Dr. Lester A. Lefton, President
Local Solutions with Global Impact
Dr. Lester A. Lefton, President
We all see the daily media reports of domestic and community violence, often involving youths, either as victims or participants. As I write this message, the memory is fresh of a shooting incident in a Cleveland public school. Violence is not just a problem somewhere else. It affects us all.
Kent State researchers are on the front lines to help combat this national problem. Kent State’s Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence conducts on-site research in the region’s communities and applies the findings to real-world issues.
Dr. Daniel J. Flannery, director of the institute, and his team have become national experts on the causes of and remedies for violence. Their field work, notably in Cleveland, Akron and northern Ohio communities, is geared to solutions. The research leads to analysis of the causes of school and community violence, and results in consultation and training programs for police, schools, treatment centers, community organizations and youth and family services.
The goals are to protect citizens, law enforcement personnel, students, health care providers, neighborhoods and others, while setting troubled youths and adults on a more positive course.
It is a classic example of public university outreach that benefits the people of Ohio. You can read the details in this issue of Kent State Magazine.
Another story of outreach that might interest you concerns our Hugh A. Glauser School of Music.
The school has embarked on a mission to attain an All-Steinway designation, meaning that students, faculty and concert audiences will benefit from its commitment to upgrade to the superb, handcrafted pianos of Steinway & Sons. This mark of distinction puts Kent State on an exclusive list of top music schools and conservatories, and is the cornerstone of the school’s Keys to Musical Excellence campaign.
Those of you who never attend concerts or take part in any of Kent State’s musical outreach programs still can recognizes the implicit message: Kent State pursues excellence in all areas.
These two stories are a reminder that not all valuable research and education is based in science and technology. Kent State Magazine routinely chronicles the institution’s important role as a national public university that leads in research, patents and technology transfer, which commercializes our discoveries and spins off products and start-up companies.
But we also are a national leader in outreach and community involvement.
As we go about our mission of academic excellence and student success, the benefits of our research and education efforts reach far beyond the borders of our eight campuses.
Quite simply, Kent State touches virtually every facet of life in Northeast Ohio.
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