The Laurels Chapter is composed of 34 of the most distinguished undergraduates at Kent State University. We collectively participate in over 70 organizations and/or activities on and off campus, representing your ongoing commitment to excellence. Based on our achievements and dedication to the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service, welcome to Mortar Board!

-Valerie Henry, President


Name:	Kimberly Brown
Office:	Co VP, Membership
Major:	Intervention Specialist (Mild/Moderate)

Nick Name:	Kim, Kimmy
Mortar Board Activities:		Membership Selection, Chair
		Satellite Meeting, Chair
		Fall Fundraiser
		Faculty Brunch Committee
Other Activities:		Kappa Delta Pi
		KSEA
		Council for Exceptional Children
		Church Youth Group
Favorite Quote:	Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss
I am:	Energetic, fun, outgoing, A SENIOR! Moving to North Carolina, and also getting married in May!


Name:	Meghan Castagnero Graduated December 07
Office:	Historian
Major:	Biology: Molecular/Cellular

Nick Name:	Meg
Mortar Board Activities:		Faculty Brunch Committee
		Fall Fundraiser
		Make a Difference Day
Other Activities:		N.A.M.E.
		Science Learning Community
Favorite Quote:
I am:


Name:	Luke Citro
Office:	Chair, Biloxi Playhouse Project
Major:	Physics

Nick Name:	Luke
Mortar Board Activities:		Leaf Raking 2005
		Giving Tree 2005
		Thanksgiving Baskets 2005
		Faculty Brunch 2005
		Biloxi Playhouse Project, chair 2006
		Fall Fundraiser
		Membership Tabletents
		Book Drive
Other Activities:		work
Other Activities:
Favorite Quote:	"Hi,
I am:	Luke."


Name:	Lauren Dennison
Office:
Major:	Interior Design

Nick Name:	Lauren
Mortar Board Activities:		Fall Fundraiser
		Faculty Brunch
		Leaf Raking
		Giving Tree
		Mortar Board Week Display Case Co-Chair
		Tapping
		Orientation
		Book Drive
Other Activities:		American Society of Interior Designers
		Kent Green Initiative
		International Interior Design Association
		KSU Orientation Instructor
Favorite Quote:
I am:	Tall.


Name:	Kelly Foxworthy Graduated December 07
Office:	Chair, Giving Tree
Major:	Archaeology
Minor:	Geography
Nick Name:	Kel
Mortar Board Activities:		Faculty Brunch 2005
		Giving Tree, Chair, 2005
		Tapping, 2005
		King Kennedy Chaperone, 2005
		Giving Tree, Chair 2006
		Fall Fundraiser
		Faculty Brunch
		Leaf Raking
Other Activities:		Anthropology Student Organization, President
Other Activities:		SEEDS of Change, Managing Editor and Editor in Charge of Ads
Favorite Quote:	Now you see why evil will always triumph over good because good is dumb. - Spaceballs
I am:


Name:	Valerie Henry
Office:	President
Major:	Business Management

Nick Name:	Hank
Mortar Board Activities:		MortarBoarder Newsletter
		Membership Committee
		Fall Fundraiser
		Faculty Brunch
		Leaf Raking Committee
		Giving Tree
		Retention Valentines
		Membership Tabletents
		Tapping
		Orientation
		Book Drive
		Walk for Autism
Other Activities:		Beta Gamma Sigma
Other Activities:		Golden Key
Favorite Quote:	Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with the important matters. - Albert Einstein
I am:	Selectively organized, high energy, and a conceptual thinker. I love working with kids, combing the beach, and learning about how people work together in teams.


Name:	Justin Jeffery
Office:
Major:	Political Science
Minor:	English
Nick Name:	"JJ"
Mortar Board Activities:		Fall Fundraiser
		Faculty Brunch
		Giving Tree
		Tapping
Other Activities:		Student Senate, Senator for Community Affairs
		Student Ambassadors
		Delta Tau Delta Fraternity
		Community Task Force, Food Committee
Favorite Quote:	The harder you fall, the further you bounce.
I am:	Funny, smart, interesting and outgoing.


Name:	Kelly Jernigan
Office:	Secretary
Major:	German Translation, International Relations, and Accounting
Minor:	International Business
Nick Name:	Kelly, Kel, Kitten, Bear
Mortar Board Activities:		Fall Fundraiser
		Trick or Treat for UNICEF
		Faculty Brunch
		Giving Tree
		Membership Campaign
		Tapping Chair
Other Activities:		Phi Sigma Iota, Vice President
		College of Arts and Sciences Student Advisory Council, Secretary
		Beta Alpha Psi
Favorite Quote:	Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
I am:	organized, focused, reliable, crafty, original, and southern; sometimes I am anal and procrastinate on research papers.


Name:	LaQuita Jones
Office:
Major:	Pre-med/Biology

Nick Name:
Mortar Board Activities:		First Book Karaoke Event
		King Kennedy Orchestra Feild Trip Chaperone
		Giving Tree
		Membership Tabletents
Other Activities:		Phi Sigma Pi
		Golden Key
		Student Alumni Association
		Phi Delta Epsilon
		Alpha Kappa Mu
Favorite Quote:
I am:


Name:	Nicholas Karakaian
Office:
Major:	Architecture
Minor;	Business
Nick Name:	Nick
Mortar Board Activities:		Bowling Social Spring 06
		Fall Fundraiser
		Leaf Raking
		Organizing projects while studying abroad this Spring!
Other Activities:		United States Air Force Reserves
		Resident Assistant in CCE
		Student Instructor
		Study Abroad Spring 07
Favorite Quote:	Remember to be good, and if you can't do that, be good at it!
I am:	Driven.


Name:	Marybeth Lipinski
Office:	Historian, Spring (Emeritus President)
Major:	Moderate/Intensive Intervention Specialist

Nick Name:	Mb
Mortar Board Activities:		MortarBoarder Newsletter
		Organizing Service Projects in England for Fall while studying abroad!
		Retention Valentines
		Membership Tabletents
		Orientation
Other Activities:		Council for Exceptional Children, President, Fall 2004-Spring 2006
		Kappa Delta Pi
		University Orientation Instructor
Favorite Quote:
I am:


Name:	Elizabeth Manning
Office:	Co-Chair, Mortar Board Week Showcase
Major:	Health and Physical Education

Nick Name:	Liz
Mortar Board Activities:		Bowling Night Spring 06
		Fall Fundraiser
		Faculty Brunch
		Leaf Raking Committee
		Giving Tree
Other Activities:		Resident Assistant
		Physical Education Learning Community (Member and Assistant)
		Area Desk Worker
		MLSP Teacher
Favorite Quote:
I am:	Hardworking, determined, caring and supportive.


Name:	Clifford Mason
Office:
Major:	Intervention Specialist (Moderate/Intensive)

Nick Name:	Cliff
Mortar Board Activities:		Fall Fundraiser
		Membership Committee
		Trick or Treat for UNICEF
		Faculty Brunch
		Orientation
		Book Drive
Other Activities:		Council for Exceptional Children
Favorite Quote:	"Talk less, say more."
I am:


Name:	Jera Oliver
Office:	Chair, Faculty Brunch
Major:	Economics, Political Science, and Public Police

Nick Name:
Mortar Board Activities:		Faculty Brunch, Chair
		Fall Fundraiser
		Giving Tree
		Membership Tabletents
Other Activities:		Black Graduate Student Association
		Golden Key
		Akron Ronald McDonald House
Favorite Quote:
I am:	A native of Columbus, Ohio (GO BUCKS!) I am pursuing a dual BA/MPA at Kent and I aspire to earn a PhD in either Economics or Public Policy. I am interested in the economics of education and policy formulation.


Name:	Catrina Palmer
Office:
Major:	Business Management
Minor:	Political Science
Nick Name:	Trina
Mortar Board Activities:		Fall Fundraiser
		Giving Tree
		Membership Tabletents
		Tapping
		Book Drive
Other Activities:		Student Alumni, Secretary/Treasurer
		Kent Student Ambassadors
		McNair Scholars Program
		Peer Mentor - Academic Success Center
Favorite Quote:	Live, learn, love, laugh, lead.
I am:	Unique!!


Name:	Shirley Patla
Office:
Major:	Electronic Media Production

Nick Name:
Mortar Board Activities:		Faculty Brunch
		Leaf Raking
		Giving Tree
		Membership Tabletents
		Book Drive
Other Activities:		Golden Key
		Students of Scholarship
		Teleproductions
		National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Favorite Quote:
I am:	Awesome.


Name:	Eric Phillips
Office:
Major:	Architecture

Nick Name:	Honors (Don't know why!)
Mortar Board Activities:		Fall Fundraiser
		Faculty Brunch
		Leaf Raking
		Giving Tree
		Retention Valentines
		Mortar Board Week Display Case Co-Chair
		Orientation
Other Activities:		College of Architecture Student Union
		KSU Orientation Instructor
		KSU Clarinet Ensemble
		American Institute of Architecture Students
		The Green Initiative
Favorite Quote:
I am:	Always in the architecture studio, so you'll find me there. I have a passion for design - to be able to create spaces that shape people's lives will be amazingly rewarding.


Name:	Katy Roman
Office:	Co VP Membership
Major:	Intervention Specialist: Mild/Moderate

Nick Name:	Kate, Bug, Tater
Mortar Board Activities:		Satellite Meeting Chair
		Membership Selection Chair
		Fall Fundraiser
		Trick or Treat for UNICEF
		Faculty Brunch Committee
		Giving Tree
		Orientation
Other Activities:		KSEA
Other Activities:
Favorite Quote:	We are wiser than we know, beauty without grace is like a hook without the bait. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am:	Fun, outgoing, and hard working. I am graduating in May and planning to move somewhere warm when I find a job.


Name:	Imani Salahuddin
Office:	Director of Communications
Major:	Broadcast Journalism

Nick Name:	Mani
Mortar Board Activities:		Faculty Brunch
		Retention Valentines
		Membership Tabletents
		Tapping
		Orientation
Other Activities:		President, Nichiren Buddhist Peace Alliance
		Freelance Writer - Canton Repository, World Tribune, Living Buddhism
		Co-host, co-writer for session 216 with Village TV
Favorite Quote:	A coward cannot have any of his or her prayers answered. - Nichiren Daishonin
I am:


Name:	Megan Sedello
Office:
Major:	Speech Pathology and Psychology

Nick Name:
Mortar Board Activities:		Fundraiser
		Membership Campaign
		Tapping
Other Activities:		Undergraduate Student Senate
		Delta Zeta Sorority
		Omicron Delta Kappa Honors Fraternity
		Transportation Advisory Committee
		Public Safety Advisory Committee
		Intramural Volleyball
Favorite Quote:	"It takes 15 seconds to make a first impression." "Actions speak louder than words." "Don't make someone a priority in your life if you're only an option in theirs."
I am:

Other Members

Jason Ferrell
Trent Pheifer

Contact Us

Kent State University
Mail Box 25
Center for Student Involvement
Kent, OH 44242

Kimberly Haas
President
khaas2@kent.edu

Valerie Henry
Retiring President
vhenry@kent.edu

Madelyn Otcasek
Director of Communications
motcasek@kent.edu

Dr. Nancy Mitchell
Senior Advisor
nmitchel@kent.edu

Dr. Margaret Dixon
Junior Advisor
mdixon@kent.edu

Web Development
Emily Schmidlin
eschmidl@kent.edu
Stephanie Blackstone
sblackst@kent.edu

Important Dates

Regular Meetings
7:30 - 8:30pm

Thur, Feb 1 (BSA Rm 483)

Tues, Feb 6
(St Ctr Rm 304)

Thur, Feb 22 (BSA Rm 483)

Tues, Mar 6 (BSA Rm 483)

Thur, Mar 22 (BSA Rm 483)

Tues, Apr 3 (BSA Rm 483)

Thur, Apr 19 (BSA Rm 483)

Tues, May 1 (BSA Rm 483)

Thur, May 3
Rathskeller
(date/location change!)

2007 Events

Mock Selections
Feb 6

Mortar Board Week
Feb 12-16

Study Valentines
Feb 12-13

Selections
Sat, Feb 17
BSA Rm 483

Tapping
Week of Feb 26

Orientation
Mar 11

Biloxi Playhouse Silent Auction
Mar 17

Induction
Mar 18

Leadership Awards
(Sheri Jo Luft)
Apr 9
Ballroom

Officer Elections
Sun, Apr 15 7pm
St. Ctr Rm 313

Book Drive for Canton Arts Academy
May 3

First Book Spaghetti Dinner
May 4

King Kennedy Orchestry Trip
May 5

Walk for Autism
June 2

In order to complete the member page, you will need to fill out a

Release Form
and
Member Info Form

Thanks!!

Congratulations to the 2006-2007 Laurels Chapter Members

Welcome to Mortar Board!!

Other Members

Contact Us

Important Dates

Regular Meetings 7:30 - 8:30pm

2007 Events

Congratulations to the
2006-2007 Laurels Chapter Members

Regular Meetings
7:30 - 8:30pm