Faculty

A professional headshot of Philip Effiong, Professor of Theatre Studies and Integrative Humanities. He is wearing round black-rimmed glasses, an olive green V-neck sweater over a maroon collared shirt, and a watch with a black strap.
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.

Continue ReadingMSU Theatre Professor Survived a Forgotten War and Is Refusing to Let It Disappear
The bronze Spartan statue on Michigan State University’s campus is shown in the foreground, backlit by the sun, with trees, blue sky, and campus buildings visible in the background.
AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Digital Humanities / Event / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Philosophy / Research / Student / Student / XA

From AI to Urban Trees: College of Arts & Letters Faculty and Students Lead Ethics Week Events Inviting MSU Community into Critical Dialogue

February 16, 2026

This week, Feb. 16-20, 2026, Michigan State University celebrates Ethics Week, a week-long series of events designed to engage students, faculty, staff, and the community in meaningful discussions about ethics and to encourage campus-wide engagement with contemporary moral challenges. Organized by the Ethics Institute, Ethics Week is dedicated to exploring the key roles ethics plays in our professional and personal…

Continue ReadingFrom AI to Urban Trees: College of Arts & Letters Faculty and Students Lead Ethics Week Events Inviting MSU Community into Critical Dialogue
A group of nine College of Arts & Letters faculty members standing in two rows, smiling and posing for a group photo. They are dressed in business professional attire, including dark blazers, a teal jacket, dress shirts with ties, and a cream blouse. They stand on a patterned rug in a well-lit indoor lounge area featuring an orange seating bench, a wood-slatted ceiling, and warm pendant lighting. In the blurred foreground, the hands of a person holding a smartphone are visible, capturing the picture of the group.
Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

MSU Celebrates Promoted Faculty, Honoring 24 from the College of Arts & Letters

February 14, 2026

During the 2025-2026 academic year, 24 faculty members within the College of Arts & Letters received promotions. The success of these individuals was celebrated at special ceremonies hosted by the Office of the Provost. “On behalf of the College of Arts & Letters, I want to congratulate our faculty members who have earned promotions this year,” said Thomas Stubblefield, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters.

Continue ReadingMSU Celebrates Promoted Faculty, Honoring 24 from the College of Arts & Letters
A professional headshot of Alexandria Davis, Assistant Professor of Dance at Michigan State University. Her hair is styled in twists, and she wears gold hoop earrings, a thin gold necklace with a dark pendant, and a tan cardigan over a ribbed grey top with a blue and yellow patterned trim. She is looking toward the camera with a neutral, poised expression.
Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

Faculty Voice: Teaching and Research at Beal Garden Inspires MSU Department of Theatre Production

February 10, 2026

Alexandria Davis is an Assistant Professor of Dance in MSU’s Department of Theatre as well as an interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, researcher, performance deviser, and certified dancer in healthcare. She wrote, choreographed, and is directing Echoes from the Banks of the Red Cedar, an immersive dance theatre production presented by the Department of Theatre Feb. 14–22, 2026, at the Fairchild Theatre…

Continue ReadingFaculty Voice: Teaching and Research at Beal Garden Inspires MSU Department of Theatre Production
Three head-and-shoulders portrait photos displayed side by side. From left to right: a person with short dark hair wearing a dark shirt, a person with short dark hair wearing a blazer and collared shirt, and a person with long brown hair and bangs wearing a maroon top. All are facing the camera and smiling.
Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Grant / International Impact / News / Research / Scholarship

College of Arts & Letters Faculty Help Drive MSU’s Continued Success as a Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars

February 4, 2026

For the 11th time in the last 12 years, Michigan State University has been named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars, ranking among the colleges and universities with the highest number of faculty and administrators selected for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Eleven scholars from MSU were selected for Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards for academic year 2025–2026. Three of those faulty members are in the College of Arts & Letters.

Continue ReadingCollege of Arts & Letters Faculty Help Drive MSU’s Continued Success as a Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars
“Smiling man seated in an office or library setting, with bookshelves in the background, wearing a gray zip-up jacket.”
Alumni / Faculty / Faculty / News / RCAH

Scot Yoder, Longtime RCAH Faculty Member and Department of Philosophy Alum, Appointed RCAH’s Next Leader

February 2, 2026

Scot Yoder has been named the next leader of the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) at Michigan State University. A longtime RCAH faculty member who has been with the college since it first opened, Yoder assumed his new duties as RCAH Director on Jan. 1, 2026. He was appointed to the position by Thomas Stubblefield, Dean of…

Continue ReadingScot Yoder, Longtime RCAH Faculty Member and Department of Philosophy Alum, Appointed RCAH’s Next Leader
Alejandra Márquez, Assistant Professor of Spanish at Michigan State University, wears an orange shirt and glasses. She sits in from a wall with wallpaper that shows green, blue, and yellows leaves.
Faculty / Faculty / News / Spanish / U.S. Impact

Ask the Expert: The Super Bowl Goes Spanish With Bad Bunny’s Halftime Performance

January 30, 2026

Perhaps you’ve heard him featured on Cardi B’s 2019 hit “I Like it.” Maybe you’ve seen him host Saturday Night Live. You might have even seen his name during the Grammys, in recent headlines, or come across songs from his most recent album, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” on your music streaming app of choice.Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny,…

Continue ReadingAsk the Expert: The Super Bowl Goes Spanish With Bad Bunny’s Halftime Performance
A woman in a black headscarf, MSU Assistant Professor Nareman Amin, stands by a globe sculpture in the MSU International Center in East Lansing, Michigan.
Faculty / Faculty / International Impact / News / Religious Studies / Research

Ask the Expert: How Ideas of Democracy and Religion Have Changed Since the 2011 Egyptian Revolution

January 13, 2026

In early 2011, Egyptians calling for “bread, freedom, and social justice” took to the streets to protest the 30-year authoritarian rule of Hosni Mubarak. Jan. 25 marks the 15th anniversary of the Egyptian uprising and the first taste of democracy in Egypt following Mubarak’s subsequent resignation Feb. 11. Michigan State University Assistant Professor Nareman Amin’s research focuses on contemporary Islam…

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A person in a blazer behind a podium on the "Jeopardy!" TV game show set. A blue curtain is in the background. The person is MSU Film Studies faculty member Peter Johnston.
English / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Film Studies / News

MSU Film Studies Faculty Member Wins First Round in Second Chance Tournament on ‘Jeopardy!’

December 20, 2025

Michigan State University faculty member Pete Johnston fulfilled a lifelong dream when he first appeared on a July episode of “Jeopardy!” While Johnston came in second place in July, he took first place in the “Jeopardy!” Second Chance Tournament game Dec. 17 and also in the resulting two-game finals Dec. 18-19. He next competes in the Champions Wildcard game airing…

Continue ReadingMSU Film Studies Faculty Member Wins First Round in Second Chance Tournament on ‘Jeopardy!’
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Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Grant / News / Research / Scholarship / WRAC / XA

Experience Architecture Professor’s Research Supported by Yale University Fellowship

December 8, 2025

As a Beinecke Library Fellow, Sara Doan, Assistant Professor of Experience Architecture at Michigan State University, spent two weeks immersed in the archives of Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, uncovering materials to inform her forthcoming book, Visualizing Pandemics: A History of Data in Action, that focuses on public health communication and the history of persuasion during disease…

Continue ReadingExperience Architecture Professor’s Research Supported by Yale University Fellowship