Kent State University at Salem unveiled its multi-million dollar Health and Sciences Wing Sept. 23 with an official ribbon cutting. The new state-of-the-art facility creates dedicated space for nursing and radiology instruction and allows for the use of new technology. The wing includes new centralized classrooms, learning laboratories, a bookstore, a conference room and centralized offices to support students in the nursing and radiology programs.

The initial renovation provided an additional 16,000 sq. ft. of learning space. The campus is beginning the planning process to finish the wing’s 9,000 sq. ft. second floor. It will cost an estimated $2 million. When completed, the learning facility will include four hands-on science laboratories and additional classrooms.

Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton said the university is proud of this community effort. “It really does take a village to build a campus,” he said. Thanking the audience, President Lefton added, “It took your time, talent and treasure, to make this entire campus, not just the Health and Sciences Wing, a reality. We are very proud of this community effort.”

Original estimates for the first floor renovations totaled $6 million. Support was provided through state capital funds and Kent State Universtiy dollars coupled with the generosity

of private donors. “Kent State Salem is grateful for many donors who made

this building a reality including The Salem Community Hospital, The Salem Community Foundation, The Pearce

Foundation and more than 50 private individuals and families,” said Director of Advancement Matt Butts. “The new addition will increase the number of highly skilled professionals available to local employers, while at the same time enhancing the quality of healthcare services in the community.”

One such professional is senior nursing student Krista Hawkins. “I

am so fortunate to have a college campus right here in my own backyard,” said the mother of three. “Kent State Salem allows me to earn a four-year degree while keeping up with my family responsibilities.”

Kent State Salem Opens New Health and Sciences Wing

Excellence in Action

Kent State Salem opened its new multi-million dollar Health and Sciences Wing this fall. The state-of-the-art facility creates a dedicated space for nursing and radiology instruction and allows for the use of new technology. Helping commemorate the event includes Senior Brittany Kelly (far left), Interim Assistant Dean Dave Guy, Senior Program Director Jan Gisbon, President Lester A. Lefton, Program Director Mary Lou Ferranto, Advisory Board Chairman Joe Sedzmak and Senior Krista Hawkins.

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From Across the Campuses

Dr. Susan Rossi

Upcoming EventsNov. 10 - Dec. 1 • Eternal Studios Exhibition • Kent State East Liverpool Mary Patterson Art Gallery • Private tours available, call Randall Railing 304-914-5788.

Dec. 1 • Informational Night • Kent State East Liverpool • Mary Patterson Building • 5-7 p.m.

Dec. 3 • West Branch High School Showchoir • Kent State Salem City Center • 2 p.m., following Salem Christmas parade.

Dec. 12 - 16 • Finals

Dec. 17 • Kent State Salem Communiversity Choir • Kent State Salem City Center • 7 p.m.

All events are open to the public unless otherwise noted. Click on our calendar at www.col.kent.edu for an updated list of events.

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University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert G. Frank

appointed Dr. Wanda Thomas to serve as interim dean of the university’s Columbiana County campuses earlier this fall. Thomas currently serves as Kent State’s Regional College dean and associate provost for Kent State system integration. Dr. Susan Rossi, assistant dean at Kent State University

to impress. In our radiologic and imagining sciences program, 100 percent of these graduates passed the national certification exams on the first attempt. In addition, all the 2010 graduates of the three-year accelerated B.S.N. program passed their licensure exam. At Kent State East Liverpool, the 2010 physical therapist assistant graduates achieved a 96 percent pass rate for their exams, which is 11 percent higher than the national average. The 2010 associate degree in nursing graduates, as of press, received a 100 percent pass rate, as well.

Kent State’s faculty and staff are proud of our students’ successes. As you will read, we’re creating innovative ways to help area students attend college and graduate. Plus, we’re helping our students see the world beyond Columbiana County. In turn they are becoming exceptional leaders. Be sure to check out the successes of our faculty and staff, too. This group continues to provide world-renown education while doing excellent research right here in Northeast Ohio.

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at East Liverpool, and David Guy, interim assistant dean at Kent State Salem, will assist Thomas on the day-to-day management of the two campuses.

Kent State University’s Columbiana County campuses have experienced continued growth. This fall the combined student body has increased 11.73 percent from 3,335 in the fall of 2010 to 3,514.

One of our flagship programs, Seniors to Sophomores, has increased more than 100 percent since its conception in 2009. This unique program promotes access to higher education for our area high school students. Kent State is committed to quality in all disciplines, including healthcare, as demonstrated by Kent State Salem’s new Health and Sciences Wing.

Our healthcare graduates continue

Kent State University’s Gospel Choir sang Nov. 20 at Kent State Salem. Kent State Salem’s Communiversity Choir will preform Dec. 17 at the Kent State Salem City Center at 7 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.

Dave Guy

11.73% increase of the combined student body from fall 2010.

100% increase in our flagship programs, Seniors to Sophomores, from its conception in 2009.

100% percent of the 2010 radiologic and imagining sciences graduates who passed the liscensure exams on the first try.

100% percent of the 2010 graduates of the three-year accelerated B.S.N. program who passed their licensure exam.

96% pass rate for the Kent State East Liverpool’s 2010 physical therapist assistant graduates. This is 11 percent higher than the national average.

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Kent State East Liverpool

Students Participate in Goodness InvasionIn late summer, Kent State East Liverpool students helped

feed more than 2,500 families in the Mahoning Valley as part of Goodness Invasion. Students from both the physical therapist assistant and occupational therapy assistant programs participated, along with faculty, staff and program directors. An estimated 50 tons of food was bagged. Kent State senior and physical therapist assistant technology major (PTAT) Kevin Watson was surprised with the number of people seeking assistance. “It was really great to help so many people in need in our region,” Watson said. “I didn’t realize that hunger was a problem that plagued so many families in our area,” he added. “It was definitely an eye-opening experience.”

Kent State East Liverpool Receives $72,010 Matching Grant

Kent State East Liverpool received a matching grant for a total of $72,010 through the Ohio Mid Eastern Governmental Association (OMEGA). The grant will be used to purchase new nursing equipment for the associate degree in nursing (ADN) program. New purchases include a METI-man Nursing Patient Simulator, hospital beds and clinical care resources in addition to other equipment.

New Parking Lots at Kent State East Liverpool

Two of Kent State East Liverpool’s parking lots are undergoing major improvements. The renovations will create additional parking to accommodate the campus’ continued surge in students. Almost 90 new parking spaces are being installed. On the corner of Broadway and Fourth streets, 27 parking spaces will be created, along with a new mini park, complete with six benches. Students will also benefit from 60 more parking spots in a lot on Fourth and Walnut streets.

Tonya Tolley, Megan Reynolds and Wendy Fillman helped pack food for more than 2,500 underprivileged families in the Mahoning Valley as part of Goodness Invasion.

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Building Bridges to Student Success

Students Attend Boot Camp: A Summer Remediation Program

Successful student Tammy Moore is congratulated by lecturer Frank Palocyi. Palocyi was available to assist students working on math during the summer bridge program known as Boot Camp. Students learned through a tailored computer-based program called ALEKS.

Heather Mercer is the coordinator of the learning communities and seeks to provide a supportive environment for first year students.

Kent State University’s Columbiana County campuses are embarking on several initiatives to continue to help our students succeed. One such initiative is The Bridges to Excellence Learning Communities. These learning communities began from a simple question: How can we help students to succeed in college and complete their degrees? Research shows that learning communities are an effective way to help students achieve their goal of completing their degrees. Heather Mercer is the coordinator of the learning communities and seeks to provide a supportive environment where students not only receive assistance with academics, but also are provided with information that helps them transition through their first year of college.

“While there are many different models of learning communities, the learning communities at Kent State Salem are cohorts in which students travel to some of the same classes together,” Mercer explained. “The schedule allows for a significant break time between classes two days a week. During this time, students meet to discuss assignments, form study groups, receive tutoring and learn about college success.”

A select group of students was invited to participate in the communities and a subsequent research study that stems from the cohort. Through the learning community, students are forming bonds with one another, their leaders and the campus.

“The learning community is not only about academic success, but about relationships,” Mercer said. “These positive relationships help students to be more engaged in their education and consequently, their own success.”

Kent State Salem began a Summer Bridge Program in June. It was sponsored by McGraw-Hill and the Ohio Board of Regents with interest from the Gates Foundation. The campus was only one of three Ohio higher education institutions participating. The research-based initiative looked at the success of the emporium learning model. The emporium model is designed to replace traditional lectures with a learning resource center model giving students interactive software and on-demand personalized assistance. Boot Camp was a summer remediation program for recent high school graduates and returning students. The program was also for students who were unsuccessful in developmental math, reading and writing. The students were benchmarked against the university’s assessment test, which they took upon entering the program. Students were re-tested at the end of the summer. The progress of those participating in the program will continue to be tracked through the 2011-2012 academic year. The results will shape the program for future implementation.

“The summer program worked really well for me because ALEKS (the computerized software students used) was tailored to fit my individual needs,” said student Tammy Moore. “It was also really easy to see my progress,

which helped tremendously. I could visualize my progress and was encouraged to continue to do well.” The summer refresher course helped Moore and others in her class skip developmental math classes.

“It’s exciting that I won’t need any further developmental math courses,” Moore said. “By completing Boot Camp and getting a refresher on basic math skills in a short period of time, I can move through my degree more quickly and graduate on time.” The program’s coordinator, Academic Advisor Terry Hutson, was excited at the success of the program. “Overall the results and the feedback were extremely positive,” she said. “Having received the summer training, students who participated in the program will certainly be more prepared as they enter their fall semester.”

Student Success

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Kent State University Rural Scholars Program

Grant Coordinator Lacey Madison works with student Kelly Dickey. Kent State East Liverpool and Salem campuses were selected as two of several educational entities to participate in Project Hope, an income-based, federally funded grant. The grant is designed to assist students in landing a career in healthcare.

Providing HopeAnother way Kent State East Liverpool and Kent State Salem

are assisting its students is through a federally funded grant called Project Hope. The Kent State Columbiana County campuses are two of several educational entities participating in this income-based program designed to assist students in landing a career in healthcare. Project Hope connects participants with a student coach who collaborates with them on a path to academic success and provides ongoing guidance and support. Students electing to attend Kent State East Liverpool may work toward an associate degree in nursing. Those attending Kent State Salem may apply to its radiologic and imaging sciences program. Students may be eligible for tuition assistance to attend nurse aide classes through the campuses’ Office of Workforce Development and Continuing Studies. Financial assistance may be available in the event of an emergency.

Community support services are also available. The federally funded grant has three main objectives: to create the Hope Coalition comprised of institutions of higher education, to create new career pathways to be offered throughout the college’s service area, and to expand healthcare programs.

Kent State University’s Salem and East Liverpool campuses, in collaboration with the local community, are building a stronger pathway from middle and high school to university classrooms through a new college-access program. The Rural Scholars Program will serve first-generation college-bound students in and around Columbiana County. The program’s objective is to extend support to selected students from second grade all the way through their senior year of college. The goal of the Rural Scholars Program is to ensure that participating students attend and successfully graduate college, ultimately reinvesting their energies and talents back into the local community.

Highlights of the program include: community service projects embedded in program curricula, summer STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), applied learning courses for students in grades 7 through 12, college awareness activities for elementary-age students and resource workshops for parents of college-bound children. The program’s collaborative values rooted in an appreciation for place, culture and local history will bring together university resources with community assets to produce innovative curriculum and dynamic service experiences for students of all ages in local school districts. The program was made possible by an AmeriCorps grant developed by Dr. David Dees. Currently serving AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer In Service to America), Wendy Pfrenger, will work this year to create the community partnerships and program design necessary to support the first cohort of admitted seventh graders in the fall of 2012. For more information, visit the program’s new website at: http://ruralscholars.wordpress.com.

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Assistant Nursing Professor Mary Lou Ferranto (top left), who is also the Kent State Salem’s program director of the B.S.N. program, along with assistant professor of Geograhy Sarah Smiley (top left, second from end), coordinated an international immersion trip for Kent State Salem students.

Kent State Salem Nursing Students Travel Abroad

In August, officers of Kent State Salem’s Student Government (SGO) attended the American Student Government Association’s (ASGA) Leadership conference in Boston. Members included President Danielle Stewart (upper left), Vice President Christina Pinatiello (bottom right), Secretary Jo Broffman (upper right), Treasurer Julie Kocanjer (lower left). Although the groups’ overall intent was to find ways to better the entire campus and help the student body, each officer learned specific skills that would help her in years to come. Each member attended four workshops and later reported back to the group what was learned. Even lunch was its own round table, with each officer offering suggestions on how what she had learned could help the student body. “The ASGA conference was a true learning experience that the club will be able to gain from for years to come,” said Stewart. “It was a terrific experience for us to learn new and exciting ways to enhance our campus.”

Students from Kent State Salem’s Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (B.S.N.) program participated

in an international experience in Switzerland and Tanzania this summer. The goal of the trip was to provide students the opportunity to explore global health issues, intercultural concepts, self-awareness of personal discrimination, stereotyping, and issues of racism and privilege. Ten students and two faculty members began their trip in Geneva, Switzerland where they attended private pre-arranged seminars at the World Health Organization, the Internationl Refugee Center and the United Nations. While in Tanzania, the students provided nursing care to patients in orphanages and HIV clinics. They also spent time at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center. Junior nursing student Pam Mackos described how the students used their skills, “We performed basic health assessments, and I was so excited to use some

of my nursing skills,” she said. “I felt like it was a great learning experience on so many levels – emotionally, socially, and physically. I was given the opportunity to work with children and a different culture – two things I have not experienced in my nursing education. It was tragic to bond with some of these children and later find out that three were HIV positive.” Students described being emotionally drained following a day at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center. Premature babies were kept in wooden boxes heated by light bulbs for warmth. Mattresses, lying side by side on the floor, held mothers who had just given birth. “Rooms were overflowing with patients and families supporting their loved ones,” Mackos said. “The lack of equipment and shortage of nurses were obvious, but what was encouraging were the nurses who were unconditionally gracious, bright, loving, cheerful and doing their absolute best.” Reflecting on her experience, Mackos said, “We are so fortunate to have what we have in the United States. Even people living in poverty here are more fortunate than most of the people in Tanzania. The trip single-handedly confirmed the direction in which I want to go with my life. I want to be a nurse, travel internationally and holistically improve the lives of everyone I encounter.”

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AccomplishmentsDr. Carole Barbato, professor of communication studies, co-authored a $300,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations Implementation Grants for the project related to the May 4 Visitor’s Center, Making Meaning of May 4th: The Kent State Shootings in American History. The grant was received this summer. Kent State expects to open the visitor’s center museum in 2012.

Early Childhood Education Instructor Linda Dillon attended the Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) leadership conference in Anaheim, Calif., July 8-14, 2011 and the High Schools That Work Conference in Nashville, Tenn., July 20-23, 2011. She also presented “How to use Assessments of Early Childhood Programs in ECE” during the 2010 Ohio Association of Teachers and Family and Consumer Sciences Conference in Columbus, Ohio, July 26-28, 2010. In addition, Dillon won The Pacesetting Award from the Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). The award is presented to a Family and Consumer Science teacher. Winners are nominated by co-workers or administrators for programs that go above the normal classroom criteria in the first five years of teaching. Dillon was also a recipient in 2010.

Assistant Professors of Biology Qunxing Ding and Haiyan Zhu presented “Protein Metabolism and Ribosomal RNA Oxidation in the Human Brain,” and “RAGE Alternative Splicing Variants and their Interaction” at 25th Anniversary Symposium of The Protein Society, Boston, Mass., July 23-27 2011.

Dr. Ramona Freeman, early childhood education program director co-authored, “Strategies for Learning Experiences in Family Child Care: An American and Swedish Perspective. Childhood Education (2011); “Responding to Young Children’s Needs in Late Evening Child Care. Texas Child Care (2011); and “Reggio Emilia, Vygotsky, and family childcare: Four American providers describe their pedagogical practice. Child Care in Practice (2011).

Sociology Lecturer Dr. David A. Larwin co-authored “A Meta-Analysis Examining the Impact of Computer-Assisted Instruction on Post-Secondary Statistics Education: 40 Years of Research,” Journal of Research on Technolog y in Education (2011). He also served as a discussant at the Eighth Annual Educational Research Exchange Conference at Youngstown State University, on March 4, 2011. In addition, he served

as a Proposal Reviewer for the American Evaluation Association’s Quantitative Research Design Topical Interest Group, for the AEA’s 25th Annual Conference, Anaheim, Calif., Nov. 1-5, 2011.

Assistant Professor of Nursing Lorene S. Martin, MSN, RN, CRNP, co-authored “A Framework for Evaluating Class Size in Online Education,” which will be published in The Quarterly Review of Distance Education (2012).

Adjunct History Professor Dr. John T. Nelson presented “The American Cultural Icons: Defining the Cold War” at the Inaugural Alumni College’s Return, Renew, Revel event on May 21, 2011. He was also selected as an Advancement Placement test reader for the United States History examination in Louisville, Ky. June 1-9, 2011.

Adjunct Sociology Professor Jessica Paul attended the North-Central Sociological Association (NCSA) annual conference and presented her research on domestic violence shelters in “’We’re All Here for the Same Reason’: The Vocabulary of Sisterhood in Domestic Violence Shelters,” Cleveland, Ohio, March 10, 2011.

Biology Professor Dr. Tyre J. Proffer co-authored “Occurrence of QoI Resistance and Detection of the G143A Mutation in Michigan Populations of Venturia inaequalis,” with researchers from Michigan State University and Purdue University. The research was published by Plant Disease, Aug. 2011.

Academic Program Director Kimberly Steele-Simmons, M.S.,Ed., PCC/S, LICDC, LSW, and adjunct faculty member Karen Guerrieri, M.S.Ed., PC presented “Follow the Yellow Brick Road . . .Assisting At-Risk and Justice System Involved Females in their Journey of Transformation” at the 14th National Conference on Adult and Juvenile Female Offenders, Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 15-19, 2011.

Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Santokh S. Tandon and a group of other chemists published a research paper entitled, “Complexes of ditopic carbo- and thio-carbohydrazone ligands – mononuclear, 1D chain, dinuclear and tetranuclear examples” in the high caliber international research journal in inorganic chemistry, Dalton Transaction (2011), which is published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, London, England.

Assistant Professor of History Dr. E. Sue Wamsley attended the preeminent international conference for historians of women, the Berkshire Conference on the History of Women in Amherst, Mass., June 9-12, 2011.

More than $170,000 scholarship dollars were awarded to Kent State Columbiana County students for the 2011-2012 academic year. This includes more than 100 scholarships to many Kent State East Liverpool students. The awards recognize students’ academic achievement and help defer some of the costs associated with higher education.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Suzanne Fitzgerald congratulated Rachel Younger for earning the nursing excellence scholarship they support.

Hannah Zimmerman (center) is congratulated by Kent State Salem advisory board members Lori McClellan and James Gibbs on earning the board’s first scholarship.

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yKent State University, Kent State and KSU are registered trademarks and may not be used without permission. Kent State University is committed to attaining excellence through the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body and workforce. 11-2661

Alumna Courtney Stryffeler decided to attend Kent State University at East Liverpool because it was a reasonable distance from her home and had an associate degree in nursing program (ADN). While working as a registered nurse, she completed her B.S.N. and is now a graduate student working towards becoming a nurse anesthetist. Recently, she interviewed for a position in a June 2012 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists class and is awaiting the results. “The start of my success did indeed start at Kent State University,” she says.

Between Kent State University at East Liverpool and Kent State University at Salem, we offer 28 degrees including 14 bachelor’s degrees. Our degrees are in competitive areas such as business, computers, education, health care, horticulture and justice studies. Find out more! Call 1-877-KENT-EDU or log on to www.col.kent.edu.

Kent State was the start of my success.