Spirituality is declining in the United States if you focus on religious affiliation, but that isn’t the whole story according to Morgan Shipley , associate professor of religious studies at Michigan State University . A recent Pew Research Center survey reports that 28% of U.S. adults say they are religiously unaffiliated . By digging a little deeper, Shipley finds the religiously unaffiliated, sometimes called the “nones,” are a diverse group of people often with a broader perspective of spiri...
May 07, 2024•26 min•Season 3Ep. 166
Are you happy? What is happiness exactly? Is it true what Abraham Lincoln is said to have said, that we’re just about as happy as we decide we want to be? Is happiness that simple? What is the World Happiness Report, and what’s in the 2024 report? MSU psychology researchers Bill Chopik and Rich Lucas discuss happiness on this episode of MSU Today. Chopik works from his Close Relationships Lab, and Lucas works from his Personality and Well-Being Lab . Conversation Highlights : (0:38) – Chopik sha...
May 03, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 165
Though many of us may think of student success as graduating and finding a good job, our three guests today will share with us that it is much more than that. We think of universities as places where students learn: They go to class, study, and do homework, and get a degree that supports future career success. But that creates a narrow definition of student success. The MSU approach sees the student in a comprehensive way that goes well beyond the four corners of the classroom to think about the...
Apr 30, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 164
It takes only one case of measles or other vaccine-preventable diseases for an outbreak to begin. But vaccines can prevent or lessen the severity of conditions for everyone, according to Peter Gulick , professor of Osteopathic Medical Specialties at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Sean Valles , professor and director of the MSU College of Human Medicine’s Center for Bioethics and Social Justice . Gulick and Valles discuss the disinformation that leads to vaccine...
Apr 26, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 163
Stewardship and Sustainability is a key theme in the MSU 2030 strategic plan . We discuss progress on implementation of this part of the plan with Bill Beekman, MSU’s vice president for strategic initiatives. Bill talks with Laura Young from the Office of Sustainability and Sherri Jett from Infrastructure Planning and Facilities . Conversation Highlights : (0:48) – Sherri defines her role at MSU. (1:18) – Laura describes her role at MSU. (2:19) – How do we define sustainability at MSU? (9:02) – ...
Apr 25, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 162
Michigan State University Executive Vice President for Health Sciences Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., M.D., M.H.S. and MSU Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Bill Beekman discuss progress on implementation of the sustainable health theme of the MSU 2030 strategic plan. Conversation Highlights : (1:28) – Beauchamp describes his role as executive vice president and what brought him back to his alma mater. (3:50) – More on the breadth and depth and mission of MSU Health Sciences . “In all we do, wh...
Apr 24, 2024•29 min•Season 3Ep. 161
Michigan State University researchers Evangelyn Alocilja , André Bachmann , and Richard Lunt have been named Senior Members by the National Academy of Inventors . The MSU researchers being honored have found that their research often presents a challenge that provides an opportunity for invention. Alocilja’s passion is to find solutions to challenging societal problems, especially for those needing the most help. She develops biological sensors that can diagnose infectious and antimicrobial resi...
Apr 19, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 160
Student success is a key theme in the MSU 2030 strategic plan. Student success is the measure of an institution’s ability to provide an inclusive, equitable curriculum and environment with the academic, social, wellness and financial support that enables all students to learn, thrive, persist, graduate and succeed after graduation. Mark Largent is MSU’s vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies, and Bill Beekman is the university’s vice president for strategic initiatives. Beekman and Large...
Apr 16, 2024•35 min•Season 3Ep. 159
On this episode of MSU Today, a conversation on progress and implementation of a key objective in the Stewardship and Sustainability theme of the MSU 2030 strategic plan. The strategic plan calls for a new University Comprehensive Facilities and Land Use Plan that embeds diversity, equity, and inclusion; faculty, staff, and student success; and sustainable health in the physical environment of MSU’s campuses and facilities. Bill Beekman is MSU’s vice president for strategic initiatives. He overs...
Apr 15, 2024•36 min•Season 3Ep. 158
The conference provided attendees with actions and solutions they can take back to their institutions. There’s a burgeoning relationship between Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine and the University of Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The school’s deans have brought the institutions together to advocate for a public health approach to reducing gun violence. Aron Sousa , MD, FACP of MSU and Allison Brashear , MD, MBA of UB discuss their shared experi...
Apr 10, 2024•18 min•Season 3Ep. 157
As part of Michigan State University’s 2024 MSUFCU Arts Power Up artists-in-residence, Abel Korinsky (representative of Studio Korinsky) of Berlin, Germany, is in residence during the spring semester. This inaugural open call for artists is a collaboration between the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, or FRIB ; the MSU Museum ; the STEAMpower Project, Michigan State University’s art, science and culture collaborative; and Arts MSU . This new residency fosters collaboration, exploration, experimen...
Apr 08, 2024•9 min•Season 3Ep. 156
You have likely heard about ChatGPT, and you might even have the application downloaded on your phone. But have you thought about how technology — and artificial intelligence specifically — will impact your job and the future of work? Michigan State University’s College of Social Science launched the Future of Work initiative to answer this very complex question, starting by hosting the university’s first Future of Work Conference . Faculty from across MSU colleges and representatives from commu...
Apr 05, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 155
Ashton Henderson and Jack Ebling are 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award honorees from MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Henderson received his bachelor’s in advertising in 2010 and his master’s in public relations in 2012. He is currently Spartan Athletics’ director of Championship Resources and Culture. Ebling earned a bachelor’s in radio and television in 1973 and another bachelor’s in communication in 1975. He owns Ebling Media and hosts the “Drive with Jack” and “Press Pass.” Asht...
Apr 02, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 154
Courtney Brown and Sarah Fay-Koutz are social workers with University Health and Wellbeing’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services ( CAPS ). For the second year, CAPS is collaborating with the Michigan Chapter of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention ( AFSP ) to hold an Out of the Darkness MSU Campus Walk on April 14. Courtney and Sarah are co-chairing the walk this year. The goal of the Out of the Darkness Walk is to start conversations that inspire hope while raising awareness and funds for...
Apr 01, 2024•17 min•Season 3Ep. 153
Matt Grossmann , Charley Ballard, and Arnold Weinfeld discuss Michigan and national politics, policy, and the economy on the monthly State of the State podcast from MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research ( IPPSR ). The podcast is a monthly round up of policy and research for Michigan. Nura Sediqe is an assistant professor of American politics and public policy at MSU. The group discusses Sediqe’s work in political behavior, race, and ethnic politics, especially as it pertains to M...
Mar 22, 2024•33 min•Season 3Ep. 152
The Michigan State University Womxn of Color Initiatives , or WOCI, is hosting Paige Hernandez as its 2024 Artist-in-Residence. The sixth artist to participate in this program, Hernandez is a multidisciplinary artist and critically acclaimed performer, director, choreographer and playwright. She’s in residence on Michigan State University’s campus March 18 to 21. Delia Fernández-Jones is associate dean for equity, justice and faculty affairs in the College of Arts and Letters and chair of WOCI. ...
Mar 19, 2024•15 min•Season 3Ep. 151
Michigan State University has received a $25 million grant that will address the state’s critical shortage of direct care workers, or DCWs, by establishing a Direct Care Career Center that aims to increase pathways into the field and transform the public view to one that recognizes the workforce as a respected profession. DCWs provide long-term support to individuals with disabilities and older adults. They assist with hands-on care and tasks needed to maintain as much independence as possible. ...
Mar 05, 2024•39 min•Season 3Ep. 150
A game-changing gift to Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business seeks to address the gender gap and propel women graduates into the C-suite. The gift, from Priya Balasubramaniam (MBA ’01), establishes the Dashney Women’s Leadership Accelerator , or DWLA, to equip dozens of students each year with the abilities and confidence to pursue professional leadership positions. With long-term mentoring, coaching, workshops, and experiential learning opportunities, the DWLA provides a powerf...
Mar 03, 2024•21 min•Season 3Ep. 149
Michigan State University interim president Teresa K. Woodruff elaborates on topics she covers in her February 2024 Spartan Community Letter, which you can read by clicking on the communications tab at president.msu.edu . In her letter , President Woodruff looks back on shared accomplishments as she moves into a new role of service to the university. (0:58) - Upon your appointment as interim president of Michigan State University 16 months ago, you asked us to join you in looking upward and reac...
Feb 22, 2024•25 min•Season 3Ep. 148
MC Lyte is an American rapper, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. She is the first female of hip-hop’s emcees to release a solo album. She also opened doors for many to join what is now being celebrated as ’50 Years of Hip Hop.” She recently received the “I Am Hip Hop” Lifetime Achievement Award from BET and was honored at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors. Lyte was at MSU on February 8 to participate in the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Dr. William G. Anderson Lecture Series, Slavery to Freedom: An Ame...
Feb 09, 2024•35 min•Season 3Ep. 147
Joyce deJong is the new dean of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. An alumna of the college, she began her appointment on Feb. 5, 2024. A nationally recognized forensic pathologist, deJong (pronounced DEE-young) was a professor and founding chair of the Department of Pathology at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, or WMed. She is also the medical examiner for 12 counties in Michigan, overseeing multiple deputy medical examiners and ...
Feb 08, 2024•19 min•Season 3Ep. 146
Marita Gilbert is the associate dean for diversity and campus inclusion in MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. Gilbert talks about the 24th Annual Dr. William G. Anderson Lecture Series , one of MSU’s signature celebrations of Black History Month. The series gives the community opportunities to interact with multicultural leaders from education, business, industry, entertainment, and government. For 24 years, this series has featured living icons of the American Civil Rights Movement. Convers...
Feb 06, 2024•51 min•Season 3Ep. 145
Michigan State University Vice President and Chief Safety Officer Marlon Lynch provides a campus safety and security update. Throughout the past year, the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety ( DPPS ) has been hard at work enhancing several different campus safety and security initiatives. Following the violence our community experienced in February 2023, we continue to stand together as a community. And Lynch says MSU DPPS stands committed to ensuring the safety of our Spartan community. ...
Jan 30, 2024•18 min•Season 3Ep. 144
Matt Grossmann and Arnold Weinfeld discuss Michigan and national politics, policy, and the economy on the monthly State of the State podcast from MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research ( IPPSR ). The podcast is a monthly round up of policy and research for Michigan. Tony Daunt is executive director of FAIR Maps Michigan . He joins the conversation to discuss the redistricting process in Michigan, the current remapping process, and what brought us to this point. Conversation Highli...
Jan 26, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 143
Michigan State University Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff elaborates on topics she covers in her January 2024 Spartan Community Letter, which you can read by clicking on the communications tab at president.msu.edu . Conversation Highlights : (0:38) - What is Flint Rx Kids ? (3:49) - What are the goals of the comprehensive health and wellbeing assessment ? (5:42) - As we prepare to acknowledge the violence that took place on campus last February 13, what are our plans to remember? (9:16) - J...
Jan 23, 2024•21 min•Season 3Ep. 142
Thanks to a partnership with Dell Technologies and its iconic gaming brand, Alienware , a new space at Michigan State University provides an elite gaming environment for students to train and compete in esports at the highest level. Supported by MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences , or ComArtSci, the Alienware MSU Esports Lounge is the university’s first dedicated space for students engaged in esports, a rapidly growing industry centered around organized professional or semiprofession...
Jan 17, 2024•23 min•Season 3Ep. 141
Adam Roy , food and beverage expert in Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business , has spent decades as a five-star chef and leader in the hospitality industry and is passionate about fermentation and nonalcoholic beverages. As the Dr. Lewis J. and Mrs. Ruth E. Minor Chef-Professor of Culinary Management in MSU’s School of Hospitality Business — the No. 1 public hospitality program in the U.S. — Roy explores what it takes to craft a delicious nonalcoholic beverage and provides tips f...
Jan 16, 2024•17 min•Season 3Ep. 140
MSU’s Health and Wellbeing ( UHW ) Division is conducting a university-wide health and wellbeing assessment that includes an anonymous survey. The purpose of this assessment is for UHW to gain a deeper understanding of issues impacting MSU students, faculty, and staff as it relates to physical health, mental health, and social wellbeing. The results of the survey will contribute to the development of a 5-year plan for MSU to equitably support Spartan health and wellbeing. Specifically, UHW will ...
Jan 09, 2024•22 min•Season 3Ep. 139
A group of MSU alumni are making their mark in audio and sound engineering and mixing in Hollywood. And they’re garnering Emmy nominations and awards, too. The group is affectionately known as the “audio mafia.” The common denominator is longtime MSU audio teacher Gary Reid, who is also emeritus director of broadcasting and general manager of WKAR Public Media. Andy Lange (2002-2006) is up for two Emmy's in 2024. Phil DeTolve (2002-2007) and Gary Megregian (1994-1997) are up for one each for a t...
Dec 14, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 138
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, an accomplished neuroscientist, sports medicine researcher and academic leader, has been named the 22nd president of Michigan State University. The Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Guskiewicz, the 12th chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, during a special board meeting on Dec. 8. He will begin his term on March 4, 2024. Conversation Highlights : (0:56) – “I’m a servant leader. I like to bring people together. Leadership is about gather...
Dec 11, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 137
