Kent State University

Award-winning journalism starts with real-world experience.
Students and recent graduates from Kent State School of Media and Journalism earned top honors at the 2025 Central Great Lakes Student Production Awards, including a win for the KSTV Thursday Newscast and an individual award for recent graduate Sydney Brown.

The accomplishments extended beyond the awards. Golden Flashes also helped produce the backstage livestream for the Central Great Lakes Emmy Awards, working alongside industry professionals in a live production environment.

"Our students didn't just win at the regional Emmys — they helped run them," said Emily Metzgar, director of the School of Media and Journalism. "Competing for awards while also producing the event's backstage livestream for a room full of working professionals is a remarkable experience, and one that captures what makes MDJ unique."

Congratulations to our students, recent graduates and faculty! ⚡

Students Earn Regional Student Production Awards at 2025 Central Great Lakes Student Production Competition | Kent State Today, School of Media and Journalism Students and recent graduates from Kent State University's School of Media and Journalism captured two regional Student Production Awards at the 2025

Kent State will be closed July 4 to observe Independence Day. 🇺🇸

No classes are scheduled on the holiday, and university offices are closed. The university will resume normal operations on July 6. Happy Fourth of July weekend, Golden Flashes!

Future Flashes families, this one is for you. ⚡️💙 If you're part of the Class of 2030 and haven't signed up for Destination Kent State yet, there's still time.

Click here register: https://bit.ly/448DyeI

At Kent State’s Future Innovators Summit, students in grades 3–12 came together to design their own “Smart Cities”. Allowing them to take on real-world challenges in accessibility, transportation, sustainability and energy.

Hosted by the Research Center for Educational Technology and the College of Education and Human Services at Kent State University, the summit brought together local schools, industry mentors and community partners to help students think beyond individual solutions and explore how systems work together to create stronger communities.
From windmill-powered hospitals to a Braille-inclusive community, these young innovators proved that the future is in good hands.

Read more about how Kent State is helping inspire the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers:

STEM Education Teams Design Smart Cities of the Future | Research Center for Educational Technology (RCET), College of Education and Human Services Local students developed prototype inventions that connected their very own ‘Smart City' during the Future Innovators Summit presented by Kent State