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The �������� alumni family grew by nearly 3,000 new graduates as the university held its Fall Commencement ceremonies. For the �������� Campus, Commencement ceremonies took place Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation (MAC) Center.

The �������� State Golden Flashes (6-6) are bowling for the fourth time in school history, having accepted a bid to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl against Utah State (7-5, Mountain West).

Joan C. Cronan will share a short address with a long-lasting impact as commencement speaker.

Two nationally known neuroscience researchers have joined �������� State to continue their quest to uncover the brain’s complex functions—and to collaborate with researchers from a wide range of disciplines at the university and across the region to advance our knowledge of the human brain and translate those discoveries into new treatments and care for brain and nervous system diseases.

��������’s Giving Tuesday 2019 raised more than $1.6 million when it ended on Dec. 3 at 11:59 p.m., shattering the previous year’s record of $1.03 million. 

“Small successes matter, even when students understand a complex idea, attend tutoring to improve their exam grade or make personal connections to learning,” said Rachael Blasiman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychology for �������� at Salem. This positive teaching philosophy led her to winning the Distinguished Teaching Award.

�������� State students who park on the northern edge of the �������� Campus can now give a collective cheer as additional parking is on the way via an 1,100-space, five-story parking deck. The �������� State Board of Trustees approved the deck’s construction at its Dec. 4 meeting.

��������’s first major construction project to create a new signature gateway to the �������� Campus will begin in the summer of 2020. At its Dec. 4 meeting, the �������� State Board of Trustees approved the construction of the university’s first parking deck.

What could be better to reduce end-of-semester stress than petting a dog? How about petting multiple dogs and digitally dunking with LeBron through esports? This year’s Stress-Free Zone, which is from 3-5 p.m. on Dec. 9 and 10, will be hosted on the first floor of University Library and will feature esports, therapy dogs, makerspace activities and more.

With exams quickly approaching, most students are reviewing their notes, rereading key chapters and plotting their study strategy for the tests that await.  But what techniques produce the best results? And why do some students find it easier to study than others? �������� State offers a few techniques for students to consider.

Researchers at �������� were featured on Spectrum News 1 discussing the development and implementation of their drug prevention infrastructure for three Ohio counties.

�������� constitutional law professor, Chris Banks, Ph.D., recaps the impeachment inquiry hearings from Nov. 19 with WKYC lead anchor Russ Mitchell. Banks teaches undergraduate and graduate courses ranging from American Politics to law, justice and society.

Artifacts of May 4, 1970 – a survivor’s jacket, a gas mask and gun shell casing – tell a story that’s not often accessible to the general public. Assistant Professor Abe Avnisan and students in his digital sciences capstone course will bring these artifacts’ stories to life via the exhibit “May 4: Through the Looking Glass.”

A paycheck and covered medical and housing expenses are fantastic military perks; however, veterans agree that one of the biggest benefits from serving is found in the classroom. �������� was recently ranked on the Military Times’ Best for Vets: Colleges 2020 rankings.

Taléa Drummer-Ferrell is ��������’s interim dean of students, a position that serves as the university’s primary student advocate and assists the vice president for student affairs in the leadership of the division. Learn more about Drummer-Ferrell as she answers these 10 questions.

With the launch of its 2019 Giving Tuesday campaign on Nov. 1, �������� has again transformed a one-day fundraising initiative into a monthlong giving campaign to support student scholarships, expanded programs, study away initiatives and modern facilities.

The circumstances are grim: Beloved �������� mascot Flash is stressed out and hasn’t been able to find the crucial student ID on exam day. You and your friends are the only ones who can help. Your group is frantically scrambling to find the lost ID, but time is running out before it becomes too late for Flash to take the exam. This scenario might sound like something out of a �������� State mystery movie, but it’s actually the situation in the new escape room called ESCAPE in a FLASH at �������� State’s East Liverpool Campus.

��������’s College of Nursing recently received a grant totaling $165,000 from Peg’s Foundation, formerly the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, a private grant-making foundation that supports mental health programs in Northeast Ohio. 

A clear intention to pursue social justice led Stuart Chen-Hayes, Ph.D. ’94, NCC, LCPC, to �������� State in 1990 to pursue a doctoral degree in counselor education. What he learned at the university – and what inspired him – significantly changed the course of his life, professionally and personally.

�������� State will partner with First Star and school districts to engage foster care teens in college-preparatory programs that provide the foundational support they need to succeed in high school and envision a future that may include a college degree.