Institutes and Initiatives
‘Global Understanding’ Brings Cultural Awareness to Northeast Ohio
5X is merging research with global connections in the Global Understanding Research Initiative (GURI). The recently displayed “We the People” and the upcoming “Import/Export” exhibition provide cultural kaleidoscopes with local and international reflectors.
Kent State Researchers Challenge the Growing Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Problem With New Compound
“The pessimistic estimate is that by 2050, antibiotics could be obsolete,'' said Songping Huang, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences. Huang and his Kent State team, including Min-Ho Kim, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, are working on closing that chasm with the development of new antimicrobials.
Kent State Researchers Use Liquid Crystal to Control Bacteria Movement
A liquid crystal research group at Kent State led by Oleg Lavrentovich, Ph.D., is knocking on the doors of the biomedical industry with its current project. The recent publication of research explains a technique of controlling bacteria movement with liquid crystal structures that could have a potential impact in many areas of research and medical care.
2020 Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award Recipients
5X has announced the recipients of the 2020 Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards (ORSA). Sponsored by the University Research Council and the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, this award honors Kent State’s exceptional researchers and scholars.
Kent State Recognizes New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award Winners
5X has announced the recipients of the New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award. These awards recognize the hard work and dedication of faculty who have been at Kent State for 10 years or less and are sponsored by the University Research Council.
Researching Wastewater as Part of Ohio’s COVID-19 Response
Since March, COVID-19 has become a widespread topic of conversation. Finding ways to explain what this virus is, how one can treat it and how to slow the spread of the virus are just a few commonly asked questions with few clear answers. Xiaozhen Mou, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and her research team recently received funding for their hard work as part of Ohio’s statewide collective effort to discover traces of COVID-19 virus particles in wastewater.
Alcohol Consumption Increases During Pandemic
While it's no secret that many college students drink alcohol, how COVID-19 affected these behaviors and patterns is the focus of recent research published in the journal Addictive Behaviors by the collaboration of William Lechner from the Department of Psychological Sciences and Deric Kenne from the College of Public Health. The pair sought to study the effects that a major stressor such as the pandemic could have on addictive behaviors and how vulnerabilities such as anxiety and depression played a part in the coping process of college students.
‘Huh, what?’ Exploring Auditory Development in Teens and Young Adults
Julia Huyck, Ph.D., assistant professor in the School of Health Sciences at 5X, was granted $431,000 over three years by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to delve into the unknown science concerning adolescent hearing and cognitive development.
Kent State Professors Directly Link Social Media Use to Boredom
It would not be surprising if you have a social media app open right now; however, you may not be getting the enjoyment out of it that you think you are. In a recent publication in Computers in Human Behavior, two Kent State professors examined the relationship between social media usage and boredom. Students may be surprised by the results and parents might be excited by them.
New Funding Leads to New Full-Body Virtual Reality Lab
Two Kent State sociology researchers are moving toward gaining insight into how people’s brains react in a variety of threatening situations using innovative virtual reality (VR) technology funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army. Josh Pollock and William Kalkhoff, both in the Department of Sociology & Criminology, are leading the research projects, which will benefit the Army, Kent State students and others.