President Warren discusses her legacy and the university’s future from KentWired.com on Vimeo.

“Of course, number one is a students-first commitment,” Kent State President Beverly Warren said when reminiscing about her time at Kent State.

Warren was Kent State’s twelfth president, admired for her many contributions to the university. Known for her “students-first” ideology, Warren suggests that this is the way every president should run a university.

“It’s not about me or coining words. It’s really about the right way to go about our work,” Warren said.

President Warren decided to step down from her position for the fall 2019 semester. The presidential search committee has been put into action in order to find Kent State’s next president. However, this may be quite the challenge for the committee.

“I jokingly said to her, I find my task nearly impossible. Having found someone who can walk on water, I have to find someone who can convert water into wine,” presidential search committee chair Shawn Riley said.

With a record freshman class size and increase in research awards, the university hopes to stay on this path to success as the new president takes over.

“The candidate we’re looking for should not come in with the expectation of completely rewriting what has already been written and what we started, but rather, be in a position to continue these projects, but maybe putting his or her own stamp on it,” Riley said.

Kent State’s own history may be something that lures new presidential candidates.

“Part of the draw of coming to be a part of this community was May 4, 1970—and how do we make meaning out of that,” Warren said.

Although President Warren said she regrets leaving Kent State before the tragedy’s 50th anniversary in 2020, she reminds us, “…not only honor and commemorate, but use the moment as a teachable moment about peaceful dialogue and the importance of civil dialogue, and the peaceful exchange of ideas.”