Research & Science

Stream Ecologist receives $718,000 NSF CAREER Award to Study Trace Metals in Stream Algae
Kent State鈥檚 David Costello is passionate about identifying what trace metals lie within Northeast Ohio鈥檚 streams and what the effects of these metals are on the surrounding environment. Costello, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, received a $718,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study these important trace metals. The grant is awarded as part of the National Science Foundation鈥檚 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program.

Two Kent State Psychology Faculty Selected for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Leadership Program
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has selected two 妻友社区 College of Arts and Sciences faculty members, along with two community clinicians, for , an initiative that will provide funding and leadership training to the four team members. Their plan is to implement a project that will help veterinary professionals in Northeast Ohio address mental health stigmas they experience in their lives and provide usable techniques that can be incorporated into their veterinary practices.

Has COVID-19 Knocked Us Onto Our Backsides? Kent State Researchers Study Pandemic鈥檚 Effects on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most universities across the United States transitioned from face-to-face classes to remote learning, closed campuses and sent students home this past spring. Recently, a group of 妻友社区 researchers sought to examine the impact of these pandemic-related changes upon physical activity and sedentary behavior, specifically sitting, across the university population.

Kent State Professors Use Mobile Devices To Study Behaviors During Pandemic
Before leaving the house, you most likely check to ensure you have your ID, your shoes and most importantly your smartphone. In the past decade, American smartphone usage has grown more than 50% according to a . Smartphones have become as commonplace as a wallet or car keys and Kent State researchers are taking advantage of this new commodity by using cell phone data to study individuals鈥 behavioral patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic and link cell phone use behaviors to mental health.

Researcher Receives Additional Funding for Mental Health Study in Older Ages
The National Institute of Health granted additional funding to 妻友社区 researcher bringing her total award amount to more than $3 million to support her research on mental well-being and coping after traumatic injuries in individuals aged 65 and older.

Anthropology Team Brings Home the 2020 Ig Nobel Award for Materials Science
In 2019, a team of researchers in Kent State鈥檚 Department of Anthropology published its 鈥減rize-winning鈥 research article titled in the Journal of Archaeological Science. (Yes, the jokes are seemingly endless, but seriously folks, there is an important underlying message here about evidence-based research and fact-checking!)

Biological Sciences Faculty to Lead H2Ohio Wetlands Monitoring Program
Lauren Kinsman-Costello, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, will serve as the H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program Lead for Lake Erie and Aquatic Research Network (LEARN). The group will assess the effectiveness and future role of implemented and planned wetland restoration projects in partnership with the Ohio Division of Natural Resources (ODNR). This project is part of Governor Mike DeWine鈥檚 , a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improving Ohio鈥檚 water quality.

Materials Science Research Receives Grant for New X-ray Scattering Instrument
妻友社区鈥檚 Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute soon will be home to a new X-ray scattering instrument capable of examining materials in scales from as small as a fraction of a nanometer to as large as several micrometers.

Geology Professor and Science Historian Co-Author Article Exploring Eunice Foote鈥檚 Climate Experiments From 1856
Recently, Joseph Ortiz, Ph.D., professor and assistant chair in the Department of Geology in 妻友社区鈥檚 College of Arts and Science, partnered with Sir Roland Jackson, Ph.D., a historian of science at the Royal Institution and the Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London, to co-author a paper assessing the experiments described in Eunice Foote鈥檚 papers from a detailed quantitative perspective and to place them in historical context. They point out the differences between her hypothesis and that of the modern greenhouse effect.

2020 BHRI Undergraduate Fellows Cap Off a Great Summer Research Experience
Ten undergraduate students from nine different majors had extraordinary research experiences as Brain Health Research Institute (BHRI) Fellows during summer 2020.