News - Page 4 - College of Arts & Letters

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Shelly Deavy Joins the College of Arts & Letters as Senior Director of Development

March 17, 2026

The College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University welcomes fundraising leader Shelly Deavy as its new Senior Director of Development. Deavy, an accomplished philanthropic professional with more than 20 years of experience in educational fundraising and strategic leadership, joins the college at the outset of MSU’s $4 billion Uncommon Will, Far Better World campaign. Deavy began her new…

Workshop facilitators and participants pose together on the steps of a building bearing a sign for the Centre for Climate Change Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, framed by a colorful painted mural and tropical greenery.

MSU Faculty Partner with University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Advance Community-Engaged Learning

March 16, 2026

During Michigan State University’s 2026 spring break, two MSU faculty members traveled more than 7,800 miles to collaborate with colleagues at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in Tanzania, leading a workshop focused on strengthening connections between universities and the communities they serve. Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures in MSU’s College of…

Cristina Rivera Garza speaks into a microphone at the left end of a faculty panel, flanked by another MSU faculty members seated before a full audience. A small high-top table with water bottles sits at the center of the panel arrangement.

Event / Faculty / Faculty / News / Spanish / Staff / Student

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Mexican Author Engages MSU Community in Conversations on Storytelling, Memory, and Justice

March 13, 2026

The Michigan State University community had the opportunity this week to hear from and engage with Pulitzer Prize-winning Mexican author Cristina Rivera Garza during a campus visit centered on her acclaimed book, Liliana’s Invincible Summer. Organized by Alejandra Márquez Guajardo, Assistant Professor of Spanish in MSU’s Department of Romance and Classical Studies, and Laurie Medina, Director of MSU’s Center for…

A two-by-two grid of headshots featuring four MSU faculty members. Top left is Jonathan Choti in a blue blazer; top right is Philip Effiong in a green sweater and round glasses; bottom left is is Peter Glendinning in a blue blazer holding a camera; bottom right Stephen Esquith in a dark blazer and purple tie.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Faculty / Faculty / Grant / Linguistics / News / Philosophy / Programs / Student / Student / Theatre

Faculty and Students Engage in Cross-Cultural Teaching and Learning Through COIL Program

March 12, 2026

Four College of Arts & Letters faculty members are part of the third cohort of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Faculty Fellows Program-Africa, pairing them with faculty from an African country with the goal of engaging students in meaningful global learning experiences. An online cross-cultural teaching and learning method, the COIL program links university courses, faculty, and students in different countries,…

Children and adults seated in blue chairs around white tables in an outdoor pavilion. A woman in burgundy clothing points at a whiteboard. Participants include a child in a yellow-green shirt, a person in a black shirt with teal design, and a person in a tan/cream colored blanket. Sunlight and green outdoor landscape visible through the open structure.

News

MSU-Led Initiative Strengthens and Expands Access to Less Commonly Taught and Indigenous Language Education Across North America

March 11, 2026

After nearly a decade of transformative language revitalization work, Michigan State University’s Center for Language Teaching Advancement (CeLTA) in the College of Arts & Letters has completed a landmark initiative strengthening and expanding access to less commonly taught and Indigenous language education at dozens of universities and in communities across the United States and Canada. From 2016 to 2025, the…

A woman stands indoors holding an ADDY Award plaque and smiling at the camera. Next to her is a graphic design poster showing a white sea turtle silhouette over a blue plastic-textured background, with circular cutouts resembling plastic six-pack rings. Text at the bottom reads, “Our plastic. Their predator.”

Award / Graphic Design / News / Staff / Student / Student

Graphic Design Students and College Marketing Team Win Top ADDY Awards

March 10, 2026

Four students in Michigan State University’s Graphic Design program received American Advertising (ADDY) Awards at this year’s American Advertising Federation (AAF) Lansing Chapter ceremony, with two of those students earning a Gold ADDY, the highest award an entry can receive within a category, and one taking home the prestigious Judge’s Choice Award.

Installation view of the 2026 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, featuring diverse artworks by five graduating MFA candidates. The display includes, from left to right: a terracotta sculptural form with abstract organic shapes; a mixed-media collage combining drawings, handwritten text, and photographic elements; colorful woven textile work; ornate beaded textile with intricate patterned designs; and natural dried botanical materials suspended in the gallery space.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Exhibition / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Research / Student / Student

2026 MFA Exhibition Showcases the Work on Five Artist-Scholars

March 6, 2026

The annual Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Exhibition returns to the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University March 14-May 17, 2026, and will feature the work of five MFA candidates — Yeroham Ashagre, Hailey Becker, Niloufar Fallahfar, Vadu Rodrigues, and Alex Vlasov — all of whom are graduating this spring. This thesis exhibition is the culmination…

Artist Stacey Robinson and Professor Julian Chambliss sit onstage in conversation at the MSU Museum's Speculative Futures event. Behind them, a projected slide displays Robinson's "Black Kirby" artwork featuring a comic-style illustration. A packed audience watches from tables in the foreground.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / English / Event / Faculty / Faculty / Lecture Series / News / Student / Student / WRAC / XA

Student View: An Evening of Afrofuturism at the MSU Museum

March 4, 2026

Aditi Gonuguntala is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Michigan State University majoring in Experience Architecture with a minor in Graphic Design. She also is a Communications Intern in the Office for Inclusive Excellence and Impact and University Communications and Marketing. In this Student View, she writes about the Speculative Futures: Afrofuturism and the Art of Stacey Robinson event hosted by the MSU Museum.

A young woman with long dark hair smiles while leaning against a stone railing in London. She wears a brown leather jacket over a plaid top and denim skirt. In the background, the River Thames flows past the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben, under a cloudy sky.

Student / Student / Study Abroad / Study Abroad

Study Abroad Experience Made Possible Through Donor Support

March 3, 2026

For Michigan State University student and Citizen Scholar Audrey Pocopio, experiencing the history and culture of London, England, brought her coursework to life during a summer study abroad program. A double major in English and Humanities-Prelaw, Pocopio spent five weeks studying in England in Summer 2025, immersing herself in the history, literature, and culture she had previously encountered only in textbooks.

A young woman stands outdoors at a busy plaza, smiling slightly at the camera, with colorful red-and-blue Expo 2025 signage and a large cartoon-style mascot sculpture behind her as visitors walk through the space.

Internship / News / Student / Student / Study Abroad / Study Abroad / WRAC / XA

Scholarship Opens the Door to Global Internship for MSU Student

March 2, 2026

For Jasmine Chow, a junior at Michigan State University double majoring in Psychology and Experience Architecture, a scholarship didn’t just help cover expenses — it made an international, career-shaping experience possible. A recipient of the Jacob C. Tiedt Scholarship for Internships Abroad, Chow used the award to help fund a Summer 2025 internship in Osaka, Japan, where she worked for a small company specializing in skin care and natural wellness products made from yuzu.