Faculty

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Professor Honored with Tamil American Pioneer Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment

October 15, 2025

Swarnavel Eswaran, Professor in the Department of English and the School of Journalism at Michigan State University, is the recipient of the 2025 Tamil American Pioneer (TAP) Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment. Presented by the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA), the award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to their fields while advancing Tamil culture and heritage.

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

New Awards Recognize Exceptional Contributions to Mentoring Undergraduate Students

October 1, 2025

The College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University created two new awards this year to acknowledge faculty and staff who make exceptional contributions to mentoring students outside the classroom. These two Outstanding Undergraduate Mentorship Awards are nominated by students, endorsed by their chair or director, and selected by a student committee.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Linguistics / News

Professor Jonathan Choti Elected President of the Kenya Scholars and Studies Association

September 25, 2025

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor of African Languages and Cultures in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, was elected President of the Kenya Scholars and Studies Association (KESSA), a professional organization that draws members from around the world and that promotes scholarly, scientific, and research work being done in and on Kenya.

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Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Research / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

Exhibit by MSU Professor Part of Inaugural Cape Town Photography Festival

September 18, 2025

“Attached to the Soil,” the Fulbright Scholar portrait project by Peter Glendinning, Professor of Photography in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University, is a featured exhibition and was the kick-off event for the month-long inaugural Cape Town Photography Festival in South Africa. Consisting of 50 photographic portraits, Glendinning’s “Attached to the Soil” was created over a…

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AAHD / Arts MSU / Faculty / Faculty / News / Student

MSU Making a Mark When It Comes to Investing in the Arts as Essential to K-12 Education

September 16, 2025

Walk into a classroom infused with music, movement, and visual storytelling, and you’ll find something remarkable: students leaning in, asking questions, connecting ideas — and most importantly, lighting up with curiosity. It’s a vivid contrast to a growing concern in K-12 education across the country. According to a 2023 Gradient Learning report, 80% of teachers are concerned about their students’…

Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Film Screening / French / Michigan Impact / News / U.S. Impact

Documentary by French Professor Earning Recognition at Film Festivals Worldwide

September 11, 2025

"Chœurs Atlantiques | Tales from the Atlantic Beyond," a documentary produced and directed by Safoi Babana-Hampton, Professor of French and Francophone Studies in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University, is reaching audiences worldwide through an expanding series of film festival screenings, including a screening in Michigan on Friday, Sept. 12, and at one of the…

Portrait of MSU Assistant Professor Tim Conrad smiling. He’s wearing a button down short and in the background are tree branches.

Award / English / Faculty / Faculty / Michigan Impact / News

English Professor Receives Midwest Book Award for Short Story Collection

September 4, 2025

Michigan State University Assistant Professor Tim Conrad received a 2025 Midwest Book Award in the Fiction – Short Story/Anthology category for his debut short story collection, “The Machine We Trust,” published by Cornerstone Press in April 2024. Conrad teaches creative writing and literature at MSU through the Department of English. The Midwest Book Awards Contest, through the Midwest Independent Publishers…

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Research / Scholarship

Leonora Souza Paula Selected for National Engaged Scholars Initiative

September 2, 2025

Leonora Souza Paula, Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Michigan State University, has been named to the 2025-2026 Cohort of Engaged Scholars selected by Campus Compact, a nationally recognized nonprofit that strives to strengthen partnerships between higher education and communities. This yearlong leadership and professional development program is designed to deepen community-engaged scholarship.

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Award / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

Trixie Smith Receives Statewide Award Presented by Michigan Council of Teachers of English

August 28, 2025

Trixie Smith, Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures at Michigan State University, received the 2025-2026 Charles Carpenter Fries Award presented by the Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE). This statewide award honors educators whose distinguished career reflects a lifelong commitment to the teaching of English, to literacy, and to the professional development of teachers. Dr. Trixie…

AAHD / Arts MSU / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Staff / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

‘Nexus’ Exhibit Features Work by Artists Who Help Shape MSU’s Arts Community

August 26, 2025

Michigan State University’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD) is shining a spotlight on the creative work of its academic staff, offering the public a look into the lives and practices of the artists who help shape MSU's arts community. Their work, brought together for the “Nexus” exhibition, is now on display through Sunday, Sept. 21, at (SCENE) Metrospace.