Impact Stories
Your Gift Causes an Effect that Reaches Far Beyond Kent State
At Â鶹¹û¶³, what sets us apart is how we come together: to cause discoveries, achievements, sensations and breakthroughs that change the world. When you give through Kent State to an area that matters personally to you, your support becomes a long-term investment in curing diseases, advancing sustainable technologies, enriching vibrant arts communities and ensuring the future of a skilled workforce ready to impact society.
Gifts made through Kent State support scholarships and programs that allow students to pursue their dreams and enter careers that shape our world. With more than 1,100 donor-funded scholarships and programs supported each year, every gift causes an effect – for both the donor and the recipient.
Donors choose exactly where they want their contributions to go. Each and every gift made through Kent State has an impact, no matter the size.
Read on to learn about the effect our generous donors have on our Kent State community and beyond.
William B. Risman Family Receives Prestigious University Medallion During Kent State’s Spring Commencement Ceremony
Most people who have spent time on Â鶹¹û¶³â€™s campus in Kent, Ohio, recognize the name Risman. It is connected to the popular Risman Plaza and Risman Drive, but they may not realize that for the Risman family, educating and supporting students has been a family…
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Legacies Change Lives: Emily Butz
Emily Butz is a junior music education and music performance major with an anticipated graduation date of fall 2022. While she can't wait to help develop music skills in students of all ages, her ambitions go beyond that. "My biggest goal for my teaching career is to be able to…
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George L. Jenkins, ’63, and Gina Jenkins Impact Student Access and Honor a Mentor
George L. Jenkins’ generosity spans three decades and continues to support first-generation students and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
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Kent State’s Spirit of Motherhood Program for Pregnant Black Women Receives $100,000 Grant
Infant mortality rates in Northeast Ohio are three to five times higher for Black babies than white babies, an alarming statistic that is an issue across the country but particularly prevalent in this part of the state. A new $100,000 grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue…
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Kent State and KeyBank Foundation to Continue Key Connections Program for Underserved Students
KeyBank Foundation has awarded a new $200,000 gift to Â鶹¹û¶³ to continue KeyBank Foundation’s support for the successful Key Connections program offered by University College at Kent State. The Key Connections program will continue to support student success…
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Kent State Breaks Ground for Future Home of the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship
Â鶹¹û¶³ officially broke ground on Crawford Hall, the future home of the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, on March 8 in a ceremony attended by more than 400 people, including university officials, donors, alumni, students, elected…
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PNC Foundation Awards $75,000 to Kent State
The PNC Foundation has awarded $75,000 to Â鶹¹û¶³ to help ensure success among students who commonly face barriers in college. This grant aligns with PNC’s focus on addressing economic inequality among Black American and low- to moderate-income communities,…
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Sally Kirkland Turns a Personal Tragedy into a Blessing for Others
Establishing a scholarship in honor and memory of her daughter and granddaughter has helped Sally Kirkland heal some of her pain while providing support for generations of students to come.
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Kent State’s Brain Health Research Institute Celebrates ‘Collaboratories’ Grand Opening
Â鶹¹û¶³â€™s Brain Health Research Institute celebrated the grand opening of its new lab spaces on Friday, Nov. 5, with an afternoon of activities that included a keynote presentation, space dedication, tours and student research demonstrations. The new space,…
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Kent State Announces Largest Single Gift in History From Ambassador Edward F. Crawford to ​Name the College and Construct New College of Business ​Building
The largest single gift in Â鶹¹û¶³ history, by Ambassador Edward F. Crawford, will complete the capital campaign to enable the construction of a new College of Business Administration building on the university’s Kent Campus.
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