Dr. Mel Anthony May

Mel grew up in Geauga County and remembers when the campus was nothing more than a field with a sign announcing, “Future of Home of Kent State Geauga Campus.”  Upon graduating from Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, Mel was accepted to several universities in Ohio.  He chose to begin his college education at the Geauga Campus because it was close to home, affordable, and allowed him to continue working to pay for his education.  He quickly discovered that the small class size, supportive learning environment, and excellent faculty opened the doors to an entirely new world for him.  Many of the things the Mel enjoys most in life—history, travel, theater--are the direct result of faculty and experiences he had at the Geauga Campus.

After completing his Associate of Arts degree, Mel continued to take junior- and senior- level courses available at the Geauga Campus, completing a Bachelor of General Studies degree in 1991.  He went on to earn a Master’s degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Kent State. 

Mel began working for the Geauga Campus as an academic advisor in 1987 and served as Director of Student Services before leaving in 1992.  He has had the pleasure of working and teaching at five of the eight Kent State campuses, and currently serves as the Assistant Dean of the Ashtabula Campus.  Mel and his wife Meg reside in Ravenna, and frequently visit family and friends in Geauga County.