This year's Varg-Sullivan Endowed Graduate Award winners are Niloufar Fallahfar, a Spring 2026 MFA in Studio Art graduate, who is the 2026 Outstanding Achievement in the Arts recipient, and Jonah Branding, a graduate student pursuing a dual Ph.D. in Philosophy and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, was named the 2026 Outstanding Achievement in Letters recipient. The Varg-Sullivan Endowed Graduate Awards, presented…
Michigan State University Professor Mary Juzwik received a William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award, one of the university’s highest honors. The award recognizes her sustained contributions to research, teaching, and outreach, as well as her leadership in English education. Juzwik’s interdisciplinary scholarship and commitment to mentorship have shaped both the field and the next generation of educators.
Yeroham Ashagre is the 2026 Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Prize recipient, capping three years of intensive study as an MFA student in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University. Ashagre received the MFA Prize for his thesis exhibition, “Womb of Tomb,” that is part of the 2026 MFA Exhibition on view at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum through May 17, 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.
Kaylin Casper, a graduating seniorwhose advocacy for Indigenous rights and equitable education has shaped her time at MSU, closes her undergraduate career with two of the university's most distinguished student honors, three majors, and two Bachelor of Arts degrees. Casper graduated in Spring 2026 with a B.A. in Sociology through the College of Social Science and a B.A. in Humanities-Prelaw with an additional major in Women's and Gender Studies, both through the College of Arts & Letters.
The Experience Architecture (XA) program at Michigan State University has recognized five students with its top honors for 2026, including the second group of students to receive the Bill Hart-Davidson XA Leadership Award. The 2026 recipients of the Bill Hart-Davidson XA Leadership Award are Alex Guo and Maren O'Connor. The 2026 XA Outstanding Senior Award winners are Zach Anderson, TreShai Hubbard, and Charlotte Miner.
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.
When William Castanier began studying Arabic at Michigan State University, he had no prior experience with the language but quickly distinguished himself through perseverance, discipline, and a deep commitment to learning. William Castanier Now graduating in Spring 2026, Castanier has earned a B.A. in Arabic and received the 2026 Outstanding Graduating Senior Award presented by MSU’s Arabic Program in the…
The Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD) at Michigan State University honored its 2026 undergraduate awards and scholarship recipients during the reception for the 2026 AAHD Undergraduate Exhibition on April 10 at (SCENE) Metrospace. The awards and scholarships recognize Art, Art History, and Design students for their outstanding coursework and creative skills this past academic year. Each spring the faculty comes together to nominate exceptional undergraduate…
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.
