Meet Dr. Jonathan Ritz, Director of Student Health and Wellness

Jonathan Ritz is a licensed counselor and serves as the Director of Student Wellness for the College of Arts & Letters, MSU Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) Counselor, and is an Assistant Professor and Academic and Professional Advisor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures. As Director of Student Wellness, Ritz works with the College’s Undergraduate Studies team to support the mental health and wellness of students.

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Faculty Voice: Comics and the Black Experience

Julian Chambliss, Professor in the Department of English, core faculty for the Consortium for Critical Diversity in Digital Age Research, and Val Berryman Curator of History for the MSU Museum, wrote the following article about the exhibit he curated for the MSU Museum, titled "Beyond the Black Panther: Visions of Afrofuturism in American Comics," for MSU Today.

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Conversations with CAL – Sounds of Religion Project

What does religion in the United States sound like? We begin by exploring the question that animates the American Religious Sounds Project (ARSP), a collaborative research initiative co-directed by Michigan State University Religious Studies Professor Amy DeRogatis and Ohio State University Comparative Studies Professor Isaac Weiner.

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Philosophy Department Earns High Marks for Addressing Issues of Underrepresented Groups

A leading advisory board of recognized philosophers has identified Michigan State University’s Department of Philosophy as a premier place for graduate students from underrepresented populations to earn a doctorate degree. In fall 2020, The Pluralist’s Guide to Philosophy commended the department’s approach, which fosters the use of traditional elements of philosophy while addressing practical issues of concern to society. Many…

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AAHD Professor and Museum Curator Honored by American Folklore Society

The American Folklore Society (AFS), the country's professional society for folklorists, has awarded Marsha MacDowell, Professor in MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design and MSU Museum Curator, the 2020 recipient of the society's Benjamin A. Botkin Prize for significant lifetime achievement in the field of public folklore. MacDowell is the Curator of Folk Arts and Quilt Studies at…

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New Director of Student Wellness Position Prioritizes Student Mental Health and Care

As students have had to face uncertainty, isolation, and many other daunting experiences, along with corresponding mental health challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new position has been created within the College of Arts & Letters that will focus on student mental health and care.   This newly created position — Director of Student Wellness for the College of Arts & Letters — is at the cutting-edge of student mental health care…

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Ruth Nicole Brown Named MSU Foundation Professor

In recognition of her innovative community-engaged scholarship and outstanding record of visionary leadership, research, and pedagogy, Ruth Nicole Brown was awarded an MSU Foundation Professorship, making her the first faculty member from the College of Arts & Letters to receive this honor since it was first introduced in 2014. Dr. Ruth Nicole Brown The title of MSU Foundation Professor is…

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The Promise and Perils of Democracy

We in the College of Arts & Letters have long understood the power of words to strengthen or diminish democracy. Over the past 24 hours, we have witnessed the power of words to incite violent insurrection at the United States Capitol, distort the truth, and undermine a peaceful transition of power. But we have also seen the power of words to organize and mobilize voters in Georgia, to resist cynical strategies of voter suppression, and to persevere in certifying the will of the people.

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