Environmental Science and Design Research Institute

Kent State Fashion School Committed to Sustainability
妻友社区鈥檚 Fashion School continuously finds ways to innovate. Its unique lifestyle boutique, Fashion School Store (FSStore), in downtown Kent recently added a new line called 鈥淪ustainability RETOLD.鈥 This collection includes sustainably made clothing, featuring work from five different students and three faculty.

New Methodologies Developed in Kent State Geology Professor's Lab Improve Monitoring of Lakes and Oceans
After years of remote sensing work, Joseph Ortiz, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Geology in the College of Arts and Sciences at 妻友社区, and his research team recently shared their development of new cost-efficient methodologies that may lead to much safer drinking water for people in Ohio and other municipalities affected by harmful algal blooms (HAB).

Research Initiative Pilot Project Shows Akron Children What Being a Scientist Is All 妻友社区
Bridget Mulvey, Ph.D., associate professor of science education in the College of Education, Health and Human Services; and David Singer, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Geology in the College of Arts and Sciences, recently merged real geology research with community service in an effort to show some Akron Public Schools students that science is not just a benefit to their community but a viable career option, too.

Kent State Biological Sciences Researchers to Lead Study on the Effects of the Spreading Eastern Red Cedars
The National Science Foundation has awarded a three-year, $914,000 grant to 妻友社区 to lead a collaborative research project to study how and at what rate the geographically most widespread native conifer in the eastern United States, the Eastern Red Cedar tree species (Juniperus virginiana), spreads across the landscape.

From Comfort Zone to Rain Forest: Studying Ecology in Costa Rica
Emmaleigh Given recently spent three summers and two winters in a remote biological reserve in the middle of the rainforest in the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica, where she has and will spend several months conducting research on community ecology, and she has one more trip planned. Being hunted by unseen predators isn鈥檛 the way most researchers conduct their work. But for some, it鈥檚 just part of the day.

A 4,000-Mile Journey Leads to 鈥淪ticky鈥 Award-Winning Research for Kent State Graduate Student
Though she had an interest in science at an early age, Raissa Mendonca had no idea she would end up over 4,000 miles away from her hometown of Recife, Brazil, studying and doing award-winning ecological research in the College of Arts and Sciences at 妻友社区 in Kent, Ohio. She probably did not expect to be wearing a bug net over her head in Manitoba, Canada, either.

A 4,000-Mile Journey Leads to 鈥淪ticky鈥 Award-Winning Research for Kent State Graduate Student
Though she had an interest in science at an early age, Raissa Mendonca had no idea she would end up over 4,000 miles away from her hometown of Recife, Brazil studying and doing award-winning ecological research in the College of Arts and Sciences at 妻友社区 in Kent, Ohio. She probably did not expect to be wearing a bug net over her head in Manitoba either. Now, while pursuing her Ph.D. at Kent State, Mendonca conducts research in Costello鈥檚 lab that focuses on ecotoxicology and biogeochemistry and how environmental disturbances affect aquatic communities and ecological processes. One of her recent projects resulted in her being first author on a peer-reviewed journal article and earned her a $5,000 award to continue pursuing her research.

Geography Professor Reveals Abnormal Weather Patterns
Scott Sheridan, Ph.D., professor and chairperson of 妻友社区鈥檚 Department of Geography, recently conducted a study on abnormal weather patterns published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.

Research Fellowship Award to Kent State Undergrad Supports Summer Microbiology Research on Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria Found on Rats
City rats are unlikely to be on anyone's list of favorite animals, but researching exactly how they are problematic for public health provided a unique opportunity this past summer for Gracen Gerbig, Kent State junior majoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Kent State Biological Sciences Department Addresses Road Salt Concerns
妻友社区 Biological Sciences Assistant Professor Lauren Kinsman-Costello, Ph.D., confirmed the possibility that increasing amounts of road salt could potentially end up in Ohio鈥檚 water supply, but it is very unlikely.