"Rise free from care before the dawn, and seek adventures. Let the noon find thee by other lakes, and the night overtake thee everywhere at home." — Henry David Thoreau

One of associate professor Bill Sledzik’s favorite books is Walden by Henry David Thoreau. But, he probably began to understand Thoreau’s philosophy long before he even read about it.

His favorite childhood memory is sitting on the foundation of an old ice house fishing with neighborhood friends. He still loves spending his free time enjoying the outdoors. His wife, Sharon, has joined in on his wilderness treks for the past 27 years. Their sons, Todd and Christopher, both currently in college, also share his love of nature.

So, surprise encounters with rattlesnakes are part of their family vacation stories. Venison is a common meal, and they have more boats than people at their home on Sandy Lake, near Kent.

As much as Sledzik loves his outdoor adventures, he also loves teaching. He is the Public Relations Sequence Coordinator and teaches many public relations courses as well as writing and ethics courses.

A graduate of Ohio University, Sledzik first joined the workforce as an assistant manager of a tire store. He used the experience to become managing editor of a tire trade magazine and then turned that knowledge into a public relations career. He became his own boss by founding a public relations firm in Buffalo, New York.

Years later, after serving as a visiting professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Sledzik knew that he wanted to teach full time.

He enrolled in graduate school and headed down the path that would lead to Kent State University and his home on the edge of a lake.