63% of Kent State graduates stay in Ohio, contribute to state economy, president says

After students graduate from Kent State University, most of them put their degrees to work in Ohio, applying their knowledge in a variety of fields, KSU President Todd Diacon told attendees at the Bowman Breakfast this week.

The event, held annually, is a "town-and-gown" event meant to celebrate collaboration between the university and the community.

During the event Wednesday at the Kent Student Center Ballroom, Diacon spoke about the Kent State Works program, which launched in 2023. Diacon said the program was created to counter skepticism about higher education.

This year's freshman class, the KSU president said, includes 4,252 students, and the majority - 3,375 - are from Ohio. Most of the remaining students came from elsewhere in the United States, Diacon said, and there are 180 international students.

Each year, KSU confers about 10,000 associate's, bachelor's and graduate degrees over its eight-campus system. Of those graduates, Diacon said, 63% stay in Ohio.

The Kent State Works program highlights various graduates who go on to put their degrees to work.

He showed a video of Liam Aberle, who went to work for the Yellowcake Shop in Cleveland as an assistant designer after earning a degree in fashion design. A representative of the shop, which designs and sells womens clothing, said in the video that the shop has hired at least 60 KSU graduates since opening in 2010.

Diacon noted that Aberle was a native of Birmingham, Alabama, but went on to become an Ohio resident and taxpayer.

"That's what we mean when we say Kent State Works," he said.

Diacon also features graduates who had achievements in aviation, nursing and podiatric medicine. One of them, Dr. Nick Campatelli, known as "Dr. Nick" on You Tube , graduated from the Kent State University School of Podiatric Medicine, and now practices in Akron. He said on the video that he loves his job.

"You get to change someone's life when you make their foot feel better," he said.

Diacon warned that Campateli's You Tube videos are "not for the faint of heart. "

KSU, he said, remains one of Ohio's largest economic drivers, with the Kent campus generating $1.2 billion in economic impact, the Geauga and Twinsburg academic center generating $42.9 million and the Stark campus generating $99.2 million. In Kent, 28% of the city's income tax revenue comes from KSU employees.

He pointed out that KSU researchers have made strides in addressing the impact of exercise on people with Parkinson's disease and addressing anxiety and depression among young mothers, particularly among people of color.

"When we say 'Kent State Works,' we not only mean in terms of being an economic driver, but more so that it works for people with anxiety or mood disorders, or people with Parkinson's disease," he said.

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 63% of Kent State graduates stay in Ohio, contribute to state economy, president says