DEI Bulletin: July 2023
July 10, 2023 - Sadie Nguyen
Executive Updates
Institutional Diversity and Inclusion: MSU Juneteenth Celebration photo gallery
Hundreds gathered for MSU’s third annual Juneteenth Celebration on June 16, at the Breslin Center. The evening’s program was emceed by MSU alum and violinist Rodney Page, and included a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by GeDeane Graham, jazz music by the MSU Jazz Quintet, gospel music by Gregory D and Company, as well as special appearances.
MSUToday: Chicano/Latino Studies celebrates 25 years expanding opportunities
On Friday, May 5, MSU hosted the 25th Anniversary gala for Chicano/Latino Studies, or CLS, with pride for the past and hope for the future. The program included performances of traditional songs and folklore dance by the Danza Azteca group. “Chicano/Latino Studies program has played a crucial role in advancing the academic study and understanding of the experiences, cultures and contributions of Chicanos and Latinos in the United States,” said Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Jabbar R. Bennett, Ph.D.
Institutional Diversity and Inclusion: Women’s Advisory Committee for Support Staff releases annual report
In June, WACSS launched its 2022-23 annual report announcing planned changes in the committee’s strategic direction for next year. The planned shifts will expand representation participation and the mission to improve campus alignment. Additional accomplishments include the relaunch of Mission Menstruation on campus, suggestion for personal observance days and continuation of programs to enhance belonging on campus.
Institutional Diversity and Inclusion: Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs releases Academic Search Committee Education
FASA releases new training designed to ensure that faculty and academic staff search processes are held in a consistent, transparent and inclusive manner. Launched in July, the modules were made in partnership with the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and are to be completed prior to beginning a search.
Institutional Diversity and Inclusion: President’s Advisory Committee for Disability Issues bylaws updated
PACDI bylaws were revised to expand membership and enhance proficiency in addressing disability-related issues. The revisions include optimization measures to support experts who possess a deep understanding of the disability community’s needs, perspectives and experiences at MSU.
DEI Happenings
MSUToday: Expert Q&A about SCOTUS affirmative action decision
On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that colleges and universities must stop considering race as part of their admissions decisions, a common practice since 1978 known as affirmative action. Professor of law and education policy Kristine Bowman answers questions about the case and decision.
MSUToday: MSU scholar shares history, importance and future of Juneteenth
Two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, 250,000 enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were emancipated, marking the historical date of Juneteenth. Assistant professor in the Department of History Nakia Parker discusses the history of Juneteenth and how knowledge of this history can inform pursuits of liberation today.
NPR: MSU professor’s Citing Slavery Project featured on NPR
MSU professor in the College of Law Justin Simard’s Citing Slavery Project, a comprehensive online database of slave cases and modern cases that cite them as precedent, is featured on NPR.
MSUToday: Exploring Black experiences and cultivating belonging
The Department of African American and African Studies at MSU is quickly becoming a beacon of excellence and innovation. “It is a very exciting time to be at an institution that is thinking very intentionally about transformation and change,” said inaugural chairperson of the department Ruth Nicole Brown. The department’s excellence was recently recognized with a $500,000 gift to create student scholarships and support faculty’s student engagement initiatives.
MSUToday: Afrofuturism and Black culture explored in new documentary by MSU professors
Afrofuturism has entered more mainstream conversations in the last decade. Professor of English Julian Chambliss is the creator and host of the PBS documentary, “Afrofantastic: The Transformative World of Afrofuturism,” to help answer the question of what Afrofuturism is.
Spotify: MSU College of Nursing shares podcast about healthcare for LGBTQIA+
“Is This Normal?” is a podcast hosted by Harley Brown and Patrick Crane of the MSU College of Nursing. In this episode, “Understanding the caps in care for LGBTQIA+ individuals,” Harley and Crane talk with Jennie Knight, a lifelong advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, about creating safe, affirming places and her work in Grand Rapids.
MSUToday: MSU staff supporting LGBTQIA2S+ belonging
Academic specialist Pat Arnold serves as the academic specialist in the Center for Gender in Global Context and the Women’s and Gender Studies program. Arnold shares their professional start to queer education and advocacy and bringing a community-building mindset to MSU.
MSUToday: MSU’s LGBTQ minor celebrates 10 years
MSU’s minor in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Sexuality Studies minor celebrates its 10-year anniversary. The minor represents a decade of preparing leaders and making change.
MSUToday: Staff Oprah Jrenal shares how supporting transgender communities is on all of us
The work of LGBTQIA2S+ inclusion belongs to all of us, said Oprah Jrenal, assistant director of The Gender and Sexuality Campus Center. Jrenal discusses what everyone can do to create a more inclusive campus so that students and community can fully experience belonging. “After all the hatred and indifference, we are still here. We are still finding joy and love in this world and that deserves to be celebrated. Will you join us?”
MSUToday: Gender Affirmation Project and breaking barriers for transgender and nonbinary communities
Transgender and nonbinary individuals face many challenges in affirming their gender. In response, MSU’s Trans-ilience lab partnered with Allen Neighborhood Center to launch the Gender Affirmation Project. The program will offer logistical and financial support to people seeking legal gender affirmation through name and/or gender marker changes.
MSUToday: Expert Q&A about AAPI communities and unique mental health barriers
May was Asian American and Pacific Islander, or AAPI, Heritage Month as well as Mental Health Awareness Month. Cultural psychiatrist and assistant professor Farha Abassi discusses the unique challenges AAPI communities face in mental health.
MSUToday: Mental Health First Aid for teens and youth
Mental health is just as important as physical health, however there is often a stigma related to mental health. During Mental Health Awareness Month, MSU Extension educator Kea Norrell-Aitch shares the Mental Health First Aid international program which reveals that there is no stigma connected to mental health challenges. “Please consider taking a Mental Health First Aid course, as you never know when you could show up for a loved one or someone that you work with or encounter in a moment of crisis,” said Norrell-Aitch.
MSUToday: Faculty shares importance of innate health during Mental Health Awareness Month
Lisa Laughman, coordinator of MSU’s Spartan Resilience Training Program, shares her mental health journey discovering her innate health and the integration of innate health into the Spartan Resilience Training Program.
The Conversation: MSU professor shares the history and meaning of Jewish holiday, Shavuot
Assistant professor of Religious Studies Laura Yares writes an op-ed to share the story of Shavuot, a Jewish holiday that became all about children. Celebrated beginning on May 25, 2023 at sundown, Yares reveals the changing ways that American Jews have imagined Judaism.
Innovation, Art, Health and Research
Spotify: Apple Developer Academy in Detroit celebrates new graduates
The Apple Developer Academy in Detroit celebrated 160 new graduates, the program’s second graduating cohort. The free program is the first of its kind in the U.S. and was launched as part of Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. The academy is now accepting applications for fall 2023.
MSUToday: MSU professor bridges gap between Alzheimer’s research and community
Associate professor of Translational Neuroscience Dr. Irving Vega is an expert in Alzheimer’s disease research and brings his research to the community. Vega was recently recognized as a Red Cedar Distinguished Faculty for his community-engaged research while working to increase diversity in the next generation of neuroscientists.
MSUToday: Newly formed Youth Equity Project working to reduce disparities
Led by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, the Youth Equity Project, or YEP, is a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort to reduce disparities and advance health, justice and well-being among marginalized youth and families. Core member Emilie Smith said for MSUToday, “We are making connections between the research and those who are able to implement change through new laws, educational programs and outreach.”
College of Human Medicine: ABLE Program uplifts students for decades
Since 1986, the Advanced Baccalaureate Learning Experience, or ABLE Program has launched hundreds of medical students’ careers at the MSU College of Human Medicine. The program will celebrate 40 years in 2026. Founding member and current Director Wanda Lipscomb in the ABLE Program said, “The program’s perfect alignment with our mission to serve all people gives students from nontraditional backgrounds an opportunity to really prove themselves.”
MSUToday: How the legal system continues to treat once-enslaved people as property
Professor Justin Simard started the Citing Slavery Project to document the history and continued legacy of the law of slavery in the U.S. Simard and his research team have found more than 11,000 cases involving enslaved people that continue to cite them as precedent. “Judges today must understand that many judges of the pre-Civil War era were slave owners themselves and made decisions within this context,” said Simard for MSUToday.
Recognition
MSUToday: First-generation leader paves path for DEI in admissions
Florensio Hernandez is the first assistant director for diversity, equity and inclusion in the Office of Admissions following many years of recruiting and helping underrepresented students across Michigan. "I've always been a firm believer that DEI is everyone's responsibility, especially in recruiting diverse students," said Hernandez.
MSUToday: MSU biochemist receives $2.8M NIH grant for autism research
Assistant professor and biochemist Jin He recently received a five year, $2.8M R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health. The grant will fund He’s epigenetic research on the autism spectrum disorder to develop better therapeutic measures. He said for MSUToday, “In the United States alone, 2.6 percent of children younger than eight years old have ASD, and more than five million adults live with it as well.”
College of Arts & Letters: Professor Meagan Driver receives Fulbright Global Scholar Award for linguistic research
Assistant professor Meagan Driver in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies and member in the Second Language Studies, doctoral program received a Fulbright Global Scholar Award for the 2023-2024 academic year. The award will support Driver’s research in Buenos Aires, Thessaloniki and Graz to study linguistic landscapes and relevant issues.
MSUToday: Peace Corps recognizes MSU for legacy of volunteers
MSU is ranked number six by the Peace Corps on its list of top 25 volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the past 20 years. In fall of 2021, MSU launched its Peace Corps Prep program to empower participants to grow in important intercultural areas.
Students/Alums
College of Human Medicine: Building a village around LGBTQIA+ youth
MSU medical student, Mary Finedore, builds support program for LGBTQIA+ youth and those aging out of foster care. Finedore teaches staff and volunteers about the disparities faced by youth and provides training related to foster care, financial literacy, navigating health care and other topics.
MSU Alumni: After decades of advocacy, alumni reflect on the importance of MSU’s multicultural center
It was during the 1970s where MSU students began pressing administration for a campus multicultural center. Now, the construction of MSU’s freestanding multicultural center is underway, giving Spartans a place to find themselves and each other. MSU Board of Trustees Chair Rema Vassar said, “It will be a place of light and of inspiration, of air, of peace.”
MSUToday: Doctoral student shares experience working with MSU’s Adapted Sports and Recreation Club
Ph.D. student in the Department of Kinesiology Darice Brooks discusses her opportunity and experience working with intellectually and physically disabled individuals with the MSU Adapted Sports and Recreation Club, or MSU- ASRC. “These athletes have a lot to share about adapted sport and exercise that can be applied to the Lansing community and beyond.”
MSUToday: Student Angela Solomon reflects on summer, Juneteenth and family
Broadcast journalism and political science pre-law student Angela Solomon shares how the recent recognition of Juneteenth has changed how she recognizes the importance of education and empowerment. Solomon reflects on her passion for pursuing more knowledge of her ancestors and celebrating the strength of the Black community.
College of Arts & Letters: Undergrad research project to study queer culture in Japan
This summer, junior Japanese major Elias Young will travel to Japan to study how queer spaces, events and culture intersect with mainstream Japanese culture. “What I’ve noticed so far is that queerness in Japan is a lot more nuanced than we would like to view it in the U.S. and that is because there is not a focus on individualism overall, in the ways that queerness as a concept presents itself,” said Young.
MSUToday: Student reflects on the importance of Pride Month
Angela Demas, student in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, shares what Pride Month means to her. “We all have a responsibility to protect one another and stand up against hate,” said Demas for MSUToday. “For Pride Month, remember that love always triumphs, and hate will not prevail as long as we unite together and support one another.”
MSUToday: Medical student selected for NFL’s diversity in sports medicine program
Third year student in the College of Human Medicine Tamarandobra “Dobra” Ogeh was selected to work with the Detroit Lions and Henry Ford Health sports medicine physicians as part of the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative. “I think it’s really important to have racial and gender diversity reflected in the training and medical staff because increasing diversity in medical care teams has been shown to improve patient care overall,” said Ogeh.
MSUToday: Alum Henry Dorn becomes the second Black Conductor at St. Olaf College
Alum Henry Dorn shares his long and winding road to fulfill his dream of a career in music. After abandoning his dream for several years, this fall Dorn will begin his tenure as Conductor of the St. Olaf Band at St. Olaf College after receiving two doctorates from MSU’s College of Music.
MSUToday: Graduate voices reflect on APASO 40th anniversary
On June 3, the Asian Pacific American Student Organization, APASO, celebrated its 40th anniversary with a reunion attended by alumni and the present APASO community. Past members reflect on how the organization shaped them and MSU’s campus.
College of Arts & Letters: Student launches fashion magazine for and by Black students
Apparel and Textile Design student Takai Taggart is a freelance fashion stylist, fashion designer, creative director and social media influencer who recently launched N Crowd, a fashion magazine. “My main focus when creating N Crowd was to offer a safe space for Black creatives who attend Michigan State University,” Taggart said. “I’m happy with how far we’ve come as an organization, we’re changing the culture.”
Department of Psychology: Alisar Alabdullah receives College of Social Science Undergrad Research Award
First generation Syrian immigrant and honor student majoring in Psychology, Alisar Alabdullah recently received the College of Social Science’s Undergrad Research Award for contributing to several research projects at MSU focusing on psychology research and mental health of civilians affected by war. “I know not a lot of us have the resources to make the journey easier for us, but we can’t let that stop us from pursuing those dreams and goals,” said Alabdullah.
MSUToday: Student Roxy Sprowl named MSU’s 13th Udall Scholar
Junior Roxy Sprowl represents MSU as one of fifty five students across the nation selected as a 2023 Udall Scholar. Sprowl is recognized for her commitment to serving indigenous communities and will receive a $7,000 scholarship for academic study. “Roxy is an exceptional scholar who embodies the values of Anishinaabe leadership,” said Christopher P. Long, dean of the MSU Honors College and of the College of Arts & Letters.