News - College of Arts & Letters

Artist Stacey Robinson and Professor Julian Chambliss sit onstage in conversation at the MSU Museum's Speculative Futures event. Behind them, a projected slide displays Robinson's "Black Kirby" artwork featuring a comic-style illustration. A packed audience watches from tables in the foreground.

Student View: An Evening of Afrofuturism at the MSU Museum

March 4, 2026

Aditi Gonuguntala is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Michigan State University majoring in Experience Architecture with a minor in Graphic Design. She also is a Communications Intern in the Office for Inclusive Excellence and Impact and University Communications and Marketing. In this Student View, she writes about the Speculative Futures: Afrofuturism and the Art of Stacey Robinson event hosted by the MSU Museum.

A young woman with long dark hair smiles while leaning against a stone railing in London. She wears a brown leather jacket over a plaid top and denim skirt. In the background, the River Thames flows past the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben, under a cloudy sky.

Student / Student / Study Abroad / Study Abroad

Study Abroad Experience Made Possible Through Donor Support

March 3, 2026

For Michigan State University student and Citizen Scholar Audrey Pocopio, experiencing the history and culture of London, England, brought her coursework to life during a summer study abroad program. A double major in English and Humanities-Prelaw, Pocopio spent five weeks studying in England in Summer 2025, immersing herself in the history, literature, and culture she had previously encountered only in textbooks.

A young woman stands outdoors at a busy plaza, smiling slightly at the camera, with colorful red-and-blue Expo 2025 signage and a large cartoon-style mascot sculpture behind her as visitors walk through the space.

Internship / News / Student / Student / Study Abroad / Study Abroad / WRAC / XA

Scholarship Opens the Door to Global Internship for MSU Student

March 2, 2026

For Jasmine Chow, a junior at Michigan State University double majoring in Psychology and Experience Architecture, a scholarship didn’t just help cover expenses — it made an international, career-shaping experience possible. A recipient of the Jacob C. Tiedt Scholarship for Internships Abroad, Chow used the award to help fund a Summer 2025 internship in Osaka, Japan, where she worked for a small company specializing in skin care and natural wellness products made from yuzu.

Portrait of a woman facing the camera against a white background, wearing a light headband, with braided hair pulled back and a slight smile.

German / News / Scholarship / Student / Student

German Studies Doctoral Student Reflects on Teaching and Learning at MSU

February 26, 2026

Temilade Adegoke, a doctoral student in German Studies and Graduate Teaching Assistant, came to Michigan State University in Fall 2022 to pursue an M.A. in German through the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures. She previously earned a B.A. in German Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Her master’s thesis examined Germany’s colonial violence in German Southwest Africa – present day Namibia.

A woman in a cream period dress stands under a vibrant blue spotlight center stage with her palms turned upward. To her right is a wooden desk with a small lamp, and to her left is a bed. The background shows a digital projection of historical ledger lines and text.

Alumni / Arts MSU / English / Faculty / Faculty / Michigan Impact / News / Performance / Production

MSU Alum Sandra Seaton Reclaims History and Voice in World Premiere of ‘Sally: A Solo Play’

February 25, 2026

When award-winning playwright and Michigan State University alum Sandra Seaton returned to Wharton Center for Performing Arts for the world premiere of "Sally: A Solo Play," it was both a creative milestone and a homecoming. The production brought Seaton’s 15-year engagement with Sally Hemings to a stage that has long shaped her artistic life — one she calls “a home away from home.”

Portrait of a woman wearing a burgundy turtleneck, smiling with her arms folded on a white table in a bright, modern interior with glass walls and blue structural elements in the background.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / International Impact / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Philosophy / U.S. Impact

Shaping the Future of Science: MSU Philosophy Professor Joins National and Global Science Committees

February 24, 2026

From national research ethics to global scientific freedom, Heather Douglas, Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Michigan State University, has been appointed to two high-profile committees: one at the National Academy of Sciences redefining ethical research practice for the next generation of scientists, and another at the International Science Council where she is the only American member monitoring threats…

Entrepreneurship, Business, and Innovation / Excel Network / Excel Network Communities / Humanities-Prelaw / Internship / News / Student / Student

Humanities-Prelaw Student Gains Experience Assisting Attorneys During Internship

February 23, 2026

Faustina Zielonka is a Humanities-Prelaw senior from Macomb, Michigan, who interned with Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) in Lansing, Michigan. She shared her experiences with this internship in this Q&A that originally was published by the Excel Network.

Smiling person with long wavy hair stands with hands on hips in front of a green wall display reading “Michigan State University,” wearing a light-colored lace top and a bright pink skirt.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Humanities-Prelaw / News / Student / Women’s and Gender Studies

Student Reconnects with Anishinaabeg Heritage and Discovers Unlimited Potential at MSU

February 20, 2026

Every Spartan’s path to Michigan State University is different. There are many reasons students find themselves pursuing their future at MSU, but for Kaylin Casper from Los Angeles, California, the reasons were ambition and heritage. “I lived really far away from my Anishinaabeg family,” she said. “As the great-granddaughter of federal Indian Boarding School survivors, coming back to Michigan State was a way for me to be closer to my tribal community to reclaim my cultural knowledge.”

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / International Impact / News

MSU Theatre Professor Survived a Forgotten War and Is Refusing to Let It Disappear

February 19, 2026

Long before he became a Professor of Theatre Studies and Integrative Humanities at Michigan State University, Philip Effiong Jr. was a child struggling to survive a war the world would largely forget. During the Nigeria-Biafra War, he endured air raids, hunger, and displacement —experiences that left lasting psychological and emotional scars. Decades later, those memories have become the foundation of two memoirs.

A low-angle view of MSU’s Beaumont Tower framed by lush green trees against a bright blue sky with wispy clouds

News

College of Arts & Letters Plays Critical Role in Shaping MSU’s Ethics Institute

February 19, 2026

Technology is changing how decisions are made. Trust in public institutions is shifting. And many of the choices shaping daily life — across education, health care, government, and business — raise fundamental questions about values, responsibility, and the common good. For scholars in Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters, asking those kinds of questions has long been central to their work.