, they have encountered empty classrooms and computer icons rather than students’ faces. Recent graduates from �������� Geauga’s Middle Childhood Education (MCED) program share their stories of first-year teaching from the COVID classroom.

�������� has been designated as a First-gen Forward Institution by the Center for First-generation Student Success for its commitment to improving the experiences and advancing outcomes of those who are first in their families to attend college.