From Government to Google to Microsoft: MSU Alum Shares Her Spartan Success Story

Since graduating from Michigan State University in 2006 with a B.A. in Spanish, Lauyren Haight has earned a Juris Doctor degree and has led federal and global corporate investigations at the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, and Google. Much of her work has focused on civil rights and sexual harassment investigations. Currently, she works for Microsoft in Washington, D.C., as a Corporate Counsel and Employee Relations Investigator.

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MSU Graduate Creates Gardens to Preserve and Protect Indigenous Culture

Recent Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters graduate Mikayla Thompson, who is a descendant of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is educating others about Indigenous farming practices and culture through the gardens she helped create and now leads at MSU’s W.J. Beal Botanical Garden and the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center in Okemos, Michigan.

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MSU Broad Art Museum Exhibit Chronicles More Than Six Decades of Alum’s Artistic Career

A multi-decade retrospective of one of the most important abstract artists of our time, who also is a graduate of Michigan State University, is now on display at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum (MSU Broad Art Museum) through Dec. 15, 2024. The MSU Broad Art Museum organized the exhibition, “Samia Halaby: Eye Witness,” which took more than two…

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Michigan Art Educator of the Year Began Career at MSU

Nathan Kukla, who graduated from Michigan State University with a BFA in Art Education and an M.A. in Teaching and Curriculum, recently was recognized at the national convention for the National Art Education Association as the Michigan Art Educator of the Year, an honor bestowed upon him by the Michigan Art Education Association in recognition of his outstanding 26-year career,…

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Theatre Alum and 20-Year Artist for ‘The Simpsons’ Chosen as Commencement Speaker for the College

Few television shows have left as indelible a mark on popular culture as The Simpsons, which is the longest running animated series, longest running sitcom, and longest scripted primetime series in the history of American television.Behind the scenes of this critically acclaimed series is a team of talented writers, artists, and animators who bring Springfield's vibrant characters to life. Among…

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MSU Alum Reflects on Gap Year Teaching English in Japan

Danielle Goldberg, who graduated from Michigan State University in Spring 2023 with a B.S. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders and a B.A. in Linguistics and minors in Japanese and Cognitive Science, is now an Assistant Language Teacher through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program at a rural junior high school in Gunma, Japan. Goldberg recently emailed Mariko Kawaguchi, Senior Instructor…

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Theatre Alum Continues to Create Sensory-Friendly Productions as Artist-in-Residence in Georgia

Since early childhood, Evan Hill Phillips has always enjoyed the spotlight as he craved an outlet to create, entertain, and perform. At Michigan State University, the BFA in Theatre graduate discovered a whole new and innovative theatrical approach, one that is designed for audiences that are neurodiverse.With an older brother who is neurodiverse and a first-hand knowledge of the industry’s…

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$1.638 Million Gift Establishes Two Scholarships and Supports English Department

Although they never had kids of their own, Gregory Shafer and Bernadette Gongora helped raise 39 foster children and soon will have a positive impact on the lives of countless students at Michigan State University for generations to come thanks to the $1.638 million gift they made to MSU’s College of Arts & Letters. Married for 30 years, Shafer and Gongora say…

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Black Art Library at MSU Union Art Gallery Through March 8

The Black Art Library, founded by Michigan State University BFA in Art Education graduate Asmaa Walton, is now on display and can be experienced at the MSU Union Art Gallery through Friday, March 8.A collection of books and other art history ephemera on Black visual art, Walton, who is an arts educator, created the Black Art Library to serve as…

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Graphic Design Graduate Competes for Miss America

Maya Schuhknecht, a Spring 2023 Michigan State University graduate with a BFA in Graphic Design and the reigning Miss Michigan, is competing this week for the title of Miss America 2024. The 2024 Miss America Competition is taking place Jan. 6-14 in Orlando, Florida, where 51 contestants are vying for the title of Miss America 2024 along with more than…

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