Eight undergraduate Theatre students recently traveled to the United Arab Emirates to participate in the first International Theatre Festival at the American University of Sharjah, located about 15 miles from Dubai in the city of Sharjah. “It was the most incredible week of my life and one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, especially Dubai, which was…
Stephanie E. Vasko was selected to the first cohort of Fellows for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Community Engagement Fellows Program. Dr. Vasko is currently a Research Associate and the Program Manager for the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative (TDI), a research effort housed in the Department of Philosophy at Michigan State University. In its pilot year, the…
When Jonathan Montalvo moved to Indiana from Lares, Puerto Rico, at the age of 15, he knew very little English. After many years practicing, he became fluent and went on to earn his undergraduate degree in Spanish Studies at Purdue University. It was then he realized his calling to become a professor and educate students on Spanish language and Caribbean…
A collaborative class among Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Bard College recently explored how art and architecture produce and reveal race, gender and class. Assistant Professor Tessa Paneth-Pollak and her students make up the Michigan State University portion of the collaborative class, "Contested Spaces: Art, Architecture, Politics.” The course, HA491 “Contested Spaces: Art, Architecture, Politics,” offered last…
At age 26, professional dancer and choreographer Billy Bell has already had an exciting career that has led him to compete in two seasons of FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, to dancing in Back to Broadway with Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey, participating in Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, acting in the New York City production of Sleep No More, and…
A full-size mural for Michigan State University’s newly introduced Undergraduate Entrepreneurship and Innovation program is the work of recent Studio Art alumna Mia Serafini, who graduated in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Graphic Design. Serafini was selected to paint the mural after being invited to submit a proposal, which included a sketch and a…
FALL SEMESTER 2016 Providing students with an opportuinity to discuss current events related to muslims and U.S. politics, this course focuses on the ways Muslims and Islam have become a central topic in political debates among liberals and conservatives. It will offer a general introduction to (1) the Islam religion and core beliefs and practices that define Muslim communities; (2)…
The College of Arts & Letters’ Citizen Scholars program, which kicks off this fall with more than 90 students enrolled, is at the center of a strategic initiative to enrich the undergraduate experience, diversify the student body, and ensure the retention and academic success of students within the College. Designed to prepare the next generation of diverse, high-achieving, and engaged citizen…
This summer, MSU’s College of Arts & Letters and the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities are kicking off a new program in Detroit that pairs the talent, energy, and expertise of MSU students and faculty with the drive, experience, and commitment of local businesses, organizations, cultural institutions, and entrepreneurs. The Urban Studio program gives students from both colleges…
Miyuki Kamiya, an Instructor in MSU's Department of Linguistics, Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages, recently worked with her former student, Tiara Harris, to compose a song for MSU's Japanese Language program. The JPN 102 and 202 students, whom Kamiya taught during spring 2016, then performed the song while Kamiya played keyboards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8prO6C3HWZU&feature=emb_title “I had wanted to do something with my students…