LaDonna Mask is the principal at Kendon Elementary in the Lansing School District and is one of 19 educators from across the country selected for the PBS Digital Innovator All-Star Program. She’s a 2020 PBS Digital Innovator All Star and was supported and recommended by WKAR. Mask's career in education has spanned 40-plus years within the Lansing School District. The PBS Digital Innovator All-Star program brings together a community of PreK-12th grade educators who are innovators and leaders bot...
May 08, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 31
He talks with Spartans Athletic Director Bill Beekman about MSU’s collaborative ethos and the university’s low barriers for researchers to work together to fight COVID-19. He explains the process involved in developing a vaccine, too. “Viruses are very tricky,” Beauchamp says. “Do I think it'll take three to four years? I'm more optimistic than that. My hope is that something like an effective vaccine, assuming that it is possible to generate lasting immunity, which I believe it is, would be clo...
May 06, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Pohl talks about what it feels like to retire, and he describes his path to MSU as a student and then to WKAR five years after graduation. And he says there two interviews that stand out to him over his career. “I have to cite two: getting to talk with my favorite author, John Irving, and the man who inspired me to talk into microphones for a living, legendary Hall of Fame Tigers play-by-play announcer Ernie Harwell,” Pohl says. “Nothing can top those two. “My favorite story took me back to my c...
Apr 30, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Woodruff talks about her past interactions with MSU and the state of Michigan, and says she “grew up wanting to be a teacher. I never thought about being a provost. When I went to college, I was thinking about being a first grade teacher. My mother was a teacher, and my grandmother was a teacher of all grades on the Panhandle of Oklahoma during the great Dust Bowl. My goal was really set in education. And so in many ways, I've continued with that particular goal, but as I got into college, I rea...
Apr 27, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Most of us are in our sixth week of working remotely, and in many ways it feels much longer for a lot of people. So much has changed in that relatively short period of time. Beekman keeps the safety and health of MSU student athletes at the forefront of all the decisions he’s making as he prepares for a future where information and the situation constantly change. “On the one hand, it feels like we've been in this mode forever. On the other hand, in the greater scheme of things, it's been a rela...
Apr 24, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Building on the momentum of Michigan State University's successes to chart a course toward a brighter future requires collective thought and action. For that reason, MSU is undertaking an inclusive and comprehensive strategic planning process. While many of the plans have been adjusted or placed on hold due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the work being done around strategic planning is too important not to move forward. Joining me to talk more about this planning process are the Strategic Pl...
Apr 21, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 26
It was 50 years ago we celebrated the inaugural Earth Day on April 22nd, 1970. Created by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, an estimated 20 million people participated nationwide. The observance has since become a global phenomenon. MSU Today is marking Earth Day 2020 with a round table conversation among MSU environmental leaders, who have devoted much of their lives to the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of the university and our planet. Vennie Gore is Vice President for Aux...
Apr 16, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Joining me to talk about this are three of our medical deans at Michigan State University. Andrea Amalfitano of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Aron Sousa from the College of Human Medicine, and Randy Rasch from the College of Nursing. “We're doing a lot,” says Amalfitano. “As a college we typically graduate about 300 physicians a year. We're pretty proud of the fact that 70 percent of them typically will end up practicing during their residency in the state of Michigan. And that usually tr...
Apr 08, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 24
In the second part of this conversation, they’re joined by Dr. Keith Hampton and Dr. Johannes Bauer, both of whom are affiliated with MSU's Quello Center, which is focused on research that stimulates and informs public debate on media, communication, and information policy. They'll be discussing their latest report, which investigated the broadband gap and K-12 student performance, a subject made even more timely by the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic and resulting closure of schools for...
Apr 07, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 23
At last report, the virus and associated illness COVID-19 raised the nation’s unemployment ranks to 3.3 million people as manufacturing, retailers and offices sent employees home to layoff or to work remotely. Ballard calls the report “stunning.” As of mid-afternoon Friday, Michigan had reported 3,650 cases of Covid19 and 92 deaths due to the virus that has no proven cure and in the U.S. has caused some 100,000 cases of illness and 1,554 deaths. Health authorities are predicting a continued glob...
Mar 28, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 21
“I’ve been having meetings through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and conference calls in my office in my basement. I’m mostly working the phones and trying to stay in touch with everyone.” Beekman has a conference call every weekday morning with his fellow Big Ten athletic directors and new league commissioner Kevin Warren and his team. And he’s staying in touch with Spartan coaches and student-athletes. Beekman feels badly for the student-athletes who have worked so hard and who didn’t get to finish t...
Mar 28, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Michigan State University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. has restructured the administration of the colleges of Human Medicine, Nursing and Osteopathic Medicine, as well as the university’s health clinics, to be better aligned in patient care, education and research. The change included promoting Norman J. Beauchamp Jr. to the new position of executive vice president for health sciences overseeing the colleges of Human Medicine, Nursing and Osteopathic Medicine as well as clinical practic...
Mar 26, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 20
“Much of my research has focused on the kinds of learning that students are doing in social media and online spaces, like the kinds of communication practices they're doing and the kinds of community building and interactions they're having with other students and with their teachers in these online spaces,” says Greenhow. “I've both taught online and in person. I've looked at how different online technologies like video conferencing and robot technologies can be integrated into students' online...
Mar 22, 2020•16 min•Season 1Ep. 19
“Two of the most critical things that are determined based on the census are the number of legislative seats for each state. They're used to draw congressional and state legislative districts. The other thing is, frankly, federal funding,” says Sue Webster. She's a community liaison in Michigan State University's Offices of Government Relations and Student Affairs and Services. “When you're thinking about federal monies, which go to local hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and many oth...
Mar 20, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 18
One forecast: A Goldman Sachs announcement to be on guard for a stock market correction and the coronavirus. Taxes are on the agenda. Finally, the podcast welcomes a report concluding that a new effort to improve the state's lowest-performing schools show modest but positive results and researchers are looking ahead to an 18-month checkup. MSU Today airs Sunday mornings at 9:00 on 105.1 FM and AM 870. Find MSU Today on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, You Tube, and wherever you get your podcasts....
Mar 02, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 17
“It’s an honor for me to have coached at my alma mater and worked for such a great university all these years; it’s really something I'm very, very grateful for,’ Saxton says. “There were only two Big Ten teams that sponsored soccer when I started. And now there are over 330 Division 1 teams including all the Power Five conferences that sponsor women's soccer. That growth has been incredible and been fun to be a part of. “And then, here on campus, just the evolution of our athletics department a...
Feb 26, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 15
He talks about the history of the program and the Joe Baum coaching tree. And he says there’s a strong sense of alumni connectivity that permeates the program. “I played for Joe and then was his assistant for 10 years and then took over as head coach. Over the last, I think 42 years, 43 years, we've only had two head coaches for men’s soccer at MSU. Soccer in this country, especially in the state of Michigan, has really grown and we've been able to pull in a lot of talented players from the stat...
Feb 26, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 14
“Provost is an old military term, and most people aren't too familiar with it outside of the college setting,” Sullivan says. “The provost is the chief academic officer, which means the provost is ultimately responsible for the faculty from hiring to retirement and for the students from admission to graduation.” While Sullivan sees the physical changes to campus since her return to her alma mater, she’s also sensing a mindset change. “The new buildings are quite exciting. That's different. But M...
Feb 26, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 16
The conversation begins with their thoughts on a challenging time for racial tension on campus. “It has been a challenging year, but in some ways it's been a typical year in that these things continually happen, and it's not just at MSU,” says Wray. “I have to address it in class because my students are concerned about it and I'm concerned about it as well. But when my students are raising it on the tail of these various incidents, oftentimes what we're going to do in class that day goes out the...
Feb 17, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Michigan State University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., appointed Tanya Jachimiak as the new associate vice president of the Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance , effective Feb. 3. In this position, she will provide leadership and oversight of MSU’s Prevention, Outreach and Education Department and Office of Institutional Equity and Resolution Office. “The infrastructure in place at MSU is impressive,” says Jachimiak. “MSU is poised to be a leader in this area,...
Feb 11, 2020•7 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Opinions from the latest State of the State Survey Michigan consumers are more positive about their personal finances than they’ve been in nearly two decades, and by some measures, the most upbeat of the century, the latest State of the State Survey finds. Those interviewed between June 13 and Nov. 3 said they consider themselves better off financially than a year ago, comfortable with their current household finances and confident they’ll be better off next year as well. Michigan adults also co...
Feb 03, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Boss talks about the challenges inherent in being a northern team in a warm weather sport. “We tend to recruit tougher kids who are used to the weather challenges,” Boss says. Coach Boss talks about the heated infield at McLane Baseball Stadium that helps with weather challenges. Boss talks about his career path from growing up in Lansing to becoming head baseball coach at MSU. He explains how he strategically uses his 11.7 scholarships and how the Major League Baseball draft differs from NFL an...
Jan 24, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Joseph talks about how the game has changed over the course of her almost 30 years at the helm of Spartan Softball. And she talks about the challenges of being a team in the north. “It’s problematic, no doubt,” says Joseph. “Our kids are tougher and more resilient by facing the challenges. We don’t let it be an excuse.” Joseph describes her career path from growing up in Flint to coaching the Spartans. And she talks about how she believes intercollegiate athletics is the best leadership training...
Jan 24, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Steve Esquith is dean of Michigan State University’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities . He talks with MSU President Samuel L. Stanley, Jr. MD and Spartans Athletic Director Bill Beekman about the “common good” mission of the college. “We think there are some basic things that the arts and humanities can contribute to society,” says Esquith. He talks about the college’s excellent placement rate. “Parents are often pleased to hear about our graduation and placement rates,” he quips. ...
Jan 23, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Students in the U.S. and Finland participating in a new project-based learning model are not only learning more, but becoming more engaged in class, research from Michigan State University shows. It’s an approach schools everywhere should adopt, the researchers say, to ensure the next generation of students is prepared to solve the scientific problems of their time. They explain powerful early findings from their ongoing international experiment in a new book for educators, policymakers and rese...
Jan 22, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 7
“Automotive cybersecurity is an area we don’t understand well in the social sciences. While there are groups of computer scientists and engineers digging into some of the issues, the social aspects are extremely relevant and under-examined,” says Thomas Holt, professor of criminal justice at MSU. “As the technology gets greater market share, it’s critical to get ahead of the curve before there are issues we can’t rein in.” As vehicles become smarter and more connected to WiFi networks, hackers w...
Jan 15, 2020•10 min•Season 1Ep. 6
A university-wide social norms marketing campaign has reduced high-risk drinking and adverse outcomes of drinking, according to a new study from Michigan State University in the Journal of American College Health. MSU's social norms campaign was created to educate MSU students about actual drinking behavior on campus. When misperceptions are corrected, behavior will change to be more consistent with the actual norm says Dennis Martell, director of MSU Health Promotion. “The social norms marketin...
Jan 13, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Michigan State University’s Center for Economic Analysis sees further growth in the Michigan economy in 2020. This comes from the MSU Economic Forecast Model that tracks and projects the economies of the state of Michigan and the metropolitan areas of Detroit-Warren-Dearborn and Lansing-East Lansing. The model forecasts employment and wages by industry, economic output and total personal incomes based on economic conditions and projections at the national and regional levels. On multiple occasio...
Jan 13, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 4
“I actually got my start as an academic here in East Lansing,” says Knake . “I spent a decade on the faculty at the MSU College of Law. That was after graduating from the University of Chicago Law School, practicing law for a few years, both in private practice and government work, and then realizing what I wanted to do most was become a law professor. I'll always be grateful for that start. “in 2016, I transitioned to a position at the University of Houston, a wonderful opportunity that I think...
Jan 10, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 3
“In Flint we're still on filtered and bottled water, but that's for a good reason,” says Hanna-Attisha. “It's because our pipes are being replaced and we are almost done with that. But by the end of 2019 all of the lead pipes in Flint will have been replaced, which is pretty incredible. We'll only be the third city in the country that has replaced their lead pipes. Lansing, Michigan is one of those cities. Madison, Wisconsin is another. And then it will be Flint.” Dr. Mona talks about the missio...
Aug 12, 2019•8 min•Season 1Ep. 2
