Kayla Wikaryasz is graduating from Michigan State University this month with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Humanities, a minor in Creative Writing, and a perfect 4.0 GPA. She also is graduating from the College of Arts & Letters' Citizen Scholars program. As Wikaryasz wrapped up the final days of her undergraduate education, she reflected on her nontraditional educational journey and time…
Alaine Weiss credits her time as an undergraduate at Michigan State University as one of the most impactful experiences in her life and her years in East Lansing among her most treasured memories. But the road to becoming a Spartan was difficult, having lost both her parents due to extended illnesses when she was just 11 years old. Were it…
Alexandra Allers is graduating this December with a double major in Social Relations and Policy in James Madison College and English in the College of Arts & Letters, as well as a minor in Educational Studies. During her time at MSU, Allers has been involved in the pre-law fraternity Kappa Alpha Pi, and served on the executive boards of the Council of Students…
Michigan State University’s National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) student organization is the only NCTE student affiliate in the country to receive this year’s NCTE Student Affiliate Excellence Award.This is the seventh year in a row the MSU organization has earned this award, which recognizes student groups that meet the NCTE’s qualifications of excellence and show commitment to their…
Gordon Henry, Professor in the Department of English and the inaugural Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in North American Indian and Indigenous Literary Studies, will retire from Michigan State University on December 31, 2023, after more than 29 years of service to the university and community.His work and the impact he has made was celebrated during an event held…
Concerned about the social struggles young adults face today, Kayla Wikaryasz, a senior Interdisciplinary Humanities major with a minor in Creative Writing, is producing a short story that focuses on mental illness and the creative industry. Wikaryasz’s story was among the 13 proposed projects awarded a 2023 CREATE! Micro-Grant, with each winning proposal receiving $500.
The genre of horror, and specifically Black horror, has been gaining attention in mainstream media in the last decade. Films by Black writers and directors featuring Black actors — think “ Us” and “Get Out” by writer and director Jordan Peele — are exploring themes of race and gender through a different lens while opening larger dialogues about belonging and…
The College of Arts & Letters welcomes 45 new full-time faculty and staff members this Fall 203 Semester. These faculty and staff members were recognized during the 2023 Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception, which was held on Sept. 18.
Michigan State University graduate Josh Kilmer-Purcell is a New York Times bestselling author who, together with husband, Dr. Brent Ridge, founded a multimillion-dollar skin care company, starred in their own reality TV show, and won season 21 of The Amazing Race — and those are just a few of the couple’s many accomplishments in what can be described as an…
Sasha Beloglazova, a senior with a major in English from the College of Arts & Letters and a minor in Business, has a dream of becoming an English educator. A native of Russia, Beloglazova moved to the United States two years ago to pursue an undergraduate education from Michigan State University. She said her international background has fueled an interest in world affairs, foreign policy, and global economics. Sasha Beloglazova at the Refugee Development…