MSU Graduate Creates Gardens to Preserve and Protect Indigenous Culture

Recent Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters graduate Mikayla Thompson, who is a descendant of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is educating others about Indigenous farming practices and culture through the gardens she helped create and now leads at MSU’s W.J. Beal Botanical Garden and the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center in Okemos, Michigan.

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Professor Follows in Father’s Footsteps by Receiving William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award

In recognition of his scholarly excellence, instruction, and extensive outreach, Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Professor of Religious Studies, Adjunct Professor of Law, and Director of the Muslim Studies Program at Michigan State University, recently was awarded the William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award. And remarkably, he is the second person in his family to receive this prestigious honor. “My father was…

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Ask the Expert: How Do the Olympics Connect People, Athletics, and Art?

The modern Olympics continue to highlight athletic excellence and a spirit of teamwork even after more than 125 years since their inception in Athens, Greece. Now, every two years, the Olympics — with either the Summer Games or Winter Games — connect people and cultures in peaceful competition. Roughly 10,500 athletes from around the world will compete at the 2024…

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African Languages Professor Receives Two International Studies and Programs Awards

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor of African Languages and Cultures in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, is a 2024 recipient of two International Studies and Programs Awards, which recognize his dedication to international education and excellence in teaching, research, service, and student mentorship. He received the MSU Award for Outstanding Service to Education Abroad, which…

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Incoming First-Year Students Receive Prestigious Alumni Distinguished Scholarships

Two incoming first-year College of Arts & Letters students have been awarded Michigan State University’s highly competitive Alumni Distinguished Scholarships, which cover full tuition, room and board, and a stipend for up to eight semesters of undergraduate study. This year, MSU awarded its annual Alumni Distinguished Scholarships to 13 top incoming first-year students. Among those students are: Zachary Bigelow of…

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MSU Broad Art Museum Exhibit Chronicles More Than Six Decades of Alum’s Artistic Career

A multi-decade retrospective of one of the most important abstract artists of our time, who also is a graduate of Michigan State University, is now on display at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum (MSU Broad Art Museum) through Dec. 15, 2024. The MSU Broad Art Museum organized the exhibition, “Samia Halaby: Eye Witness,” which took more than two…

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Michigan Art Educator of the Year Began Career at MSU

Nathan Kukla, who graduated from Michigan State University with a BFA in Art Education and an M.A. in Teaching and Curriculum, recently was recognized at the national convention for the National Art Education Association as the Michigan Art Educator of the Year, an honor bestowed upon him by the Michigan Art Education Association in recognition of his outstanding 26-year career,…

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Students Receive Critical Language Scholarships to Study Abroad

Three College of Arts & Letters students are spending their summer studying a foreign language at an intensive study abroad institute as recipients of Critical Language Scholarships, a national scholarship program funded by the U.S. Department of State that received more than 5,000 applicants this year. Of the more than 5,000 applicants, more than 500 students from across the country…

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English Majors Receive Grand Prize Award for Their Research

A team of College of Arts & Letters students received a Grand Prize Award for their research presented at the 2024 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF). Nearly 1,000 students presented research and creative arts projects at this year’s UURAF. First-place awards were given in each of the 37 program categories, but only two grand prizes were awarded.

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Student View: Celebrating Juneteenth Through Oil, Ink, and Memory

Morgan Renee Hill is a Master of Fine Arts candidate in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University and the winner of the 2024 Juneteenth poster design contest. Their work, “Black Banner,” is prominently featured in this year’s MSU Juneteenth Commemorative Celebration, which will take place on Friday, June 14.

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