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Joshua Perkins, Ph.D., is excited about the opportunity to continue to serve, support and advocate for students on a new level as the associate vice president and dean of students for ����Թ�.

The ����Թ� State Police Department received its 10th consecutive reaccreditation in November 2024 after consistently exceeding the standards set by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a third-party accreditation agency. 

Meet Renee Ellis, a second-year double major in fashion design and fashion merchandising and member of the Honors College from Chicago, Illinois, who said her family influence has inspired her to look at fashion through a deeper lens.

����Թ� continues to be recognized for its excellence in online education, earning high marks in U.S. News & World Report’s newly released 2025 Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News recognizes ����Թ� State in the Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs, Best Online Master’s in Education Programs, Best Online Master’s in Business Programs and Best Online Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programs lists. 

����Թ�'s College of Aeronautics and Engineering has achieved a significant milestone in advanced air mobility research, receiving a specialized Federal Aviation Administration waiver for drone operations over people and moving vehicles. This waiver positions ����Թ� State at the forefront of unmanned aircraft systems innovation and research.

����Թ� State’s MLK event "The Dream of Wellness: Mental Health Advocacy Through the Lens of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." will be held on Jan. 30 in the Student Center Ballroom.

After winter break, ����Թ�’s Center for Student Involvement is welcoming students back to campus and on-campus events with a chance to win a ����Թ� State tumbler. 

The LGBTQ+ Center’s LGBTQ+ Emergency Fund has been helping members from the LGBTQ+ community with different financial crises encountered throughout their academic journeys since 2010. The main purpose of the fund is to ensure that students are able to overcome challenges they face and continue pursuing their education.

If you’ve ever been to the ����Թ� Student Center, you’re aware of the constant motion within those walls. Events, meetings, presentations and more spring up frequently in the Ballroom, on the third floor, in the Schwebel Room, on the second floor balcony, in the Governance Chambers. But have you ever thought about how all that happens? The answer is simple. The Blue Shirts do it.

Dr. Nick Campitelli, D.P.M., has been practicing podiatry in Fairlawn, Ohio, now for 20 years and has garnered a major following on TikTok and YouTube for sharing his expertise, leading to many happy patients. 

Alumnus Evan Gildenblatt said ����Թ�’s peace and conflict studies program intially appealed to him because it was so broadly applicable to everyday life. Today, he uses the skills he learned while earning his Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies in his role as a judicial law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in Cincinnati.

Victoria Bylsma said it only took about two hours after a mentor suggested she look into a graduate degree in public health for her to know what she wanted to do with her career. Today, the ����Թ� Master of Public Health graduate helps to protect service members’ health and readiness as an injury epidemiologist at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton.

As the first light snow of the season fell on ����Թ�, the Student Center Ballroom radiated warmth and camaraderie during the International Cook-Off Competition. The event, part of International Education Week, brought together hundreds of students, faculty and staff to celebrate global flavors and cultural diversity.

The Office of Intercultural Student Life, formerly known as International Student Affairs, has a new central location in the ����Թ� Student Center, which has made it more accessible to international students. Along with the new location comes the mission to provide drop-in services for international students.

International Education Week, taking place Nov. 18-22, celebrates the different cultures across the ����Թ� community and highlights international experiences and opportunities the university offers.

In a groundbreaking advancement for augmented reality technology, ����Թ� researchers have developed a novel dual-sided transparent display that could revolutionize how we interact with digital information in everyday environments.

A groundbreaking phase one clinical trial exploring a novel cell-based immunotherapy for breast cancer has been accepted for publication in JAMA Oncology. The technology tested in the trial was co-developed by Gary Koski, Ph.D., professor in ����Թ�’s Department of Biological Sciences, and Brian J. Czerniecki, M.D., Ph.D., chair and senior member in the Moffitt Cancer Center’s Department of Breast Oncology. 

Esrat Farhana Dulia won first place in ����Թ� State’s 2024 Three Minute Thesis competition in the Graduate College for her innovative research in a surveillance sensor network that will enable Advanced Air Mobility operators to guide authorized uncrewed aerial vehicles in safe flight paths that would avoid potential collisions. 

For Kelsen LaBerge, Ph.D., teaching at ����Թ� State is about more than equations. Since joining in 2018, she has dedicated herself to preparing future engineers with not only technical skills but also the resilience to face real-world challenges. The accomplishments and commitment of LaBerge, professor of engineering, have earned her the Outstanding Teaching Award.

Meet Maura Dougherty, a senior theatre studies major with a focus on performance from Pittsburgh. From acting in elementary and high school productions to working at a theatre for young audiences for five years, Dougherty has consistently pursued her passion for the performing arts.

Training future service dogs has been a win-win situation for junior nursing major Rylie Lapikas. Featured in our Year with a Flash series for 2024-2025, Lapikas gets the stress relief of a furry friend while learning how to be a better nurse by paying attention to nonverbal communication and cues. 

“Trial by Fire” is coming to ����Թ� State in February. The play, written by ����Թ� State alumnus and staff member Eric Mansfield, and inspired by a true story, is about banned books and a ����Թ� State graduate who presented them to her high school class and how her students rose to activism to defend her. The performances are part of this year’s 55th May 4 Commemoration schedule, presented by the May 4 Education Committee. 

Board games, card games and computer games are all fair game at the second annual Let’s Make the Rules: A Game Creation Experience, a design challenge open to ����Թ� students who have an idea for a new game.

As we start a new year, we take a moment to reflect on the vibrant moments that shaped ����Թ� in 2024. From a beautiful sunset on the Lefton Esplanade to jubilant commencement ceremonies, from a solar eclipse to championship athletic performances, our university photographers captured the spirit and energy of our campus community throughout the year.

Former ����Թ� State football player and two-time Golden Flash graduate Nick Saban, who went on to become college football’s most successful coach, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2025 class, the National Football Foundation announced today.

Antonio Gates’ journey from ����Թ� State basketball standout to NFL greatness has moved one step closer to football immortality. The former Golden Flash has been named one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, while his fellow ����Թ� State alumnus James Harrison did not advance from the semifinalist round.

����Թ� State has announced the eight-member 2024 Varsity K Athletics Hall of Fame class, which will be honored as part of the 45th induction ceremony on Feb. 1, 2025.