Faculty

Austin Oting Har sits in a darkened recording studio, focused on a music stand holding sheet music while holding a percussion mallet. A bright studio light illuminates the scene as he prepares to perform or record music.

Nearly a Decade in the Making: RCAH Faculty Member Releases Ambitious Contemporary Opera

June 30, 2026

For nearly a decade, composer Austin Oting Har has been building the world of "The Ghost," a contemporary opera that brings together ancient Greek tragedy, Chinese and Western musical traditions, and experimental electronics. On June 19, that vision finally reached audiences with the release of "The Ghost — Act I: Part I" on Neuma Records and digital streaming platforms, making the work accessible to listeners around the world.

A medium close-up portrait of a smiling man with a shaved head and a full, well-groomed beard and mustache. He is wearing a blue and white plaid button-down shirt under a dark gray, textured shawl-collar cardigan sweater. He is posing outdoors in front of a soft-focused background featuring a dark wooden structure with small windows.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Religious Studies

Morgan Shipley Brings Vision for Collaboration and Growth as New Religious Studies Chairperson

June 26, 2026

Morgan Shipley, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality, will begin his five-year appointment as Chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University on July 1, 2026. Shipley joined the Department of Religious Studies in 2013 after earning a Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies from MSU. In the years since, he has…

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures (left), shakes hands with United States International University-Africa Vice Chancellor Mwenda Ntarangwi (center) while Quin Awuor, Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at USIU-Africa (right), presents a Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters gift during the “Documentation and Scholarly Publishing of Kenyan Indigenous Languages” workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.

Alumni / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Grant / International Impact / Linguistics / News

International Partnership Aims to Preserve Kenya’s Indigenous Languages

June 25, 2026

Michigan State University’s commitment to language preservation recently extended across continents as Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor in MSU’s Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures, helped convene a linguistics workshop in Kenya aimed at strengthening the documentation, preservation, and scholarly publication of that country’s indigenous languages.

A women with long dark hair that's dyed purple at the ends wearing a striped shirt and beaded necklace. The background is a wood paneled hallway.

Faculty / Faculty / Michigan Impact / News / Religious Studies / Research / U.S. Impact

Ask the Expert: How Indigenous Science Fiction Expands the Genre

June 16, 2026

Science fiction remains an enduring touchstone of pop culture, but it’s broader than spaceships and aliens like you see in the recent “Project Hail Mary” movie — no offense, Ryan Gosling. Science fiction is also an area researched by scholars exploring what it says about our current culture, collective past, and the varying viewpoints of its creators. Michigan State University…

Colorful text on a black background reads "Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition." Details about the event, reception, and juror are displayed below.

Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / News / Student

Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition Celebrates LGBTQ+ Artists from Across Michigan

June 11, 2026

Pride takes many forms — celebration, resistance, remembrance, self-discovery — and in the Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition, it takes shape through art. Scheduled for June 11-July 23, 2026, at (SCENE) Metrospace, the Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition, presented in partnership with MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design and the City of East Lansing, celebrates the creativity, diversity, and resilience of LGBTQ+ artists from across Michigan.

Bold text on a black background reads "Michigan State University Juneteenth Commemorative Celebration" in yellow, red, and green.

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Event / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News

MSU Juneteenth Celebration to Feature Events Led by African American and African Studies Faculty

June 9, 2026

Michigan State University is hosting its sixth annual MSU Juneteenth Commemorative Celebration June 15-19, 2026, bringing together students, faculty, staff, alums and community members. Two faculty members from MSU’s Department of African American and African Studies — LeConté Dill and Liv Furman — are leading events during the weeklong celebration. Juneteenth marks the day enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their…

Two women are standing in an indoor setting. One looks concerned with her hand on her forehead, while the other gently touches her shoulder, offering comfort.

Arts MSU / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Performance / Production / Student / Student / Theatre

Medical Simulation Center Transformed into Immersive Theatre Production

June 3, 2026

For a recent theatre production presented by members of the Department of Theatre at Michigan State University, audience members became part of the performance, one that transformed a healthcare simulation center into a deeply intimate, immersive theatrical experience that blurred the line between actors and audience. This production of "Mary Jane" was not confined to the stage, nor was the audience confined to their seats.

A composite image featuring a portrait of Ellen VanderMyde, a woman with blonde hair smiling in front of a colorful abstract painting, alongside an aerial, high-angle view of a vast agricultural research site, featuring a grid of vibrant green crop plots separated by dirt paths, with a distant treeline, a blue lake, and a bright blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds.

African American and African Studies / Arts MSU / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / Michigan Impact / News / Programs / Religious Studies / Research / Scholarship

Humanizing the Science: W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Artist-in-Residence Program Marks Fifth Year

May 21, 2026

The Farmscapes to Forests: Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Artists-in-Residence Program is entering its fifth year, featuring Kalamazoo-based visual artist Ellen VanderMyde as the 2026 Artist-in-Residence and the debut of the program’s first group exhibition showcasing the work of last year’s cohort of Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters artists.

Smiling woman with curly hair in front of a gray background. Her expression is warm and friendly, wearing a subtle pearl earring and necklace.

Award / English / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

Mary Juzwik Receives MSU Beal Outstanding Faculty Award

May 18, 2026

Michigan State University Professor Mary Juzwik received a William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award, one of the university’s highest honors. The award recognizes her sustained contributions to research, teaching, and outreach, as well as her leadership in English education. Juzwik’s interdisciplinary scholarship and commitment to mentorship have shaped both the field and the next generation of educators.

woman examines a vintage green Spartan helmet alongside a dated basketball with writing. The setting is a well-lit storage shelf, evoking nostalgia.

Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / News / Research / Student / Student

Museum Studies Students Curate Exhibition on 170 Years of MSU Traditions

April 22, 2026

An upcoming exhibition at the MSU Museum, developed by students in Michigan State University’s Arts, Cultural Management, and Museum Studies program, offers a dynamic exploration of MSU student life. Through objects, stories, and creative interpretation, the exhibition explores 170 years of student traditions and how they have connected Spartans across generations.