Success Story
![A joint color guard from 抖M女仆鈥檚 Army and Air Force ROTC programs conducts a flag-raising ceremony on the Student Green at Risman Plaza during the university鈥檚 2019 Veterans Day Commemoration.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/JJ_Veterans_Day-2-web_0.jpg?VersionId=pBnYVjUyhluLIyaiGQmL_OQh0s61Fw4g&h=d4e06467&itok=bV-HRheA)
抖M女仆 held its annual Veterans Day Commemoration on Thursday, Nov. 7, in the Kent Student Center Kiva. This year鈥檚 guest speaker was Lt. Col. Colleen VanNatta. A graduate of 抖M女仆鈥檚 Air Force ROTC detachment, VanNatta served as a media escort for joint information bureaus in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, during Operation Desert Storm.
![抖M女仆 President Todd Diacon gives his inaugural address in the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/inaug-9.jpg?VersionId=E8wzfuAU5PnGpWwCAa56TxyfzhVetLLg&h=78aab1d8&itok=AAXs0rxi)
鈥淥ur challenges are many, our resources are great and our commitment is real.鈥 抖M女仆 President Todd Diacon drove home the focus of his inaugural address with passion, purpose and a direct call to action for the university community.
![Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will speak at 抖M女仆 at 7 p.m. Nov. 19 as part of the university鈥檚 May 4 Speaker Series.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/10.18.19%20Photo%20of%20Mitch%20Landrieu_0.jpg?VersionId=kan_DjfAXj3vXWO.qmROicWjZxc6.ppk&h=69189783&itok=JxVwJCpo)
Mitch Landrieu, the New Orleans mayor who oversaw the removal of the city鈥檚 prominent Confederate monuments and helped his city to recover and reemerge from a series of natural disasters, will speak at 抖M女仆 as part of the university鈥檚 May 4 Speaker Series.
![Students carrying the 抖M女仆 Homecoming banner in the parade pose for a photo.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/homecoming%20BC-3R.jpg?VersionId=2s6eagCQEK3sr3qsTvVfup5su1GjCfK7&h=06ac0d8c&itok=mmAbzUIr)
On Saturday, Sept. 21, the 抖M女仆 fight song blared down Main Street, the city of Kent was flooded with blue and gold, alumni and friends gathered and reminisced about their 抖M女仆 days, fans packed the stadium to cheer on their beloved Golden Flashes and the entire campus boomed with 抖M女仆 pride.
![抖M女仆 President Todd Diacon (third from left) is joined by FedEx officials and members of the 抖M女仆 community to unveil the new FedEx Aeronautics and Academic Center.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/20190906_BC_untitled%20shoot_305.jpg?VersionId=Q27EPcAzPjsQVV9a3jR89XaKbBySlLBw&h=c3635fa2&itok=uLM9esaU)
抖M女仆鈥檚 new FedEx Aeronautics Academic Center provides a world-class training ground to help aviation students and future pilots soar to even greater achievements.
![Members of 抖M女仆鈥檚 Class of 2023 form a K on campus for a photo with President Todd Diacon, 抖M女仆 cheerleaders and the university鈥檚 mascot, Flash.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/09.09.19%20Photo%20of%20Kent%20State%27s%20Class%20of%202023%20forming%20a%20K.jpg?VersionId=NOCnNf.ql.K1KB5ktsQSge1c3waWvZom&h=f4c1b246&itok=gCtjwyg6)
抖M女仆 has made impressive moves in the rankings in the newly released 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges list. 抖M女仆 has climbed three spots, a 3% increase, on the Top Public Schools list. 抖M女仆 is the only Northeast Ohio institution on the Top Public Schools list.
![New 抖M女仆 President Todd Diacon will serve as 抖M女仆鈥檚 2019 Homecoming Grand Marshal on Saturday, Sept. 21.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/09.03.19%20Photo%20of%20Kent%20State%20University%20President%20Todd%20Diacon.jpg?VersionId=UIosEeUxmkVd7JVuX05fVSAkseQEalfn&h=e3f96b5f&itok=X5Ri28sJ)
Last year, 抖M女仆 celebrated 100 years of Homecoming. This year, the university starts the next century of 抖M女仆 Homecoming celebrations with a new president leading the institution.
![Movers and Groovers Help Students Move into Residence Halls](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/20190818-014%20Movers%20and%20Groovers3%20%28002%29.jpg?VersionId=DDv3VOutFce6FZLbHGVGHvT6hLvKRk1e&h=e6f36a9c&itok=lhSK0oNu)
More than 1,000 volunteers from the 抖M女仆 community welcomed and assisted new students as they moved into their residence halls on freshman move-in day, Sunday, Aug. 18. The annual community program, known as Movers and Groovers, is coordinated by Kent Interhall Council, the student government of the Kent Campus residence halls.
![Finish Line Feeling. A 抖M女仆 student embraces the moment after receiving his degree during the Aug. 17 undergraduate commencement ceremony at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation (MAC) Center.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/DSC_3010.jpg?VersionId=4teS29irbn7fhUxBGLeSeQbr1oOrr35J&h=34bbd072&itok=tDC3ApRG)
The 抖M女仆 alumni network again grew its ranks this summer as more than a thousand Golden Flashes got their degrees. 抖M女仆 will held its Summer 2019 Commencement ceremonies for the Kent Campus on Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation (MAC) Center.
![LeBron James Family Foundation I PROMISE students take part in an awards dinner marking the end of their four-week 抖M女仆 camp for intensive college entrance exam preparation.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/I%20Promise%202019%20Camp%20Finale.jpg?VersionId=9MTSP8dLfjDeiQT7lY22pf0b53G7uJOM&h=53670a99&itok=KQeHygM7)
抖M女仆 hosted several dozen high school students from the LeBron James Family Foundation's I PROMISE program for a month of intensive college entrance exam preparation.