Religious Studies

MSU Students Bring Religious Traditions to Life Through Immersive Digital Projects

January 23, 2026

Students in a Religious Studies 101 class at Michigan State University are seeing their coursework reach a public audience. Projects created in the class taught by Nareman Amin, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, are currently available for display in the 360 Room of the MSU Libraries Digital Scholarship Lab. The immersive presentations draw on materials from the MSU Libraries' Special…

A woman in a black headscarf, MSU Assistant Professor Nareman Amin, stands by a globe sculpture in the MSU International Center in East Lansing, Michigan.

Faculty / Faculty / International Impact / News / Religious Studies / Research

Ask the Expert: How Ideas of Democracy and Religion Have Changed Since the 2011 Egyptian Revolution

January 13, 2026

In early 2011, Egyptians calling for “bread, freedom, and social justice” took to the streets to protest the 30-year authoritarian rule of Hosni Mubarak. Jan. 25 marks the 15th anniversary of the Egyptian uprising and the first taste of democracy in Egypt following Mubarak’s subsequent resignation Feb. 11. Michigan State University Assistant Professor Nareman Amin’s research focuses on contemporary Islam…

A person with black hair stands smiling on a windswept sand dune overlooking Lake Michigan, wearing a green sweater and backpack. Behind them, rolling dunes, grasses, and a blue sky with scattered clouds.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Grant / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Religious Studies / Research / Scholarship

Professor Researching Indigenous Environmental Stewardship with Support from Newberry Fellowship

November 10, 2025

Elan Pochedley, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and 1855 Professor of Great Lakes Anishinaabe Knowledge, Spiritualities, and Cultural Practices, was awarded the Newberry Consortium in American Indian and Indigenous Studies (NCAIS) long-term faculty fellowship to research how Indigenous peoples’ expressions of environmental stewardship and governance have been practiced, sustained, interrupted, and/or rekindled throughout the central and western Great Lakes region.

A person with long dark hair and bangs smiles at the camera, wearing bright red cat-eye glasses and dark lipstick. Behind them is a dark mantel decorated with flowers, framed art, and a vintage clock.

Alumni / English / News / Religious Studies

From First-Generation Graduate to Rehabilitation Counselor and Advocate for Developmentally Disabled

November 7, 2025

Renee Hall earned dual bachelor’s degrees in English and Religious Studies from Michigan State University in 2010 and a master’s degree, also from MSU, in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2014. She has been an active member of the disability community for more than 20 years, serving in roles including advocate, direct support professional, service coordinator, counselor, and research specialist. She also is a first-generation college graduate.

Five people stand in front of a large field of solar panels on a sunny day. Rows of panels stretch into the distance, surrounded by green grass and trees under a blue sky with scattered clouds

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Grant / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Religious Studies / Research / U.S. Impact

Religious Studies Professor Part of $3.6 Million NSF Grant to Build First-of-Its-Kind Solar-Agriculture Lab

October 27, 2025

Michigan State University scientists plan to build a first-of-its-kind outdoor lab to study how solar panels placed alongside crops cloud save water, improve soil health, and support ecosystems, all while boosting farmers' bottom line and preserving farm production. The project, led by Earth and Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Anthony Kendall, is made possible by a five-year $3.6 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Gretel Van Wieren, Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at MSU, is among the senior research personnel on the project.

A person with long dark hair and blunt bangs wearing bright red cat-eye glasses and red lipstick, seated indoors with plants and candles visible in the background.

Alumni / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / English / Featured Alumni / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Religious Studies

MSU Alum Uses Religious Studies Education as an Advocate for the Developmentally Disabled

October 7, 2025

Michigan State University alum Renee Hall has been an active member in the disability community for more than 20 years, serving in various roles including advocate, direct support professional, service coordinator, counselor, and research specialist. She currently works as the Advisor to the Self-Advocates of Michigan through the Developmental Disabilities Council of Michigan.

Collage of six professional headshots arranged in two rows of three. Top row: a smiling man in a suit jacket, a woman with curly hair wearing large earrings, and a smiling man with a beard in a plaid shirt and sweater. Bottom row: a man in a vest and collared shirt, a smiling woman with glasses and long hair, and a woman in a turtleneck sweater in front of a bookshelf.

Award / English / Faculty / Linguistics / News / Religious Studies / Spanish

2025 Faculty Award Winners Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

September 30, 2025

The College of Arts & Letters honored its Faculty Award Winners at the 2025 College of Arts & Letters Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception on Sept. 29 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. These faculty members were recognized for their outstanding leadership, teaching, innovation, and community engagement, as well as the significant impact they have made in enhancing curriculum and student experiences.

Woman is wearing a purple cardigan sweater and a bright multi-colored striped top. She has large black-rimmed glassed and short bright red hair. She is smiling and has a lot of photos in the background.

News / Religious Studies / Student / Student

M.A. Program Allows Graduate Student to ‘Double Down’ on What She Loves

September 26, 2025

Katie Paauwe, a student in the M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership, Global Cultures, and Social Enterprise program at Michigan State University, worked in various office management, human resources, and sales coordination positions before deciding to go back to school to earn a master’s degree.

A young woman smiles at the camera while seated at a conference table with notebooks and laptops, as colleagues collaborate in the background

News / Religious Studies

MSU Launches New Major in Nonprofit Leadership, Religion, and Social Change

September 10, 2025

The Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University has a new undergraduate major designed to meet the growing demand for ethical, culturally competent leaders in the expanding nonprofit, philanthropic, and service sectors. The Nonprofit Leadership, Religion, and Social Change major, launched Fall 2025, blends academic study, experiential learning, community engagement, and applied research to provide students with a strong…

A close-up of a person beading by hand. Their hands are stitching black fabric while colorful piles of seed beads in a rainbow gradient sit on a white work surface.

Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Programs / Religious Studies / Scholarship / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

Religious Studies Professor to Explore Her Artistic Side as a KBS Artist-in-Residence

June 12, 2025

Blaire Morseau started doing beadwork 20 years ago, first learning how to create on a loom and then teaching herself beaded embroidery. Her beaded creations even helped pay her rent when she was a graduate student at the University of New Mexico. Morseau is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University and an 1855 Professor of Great Lakes Anishinaabe Knowledge, Spiritualities, and Cultural Practices at MSU.