Driven by the belief that philanthropy, volunteerism, and social support remain underutilized resources in modern society, Kent activiely seeks opportunties to engage in (and promote) altruistic action. As director of the Erie Technology Center, Kent developed public-private partnerships with corporations and provided structured service-learning opportunities for recent college graduates. Kent has served on boards ranging from artists organizations (e.g., Chicago Area Furniture Designer's Association), academic publications (e.g., Student Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Association of Medical Informatics), professional organizations (e.g., Center of Information Management for the Professions), and international partnerships (e.g., Youth Advocates Delegate to Mexico City). In his research, Kent explores technology-based strategies to facilitate philanthropy and volunteerism across institutions, within organizations and across personal social networks.