Celebration Time!
Kent Stateâs Department of Psychological Sciences celebrated the 50th anniversary of its PhD program with a PhD alumni reunion held June 1-3, 2018. Approximately 200 alumni, faculty, grad students, staff and family members took part in weekend events that included a campus 5K Walk/Run Race and Kidsâ Fun Run, a banquet with a special appearance by Diminished Faculties (the departmentâs all-faculty band), presentations, lectures, a tour of facilities, bowling and group photos.
Since the PhD program was established, more than 725 PhD degrees in clinical psychology or psychological science have been awarded to date. Most graduates of the program are employed in colleges and universities, where they are engaged in teaching and research in psychology.
Speakers at the reunion included a presentation by the first PhD graduate, Don DeRosa, PhD â67, President Emeritus, University of the Pacific, and keynote speakers Brian Hall, PhD â11, University of Macau (âGlobal Mental Health: Scalable innovations to bridge the treatment gap in Chinaâ), Tricia Leahey, PhD â08, University of Connecticut (âNext Frontiers in Obesity Treatment Research: Dissemination and weight loss maintenanceâ) and Lynn Martire, PhD â97, Penn State University (âClose Relationships and Chronic Illness Research: 3 highlights from the past 20 yearsâ).
Professor Dave Riccio, PhD, who came to ĂÛŃżappin 1969 and will be retiring in 2019, gave a âLast Lectureâ recalling the early days of the program, remembering past faculty and grad students and reviewing some of the research heâs done over the years.
âIt was a great event!â wrote attendee Robert Klepac, PhD â69, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, on the departmentâs Facebook page. âThanks to the dept. for staging such a wonderful time for us.â
Click here for lists of reunion attendees
Pictured (l to r): Front row: President Beverly J. Warren; Chantrell M. Lewis, BFA â19; Nick Belluardo, BS â15; James Bailey, BA â03, MS â04. Back row: Douglas M. Mancino, BA â71; Carol A. Mancino, BA â72; Ramesh Rajasingham, BA â85, MA â86; Sandra C. Armstrong; Lawrence R. Armstrong, BS â79, BArc â80. Not pictured: John R. Elliot, BArc â70 and Michael E. Rogers, PhD â96, who were unable to attend the ceremony.
Alumni Honors
The ĂÛŃżappUniversity Alumni Association hosted the annual Alumni Awards ceremony at the ĂÛŃżappHotel and Conference Center on October 5, 2018.
The universityâs most prestigious honors given to alumni, the awards recognize the exceptional contributions of alumni (and students) in their chosen profession, in their communities and at the university.
âEach of our alumni have left a distinctive footprint at Kent State
and have helped to shape who we are today,â says James Bailey, BA â03, MS â04, President, ĂÛŃżappUniversity Alumni Association Board
of Directors.
Congratulations to the following 2018 Alumni Award recipients:
Distinguished Alumni AwardâJohn R. Elliot, BArc â70, Owner, American Medical Facilities Management LLC (AMFM)
Professional Achievement AwardâRamesh Rajasingham,
BA â85, MA â86, United Nations Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator, Syria Crisis
Professional Achievement AwardâMichael E. Rogers,
PhD â96, Professor of Exercise Science at Wichita State University
ĂÛŃżappAdvocacy AwardâSandra C. Armstrong, Philanthropist, and Lawrence R. Armstrong, BS â79, BArc â80,
CEO, Ware Malcomb
Distinguished Citizen AwardâCarol A. Mancino, BA â72, Human Resources Professional, Civic Leader, Philanthropist, and Douglas M. Mancino, BA â71, JD, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Civic Leader
Outstanding New Professional AwardâNick Belluardo,
BS â15, CM, Cleveland Hopkins Airport Planning Manager,
Business Owner
Golden Flash AwardâChantrell M. Lewis, BFA â19, Theatre Studies, Concentration in Musical Theatre
Read recipient bios at .
Submit a nomination for the 2019 Alumni Awards at
www.ksualumni.org/alumniawards.
Send Us Your Class Note
Weâd love to hear from you!
To share your news, complete the form at (you may include an image in JPEG, GIF or PNG format) or write ĂÛŃżappUniversity Alumni Association, Center for Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, OH 44242.
Limit your notes to 100 words or less and include your class year, city, state and degree(s). Notes may be edited for length or clarity and published as space allows.
Deadlines for submissions:
Fall/Winter: May 31
Spring/Summer: November 30