Lansing-East Lansing Impact

Man in a tuxedo smiles warmly at the camera, standing in front of a Golden Globe Awards backdrop. The scene conveys elegance and celebration.

The Spartan Behind the Blockbusters: Acclaimed Film Producer Returns to MSU to Deliver 2026 Commencement Address

April 30, 2026

Bill Mechanic — you may not recognize his name, yet few filmmakers can match his level of success. The movies he has helped launch are among the biggest ever made, including Titanic, Independence Day, Braveheart, and X-Men. His blockbuster career can be traced back to Michigan State University — an unlikely starting point.

A smiling person in academic regalia, with a black velvet cap and gown, stands in front of colorful flags, conveying a celebratory graduation mood.

Award / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / International Impact / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Philosophy / U.S. Impact

MSU Philosopher Heather Douglas Awarded Honorary Doctorate in Belgium

April 21, 2026

In recognizing of her influential work in science, values, and public trust, Heather Douglas, a prominent philosopher of science and Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Michigan State University, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Universite Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), one of the oldest universities in Europe, located in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

Two young women sit on a stage, one comforting the other by holding her face. Both wear casual summer outfits. The woman on the right holds yellow flowers, conveying emotions of support and tenderness.

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

MSU Premieres New Musical, Exploring Caregiving, Resilience, and Mental Health

April 15, 2026

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre invites audiences to experience Dandelion, a 23-song original musical based on a true story that will resonate with families everywhere. Brought to life in just months with limited resources and running April 23-26, 2026, at Studio 60 in the MSU Auditorium, this new musical tells the story of a daughter who longs to leave…

Installation view of the 2026 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, featuring diverse artworks by five graduating MFA candidates. The display includes, from left to right: a terracotta sculptural form with abstract organic shapes; a mixed-media collage combining drawings, handwritten text, and photographic elements; colorful woven textile work; ornate beaded textile with intricate patterned designs; and natural dried botanical materials suspended in the gallery space.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Exhibition / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Research / Student / Student

2026 MFA Exhibition Showcases the Work on Five Artist-Scholars

March 6, 2026

The annual Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Exhibition returns to the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University March 14-May 17, 2026, and will feature the work of five MFA candidates — Yeroham Ashagre, Hailey Becker, Niloufar Fallahfar, Vadu Rodrigues, and Alex Vlasov — all of whom are graduating this spring. This thesis exhibition is the culmination…

Portrait of a woman wearing a burgundy turtleneck, smiling with her arms folded on a white table in a bright, modern interior with glass walls and blue structural elements in the background.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / International Impact / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Philosophy / U.S. Impact

Shaping the Future of Science: MSU Philosophy Professor Joins National and Global Science Committees

February 24, 2026

From national research ethics to global scientific freedom, Heather Douglas, Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Michigan State University, has been appointed to two high-profile committees: one at the National Academy of Sciences redefining ethical research practice for the next generation of scientists, and another at the International Science Council where she is the only American member monitoring threats…

A low-angle view of MSU’s Beaumont Tower framed by lush green trees against a bright blue sky with wispy clouds

Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Philosophy / U.S. Impact / WRAC

College of Arts & Letters Plays Critical Role in Shaping MSU’s Ethics Institute

February 19, 2026

Technology is changing how decisions are made. Trust in public institutions is shifting. And many of the choices shaping daily life — across education, health care, government, and business — raise fundamental questions about values, responsibility, and the common good. For scholars in Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters, asking those kinds of questions has long been central to their work.

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…

A composite image featuring five movie posters arranged in a grid. The top row contains three posters: "Boca Chica," "La Cocina," and "La Singla." The bottom row contains two larger posters: "We Shall Not Be Moved" and "Zafari." The posters span a diverse range of cinematic styles, from high-contrast black-and-white to lush, colorful photography.

Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Event / Film Screening / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Spanish

Largest Latinx Film Festival in Michigan Returns to MSU Feb. 19-22

February 12, 2026

The MSU Latinx Film Festival (LxFF), the largest Hispanic/Latino/Latin American film festival in Michigan, returns Feb. 19-22 with screenings and events across Michigan State University’s campus and the city of Lansing. A biennial, curated festival, LxFF brings acclaimed independent films from Latin America and the Latinx diaspora to the Midwest, featuring works that are rarely screened in the United States and that invite audiences to engage with the world from new perspectives.

A promotional graphic for Douglass Day on February 13, 2026, featuring the Colored Conventions Project. The top half of the image has a dusty rose background with the event title and the website DouglassDay.Org in white text. The bottom half features a collage including a vintage sketch of a Black man and woman, an archival illustration of a convention assembly, and a torn paper element referencing the Fourteenth Amendment from June 1866.

Digital Humanities / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Event / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / U.S. Impact

Preserving Black History: MSU Celebrates Frederick Douglass’ Legacy with Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon

February 11, 2026

Michigan State University is celebrating the life and legacy of renowned 19th-century abolitionist Frederick Douglass and inviting the public to join the festivities for the annual Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon on Friday, Feb. 13, from noon to 3 p.m. The event will take place in the MSU Main Library’s Digital Scholarship Lab Classroom and Flex Space, with portions of the program streamed live on YouTube.

Two student performers stand on stage beneath a large projection reading, “AI learns through mathematical pattern recognition and optimization of large datasets, while human learning is a biological process shaped by experience, emotions and consciousness.” Blue and purple lighting and stage haze frame the scene, with one performer elevated on a platform and another kneeling nearby, holding a notebook.

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

From Seed to Stage: MSU Department of Theatre Production Draws Inspiration from Historic Beal Experiment

February 9, 2026

Buried beneath Michigan State University’s campus are the seeds of one of the world’s longest continuously monitored scientific experiments — and now, a new production presented by MSU’s Department of Theatre is bringing that history to life. Currently in its 147th year, the William J. Beal Seed Experiment serves as the inspiration for Echoes from the Banks of the Red Cedar, an immersive dance theatre production written, choreographed, and directed by Alexandria Davis, Assistant Professor of Dance.