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Two Kent State Employees Among "30 For the Future" Recipients

Two �鶹��ý employees have been recognized among the 2020 “30 for the Future” award recipients by the Greater Akron Chamber.

Kent State’s Lamar R. Hylton, Ph.D., vice president for Student Affairs, and Carmen Roberts, senior budget analyst, University Budget Office, will be recognized at an upcoming awards ceremony.

Part of the Greater Akron Chamber’s strategy to attract and retain talent in the region, the “30 for the Future” award honors young professionals (ages 25-39) whose stellar contributions impact their industries and the Greater Akron Region.

Lamar R. Hylton leads the Center for Adult and Veteran Services, the Center for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services, the Center for Student Involvement, the FlashCard Office, the Flash Technology Center, International Student Affairs, �鶹��ý Bookstores, the Kent Student Center, Kent State of Wellness, the LGBTQ+ Center, the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of Student Conduct, the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Parents and Families Engagement, Psychological Services, Recreational Services, Residence Services, Student Accessibility Services, the Student Multicultural Center, Student Ombuds, University Dining Services, University Health Services, and the Women’s Center.

"I am so honored and humbled to be recognized by the Greater Akron Chamber and the Greater Akron Young Professionals Network,” said Hylton. "To be named among some of the brightest and most hardworking citizens of the greater Akron region, including my friend and colleague Carmen Roberts, is a rewarding and fulfilling experience that I am grateful for. I remain committed to making meaningful contributions toward ensuring that �鶹��ý, and the greater Akron region, continue to strive for excellence in all facets of our community."

Hylton provides crisis management leadership on issues internal and external to the university, serves as key advisor to the president on student and community issues, champions a healthy campus environment and leads the development of a transformational student co-curricular experience that enhances the academic mission of the university.

He joined Kent State on June 1, 2017, to serve as dean of students before his appointment as interim vice president for student affairs. Prior to joining Kent State, he served as the assistant vice provost for student affairs at the University of Minnesota for three years. He also served as the director of the Intercultural Center and Office of Multicultural Student Programs at the University of North Carolina – Asheville from 2011 to 2014.

A resident of Kent, Ohio, Hylton received a Bachelor of Arts in vocal music-performance from Morgan State University, a Master of Education in college student personnel from Ohio University and his Ph.D. in higher education administration from Morgan State.

Carmen Roberts recently took on a new role as senior budget analyst for the University Budget Office in the Division of Finance and Administration, where he is primarily responsible for developing, preparing, implementing, and analyzing financial projections and reports for university constituencies, including senior leadership.

“It is a great honor to have my name included with such a fantastic group of talented, young professionals including my colleague and friend, Lamar Hylton, Ph.D. I humbly accept this award and I greatly appreciate this recognition. I love working for the university and helping students work toward their goals and dreams.”

Carmen Roberts received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westminster College (PA), post-baccalaureate certificate in nonprofit management and a master’s degree in public administration from �鶹��ý. He came to Kent State in March 2012 as the first business manager for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion serving vice president Alfreda Brown, Ed.D. Carmen lead the planning, development and implementation of the annual budget and achieved a balanced budget every year during his tenure.

Prior to joining Kent State, Roberts held the role of accountant at the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities state agency at the Warren and Youngstown offices. Since becoming a resident of Munroe Falls in 2015, Carmen has actively served his community where he and his wife, Jenna, raise their daughter, Lydia, and excitedly await the birth of their second child. Roberts is a lifelong resident of northeast Ohio and an avid supporter of his alma mater, Niles McKinley High School, where he was inducted into the school’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in 2019.

For more information about the “30 for the Future” award, the upcoming ceremony, along with a complete list of the 2020 recipients, visit the .

Women Should Stick With STEM

Women occupy just 28 percent of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs and account for only 17 percent of computer science majors and 21 percent of engineering majors.

Led by Assistant Professor of Sociology Susan R. Fisk, a Ph.D. in Kent State’s College of Arts and Sciences, a group of researchers from �鶹��ý and North Carolina State University want to know what can be done to broaden participation in STEM fields and improve the persistence of women in computer science.

Based on existing social-psychology theory and the results of their 2018 pilot study, they suspect that the differences in career choices arise partially from gender differences in self-assessment of STEM ability while in school. Learn more.

WKSU Receives Honors at the Press Club of Cleveland

The Press Club of Cleveland - Ohio Excellence Awards hosted its virtual ceremony this past Friday, and WKSU received seven first place journalism awards.

The station received seven first place awards in the following categories:

• Radio News Website
• Use of Social Media
• Radio News: A Piece of the 'Arsenal Democracy' in Cleveland May Be Redeveloped by Kabir Bhatia
• On-Going Coverage: GM Lordstown Plant Closure
• Human Interest: by Jeff St. Clair
• In-Depth Coverage: Deportation Journeys Wind Through Ohio Detention Facilities by M.L. Schultze
• News Writing: Contentious Mayor's Race in Barberton by Sarah Taylor

WKSU also received a Best in Ohio for Radio Newscast and two second place awards with Ella Abbott's piece and Use of Sound for the staff's work on Watershed.

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Fall Speaker Series: Finding Your Work-Life Rhythm in a COVID World

Employee Wellness is pleased to announce the topic and dates for its Fall Speaker Series: "Finding Your Work-Life Rhythm in a COVID World."

This year, many of us were thrust into teleworking without ever having worked remotely before. And, all the while, we have been adjusting to a roller coaster of emotions brought on by a Pandemic. While some may feel they have adjusted, many still seek to find their rhythm and connection to others. It is our hope that our fall speaker series will provide both insight and actionable steps that may provide you the tools you need. Join us this fall to learn best practices for integrating work and life while also feeling productive and connected while many of our faculty and staff continues to work remotely, either partially or exclusively. 

Our featured speaker, Dr. Adam Feiner, is a clinical and consulting psychologist with experience assisting clients in overcoming a variety of personal, professional, and organizational challenges. Visit our Fall Speaker Series web page to learn more about Dr. Feiner and his background. 

All full- and part-time faculty and staff are invited and encouraged to attend this series. It is our hope that employees will take advantage of both sessions.  Both sessions will be delivered via Zoom and will allow time for Q & A with our speaker. Read on for more details on both sessions.

Part One, Improving Your Life Through Work-Life Integration, Wed., Sept. 30, from 9 - 10:30 a.m.

Work and life are not only inherently unbalanced, they are also heavily fused with one another. Rather than seeking balance, this training will enable you to lower your stress and enhance your work and life satisfaction by helping you identify the areas where work and life overlap with one another in order to develop a plan to achieve true work-life integration. 

Part Two, How to Remain Productive and Connected as an Office of One, Tues., Oct. 6, from 9 - 10:30 a.m.

While there are many benefits of teleworking, a remote office isn't always the best fit for everybody or for all situations. In this training, learn how to be successful with, and get the most out of, teleworking. Find out what changes you may need to make to be as productive as possible while avoiding the sense of isolation that can come from working remotely.

For full-time, benefits-eligible employees participating in the Wellness Your Way program, each session will be worth 30 points, for a total of 60 points for the series. For questions related to health and wellness offerings for �鶹��ý faculty and staff, please contact Kim Hauge, director, Employee Wellness, at 330-672-7505 or wellness@kent.edu.