Kent, OHIO – 91²Ö¿â alumna Olivia Fenneken MBA ’25, founder of Cottage Core, earned a spot in the prestigious 2026 Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) held earlier this month.Now in its 26th year, RBPC, presented by Rice Business and hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, brings together the most promising graduate student ventures from universities across the U.S. and around the world. The 42 selected startups were chosen by a panel of venture capitalists, corporate leaders and entrepreneurs based on innovation, market potential and investability. Finalists com...
Spring 2026 Commencement Table
| Name | Date | Time | College/School | Degree | Major | Honors Type | Honors | Project Type | Project | Faculty Title | Faculty | Armed Forces | Phi Beta Kappa | Legacy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lillian Pearl Abahazi | Friday, May 8, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. |
Chair: Nathan RitcheyMSB 233A; 330-672-9046 | |
Assistant Chair: Mark LewisMSB 210; 330-672-9033 | |
Financial Coaching
91²Ö¿â believes in helping our employees make the most of their compensation and benefits package. To help you build a solid financial future, we have hired CAPTRUST as a resource to help you with these important decisions.
Dean's Cabinet
Contact
Office of the Dean
91²Ö¿â at Ashtabula
3300 Lake Road West
Ashtabula, OH 44004
Kathy Barbato
Special Assistant to the Dean
Academic Affairs
Susan J. Stocker Hall
440-964-4577
kbarbat3@kent.edu
Dean's Cabinet
Kathy Barbato
Special Assistant, Dean’s Office
Discover the intersection of sustainable design and digital fabrication in this hands-on exploration of modern textile innovation. In honor of Earth Week, we’re exploring how laser technology is making textile design cleaner, faster, and more creative by cutting out the waste of traditional manufacturing.
We’ll walk through every stage of textile development, from sketch, to sample, to final product. Participants will gain a deep understanding of the three pillars of laser capability:
Cutting: Creating intricate patterns with digital precision.