@chotijon

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Faculty Awarded Grant to Advance Community-Engaged Research and Women’s Empowerment in Tanzania

November 21, 2025

A Strategic Partnership Grant from MSU’s Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) will help strengthen the cross-institutional collaboration between Michigan State University and the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania, focusing on gender, environment, and community sustainability. The grant supports a collaborative research project that examines the livelihoods of Maasai women in Naitolia, Tanzania, and a community-engaged learning workshop for UDSM faculty interested in women’s empowerment and sustainable community development.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Linguistics / News

Professor Jonathan Choti Elected President of the Kenya Scholars and Studies Association

September 25, 2025

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor of African Languages and Cultures in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, was elected President of the Kenya Scholars and Studies Association (KESSA), a professional organization that draws members from around the world and that promotes scholarly, scientific, and research work being done in and on Kenya.

Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Linguistics / News

MSU Professor Leads Effort to Preserve Kenya’s Indigenous Languages

July 22, 2025

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor of African Languages and Cultures in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, recently traveled to Kenya to lead a workshop focused on revitalizing that country’s indigenous languages, many of which face extinction due to the predominance of English and Swahili in education, government, and media.

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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…

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Award / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / English / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News

College of Arts & Letters Faculty Awarded for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

January 29, 2025

Three faculty members from the College of Arts & Letters are being honored by the university as recipients of 2024-25 Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awards. These awards, presented by MSU's Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, recognize exceptional and innovative contributions that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion at Michigan State University through their teaching, research, programming, service, community…

Award / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / News / U.S. Impact

College Receives National Award for Innovative Policies and Programs Supporting Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

October 10, 2024

Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters has been selected as a winner of the 2024 Delphi Award for its dedicated work to include non-tenure-track faculty as full partners through its Charting Pathways of Intellectual Leadership (CPIL) initiative. As a winner of this award, the College of Arts & Letters will receive $15,000 to continue its work to support non-tenure-track faculty in promoting student success.

Award / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / International Impact / News / Study Abroad / Study Abroad

African Languages Professor Receives Two International Studies and Programs Awards

July 10, 2024

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…

Faculty / Faculty / Grant / International Impact / News

Grant Supports International Community Engaged Partnership

November 16, 2023

Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures (LiLaC), received Michigan State University’s 2023-2024 Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant (CIEG) of $12,000 to further his community engagement work in Tanzania.Choti and his Tanzanian collaborator, Jonathan Kivuyo of the University of Dar es Salaam, will use the funding to fight food insecurity in Naitolia Village in Northern Tanzania.…

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Grant / International Impact / News / Research

Mozilla Grant Empowers African-Informed Approach to Global Technology Design

October 30, 2023

Michigan State University received a 2023 Responsible Computing Challenge Award for $150,000 from the Mozilla Foundation to center African perspectives in technology course/curriculum redesign.The 12-month project, “Reimagining Information Communication Technology and Development (ICTD): Developing and Implementing an African-Informed Approach to Global Technology Design,” is led by Susan Wyche, Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Information, and Jonathan Choti, Associate Professor in…

Faculty / Faculty / News

College Celebrates Accomplishments of 2023 Promoted Faculty

September 20, 2023

This year, 20 faculty members within the College of Arts & Letters have received promotions. The success of these individuals was celebrated during the 2023 Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception on Sept. 18 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The College has adopted an approach to promotion that empowers colleagues to Chart Their Pathway of Intellectual Leadership by identifying the stepping stones, milestones,…