The challenge of interdisciplinary research can be easily explained through the parable of five blind-folded people and one very patient elephant.
Professor Jacqueline Rhodes has been appointed Chair of the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures (WRAC). Rhodes has served as Interim Chair of the Department since August 16, 2018. Before that, she was the Inaugural Director of the Consortium for Critical Diversity in a Digital Age Research (CEDAR), which advances transformative scholarship and creative activity at the intersections of…
As we distance ourselves to help stop the spread of a deadly virus, a new department is being built within Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters — the Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS). At the helm of this momentous effort are Ruth Nicole Brown, Inaugural Chair of AAAS, and Tamura Lomax, Founding Associate Professor. “We…
Now more than ever, our need to provide students with the human and professional virtues required to live meaningful lives through deep and genuine relations is critical in the world today. Our virtual conversation with Dean Christopher P. Long (College of Arts & Letters), Dr. Arthur Versluis (Department Chair of Religious Studies and Chair of the Foglio Chair in Spirituality…
This semester, the College of Arts & Letters is pleased to welcome 22 new faculty and staff members. Please join us in welcoming the following people to Michigan State University and the College of Arts & Letters: Ruth Nicole Brown Ruth Nicole Brown is the Inaugural Chairperson for the Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS). Previously, she worked as…
The College of Arts & Letters wishes to recognize our long-serving faculty members who have retired this year and offer our thanks and appreciation for their many years of service. Those faculty members include Susan Gass, Mutsuko Endo Hudson, William Penn, John R. Rauk, and Edward Watts. Together they have served the College and University a combined total of more than 155…
Michigan State University researchers have been awarded a $3.75 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for research focused on decreasing cardiovascular disease risk morbidity and mortality for minority and low-income populations with diabetes mellitus. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. The researchers have found that better patient engagement and communication between patients and physicians may…
For the past several months, MSU’s Apparel and Textile Design (ATD) faculty, alumni, and students have used their skills and contributed their time in the fight against COVID-19 by constructing masks and teaching others how to make their own through an online video. These students, faculty, and alumni were encouraged by a social media campaign that shared information about ways…
Lorelei Blackburn wants her students to do more than simply read, complete assignments, and take tests. Each semester, the Assistant Professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures personalizes the learning experience for her students by pairing classwork with community-based projects. Last fall, a chance encounter led Blackburn to the perfect student opportunity as well as for MSU researchers involved in an ongoing mental…
Cheryl Caesar, Associate Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures, recently published a book, Flatman: Poems of Protest in the Trump Era, which is a compilation of 40 poems that explore the actions of the Trump administration from September 2018 to May 2019. It’s an artistic response to the emotions evoked within Caesar during the Trump presidency. “The process of writing this…