Category: News - College of Arts & Letters

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.

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…

From English Major to Big Ten Coach of the Year: The Arts and Humanities Behind Harry Jadun’s Success

July 9, 2026

For former Michigan State University Men’s Tennis Coach Harry Jadun, who led one of the most successful eras in Spartan Men’s Tennis history, the lessons that have shaped his career extend far beyond the tennis court. During his four seasons as head coach, Jadun’s teams compiled a 70-40 (.636) record, including 32-12 (.727) in Big Ten play. Both winning percentages…

Two side-by-side portrait photos. On the left, a smiling man with medium-length dark hair wears a blue button-down shirt and a dark blazer, standing in front of a blurred library bookshelf. On the right, a smiling woman with glasses and a gray button-up shirt stands outdoors against a background of green foliage.

Alumni / Award / News / Student

Fulbright Grants Awarded to Two College of Arts & Letters Alums

July 8, 2026

Two recent College of Arts & Letters alums have been awarded 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants. They are among seven Michigan State University students and recent alums who were offered Fulbright grants this year and who are traveling to seven different countries to teach English during the 2026-27 academic year. Two MSU students also were named as alternates. The Fulbright…

Aditi Gonuguntala smiles while adjusting her graduation cap outdoors on Michigan State University's campus. She is wearing a green graduation gown, a white Spartan stole, honor cords, and an Experience Architecture medal.

Student / Student / WRAC / XA

Experience Architecture Student Finds Purpose in Inclusive Design

July 7, 2026

After exploring several majors at Michigan State University, Aditi Gonuguntala found more than a degree program in Experience Architecture (XA). She found a new way of thinking — one centered on designing experiences that are accessible, inclusive, and built around people's needs. Aditi Gonuguntala Now a senior majoring in Experience Architecture with a minor in Graphic Design, Aditi said discovering…

woman speaks to a group gathered on a covered porch, holding a sheet of paper as participants of different ages sit closely together listening and taking part in the discussion. Benches, chairs, and a small child seated on the floor are visible, creating the atmosphere of a community meeting.

International Impact / News / Philosophy / Programs / Scholarship / Student / Student

From Mali to MSU: Students Bridge Continents to Study Democracy in Action

July 6, 2026

Nearly 5,000 miles apart, students at Michigan State University and Université Yambo Ouologuem de Bamako (UYOB) in Mali came together in a shared virtual classroom to explore democracy, displacement, and peacebuilding. Through conversations grounded in both philosophy and lived experience, the students discovered how questions about citizenship, power, and civic responsibility transcend national borders. Two of the four workshop leaders…

A man with gray hair and a beard wearing a gray polo shirt.

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

Ask the Expert: How William Billings’ Music Became the Soundtrack of the American Revolution

July 1, 2026

Familiar figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin are receiving renewed attention as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, when the American Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. According to Michigan State University Professor David W. Stowe, another figure deserves a place in the story: William…

News / Student / Student

MSU Students Receive Music Industry Experience While Building a Record Label from the Ground Up

June 30, 2026

When Austin Oting Har joined Michigan State University in Fall 2025 as an Assistant Professor in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, now School of Residential Community-Engaged Arts and Humanities (RCAH), one of his first goals was to launch a record label. But rather than building it on his own, he included students in the process from the…

Austin Oting Har sits in a darkened recording studio, focused on a music stand holding sheet music while holding a percussion mallet. A bright studio light illuminates the scene as he prepares to perform or record music.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / RCAH / Research

Nearly a Decade in the Making: RCAH Faculty Member Releases Ambitious Contemporary Opera

June 30, 2026

For nearly a decade, composer Austin Oting Har has been building the world of "The Ghost," a contemporary opera that brings together ancient Greek tragedy, Chinese and Western musical traditions, and experimental electronics. On June 19, that vision finally reached audiences with the release of "The Ghost — Act I: Part I" on Neuma Records and digital streaming platforms, making the work accessible to listeners around the world.

A medium close-up portrait of a smiling man with a shaved head and a full, well-groomed beard and mustache. He is wearing a blue and white plaid button-down shirt under a dark gray, textured shawl-collar cardigan sweater. He is posing outdoors in front of a soft-focused background featuring a dark wooden structure with small windows.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Religious Studies

Morgan Shipley Brings Vision for Collaboration and Growth as New Religious Studies Chairperson

June 26, 2026

Morgan Shipley, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality, will begin his five-year appointment as Chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University on July 1, 2026. Shipley joined the Department of Religious Studies in 2013 after earning a Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies from MSU. In the years since, he has…

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures (left), shakes hands with United States International University-Africa Vice Chancellor Mwenda Ntarangwi (center) while Quin Awuor, Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at USIU-Africa (right), presents a Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters gift during the “Documentation and Scholarly Publishing of Kenyan Indigenous Languages” workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.

Alumni / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Grant / International Impact / Linguistics / News

International Partnership Aims to Preserve Kenya’s Indigenous Languages

June 25, 2026

Michigan State University’s commitment to language preservation recently extended across continents as Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor in MSU’s Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures, helped convene a linguistics workshop in Kenya aimed at strengthening the documentation, preservation, and scholarly publication of that country’s indigenous languages.