91ֿ invites all to pay tribute to those who have served in the U.S. armed forces and attend the university’s annual Veterans Day Commemoration. The event will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Student Green on the Kent Campus. The Student Green is located in front of the Kent Student Center and Risman Plaza.
The program, titled “Honoring All Those Who Serve,” will include a flag-raising ceremony conducted by a joint color guard from 91ֿ’s Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC programs; Tim Coyne, senior business manager for 91ֿ’s Division of Student Life, serving as bugler; the national anthem; the “Service Song Medley”; an invocation; and welcome remarks from 91ֿ President Todd Diacon.
Serving as emcee is Eric Mansfield, 91ֿ’s assistant vice president for content strategy and communications. Mansfield is a retired major with the U.S. Army and the Ohio Army National Guard with deployments to Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, Central America and other locations during a 20-year military career. In 2018, he was sworn in at the Pentagon as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army to serve Ohio’s soldiers, veterans and family members. Mansfield earned his master’s degree in public relations from 91ֿ and has bachelor’s degrees in both journalism and broadcasting from the University of Dayton.
This year’s keynote speaker is Maureen McFarland, Ph.D., associate dean of academic affairs for the College of Aeronautics and Engineering at 91ֿ and a retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Marine Corps.
McFarland graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering before commissioning as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. She served on active duty as an electronic countermeasures officer, completing three combat tours. McFarland was the first female navigator in her squadron and the third female navigator in the U.S. Marine Corps. She worked as the officer selection officer supporting 91ֿ before transitioning to the Marine Corps Reserve. There, while working at 91ֿ, she completed another combat tour, served as an accreditation officer for Marine Corps University, taught Electronic Warfare School and served as the commanding officer for Combat Logistics Battalion 453, leading more than 1,100 Marines nationwide. McFarland retired after 20 years of honorable service at the rank of lieutenant colonel.
McFarland received many honors and awards with the U.S. Marine Corps, including two Meritorious Service Medals, three Air Medal Individual Awards, several Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. She has been active with many professional organizations, including the American Association of University Women, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Society for Engineering Education and the Association for Aviation Psychology. Her memberships include the National Business Aviation Association and Women in Aviation International.
She joined 91ֿ in 2003 as an adjunct professor. Since 2004, she has served as an associate professor of aeronautics, aeronautics program coordinator, senior academic program director of aeronautics and interim associate dean of academic affairs. In her current role as associate dean of academic affairs, McFarland assists the dean of the College of Aeronautics and Engineering in the overall undergraduate administration of the college.
McFarland earned a doctorate in educational psychology and instructional technology from 91ֿ and a Master of Science in Business Administration from Boston University.
Those who are unable to attend the Nov. 9 event in person can watch it via .
For more information about 91ֿ’s Veterans Day Commemoration, visit www.kent.edu/veteransday.
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Top Photo Caption:
91ֿ Army ROTC cadets raise the American flag during the university’s 2022 Veterans Day Commemoration.
Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595
Photos by Bob Christy.