News – Page 2 – College of Arts & Letters

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.

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.

A crowd carries rainbow flags in a parade.

Research

Ask the Expert: How Pride Month Has Evolved and What That Means for LGBTQIA+ Representation

June 6, 2025

The first Pride march was held in New York City June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The Stonewall Uprising started with a raid on the gay bar, the Stonewall Inn in New York City and resulted in six days of protests and fighting between police and the LGBTQIA+ community. In 1969, homosexuality was considered a…

Ten people stand together for a group photo. From left to right: a woman in a green dress with short sleeves; a woman in a royal blue floral blouse with a black cardigan; a man in a white patterned shirt and gray slacks; a man in a gray blazer and checkered shirt; a woman in a black top and pink cardigan; a woman in a bright blue blouse and glasses; a woman in a taupe blouse using a cane; a man in a dark suit and red tie; a woman in a green plaid dress with a cream-colored jacket; and a woman in a black top with a black-and-white checkered blazer. All are smiling and standing in front of a grey wall.

Award / Faculty / Faculty / News / Staff

College of Arts & Letters Educators Awarded as Student Success Champions

June 5, 2025

Six College of Arts & Letters educators recently were recognized for their substantial contributions to undergraduate student success. They are among the 11 faculty and staff at Michigan State University who were awarded as part of the Five Opportunity Areas of Student Success Recognition Program presented by MSU’s Office of Undergraduate Education.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / News

Faculty Voice: Examining What Is Integral to Jewish American Heritage

May 29, 2025

Yael Aronoff is the Director of the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel, the Michael and Elaine Serling and Friends Chair in Israel Studies, and a Professor of International Relations at James Madison College. She is focused on research and teaching related to Israeli politics, culture, and society, as well as foreign policy. In this faculty voice, original published…

A collage of four portraits. Top left: A woman with long dark hair, glasses, and a denim jacket smiles outdoors in front of greenery. Top right: A woman with long dark hair and a white blazer smiles in a wooded area with autumn leaves. Bottom left: A woman with long light brown hair and a white shirt smiles indoors against a neutral background. Bottom right: A woman with short hair and hoop earrings stands in front of colorful artwork in a gallery setting, wearing a black polka-dot top.

African American and African Studies / Alumni / Arts MSU / Faculty / Faculty / Linguistics / News / Religious Studies / Research / Scholarship / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

First MSU Faculty and Alum Selected for Artists-in-Residence Program at W.K. Kellogg Biological Station

May 28, 2025

Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters will be well represented this year among the Farmscapes to Forests: Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Artists-in-Residence Program. The 2025 artists-in-residence will include an assistant professor, post-doctoral research associate, and recent graduate, all from MSU's College of Arts & Letters. They will be joined by an artist from New York to…

A woman with short dark hair and glasses smiles outdoors. She is wearing a dark blazer, a black top, drop earrings, and a silver necklace. The background is filled with greenery and trees.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Research / Scholarship

Kathleen Fitzpatrick Named New Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

May 27, 2025

Kathleen Fitzpatrick has been appointed Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies for Michigan State University's College of Arts & Letters, effective July 1, 2025, following a year serving in the interim role. A nationally recognized scholar of digital humanities, Fitzpatrick is uniquely positioned to guide the college's research and graduate programs, having spent her career creating open-source tools for…

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Alumni / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Linguistics / News / Scholarship

African Languages Professor Awarded 2025-26 Walter and Pauline Adams Academy Fellowship

May 23, 2025

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor of African Languages and Cultures in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, has been awarded a 2025-26 Walter and Pauline Adams Academy Fellowship.This annual MSU Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development program brings together a cross-disciplinary group of faculty and academic staff for a year-long fellowship focused on advanced topics…

A man with short gray and dark hair and a beard is pictured outdoors in front of a background of green and yellow foliage. He is wearing a dark suit over a light blue collared shirt and looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression.

News

Thomas Stubblefield Recommended as Dean of MSU’s College of Arts & Letters

May 22, 2025

Thomas Stubblefield has been recommended to serve as the next Dean of the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University, effective July 1, 2025. Pending approval by the MSU Board of Trustees, he will succeed Yen-Hwei Lin, who assumed the role of Interim Dean in June 2024 following the departure of former Dean Christopher P. Long.

Alt-text: A collage of four headshots of women arranged in a 2x2 grid. Top left: A woman with curly red hair, glasses, and red lipstick, wearing a dark top. Top right: A woman with short curly dark hair, glasses, and a wide smile, wearing colorful beaded earrings. Bottom left: A woman with long brown hair, smiling, wearing a black top. Bottom right: A woman with long straight brown hair, a natural expression, and a light-colored top, standing in front of a neutral background.

Award / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / English / French / News / Research / Student / Student / Women’s and Gender Studies

Graduate Candidates Receive 2025-26 Dissertation Fellowship Awards

May 20, 2025

Four College of Arts & Letters Ph.D. candidates have been awarded 2025-26 Graduate Dissertation Fellowships by the Center for Gender in Global Context at Michigan State University for their research projects that will include a significant focus on women, gender, or sexuality.These Women’s & Gender Studies Dissertation Fellowships are made possible through the generous funding provided by MSU’s Graduate School.Two…

A lively outdoor theater scene where two performers lead a group of children in interactive movements. The crowd includes families and children, many of whom are mimicking the performers' arm movements. The setting is sunny, with trees, a campus building, and stage lighting in the background.

Arts MSU / News / Student / Student / Theatre / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

Summer Circle Theatre Returns June 5-22 for 2025 Season

May 19, 2025

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre is preparing for the 2025 Summer Circle Theatre (SCT) season, which runs June 5-22 and will feature three productions along with pre- and post-show performances, including lively cabarets and improv. This is the 63rd year Summer Circle Theatre is offering free outdoor performances for the public to enjoy. The 2024 Summer Circle Theatre performance…