Faculty

Ten portraits created by Michigan State University and OCAD University students for the Faces and Traces: A Cross-Border Portrait Project, arranged in two rows of five. Each piece uses a different style and medium to interpret the artist’s partner, from realistic graphite drawings to abstract line work and vibrant mixed media compositions.

Art Project Brings U.S. and Canadian Students Together

August 13, 2025

When Emma Sambaer, an Art Education student at Michigan State University, was paired with Shiva Mohseni, an OCAD University student from Toronto, for a unique cross-border art project, she noticed how much they had in common despite being separated by an international border.Students from MSU and OCAD U were tasked with creating portraits of each other to capture the likeness…

A group of people stand on wide wooden steps inside a bright, modern building. They are arranged in two rows, with national flags from various African countries positioned between them.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / English / Faculty / Faculty / International Impact / News / Programs / Student

Mandela Washington Fellows Make Their Mark at MSU and Beyond

August 8, 2025

For the fourth year, Michigan State University was among 25 educational institutions across the country to provide a leadership institute for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. This year, the university welcomed 23 Fellows from 19 African countries for a six-week program in civic engagement that ran from June 19-July 17, 2025.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Linguistics / News

MSU Professor Leads Effort to Preserve Kenya’s Indigenous Languages

July 22, 2025

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor of African Languages and Cultures in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, recently traveled to Kenya to lead a workshop focused on revitalizing that country’s indigenous languages, many of which face extinction due to the predominance of English and Swahili in education, government, and media.

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.

Alumni / English / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Film Studies / News

MSU Film Studies Faculty Member Appears on ‘Jeopardy!’

July 16, 2025

Peter Johnston, Interim Director and faculty member in the Film Studies program at Michigan State University, relied on his high school quiz bowl experience and arts and humanities background to secure a spot on the iconic game show “Jeopardy!” Johnston’s appearance as a contestant aired July 15. He played a strong game solidly taking second place. “It was so surreal…

Alumni / Award / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Featured Alumni / French / Grant / News / Research / Scholarship / Spanish / Theatre

College of Arts & Letters Faculty and Recent Graduates Awarded Fulbright Awards

July 2, 2025

Three faculty members and two recent graduates of the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University were offered Fulbright awards for the 2025-26 academic year and will reside and work in different countries because of the opportunities made available to them through these awards. Another recent College of Arts & Letters graduate was selected as an alternate and…

Alumni / Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Publication / Publishing, Editing, and Authorship / Research / Theatre

MSU Faculty Member Publishes Book on Creating Theatre With Neurodiverse Audiences in Mind

June 30, 2025

For nearly a decade, Dionne O'Dell has led the Sense-Ability Ensemble at Michigan State University, which develops multisensory theatrical works for audiences often excluded from traditional performance spaces. Dionne O'Dell O’Dell is an Academic Specialist in MSU’s Department of Theatre who specializes in teaching children’s theatre and writing and directing plays for youth and community, and Routledge has now published…

A picture of a woman with short hair wearing a black blazer over a purple shirt, in front of some natural foliage.

English / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

Kathleen Fitzpatrick Named a University Distinguished Professor

June 25, 2025

Kathleen Fitzpatrick, a nationally recognized scholar of digital humanities, Professor in the Department of English, and recently appointed Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies for the College of Arts & Letters, is now a University Distinguished Professor, which is among the highest honors bestowed upon faculty by Michigan State University. Fitzpatrick is among the 10 MSU faculty members named…

A close-up of a person beading by hand. Their hands are stitching black fabric while colorful piles of seed beads in a rainbow gradient sit on a white work surface.

Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Programs / Religious Studies / Scholarship / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

Religious Studies Professor to Explore Her Artistic Side as a KBS Artist-in-Residence

June 12, 2025

Blaire Morseau started doing beadwork 20 years ago, first learning how to create on a loom and then teaching herself beaded embroidery. Her beaded creations even helped pay her rent when she was a graduate student at the University of New Mexico. Morseau is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University and an 1855 Professor of Great Lakes Anishinaabe Knowledge, Spiritualities, and Cultural Practices at MSU.

Ten people stand together for a group photo. From left to right: a woman in a green dress with short sleeves; a woman in a royal blue floral blouse with a black cardigan; a man in a white patterned shirt and gray slacks; a man in a gray blazer and checkered shirt; a woman in a black top and pink cardigan; a woman in a bright blue blouse and glasses; a woman in a taupe blouse using a cane; a man in a dark suit and red tie; a woman in a green plaid dress with a cream-colored jacket; and a woman in a black top with a black-and-white checkered blazer. All are smiling and standing in front of a grey wall.

Award / Faculty / Faculty / News / Staff

College of Arts & Letters Educators Awarded as Student Success Champions

June 5, 2025

Six College of Arts & Letters educators recently were recognized for their substantial contributions to undergraduate student success. They are among the 11 faculty and staff at Michigan State University who were awarded as part of the Five Opportunity Areas of Student Success Recognition Program presented by MSU’s Office of Undergraduate Education.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / News

Faculty Voice: Examining What Is Integral to Jewish American Heritage

May 29, 2025

Yael Aronoff is the Director of the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel, the Michael and Elaine Serling and Friends Chair in Israel Studies, and a Professor of International Relations at James Madison College. She is focused on research and teaching related to Israeli politics, culture, and society, as well as foreign policy. In this faculty voice, original published…