2018 College of Arts & Letters Alumni Board Awards Presented

The College of Arts & Letters celebrated its outstanding faculty, staff, and students for their accomplishments in teaching, research, and community impact at the 2018 MSU College of Arts & Letters Alumni Board Awards ceremony, held on April 15 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center Six different awards were presented, including the Paul Varg Award, Innovation and Leadership Award,…

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Early Career Award Honors Baker-Bell for Language and Literacy Work with Black Youth

As a high school English teacher in Detroit, April Baker-Bell says she felt ill-prepared to address her Black students' language and literacy needs and found that she was not alone. This experience planted the seed from which her research took root and has been the driving force throughout her career. Now an Assistant Professor in Michigan State University’s Department of English and…

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MSU Arts & Letters Establishes New Endowed Position In Spirituality

An endowed position has been created at Michigan State University to focus on the holistic well-being of students through spirituality.The Foglio Chair of Spirituality in the College of Arts & Letters will honor Father Jake Foglio, an alumnus, former faculty member, longtime priest, and mentor to countless MSU student-athletes and coaches. Father Jake Foglio The endowment was made possible through $600,000 in donor contributions…

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Spartan Podcast: Foglio Chair in Spirituality

Michigan State University is establishing the Foglio Chair of Spirituality in the College of Arts and Letters. The Foglio Chair is named to honor Father Jake Foglio, an alumnus and Roman Catholic priest still in active ministry after more than 50 years of service to the MSU community through St. Johns Student Parish, 11 years on the faculty, and as…

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Cultivating a Culture of Trust

It has been difficult to write for the public in the months since posting the Open Letter to the College of Arts & Letters in the wake of the survivor impact statements that are transforming Michigan State University. Part of the difficulty is what my thoughtful #SpartanDean colleague, Prabu David, emphasized when he wrote that it is challenging to find the right words for our current situation. But also, it has been difficult to convey to a broader public the intense interpersonal work we are doing in the College to create the culture change we need.

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Course Helps to Save Wildlife Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

An experiential, interdisciplinary, and entrepreneurial problem-based class, Michigan State University’s Snares to Wares course explores issues concerning the conservation of wildlife and preservation of human well-being in East Africa. The course is related to the Snares to Wares initiative created by Robert Montgomery, Assistant Professor in MSU’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Director of the RECaP Laboratory, and Tutilo Mudumba, doctoral student in the Department…

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Professor Harrow to Retire After More Than 50 Years at MSU

When Ken Harrow, Distinguished Professor of English, began his career at Michigan State University in September 1966, John Hannah was President of the University, anti-Vietnam War protests were just beginning, and MSU shared the national championship in football with Notre Dame after the “Game of the Century” ended in a 10-10 tie. While much has changed since then, one thing…

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Students Awarded Alumni Endowed Scholarships

Ten College of Arts & Letters students each were awarded a $500 scholarship from the Alumni Endowed Student Book Scholarship and Robert L. Fiore Student Book Scholarship funds as a recognition of their academic achievement and to help ease the financial burden of a college education. The funds may be put towards school materials such as books and art supplies.…

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German Alumna Works with Big Cats in Africa

MSU alumna Kelsey Prediger works with cheetahs in Namibia, Africa, as the Conservation and Tour Manager of the Solitaire Activity Centre for the Solitaire Land Trust. Prediger graduated from Michigan State University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in German and a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and Environmental Biology. We recently caught up with Prediger and…

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