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The �鶹��ý community paid tribute to those who have served in the U.S. armed forces at the annual Veterans Day Commemoration. The event took place at 11 a.m. on Nov. 8, at the Student Green on the Kent Campus.  

The program, titled “Honoring All Those Who Serve,” included a flag-raising ceremony conducted by a joint color guard from Kent State’s Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC programs; Tim Coyne, senior business manager for Kent State’s Division of Student Life, serving as bugler; the national anthem; the “Service Song Medley”; an invocation; and welcome remarks from Kent State Executive Vice President and Provost Melody Tankersley, Ph.D.

Tankersley thanked veterans for their service and said Veterans Day is an intentional day to recognize and honor the valor of those in uniform.

“Today we gather to reflect on the profound impact these courageous men and woman have had on our nation and to express our heartfelt gratitude and respect for their unwavering commitment to protecting the freedoms we hold dear,” Tankersley said. “Our gratitude and respect to those who have given much.”

With a presidential election taking place earlier this week, Tankersley added that Veterans Day serves as a reminder of the deep connection between the sacrifices these men and women have made and the democratic ideals they protect. 

This year’s keynote speaker was Maj. Allison Brager, Ph.D., a Kent State alumna and science and technology advisor for the U.S. Special Operations Command and NATO Special Operations Headquarters. Brager is an Army neuroscientist who studies sleep, particularly in extreme environments and high-stress situations. She received two National Institutes of Health National Research Service Awards and a National Academies of Sciences fellowship.

Brager spoke about the high-quality education she received at Kent State when earning a Ph.D. in neuroscience in 2011. She earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Brown University in 2007.

“My time at Kent State in the halls of Cunningham Hall prepared me more for a career in the military than anything else in life and I truly mean that,” Brager said. “In the lab I worked in, to quote NASA, ‘failure is not an option,’ and it was not an option, or I would not have gotten my Ph.D.”

Brager’s work spans from clinical trials on novel drug and technology development for military operations to studying physiology and behavior in some of the most austere places in the world, including Antarctica. She has previously served as chief science officer at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School and as director of human performance operations and outreach education for the U.S. Army Warrior Fitness Training Center.

Brager is the recipient of a Joint Commendation Medal and two Meritorious Service Medals for her research and development efforts in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the COVID-19 pandemic (Operation Gotham). In 2020, Brager underwent astronaut assessment and selection at NASA, making it to the second final round in 2021. She is the author of “Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain.” 

Jayla Hartmann Starks, a Kent State senior majoring in speech pathology and audiology and American Sign Language, served as the emcee for the Veterans Day commemoration. She is an airman first class in the Air National Guard at the 179th Cyberspace Wing in Mansfield, Ohio, and works in individual protective equipment mobility as part of the Logistics Readiness Squadron. Hartmann Starks also serves as president of Kent State’s chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association.

Hartmann Starks spoke to Kent State Today about how important Veterans Day is to her.

Kent State has been recognized for its unwavering commitment to supporting military-connected students. For 2024-2025, Kent State earned the Military Friendly^® School designation for the 15th consecutive year and improved its standing by securing a Gold ranking. In addition, Kent State was named to the , ranking No. 141 overall and No. 20 in the Midwest. In 2022, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine presented the university with Ohio’s Collegiate Purple Star designation for its support for veteran and military students.

For those who could not attend the commemoration, watch it on .