Michigan Impact

Two performers stand on a stage amid dramatic lighting while a large projection behind them displays text comparing artificial intelligence and human learning. The digital backdrop reads, "AI learns through mathematical pattern recognition and optimization of large datasets, while human learning is a biological process shaped by emotions and consciousness."

Arts and Humanities in Action: How MSU’s College of Arts and Letters Is Shaping Michigan’s Future

August 4, 2026

The impact of Michigan State University's College of Arts and Letters extends far beyond campus. Across Michigan, students, faculty, and alumni are putting the arts and humanities to work through education, language access, accessibility, public engagement, and creative partnerships that preserve cultural heritage, expand opportunity, strengthen communities, and prepare the next generation of leaders. "The arts, culture, and humanities enrich…

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

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.

A performer sits cross-legged at center stage with palms raised upward, illuminated by cool blue lighting and circular projections. Two dancers stand behind holding flowing blue fabric.

Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Programs / Student

Ask the Expert: How Arts and Humanities Drive Michigan’s Economic Future

July 29, 2026

Higher education plays a key role in educating Michigan residents as well as supporting the state’s economy, workforce, and culture. Michigan’s 15 public universities generate nearly $45 billion in annual economic impact with Michigan State University supporting $9.7 billion, according to the Michigan Association of State Universities Economic Impact Report released in 2026. Additionally, MSU educates more Michigan residents than…

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…

A women with long dark hair that's dyed purple at the ends wearing a striped shirt and beaded necklace. The background is a wood paneled hallway.

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

Ask the Expert: How Indigenous Science Fiction Expands the Genre

June 16, 2026

Science fiction remains an enduring touchstone of pop culture, but it’s broader than spaceships and aliens like you see in the recent “Project Hail Mary” movie — no offense, Ryan Gosling. Science fiction is also an area researched by scholars exploring what it says about our current culture, collective past, and the varying viewpoints of its creators. Michigan State University…

A student stands beside a tri-fold educational display about 4-H featuring bilingual English and Spanish information, photos, and the organization’s four-leaf clover emblem. The presentation board includes sections about 4-H history, membership, and programming, displayed on a table indoors.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Spanish / Student / Student

Beyond Words: MSU Students Gain Translation Experience While Serving Communities

June 8, 2026

Translation is about more than converting words from one language to another. It requires cultural understanding, empathy, and an ability to connect people with information that matters. At Michigan State University, students in the College of Arts & Letters are developing those skills through a partnership that pairs hands-on translation experience with meaningful community engagement. Through this partnership between the…

A composite image featuring a portrait of Ellen VanderMyde, a woman with blonde hair smiling in front of a colorful abstract painting, alongside an aerial, high-angle view of a vast agricultural research site, featuring a grid of vibrant green crop plots separated by dirt paths, with a distant treeline, a blue lake, and a bright blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds.

African American and African Studies / Arts MSU / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / Michigan Impact / News / Programs / Religious Studies / Research / Scholarship

Humanizing the Science: W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Artist-in-Residence Program Marks Fifth Year

May 21, 2026

The Farmscapes to Forests: Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Artists-in-Residence Program is entering its fifth year, featuring Kalamazoo-based visual artist Ellen VanderMyde as the 2026 Artist-in-Residence and the debut of the program’s first group exhibition showcasing the work of last year’s cohort of Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters artists.

People gather in a hallway for the Day of Design. A student with pink hair explains her graphic design project displayed on the wall to an alum wearing a scarf.

Art, Art History, and Design / Event / Graphic Design / Michigan Impact / News / Student / Student

MSU Graphic Design Students, Faculty, and Alumni Celebrate 10 Years of the BFA Program

May 7, 2026

This spring, faculty, students, and alumni celebrated 10 years of the Graphic Design Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) program at Michigan State University. The Graphic Design B.F.A. major and the minor launched in 2016 to meet MSU student interest and align with industry expectations. Before 2016, Graphic Design was a concentration within the Studio Art B.F.A. major. The Day of…

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

Alumni / Donor / English / Event / Featured Alumni / Film Studies / International Impact / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / U.S. Impact

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.