Celebrating Research Excellence - Office of Research

Recognizing our Researchers

The Office of Research is dedicated to recognizing its impactful researchers, fostering a culture of celebrating research excellence.

The annual Apex Awards allow us to honor the top researchers in each individual college, while our annual PechaKucha Night brings KSU researchers into the community and challenges them to deliver a non-traditional presentation. Additionally, the Office of Undergraduate Research highlights one faculty member each year as its Undergraduate Research Mentor Award winner.

Through these initiatives, we remain dedicated to honoring the work being done across both campuses, celebrating researchers who are nominated by their colleges as the very best in their fields. It is privilege to celebrate their contributions and be reminded of the remarkable talent within our community.

pechakucha-group-photo — The Office of Research hosted PechaKucha Night Monday, November 17, 2025 at Glover Park Brewery in Marietta.

PechaKucha Night

From tackling the global challenge of diabetic retinopathy to interactive art exhibits in Atlanta, Kennesaw State University’s PechaKucha Night on November 17 showed the depth and reach of the university’s research.

PechaKucha Night, hosted annually by the Office of Research, challenged researchers in each of KSU’s nine academic colleges to present their work visually, requiring them to weave a story as each slide automatically advanced after just 20 seconds.

“Each researcher rose to the challenge of crafting a succinct, timely presentation that illustrated their research’s impact to the audience,” Executive Vice President for Research Karin Scarpinato said. “We are proud of the work our researchers are doing to create new knowledge that advances society for all.”

Apex Awards

Kennesaw State University’s top researchers were honored Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at the Apex Awards, an annual event that celebrates the people behind the work that fuels cutting-edge discovery.

The event, hosted by the Office of Research since 2023, gathered researchers across KSU’s nine academic colleges, with each individual college’s leadership identifying its top three researchers from the past year.

From cutting-edge discoveries in the sciences and engineering, to compelling insights in education and business, in the social sciences, humanities, and the arts, these researchers seek to forge new paths and improve society for all.