News - College of Arts & Letters

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Ask the Expert: How William Billings’ Music Became the Soundtrack of the American Revolution

July 1, 2026

Familiar figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin are receiving renewed attention as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, when the American Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. According to Michigan State University Professor David W. Stowe, another figure deserves a place in the story: William…

News / Student / Student

MSU Students Receive Music Industry Experience While Building a Record Label from the Ground Up

June 30, 2026

When Austin Oting Har joined Michigan State University in Fall 2025 as an Assistant Professor in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, now School of Residential Community-Engaged Arts and Humanities (RCAH), one of his first goals was to launch a record label. But rather than building it on his own, he included students in the process from the…

Austin Oting Har sits in a darkened recording studio, focused on a music stand holding sheet music while holding a percussion mallet. A bright studio light illuminates the scene as he prepares to perform or record music.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / RCAH / Research

Nearly a Decade in the Making: RCAH Faculty Member Releases Ambitious Contemporary Opera

June 30, 2026

For nearly a decade, composer Austin Oting Har has been building the world of "The Ghost," a contemporary opera that brings together ancient Greek tragedy, Chinese and Western musical traditions, and experimental electronics. On June 19, that vision finally reached audiences with the release of "The Ghost — Act I: Part I" on Neuma Records and digital streaming platforms, making the work accessible to listeners around the world.

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Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Religious Studies

Morgan Shipley Brings Vision for Collaboration and Growth as New Religious Studies Chairperson

June 26, 2026

Morgan Shipley, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality, will begin his five-year appointment as Chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University on July 1, 2026. Shipley joined the Department of Religious Studies in 2013 after earning a Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies from MSU. In the years since, he has…

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures (left), shakes hands with United States International University-Africa Vice Chancellor Mwenda Ntarangwi (center) while Quin Awuor, Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at USIU-Africa (right), presents a Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters gift during the “Documentation and Scholarly Publishing of Kenyan Indigenous Languages” workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.

Alumni / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Grant / International Impact / Linguistics / News

International Partnership Aims to Preserve Kenya’s Indigenous Languages

June 25, 2026

Michigan State University’s commitment to language preservation recently extended across continents as Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor in MSU’s Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures, helped convene a linguistics workshop in Kenya aimed at strengthening the documentation, preservation, and scholarly publication of that country’s indigenous languages.

Two men walk and talk across a grassy campus courtyard in front of a brick academic building. One gestures with his hands while speaking, and a large red-and-black outdoor sculpture stands in the background among trees and landscaping.

News

New Chapter: College Integration Strengthens Arts and Humanities at MSU

June 24, 2026

A new chapter at Michigan State University begins July 1, 2026, as the College of Arts & Letters and Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) officially integrate, creating new opportunities for students, faculty, and the campus community while strengthening the arts and humanities at MSU. The integration brings together the broad academic programs and creative resources of the College of Arts & Letters with RCAH’s distinctive community-engaged residential education model.

An actor in a long white period dress performs on stage, raising a clenched fist overhead while standing in front of a colorful projected backdrop. A bed, desk, books, and other furnishings surround the performer, creating the setting of a historical drama. Dramatic lighting highlights the actor’s expressive pose and determined expression.

News

MSU English Alum’s Play and Work of Theatre Faculty Distributed to PBS Stations Nationwide

June 17, 2026

When Sally: A Solo Play, written by Michigan State University Department of English alum and acclaimed playwright Sandra Seaton, premiered at Wharton Center for Performing Arts in February, audiences witnessed a powerful reimagining of Sally Hemings – one that reclaimed the voice of a woman too often relegated to the margins of history. Now, the production will reach new audiences…

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Faculty / Faculty / Michigan Impact / News / Religious Studies / Research / U.S. Impact

Ask the Expert: How Indigenous Science Fiction Expands the Genre

June 16, 2026

Science fiction remains an enduring touchstone of pop culture, but it’s broader than spaceships and aliens like you see in the recent “Project Hail Mary” movie — no offense, Ryan Gosling. Science fiction is also an area researched by scholars exploring what it says about our current culture, collective past, and the varying viewpoints of its creators. Michigan State University…

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Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / News / Student

Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition Celebrates LGBTQ+ Artists from Across Michigan

June 11, 2026

Pride takes many forms — celebration, resistance, remembrance, self-discovery — and in the Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition, it takes shape through art. Scheduled for June 11-July 23, 2026, at (SCENE) Metrospace, the Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition, presented in partnership with MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design and the City of East Lansing, celebrates the creativity, diversity, and resilience of LGBTQ+ artists from across Michigan.

A photo of Michigan State University's Beaumont Tower rising through the trees. To the left of Beaumont Tower is the text: "#32 worldwide in arts and humanities research" with the Spartan helmet below the text.

News / Rankings / Research / U.S. Impact

MSU Ranks No. 32 Worldwide in Arts and Humanities Research

June 11, 2026

Michigan State University (MSU) ranks No. 32 worldwide and No. 15 in the United States in arts and humanities research performance, according to the U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities for 2025-2026. Overall, MSU ranks No. 133 in the U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities listing for 2025-2026, which encompasses the top 2,250 universities across 105…