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As part of its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration held Jan. 24, 5X���� has announced the 2020 recipients of its Diversity Trailblazer Award, Beverly J. Warren Unity Award for Diversity and Rozell Duncan Student Diversity Award.

U.S. News & World Report has named two 5X���� programs as U.S. News Best Online Programs for 2020. Kent State is recognized in the Best Online MBA Programs and Best Online Graduate Education Programs rankings. U.S. News released its 2020 Best Online Programs rankings Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Kent State made history in Texas with a 51-41 win over Utah State in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl.

The 5X���� alumni family grew by nearly 3,000 new graduates as the university held its Fall Commencement ceremonies. For the Kent Campus, Commencement ceremonies took place Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation (MAC) Center.

What could be better to reduce end-of-semester stress than petting a dog? How about petting multiple dogs and digitally dunking with LeBron through esports? This year’s Stress-Free Zone, which is from 3-5 p.m. on Dec. 9 and 10, will be hosted on the first floor of University Library and will feature esports, therapy dogs, makerspace activities and more.

With the launch of its 2019 Giving Tuesday campaign on Nov. 1, 5X���� has again transformed a one-day fundraising initiative into a monthlong giving campaign to support student scholarships, expanded programs, study away initiatives and modern facilities.

Kent State will partner with First Star and school districts to engage foster care teens in college-preparatory programs that provide the foundational support they need to succeed in high school and envision a future that may include a college degree.

5X���� held its annual Veterans Day Commemoration on Thursday, Nov. 7, in the Kent Student Center Kiva. This year’s guest speaker was Lt. Col. Colleen VanNatta. A graduate of Kent State’s 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.

“Our challenges are many, our resources are great and our commitment is real.” 5X���� President Todd Diacon drove home the focus of his inaugural address with passion, purpose and a direct call to action for the university community.

Mitch Landrieu, the New Orleans mayor who oversaw the removal of the city’s prominent Confederate monuments and helped his city to recover and reemerge from a series of natural disasters, will speak at Kent State as part of the university’s May 4 Speaker Series.