Faculty

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More than a Residency: SOLHOT 60+ Creates Space for Art and Sisterhood

September 2, 2026

When Sharon Simeon helped create a glass vessel at the Flint Institute of Arts, the other SOLHOT 60+ artists gathered around to watch and support her. They cheered as the hot glass expanded, held their breath when the piece nearly fell, and applauded when it was complete. “The women were so supportive. When it was over, they applauded. There were…

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Digital Humanities / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

Kristen Mapes Brings Years of Experience to Role as Digital Humanities Director

August 27, 2026

Kristen Mapes is leading Digital Humanities in Michigan State University’s College of Arts and Letters as its new Director, following a year as Interim Director. Mapes began her term on July 1, 2026, succeeding Kathleen Fitzpatrick, who served as Director of Digital Humanities from 2017 to 2024.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

College Celebrates 29 Faculty Members Who Earned Promotions

August 24, 2026

This year, 29 faculty members within the College of Arts and Letters received promotions. Their achievements will be celebrated during the 2026-27 academic year at promotions ceremonies hosted by the Office of the Provost. This year’s group marks another milestone for the college as the first to include faculty from the School of Residential Community-Engaged Arts and Humanities (RCAH), which integrated with the College of Arts and Letters on July 1, 2026.

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Community Outreach / English / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Programs / Religious Studies

MSU Fellowship Helps Michigan Teachers Rethink Genocide Education

August 19, 2026

As artificial intelligence and social media reshape how students evaluate information, teaching about genocide and mass atrocities has grown more complex. Teachers in Michigan are required to spend at least six hours on genocide curriculum during grades 8-12. They must navigate not only changing technology but also shifting geopolitical events and a generation of students who see the world differently…

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Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

Faculty Voice: The Role of Empathy in Teaching

August 11, 2026

Associate Professor Amy Simon is the William and Audrey Farber Family Chair in Holocaust Studies and European Jewish History. She holds a joint appointment with James Madison College and the Department of History in the College of Social Science and is a core faculty member of the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel in the…

Three award recipients stand side by side holding framed plaques and smiling for a photograph.

Award / Community Outreach / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Michigan Impact / News / Philosophy

MSU Institute Director Honored for Community-Led Partnership Supporting Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

July 31, 2026

For nearly four years, a Michigan State University researcher and two Detroit organizations have worked side by side to expand services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in Detroit, securing nearly $900,000 in funding, establishing the first paid staff positions at both organizations, launching new programs, and strengthening community-led support networks across the city. That work earned Elena Ruíz, Professor in MSU’s Department of Philosophy and founder and Director of the Research Institute for Structural Change (RISC) at Michigan State University, two 2026 MSU Outreach and Engagement Awards.

Michigan State University students sit across from participants in blue-and-orange uniforms, talking and working together on a writing activity at classroom tables.

Community Outreach / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Michigan Impact / News / Programs / Student / WRAC

Behind Prison Walls: MSU and Incarcerated Students Learn From Each Other Through Writing

July 24, 2026

Michigan State University students chat among themselves in the cramped waiting room at Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson, unfazed by the TSA-like security process. They place their shoes and socks in bins, walk through a metal detector enclosed in chain-link fencing, and go through a pat-down before the steel doors lock behind them. Next, they walk across a prison yard…

A television news crew films visitors exploring the student-curated museum exhibition on Michigan State University traditions, with artifacts, display cases, and interpretive panels throughout the gallery.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Scholarship / Student / Student / Theatre

From the Shadows of Beaumont Tower: Hands-On Curatorial Experience Brings Spartan Traditions to Life

July 20, 2026

Painting the MSU Rock. A primal midnight scream during finals week. Formal social etiquette from a 1954 student handbook. And even Sparty himself. These iconic Michigan State University traditions — and many more — are featured in the What If We Kissed in the Shadows of Beaumont Tower?: Connecting Generations Through MSU Student Traditions exhibition created by students in the…

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

Ask the Expert: How William Billings’ Music Became the Soundtrack of the American Revolution

July 1, 2026

Familiar figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin are receiving renewed attention as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, when the American Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. According to Michigan State University Professor David W. Stowe, another figure deserves a place in the story: William…

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.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / RCAH / Research

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.