News – College of Arts & Letters

From Government to Google to Microsoft: MSU Alum Shares Her Spartan Success Story

July 23, 2024

Since graduating from Michigan State University in 2006 with a B.A. in Spanish, Lauyren Haight has earned a Juris Doctor degree and has led federal and global corporate investigations at the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, and Google. Much of her work has focused on civil rights and sexual harassment investigations. Currently, she works for Microsoft in Washington, D.C., as a Corporate Counsel and Employee Relations Investigator.

Alumni / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Linguistics / News / Programs

MSU Graduate Creates Gardens to Preserve and Protect Indigenous Culture

July 22, 2024

Recent Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters graduate Mikayla Thompson, who is a descendant of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is educating others about Indigenous farming practices and culture through the gardens she helped create and now leads at MSU’s W.J. Beal Botanical Garden and the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center in Okemos, Michigan.

A picture of a man in a black suit with a red-and-grey striped tie.

Award / Faculty / News / Religious Studies

Professor Follows in Father’s Footsteps by Receiving William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award

July 15, 2024

In recognition of his scholarly excellence, instruction, and extensive outreach, Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Professor of Religious Studies, Adjunct Professor of Law, and Director of the Muslim Studies Program at Michigan State University, recently was awarded the William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award. And remarkably, he is the second person in his family to receive this prestigious honor. “My father was…

Kelly Salchow MacArthur, a two-time Olympic rower and graphic design professor at Michigan State University, stands in between shelves of rowing boats in the MSU Boathouse. She is wearing a black shirt with yellow sleeves and a pin showing the five Olympic rings.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / International Impact / News

Ask the Expert: How Do the Olympics Connect People, Athletics, and Art?

July 11, 2024

The modern Olympics continue to highlight athletic excellence and a spirit of teamwork even after more than 125 years since their inception in Athens, Greece. Now, every two years, the Olympics — with either the Summer Games or Winter Games — connect people and cultures in peaceful competition. Roughly 10,500 athletes from around the world will compete at the 2024…

Award / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Study Abroad / Study Abroad

African Languages Professor Receives Two International Studies and Programs Awards

July 10, 2024

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor of African Languages and Cultures in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, is a 2024 recipient of two International Studies and Programs Awards, which recognize his dedication to international education and excellence in teaching, research, service, and student mentorship. He received the MSU Award for Outstanding Service to Education Abroad, which…

Two pictures side by side. On the left is a man with a colorful checkered shirt, curly hair, and glasses standing on a dock; on the right is a woman with curly brown hair, a green sweater, and blue jeans sitting in a forest.

German / News / Scholarship / Student / Student / WRAC / XA

Incoming First-Year Students Receive Prestigious Alumni Distinguished Scholarships

July 9, 2024

Two incoming first-year College of Arts & Letters students have been awarded Michigan State University’s highly competitive Alumni Distinguished Scholarships, which cover full tuition, room and board, and a stipend for up to eight semesters of undergraduate study. This year, MSU awarded its annual Alumni Distinguished Scholarships to 13 top incoming first-year students. Among those students are: Zachary Bigelow of…

AAHD / Alumni / Arts MSU / Exhibition / News / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

MSU Broad Art Museum Exhibit Chronicles More Than Six Decades of Alum’s Artistic Career

July 3, 2024

A multi-decade retrospective of one of the most important abstract artists of our time, who also is a graduate of Michigan State University, is now on display at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum (MSU Broad Art Museum) through Dec. 15, 2024. The MSU Broad Art Museum organized the exhibition, “Samia Halaby: Eye Witness,” which took more than two…

AAHD / Alumni / Arts MSU / Award / Featured Alumni / News

Michigan Art Educator of the Year Began Career at MSU

June 27, 2024

Nathan Kukla, who graduated from Michigan State University with a BFA in Art Education and an M.A. in Teaching and Curriculum, recently was recognized at the national convention for the National Art Education Association as the Michigan Art Educator of the Year, an honor bestowed upon him by the Michigan Art Education Association in recognition of his outstanding 26-year career,…

A composite image of three different sutdents: On the left is a woman with long black hair and a blue shirt; in the middle in a man with golden glasses, brown hair, and a green sweater; on the right is a woman with long black hair, pearl earrings, and a teal and blue shirt.

News / Programs / Student / Study Away

Students Receive Critical Language Scholarships to Study Abroad

June 19, 2024

Three College of Arts & Letters students are spending their summer studying a foreign language at an intensive study abroad institute as recipients of Critical Language Scholarships, a national scholarship program funded by the U.S. Department of State that received more than 5,000 applicants this year. Of the more than 5,000 applicants, more than 500 students from across the country…

English / News / Student

English Majors Receive Grand Prize Award for Their Research

June 18, 2024

A team of College of Arts & Letters students received a Grand Prize Award for their research presented at the 2024 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF). Nearly 1,000 students presented research and creative arts projects at this year’s UURAF. First-place awards were given in each of the 37 program categories, but only two grand prizes were awarded.