President Lester A. Lefton

At Kent State University, research is not an ivory tower endeavor. Our researchers are committed to finding real solutions to real problems that affect real people. It's part of our excellence agenda, which is built into everything we do, starting with our mission to make a profound and positive difference for the people of Northeast Ohio — as an educational and cultural resource; as a producer of knowledge that addresses real-world problems, from environmental pollution to the pollution of society by violence; and as a major catalyst for economic growth. The cover story for this issue of Kent State Magazine offers a perfect example of how we translate research excellence into action — literally, in this case.

Dr. Angela Ridgel, a new faculty member in our School of Exercise, Leisure and Sport, recently worked with colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic to discover a way to help people with Parkinson's disease experience improved motor function.

Working with Dr. Jay Alberts, a neuroscientist with the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the Center for Neurological Restoration at the Cleveland Clinic, Ridgel found that these patients benefited greatly from a very simple intervention — "forced," or assisted, exercise, where they received assistance from a trainer on a tandem bike, for example. This activity gave the central nervous system an extra push beyond its normal capacity, which appears to help mitigate the debilitating effects of Parkinson's.

Ridgel's research also serves as just one example of Kent State's unique role in addressing public health issues in the region and beyond. Other examples abound, from our nationally and internationally recognized College of Nursing, to our Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence and the Center for Public Health Preparedness, to our numerous clinical, educational and research partnerships and collaborations with such organizations as the Cleveland Clinic, Summa Health System and the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy.

These and other strategic assets give Kent State the capacity to launch one of the nation's top colleges of public health, a plan with which we are moving full speed ahead. As health and health care remain among the most active and promising clusters of development in the region, the need for public health professionals will only continue to grow. And currently there is only one other accredited public health program in the state, at Ohio State, while most states our size have several.

In keeping with the University System of Ohio strategic plan, this opportunity allows us to strengthen the university and the state by leveraging existing areas of excellence. As we meet this urgent need, we will be preparing students for a wide range of careers, including occupational and environmental health specialists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, health educators, health program administrators and health policy analysts.

Another burgeoning career opportunity, and another in which Kent State can boast success, is in paralegal studies. Under the leadership of Dr. Hedi Nasheri, Kent State's bachelor's program in paralegal studies has served as a model nationally for other institutions. Our graduates are employed by some of the most prestigious law firms in the country. And with the headquarters of numerous national and international law firms and corporations based in Akron, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Kent State's location helps position the program for strategic access to the industry. That will continue to pay off for our students, as projections for Ohio's fastest growing occupations place paralegals seventh on the list with a projected growth rate of 58 percent over the next seven years.

In more ways than you can count, Kent State is committed to changing lives and making ideas work. That's what our excellence agenda is all about.