Kennesaw State University

Having been a peer mentor for students with special needs while she was in high school, Toni-Ann McKenzie understood firsthand the barriers and challenges that can occur during learning. As a KSU student, McKenzie co-founded Totally Tutoring, a company to support students with autism through specialized virtual tutoring and the use of emojis.

Psychology major Emily Martinez is examining the connection between instinctive fear reactions - fight, flight, freeze and fawn - and the moral principles people rely on when faced with high-stress situations. A participant in KSU's Sophomore Scholars program, Martinez presented her research at the American Society of Criminology Conference in Washington, D.C.

Kennesaw State students presented their research findings during the Symposium of Student Scholars, with a pair of award-winning projects discovering potential solutions to environmental challenges. Deep eutenic solvents, an alternative to harmful organic solvents, appeared in both first-place winners at Symposium, hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research.

When natural disasters strike, quickly assessing damage is crucial to saving lives and rebuilding communities. Under the mentorship of assistant professor Da Hu, Kennesaw State University computer science major Kiara O'Neal is using drones and artificial intelligence to improve post-disaster recovery efforts and reduce response times.

Turning crumbling walls into works of art, the team of Gabriela Almeida, Wade Brock, Quincy Smith, and Justin Barkie transformed the ruins of history into a story of renewal. Their project, "When Walls Roam," won the Community's Choice Award in Terraviva Competitions' Venetian Villa challenge, gaining praise from viewers worldwide.

For five weeks this summer, 16 Kennesaw State students from the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology traded their Marietta classrooms for the bustling metropolis of Taipei, Taiwan. The group immersed themselves in one of the world's most influential technology hubs while experiencing Taiwan's culture and daily life.

Kennesaw State University senior Deja Boney has been named a 2025 Newman Civic Fellow, a national recognition honoring students who demonstrate leadership qualities and a strong commitment to community service. Boney, who is pursuing a degree in information systems, has led impactful service initiatives on and off campus.

Kennesaw State University has named more than 1,400 students to the President's List in recognition of their academic excellence for the Summer 2025 semester. To achieve this honor, each undergraduate student must have completed at least nine credit hours with a term grade point average of 4.0.

KSU junior David Roque spent a second consecutive summer working at his father's medical clinic in Poptun, Guatemala, handling myriad duties including check-in examinations, serving as a translator, and assisting with surgeries. Fluent in Spanish and English, Roque was an invaluable employee at the clinic while pursuing his own career in medicine.

Kennesaw State University congratulates the more than 1,400 students named to the Dean's List in recognition of their academic achievement during the Summer 2025 semester. Undergraduate students enrolled in at least nine credit hours and with a term grade point average of 3.5 or higher were named to the list.

KSU's future scientists made discovery the theme for their summer experiences at a major laboratory. Recent graduate Micah Holston, senior Jack Smith and junior Jonathan Ridley interned at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, learning about national defense applications for engineering, computer science, and physics.

Anh Duong, a senior majoring in computer science, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the President's Award of Distinction. The award has been established to celebrate the accomplishments of one exceptional graduating student each semester "who serves as an inspiration to their peers, their community, and the entirety of Owl Nation."

Ella Goode and Allisa George received the Siegel Outstanding Student Leader Scholarship, celebrating students who reflect the true spirit of servant leadership and a commitment to helping others rise alongside them. The Tumlin Rising Leader Scholarship, which honors a student who embodies living a leadership lifestyle, was awarded to Aliyah Johnson.

One thing always guides Tracey Graves' endeavors: service. Graves has volunteered to help underprivileged children in Los Angeles while working as an actor, traveled to Zambia with the Peace Corps, and now sits on a nonprofit board there helping to pay girls' way through school. She and her sister recently formed a nonprofit organization in memory of their grandmother.

Kennesaw State University student Emma Hunt has qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics scheduled for Paris. Hunt, an exercise science major, earned her spot in the Olympics by winning a silver medal in the speed climbing world championship in Bern, Switzerland.

Throughout his journey at Kennesaw State University, Dalton Shaver found a unique passion that combines his interest in international affairs with his skills in math modeling. From an internship with the Air Force to undergraduate research on Operation Enduring Freedom, Shaver readied himself for a career in the defense industry.

Kennesaw State students Gabrielle Jones and Summer Williams just made history at the University, but it wasn't easy. They became the first to complete Scrappy's Bucket List, a challenge designed to boost student engagement.

Kennesaw State University's chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) hosted a networking panel for students at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Georgia annual conference. The session hosted by KSU guided public relations students in creating a personal introduction that makes a strong impression in networking situations and job interviews.

Two Master of Arts in Professional Writing students at Kennesaw State University have won national honors for their creative writing and composition and rhetoric. Tyra Douyon won the Tin House Young Adult Workshop award, and Haley Hamilton had a proposal accepted for the Conference on College Composition and Communication.

The first semester of college is a time of transition and growth as students spread their wings and begin to navigate their academic careers, discover new interests and make lasting memories. Cassidy Martin, an Honors student from Acworth who plans to pursue a degree in international business, shares what made her first semester as an Owl meaningful.

Students at Kennesaw State University used their computing skills to help match young adults without families to volunteers who want to mentor them. The effort was part of the 2022 Hackathon for Social Good.