Dear ComArtSci Community and Friends,
It’s been an eventful summer for the college and the university. I've enjoyed the serendipitous encounters with colleagues outside the office and following the many ways our students, faculty, staff and alumni are making an impact.
I'm excited to update you on several recent events and news since I last wrote — I think they reflect our true north, something you'll hear more from me about in the coming months.
I’ll start with one of my favorite summer events. For the last six summers, ComArtSci has welcomed incoming first-generation students as well as students from a range of backgrounds and experiences to our week-long Ignite Summer Bridge Program. Through this incredible program, students build friendships, get to know campus, discover resources, collaborate on a team project, earn academic credit at no cost and, perhaps most importantly, leave knowing they belong here. I can’t wait to see these students back on campus this fall.
This is just one example of how we care deeply about the success of our students, even before they begin their first fall semester.
Career-ready ComArtSci students
This summer a record number of students participated in summer education abroad programs across the globe. It’s fitting, given that Michigan State is ranked No.1 in the nation for education abroad! This year, we’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of our Communication Disorders in the UK program. Over two weeks, students learn from internationally recognized clinicians and researchers while participating in communication support groups for people experiencing aphasia, stuttering or recovering from a laryngectomy. As a result, they deepen clinical knowledge and better understand the people and communities they will one day serve.
The program is led by our remarkable CSD Associate Chair Jeff Searl, who will become our next CSD chair, beginning in January.
Jeff Searl (CSD) and students in the Communication Disorders in the United Kingdom education abroad program standing in front of Buckingham Palace.
While Jeff and his students were in the UK, several others majoring in advertising, digital storytelling, journalism, hospitality and business, joined Joanne Gerstner, our Brandt Fellow Sports Journalist in Residence, and nationally recognized sports journalist Jane McManus, for six weeks in Paris and Rome meeting with sports media experts from the Italian Olympics Committee, Agence France-Presse, Eurosport and the Vatican, among others. They attended Roland-Garros (the French Open) and produced professional-quality multimedia content throughout the trip. Take a look!
These programs are a reflection of our commitment to career-ready students. We must ensure our students have both the skills they need to be successful and the opportunities to practice them.
Students in the Sports Media Education Abroad in Paris and Rome program in Rome.
Speaking of opportunities to practice what they’ve learned, our Career Services team works year-round with local, national and global companies and organizations to help students secure internship opportunities — giving them a chance to practice the concepts and skills they’ve learned in the classroom during the academic year. Summer internships are popular, whether here in East Lansing, in a student’s hometown, a larger city or even overseas, where this year we saw a record number of students (26) gaining professional experience in cities including Barcelona, Cape Town, Dublin, Seoul, Sydney and Tokyo.
I love seeing so many students say yes to experiences that challenge them in new ways. Whether they're traveling across the world or completing an internship in their hometown or abroad, students are best prepared with multiple moments that matter.
Impactful research
The depth and breadth of ComArtSci’s research continue to amaze and inspire me. I was able to get a firsthand look at our research dominance at the International Communication Association conference in Cape Town, South Africa last month. Sixty-five faculty and graduate students had research accepted covering topics ranging from artificial intelligence and health communication to misinformation. Several graduate students earned Top Paper and Top Reviewer honors.
ComArtSci faculty and graduate students gather in Cape Town, SA at the ICA conference.
Our research combines our legacy of integrating human communication behavioral science with the use of practical research to improve the human condition. And one such project, led by (M&I) Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Quello Center Jean Hardy, demonstrates that clearly. Data centers have become a point of focus here in Michigan and across our nation. Jean and his team have sought to bring transparency and clarity to conversations regarding the impact of this infrastructure that powers our digital future at the local, statewide, even national levels. His work in this space embodies our land-grant mission of community outreach and engagement. His team has created an assessment to gauge how likely a data center is to be considered for your community.
Jean also just received a $900,000 NSF grant to lead a new effort to better understand how rural communities experience and respond to technological change, like AI. Take a look!
Top honors
Our research wasn’t the only body of work to receive top honors. The School of Journalism continued its tradition of excellence in the Hearst Journalism Awards, with students earning recognition across multiple categories throughout the year. Junior Ari Saperstein advanced to the Hearst National Championships in San Francisco, becoming the youngest finalist in the competition's history and finishing as the national runner-up.
Achievements like these reflect years of mentorship, hard work and a willingness to embrace new challenges.
Gratitude for our alumni and donors
I’m continually amazed by the generosity and commitment of our alumni and donors. Their generosity makes so much of this work possible. This year, together, more than 1,000 donors (from 43 states and two countries) generously contributed more than $4.5 million to ComArtSci in support of various programs and initiatives. Thank you — your support has enabled the great work of our college and support of our students.
Speaking of alumni support, I’m incredibly grateful to ComArtSci alums Molly Anderson, Jill Downing, Josh Feldman, Casey Hurbis, Allison McConeghy and Greg Myrick, who took time to connect with our students at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. There’s something special about getting career advice, industry insights, and wisdom on navigating the communications profession from alums halfway around the world.
Students observe ComArtSci alumni Casey Hurbis and Molly Anderson speak at a Brand Innovators event at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
And finally, a warm Spartan welcome to our new Alumni Advisory Board members, Andrea Brimmer, Justin Gaines, Alyssa Harvey Dawson, Matt Pasant and Craig Stevenson. The board, expertly led by our new president, Clint Crook and new vice president, Lori Hiltz, will hold its first meeting of the 2026-27 session next month and I’m excited for their energy and support.
Hopeful for the future
I want to close on a more personal note, this month. As we prepare to welcome students back to campus next month, I can’t help but be hopeful for the year ahead, particularly with our President Kevin Guskiewicz, by our side. The president has been a strong proponent of our college and I’m glad he and his wife Amy have decided to stay at Michigan State.
Understandably, the brief period of uncertainty has been challenging for some members of our community. I’ve spoken with the president directly expressing my personal support and shared openly about the work he has ahead to strengthen trust. But I firmly believe Michigan State and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences is best served by stable, bold and, as Kevin says, student-focused leadership. Much progress has been achieved during his short tenure, and I look forward to continuing to partner with him and our Provost Laura Lee McIntyre, to continue our great work.
I also look forward to welcoming our students and faculty back to campus next month and, soon too, our alumni for Homecoming in the fall.
Onward,
Heidi