Each year, Stark State College honors faculty and staff who exemplify service and excellence in their work. As the College prepares to announce the 2025-26 honorees, we take this moment to recognize and highlight the individuals who received awards during the 2024-25 academic year.

Para M. Jones, Ph.D., president of Stark State College, has been selected as the first-ever recipient of the Greater Akron Chamber Chairman’s Award for Community Leadership, the chamber announced in a news release on Feb. 2, 2026.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Jan. 20, 2026 – The public is invited to attend a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at Stark State College on Wednesday, Jan. 28.