Linguistics

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College of Arts & Letters Students Earn First-Place Awards at Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum

May 11, 2026

Eight students whose primary majors are in the College of Art & Letters received first-place awards for their research and creative scholarship presented at Michigan State University’s 28th annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF). Several other MSU students who received first-place awards were mentored by faculty within the College of Arts & Letters.

A composite of four headshots. Top left: Smiling woman with curly brown hair, wearing a mesh cardigan over a gray top. She has a nose ring and a necklace, set against a plain background. Top right: Young man in a green graduation gown and tie stands smiling in front of a tree. He wears a pink stole and yellow honors cord, conveying achievement. Bottom left: Man in a striped shirt stands beside artwork titled "M.E.L.T.T." on a gallery wall. Bright abstract painting in the background. Calm expression. Bottom right: Smiling young adult male with short hair, wearing a patterned button-up shirt against a soft blue background. Mood is friendly and welcoming.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Award / Citizen Scholars / English / Film Studies / Graduating Senior / Linguistics / News / Student / Student / Theatre

Four Graduating Seniors Honored as the 2026 Louis B. Sudler Prize Winners

April 27, 2026

Four graduating seniors were awarded this year’s Louis B. Sudler Prize, which recognizes outstanding achievement in the performing and creative arts, including fine arts, music, creative writing, theatre, and electronic/photographic arts. Presented each year by the College of Arts & Letters, recipients must be members of the senior graduating class and demonstrate outstanding achievement in the performing or creative arts and show promise for future achievement.

A grid of four headshots of the 2025-2026 Fintz Award recipients. Top left: Laura Yares, smiling, with shoulder-length brown hair and blue earrings, against a yellow background. Top right: Jonathan Choti, smiling, with a navy blazer. Bottom left: Nerli Paredes Ruvalcaba, smiling, with long pink-tinted hair. Bottom right: Aaron Schultz, smiling, with a beard and glasses

Award / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Linguistics / News / Philosophy / Religious Studies

Four MSU Faculty Honored with Fintz Award for Teaching Excellence

April 20, 2026

Four College of Arts & Letters faculty have been selected as this year’s recipients of the Fintz Award for Teaching Excellence in the Arts and Humanities in recognition of their exemplary Integrative Arts and Humanities (IAH) instruction. Presented each spring by the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities (CISAH), the Fintz Award, which is student nominated, recognizes outstanding faculty who engage students in arts and humanities ways of knowing while helping them develop critical thinking and effective communication skills.

A two-by-two grid of headshots featuring four MSU faculty members. Top left is Jonathan Choti in a blue blazer; top right is Philip Effiong in a green sweater and round glasses; bottom left is is Peter Glendinning in a blue blazer holding a camera; bottom right Stephen Esquith in a dark blazer and purple tie.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Faculty / Faculty / Grant / Linguistics / News / Philosophy / Programs / Student / Student / Theatre

Faculty and Students Engage in Cross-Cultural Teaching and Learning Through COIL Program

March 12, 2026

Four College of Arts & Letters faculty members are part of the third cohort of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Faculty Fellows Program-Africa, pairing them with faculty from an African country with the goal of engaging students in meaningful global learning experiences. An online cross-cultural teaching and learning method, the COIL program links university courses, faculty, and students in different countries,…

A group of nine College of Arts & Letters faculty members standing in two rows, smiling and posing for a group photo. They are dressed in business professional attire, including dark blazers, a teal jacket, dress shirts with ties, and a cream blouse. They stand on a patterned rug in a well-lit indoor lounge area featuring an orange seating bench, a wood-slatted ceiling, and warm pendant lighting. In the blurred foreground, the hands of a person holding a smartphone are visible, capturing the picture of the group.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / English / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Linguistics / News / Philosophy / Religious Studies / Spanish / Theatre

MSU Celebrates Promoted Faculty, Honoring 29 from the College of Arts & Letters

February 14, 2026

During the 2025-2026 academic year, 24 faculty members within the College of Arts & Letters received promotions. The success of these individuals was celebrated at special ceremonies hosted by the Office of the Provost. “On behalf of the College of Arts & Letters, I want to congratulate our faculty members who have earned promotions this year,” said Thomas Stubblefield, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters.

Collage of six professional headshots arranged in two rows of three. Top row: a smiling man in a suit jacket, a woman with curly hair wearing large earrings, and a smiling man with a beard in a plaid shirt and sweater. Bottom row: a man in a vest and collared shirt, a smiling woman with glasses and long hair, and a woman in a turtleneck sweater in front of a bookshelf.

Award / English / Faculty / Linguistics / News / Religious Studies / Spanish

2025 Faculty Award Winners Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

September 30, 2025

The College of Arts & Letters honored its Faculty Award Winners at the 2025 College of Arts & Letters Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception on Sept. 29 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. These faculty members were recognized for their outstanding leadership, teaching, innovation, and community engagement, as well as the significant impact they have made in enhancing curriculum and student experiences.

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.

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

Aline Godfroid First From College of Arts & Letters to be Named a Red Cedar Distinguished Professor

August 25, 2025

In recognition of her outstanding scholarly achievements and their transformational impact, Aline Godfroid, Professor of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Second Language Studies in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, was named a Red Cedar Distinguished Professor, which is among MSU’s highest faculty awards. Godfroid is the first College of Arts…

A group of 16 people, all standing and smiling in a posed photo. There are 13 women in the group and three men.

AAHD / African American and African Studies / English / Faculty / Faculty / Linguistics / News / Philosophy / Staff / Theatre / WRAC

College Welcomes New Faculty and Staff

August 20, 2025

The College of Arts & Letters is thrilled to welcome 28 new faculty and staff members whose diverse expertise will enrich our community, strengthen collaboration, and expand opportunities for students. New colleagues will be recognized during the 2025 Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception on Sept. 29 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.

Faculty / International Impact / Linguistics / News / Research / Russian

Professor of Russian Teaches English in Uzbekistan and Gathers Information for Online Resource

August 7, 2025

Shannon Donnally Quinn, Associate Professor of Russian in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, traveled to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, this summer to teach in a collaborative program between the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (TIIAME) and Michigan State University’s English Language Center. This initiative, titled Professional English for Water Resource Management…