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����ֱ�� State University at Geauga doubled its video conferencing rooms, also known as “Zoom Rooms,” before the fall semester due to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Zoom Rooms are designed to serve various purposes and room configurations for faculty and students, and they were recently featured in an article by EdTech.

Daymond John, founder/CEO of FUBU, presidential ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, star of ABC’s Shark Tank and CEO of The Shark Group, will speak at the Better Business Bureau of Akron’s 101 Year Anniversary celebration, BBB Anniversary Summit, on Thursday, April 8, 2021 in collaboration with the ����ֱ�� State College of Business Administration’s Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series.

����ֱ�� State University has partnered with Greater Akron community organizations to conduct the first comprehensive and specific LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment (CNA). Efforts of this assessment focus on producing a better-informed public health system and improving the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community members.

����ֱ�� State has joined the Culture of Respect Collective, a two-year initiative offered through the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), to help end sexual violence on campus.

From April 5 to May 15, visitors to the ����ֱ�� State University campus will encounter a new, outdoor public art exhibition that stretches along the Lefton Esplanade between downtown ����ֱ�� and the University Library. “Import/Export” addresses the imbalances and inequalities of global import/export systems. Artists from around the world were chosen based on how their works reflect the impact of these systems on their local spaces.

The year 2020 presented many challenges requiring major changes and adjustments for organizations everywhere. Instead of going the traditional route with an annual report for 2020, WKSU explored this past year with “2020: A Year in Review,” celebrating its 70th anniversary, highlighting its adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic and covering major historical events.

The ����ֱ�� State community celebrates the life of Professor Emeritus Edward W. Crosby, Ph.D., known as the “father of Black History Month,” as his work in founding the Institute of African-American Affairs at ����ֱ�� State and his contribution to the success of thousands of students inspired all who knew him.

����ֱ�� State University at Tuscarawas student Jason Keller is doing what he loves—telling stories through photographs. He was recently honored by the Ohio News Media Association with the Best Feature Photo award, capturing the image of a Navy veteran saluting the crowd while riding in a military jeep during a parade in Sugarcreek, Ohio. The photo was judged best out of all entries from weekly newspapers throughout the state for the Osman C. Hooper Weekly Newspaper contest.

The future of storytelling is constantly changing, but ����ֱ�� State University is connecting students to the university through new communication avenues. One platform rising in popularity and mass-consumption that colleges like ����ֱ�� State are taking advantage of is podcasts.

Four new middle school teachers started the school year with high hopes and big dreams, ready to establish their classrooms, teach dynamically and build community with their young students through daily, face-to-face interaction. Instead, they have encountered empty classrooms and computer icons rather than students’ faces. Recent graduates from ����ֱ�� State Geauga’s Middle Childhood Education (MCED) program share their stories of first-year teaching from the COVID classroom.