Bob Christy discovered his passion for photography at 14 years old while using a camera belonging to his grandfather, a hobby photographer.

After his grandfather died and his father brought home his old equipment, Christy began experimenting with the gear. 

“It was something right away that I knew I wanted to do, the minute I picked up the camera,” Christy said. 

Before enrolling as a photojournalism major at Kent State, Christy spent almost six years in the U.S. Air Force. While stationed, he worked in newspapers across the country. It was around this time that he first found his love for news. 

Christy joined The Kent Stater immediately after his enrollment in the fall of 1990. During his years on staff, he worked in several different positions, such as photo editor and managing editor. He graduated in spring 1995 with an even stronger passion for newspapers. 

“I just loved everything about newspapers,” Christy said. “The people you get to know, the people you get to meet, I just love that aspect. You could be interviewing the president one day and a guy scraping food out of a dumpster the next day.” 

One of the most memorable moments for Christy was in spring 1992. A graduate student, Nathaniel Cunningham, killed a janitor on campus and then shot a woman before being killed by police in a Kent Stater reporter’s backyard.

The Kent Stater was not scheduled to be printed the next day, but Christy and the staff knew the community needed this information as soon as possible. 

“You don’t want that stuff to wait till after,” Christy said. “That’s six days old. We put out a special paper, distributed it around, and ended up winning some awards.” 

After graduating from Kent State, Christy worked with the United Press International to cover the New Hampshire primary in 1996, before moving around to different newspapers in New Hampshire and Ohio. Through all of his time spent at news stations, his love for newspapers stayed strong. 

“I sat after my shift and would go down to watch the presses run, because it just made me feel good,” Christy said.

Years later, Christy now works as a senior coordinator of photography for Kent State’s Communications and Marketing.

Part of his role is overseeing a larger staff and producing images for the university’s website, social media and other publications like Kent State Today. Christy said his position is all about building relationships within the community and uplifting the work of those in it. 

Christy said his work at the university has taken him across the world, traveling alongside students and faculty at Kent State. He has photographed the university’s programs in Paris, Florence, Venice, Brazil and Rwanda. He said these opportunities have been life-changing. 

While working at the university, Christy returned to Kent State as a student to complete his master’s degree in media and journalism with a concentration in journalism education, to further support the students he works with as senior coordinator. He called his graduate work creatively fulfilling. 

As Christy continues using his camera to tell community stories and lead students at the university, he maintains his passion for storytelling. 

“There’s something about the news that I just always loved,” Christy said. 

Kayla Gleason is a hard beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].