Dear ComArtSci Community,
Last week I returned from the Spartan Bus Tour, a three-day trip that took President Guskiewicz, faculty and members of the MSU leadership team from campus to communities across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Along the way, we met alumni, students, and partners who are advancing MSU’s mission to serve the public good.
I was joined by two of our own, Morgan Vigil-Hayes, who joined us this fall as an associate professor in the Department of Media and Information, and Mandy Holmstrom, interim chair of the Department of Communication. Together, we saw how MSU and ComArtSci are connecting people and ideas across the state — from bridging Michigan’s digital divide to agricultural innovation to providing healthcare in rural communities. The magic of spending three days on a bus with 54 people who represent the spectrum of Spartan expertise is discovering future opportunities for MSU faculty to partner and create solutions to global issues – exactly what Morgan and Mason McNair, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources assistant professor and curator of the MSU Horticulture Gardens, did around the bus tour dinner table during one night of the trip.
And of course, the trip offered another reminder of why this season feels so special in Michigan. The brilliant fall colors up north rival those on campus, a beautiful reflection of the energy and renewal we feel this time of year. From campus to community, it is an inspiring time to be a Spartan.
Celebrating ComArtSci Connections
That same sense of connection and pride was earlier this month as we celebrated Homecoming. Hearing firsthand the journeys of our alumni and the impact ComArtSci and MSU have had on their lives brought great joy.
It was wonderful to have our Alumni Board on campus for engagement and action, including the selection of our Alumni Awards recipients – we can’t wait to share the news soon of this outstanding class of honorees!
We also were well represented in the Homecoming parade by members of our student organizations, students and faculty from our graduate programs, and our WKAR family. And while the football game didn’t have the outcome we hoped for, MSU Esports delivered a 4-0 sweep of UCLA to kick off the weekend festivities. A special thanks to Alienware for making that event possible.
Last week, we welcomed three distinguished scholars for this year's Charles K. Atkin Distinguished Speaker Series, hosted by our Department of Communication. Soo Yun Shin of Seoul National University talked about the potential of AI to reduce online incivility, Matthew Grizzard of The Ohio State University on theory-driven media psychology research, and Jim Dearing of Michigan State University on professional lessons shaped by sociological concepts and decades of experience.
Excellence that Reaches Beyond Campus
From classrooms to national stages, our students and faculty continue to distinguish ComArtSci through achievement and leadership that extend far beyond East Lansing.
Since my last message, it was announced that Shawn Turner, WKAR general manager and director of broadcasting services, has been appointed vice president of the NPR Board — a remarkable recognition of his leadership and influence in public media. This also marks the first month that WKAR is operating independently and powered by community. Read his message about what this historic moment means for WKAR and the future of public media. Thank you to those who continue to support WKAR through donations, messages, and encouragement.
It also was a pleasure to be in Los Angeles in late September, visiting with alumni and friends of ComArtSci and MSU in advance of the USC football game. The L.A. Spartans, with ComArtSci alumna Ann Marie Lasher as Treasurer, hosted a football kickoff event where many ComArtSci alumni were present. Over the next year, a priority is elevating the visibility of ComArtSci across the university and within the broader Spartan community. I was honored to join President Guskiewicz, Athletic Director J Batt, and fellow dean David Souder on a panel discussion before alumni and friends to share more about the important work happening in our college and where we are headed. These storytelling opportunities help shine a light on ComArtSci impact that often goes unseen.
It also was a blast engaging with more than 1,100 alumni and friends at the MSU pre-game tailgate. It’s clear there’s a strong and growing eagerness to connect with and celebrate the great work happening here at MSU.
And it’s not just leaders who are connecting with the community. Our students are expanding their reach too. 42pointSEVEN, ComArtSci’s student-run integrated marketing communications agency, has kicked off another year partnering with clients to drive results. They recently launched a new initiative to create short-form content for small businesses, carving out their place in an emerging space for agencies. They’re also debuting the “42 To the Point” podcast, giving students new ways to explore and share their creative voice. These initiatives are just one example of our commitment to expand experiential learning opportunities — pairing the concepts and skills students learn in the classroom with meaningful opportunities to apply them in the real world.
Excited for the future
As we look ahead to the months to come, I’m energized by how our college continues to bridge ideas and impact — linking classrooms to careers and campus to community.
Warm regards
Heidi Hennink-Kaminski