MSU Today with Russ White

As the university physician at Michigan State, Michael Brown advises the president and other leaders on major health policy and programs that impact life on campus or on study abroad trips. He is also chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine in the MSU College of Human Medicine. Here, Brown provides the latest guidance on two viruses that are making news - COVID and Monkeypox, or Mpox.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:36) – Describe your role as university physician.

(1:59) – Where are we with COVID as summer turns to fall?

(3:54) – What variants are you seeing, and are up-to-date vaccines available?

(5:21) – What are COVID symptoms, and how do we know if we have it?

(6:24) – Are the COVID tests on the market reliable?

(7:24) – If you test positive, what should you do?

(9:34) – Dr. Brown highly encourages vaccines.

(12:24) – What’s the latest on Mpox?

(15:06) – Do you see Mpox coming to the United States?

(21:24) – “Infectious disease outbreaks are constantly occurring across the globe.”

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Farha Abbasi is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan State University and core faculty member of the Muslim Studies Program. And she’s a Crain’s Detroit Business Health Care Hero for 2024.

As Ryan Kelly wrote for Crain’s, “Dr. Abbasi is working through fear, politics and stigma to treat mental health in Michigan’s Muslim, minority and LGBTQ+ communities, while navigating geopolitical events.”

Conversation Highlights:

(0:35) – Dr. Abbasi on the honor from Crain’s.

(1:06) – When how and why did you first come to the United States? And why did you choose to come to MSU? The welcoming Spartan culture played a role.

(2:07) – Describe your research and clinical interests. “To care is to cure. Sometimes you find your purpose and sometimes your purpose finds you.”

(3:44) – What do you mean by the color of wellness? – “Wellness is best when viewed through the lens of equality. It’s not only the absence of disease but also living to the best of your potential.”

(6:35) – How do you define lifestyle medicine? – “What’s the price of blueberries, and what’s the price of a cheeseburger? Your zip code should not determine your wellness.”

(8:14) – What are you doing to address these issues? – “Each one of us can be part of the solution or part of the problem. We have to stay visible to be viable. You can’t fly under the radar.”

(11:34) – As a psychiatrist, are you pleased by society’s increased focus on mental health? “Yes, but is it translating into funding, resources and effective policy? I see huge gaps there. We need to bring prevention to mental health, too.”

(16:31) – Do you believe that many of the available resources are underutilized? “There is a trust deficit with people of color.”

(18:42) – What is the 988 crisis line? And what is Avail to Prevail? “It’s about creating more awareness of what mental illnesses are and identifying the resources and building trust.”

(21:02) – What are your healing circles? “They’re designed to provide a safe space. We want everyone to thrive and come together. You can feel safe, speak up and be validated and heard.”

(24:38) – How is the situation in Gaza impacting your work, and why do you feel Muslims tend to feel unsafe talking about their mental health? 

(30:43) – What is the Cultural Psychiatry Curriculum? – “We don’t live in a vacuum. We all bring our culture with us. I tell the new generation it’s your iCloud that you’re bringing with you. The lens through which we view the world is partially defined by where we were born, how we were raised, what our belief system is, etc.”

(32:58) – What is the Muslim Mental Health Conference and Consortium? “When you put it on a group to be a model minority that is also under political surveillance, that’s a lethal combination.”

(36:21) – The Greater Lansing United Nations Association is honoring you with a Global Goals – Local Leaders Award. “What I like about awards is that I feel like I’m being heard. It’s starting to matter what I’m saying.”

(37:44) – What are your final thoughts? – “I challenge each one of us to go deeper into understanding what equity and inclusiveness means. MSU and the Spartan spirit gets it. That’s why so many of us are attracted here. What’s meaningful for me always is being a Spartan.”

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Heidi Hennink-Kaminski is the new dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University.

She details her background and research interests and talks about curriculum and research strengths of the college. She tells why she wants to lead the country’s first college of communication and shares some of her short- and long-term goals for the college. The dean describes challenges and opportunities along the way in pursuing those goals, and she analyzes the job market the college’s graduates are entering.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:27) – What is your background, and what are your research interests?

(4:01) – What are some of the curriculum and research strengths of the college?

(11:16) – Why did you want to be dean of the college?

(13:32) – What are some of your short- and long-term goals for the college? “Climate and culture is top for me because people are at the heart of all we do.”

(20:16) – What are some challenges and opportunities along the way as you pursue these goals? – “Enrollment growth and retention is a challenge for us. Funding is important, too, to keep us competitive.” Technology and facilities are important, too.

(27:20) – What are the challenges and opportunities ahead for MSU as a whole and for all of higher education?

(30:25) – What’s your sense of the job market your graduates are entering?

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

Former Spartan quarterback Bill Burke has written a book titled Victory Outside The Arena: How Athletes Can Go From Isolated To Inspired Once The Applause Begins To Fade.

Burke talks about why he chose to attend MSU and reflects on his favorite memories leading the Spartans. He describes what he learned from Nick Saban and talks about what motivated him to write the book. He also shares his thoughts on the tumultuous world of college football.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:44) – What attracted you to MSU? Why did you become a Spartan?

(1:44) – What do you remember about the 1998 upset of No. 1 ranked Ohio State in Columbus?

(3:33) – What about the 1999 win over Michigan and a guy named Tom Brady?

(4:58) – What did you learn from Nick Saban?

(6:25) – What are you doing now? What’s the Podium Group?

(7:01) – What motivated you to write the book?

(8:57) – What are some key messages you hope readers take from the book?

(10:37) – There’s a lot in the book non-athletes can take away, too.

(12:30) – What are your thoughts on the state and future of college football?

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

Michigan State University Professor and Olympian Kelly Salchow MacArthur is once again part of the Olympics, this time leading a community art project.

Through the Olympian Artists program, Salchow MacArthur participated in a workshop series creating mixed-media collages with children from two community centers in Paris, France. Her workshop series, from Oct. 23 to 28, 2023, was the first community project in the Olympian Artists program leading up to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The Olympian Artists program launched in 2018 as a way for Olympians and Paralympians to creatively share their experiences as athletes and artists on a global platform through community projects (new this year) and original art. The program, managed through the Olympic Museum in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee, provides artistic explorations into athletics as connected with culture and creativity.

Salchow MacArthur was a member of United States National Women’s Rowing Team in the 2000 Olympics hosted by Sydney, Australia, and 2004 Olympics hosted by Athens, Greece. In addition to being an elite athlete, Salchow MacArthur is a teacher, researcher and practitioner of graphic design in the MSU Department of Art, Art History and Design.

Learn more about Kelly and her work at Elevate Design.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:37) – Kelly shares her background and how she became interested in graphic design and rowing.

(2:53) – How long have you been at MSU and what first attracted you here?

(3:45) – Describe your role as a graphic design professor at MSU.

(4:44) – What is graphic design and how has it evolved?

(5:54) – How do you combine your love for graphic design with your love for rowing.

(8:49) – Talk about your experience as an Olympic rower.

(12:45) – How, when, and where did you get involved with the Olympics as a graphic designer?

(16:50) – What is the Olympian Artists program?

(17:32) – Talk about your project for the 2024 Olympics.

(22:23) – What do you want to say about underdogs? 

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

Michigan State University researchers have discovered that honeybees can detect biomarkers or chemical concentrations associated with lung cancer in human breath. The researchers have also shown that the honeybees can distinguish between different lung cancer cell types using only the ‘smell’ of the cell cultures. These findings could be used as a model for developing new tests to diagnose lung cancer early.

Leading the research is Debajit Saha, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering and MSU’s Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering. Michael Parnas is a doctoral candidate working in Saha’s lab, and Autumn McLane-Svoboda is a graduate student in the PhD program in biomedical engineering.

Saha, Parnas, and McLane-Svoboda discuss the research in this episode of MSU Today.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:27) – Debajit on his background and research interests and what attracted him to MSU.

(1:21) – Michael introduces himself.

(1:55) – Autumn introduces herself.

(2:32) – Debajit, how did you originally get interested in insects and their olfactory senses?

(3:20) – How did you conclude that honeybees can smell lung cancer?

(4:15) – How Michael became interested in the project.

(4:55) – Autumn, when did you join the project?

(5:21) – What do you hope this research leads to?

(6:02) – What are the next steps in the project?

(7:07) – Might I one day have a honeybee test my breath in the doctor’s office? 

(11:53) – “This is the first time we have used insect brain signals to detect diseases.”

(12:43) – What are the next steps in the research? Can insects detect PFAS, too?

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

MSU Strategic Plan 2030: Empowering Excellence, Advancing Equity and Expanding Impact identifies goals within six key themes: student success, staff and faculty success, discovery; creativity, and innovation for excellence and global impact; sustainable health; stewardship and sustainability; and diverse, equity, and inclusion.

On this edition of MSU Today, we'll be focusing on the discovery, creativity, and innovation for excellence and global impact theme of the plan. 

Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Bill Beekman talks with Vice President for Research and Innovation Douglas Gage about progress on implementation of the theme.

Conversation Highlights:

(1:22) – Why is research important to MSU?

(4:16) – What are some examples of MSU research that can and does impact citizens’ lives?

(11:20) – How are we measuring progress on our goal of achieving $1 billion in research expenditures by 2030?

(13:40) – What is the Global Impact Initiative and how has it helped drive our research success?

(17:40) – What is the process from newly minted PhD to funded researcher?

(22:55) – You’re a researcher yourself. How did plant biochemistry become your career passion?

(28:02) – How do you spend your limited free time?

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

Scientists, community members, students, officials and more mark a pivotal moment as work begins on the 335,000-square-foot research facility   

Hundreds of community members gathered on June 17 to recognize the start of construction on the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences Research Center in the New Center neighborhood.  

Work on the $335 million research facility—a hallmark of the 30-year partnership between the two Michigan institutions—officially began in late May. The medical research center is the first physical embodiment of the Henry Ford + MSU partnership and will further enable groundbreaking discoveries and translational research for which the partnership is becoming known. 

The Research Center is located on Third Street just across from the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center. 

Adnan Munkarah, M.D. chairs the partnership’s board, Teri Grieb is its chief administrative officer, and Norm Hubbard is president of the partnership. They discuss the history and evolving mission of the partnership, the impact the Research Center will have on growing the partnership, and how Henry Ford + MSU can be a model for how universities and healthcare systems can work together.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:48) – Talk about the history and evolving mission of the partnership. The fit and culture of the two organizations is a good match. There is a shared focus on research and education and “hope, health and healing.”

(3:33) – Talk about your roles in the partnership.

(5:10) – How is this partnership unique around the country? There’s both a rural and urban focus of addressing health disparities.

(7:33) – Talk about the Research Center and how it will enhance the mission. “Research buildings are ultimately about the people inside them. It’s one of the largest research buildings MSU has ever built.”

(11:30) – This partnership benefits both partners and the state of Michigan. The partnership could be a model for how universities and health systems work together to enhance and improve health outcomes in communities. 

(13:38) – Henry Ford Health is part of the National Institutes of Health’s Cancer Screening Research Network.Cancer is a key focus of the partnership.

(16:55) – What’s important for us to remember about the partnership right now? “We’re just beginning. We’re going to make a difference.”

To learn more about the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences partnership, visit henryfordmsu.org.  

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

MSU Com Art Sci alumni Mike Valenti and Rico Beard host the top show on the top radio station in Detroit. It’s The Valenti Show with Rico on 97.1 The Ticket.

Valenti earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2002. Beard earned a bachelor’s in telecommunication in 1993 and a master’s in telecommunication and urban studies in 1997.

Mike and Rico talk about what attracted them to MSU and how their MSU experiences impacted them. They discuss the evolving worlds of radio and college athletics. They offer their advice for young people entering the communications world, and Mike explains why he is not on social media.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:23) – Mike, what first attracted you to MSU? He always and only wanted to do sports radio. 

(3:01) – How did the “cornucopia of options” you encountered at MSU impact you?

(4:20) – Rico, why did you choose MSU?

(5:11) – How did your MSU experience impact you?

(6:15) – How did you two meet and what is your relationship like?

(7:09) – What’s the mission of the show? “It’s infotainment.”

(9:20) – How has radio evolved over your career, and do you care how people are listening to you?

(12:02) – What is the state and future of college athletics?

(20:30) – Mike on what some call his love/hate relationship with his alma mater.

(23:00) – What’s something in the sports world you’re concerned about? “It’s greedflation.” The day of the dynasty may be over. There’s no middle class in sports; it’s the haves and the have-nots.

(27:23) – What’s your advice for students today?

(31:17) – Mike, why aren’t you on social media?

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

Michigan State University is racing into the future by participating in the Indy Autonomous Challenge, which officially launched in 2019 and brings together academic institutions and public-private partnerships to challenge university students from across the globe to invent and test a new generation of automated vehicle software to operate fully autonomous race cars. 

Discussing MSU’s role in the challenge in this episode of MSU Today are MSU Mobility Director Judd Herzer and Daniel Morris, associate professor in the departments of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering at MSU, who will lead a technical team from MSU.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:27) – Morris on his research interests.

(1:34) – Herzer on the evolution of his role as mobility director and the history, mission, and evolution of the challenge.

(3:13) – Morris on what excites him about participating in the challenge.

(4:17) – How do you compare the decisions a driver has to make in an Indy car to those same decisions the autonomous software must make?

(8:30) – Is the goal of participating in the challenge to inform MSU’s overall work in mobility? 

(12:39) – What races are coming up? How have we been doing in competitions so far? How cool is it to watch the cars race in the dark?

(15:37) – What happens if GPS or the internet goes down?

(16:23) – “The MSU team holds the current Guinness World Record for land speed achievement for an autonomous vehicle. It goes 192.2 mph.” The team is seeking industry or individual partners who are interested in supporting the team’s endeavors.

(18:01) – Where are we going? What’s ahead as the autonomous space evolves? How will our students be involved in autonomy’s future?

(20:45) – “The Indy Autonomous Challenge is a unique research platform, an incredible experiential learning experience for our students, and a great way for MSU Mobility to expand its partnerships within industry to help develop the future of automated and connected vehicle technologies and do it one of the most cool, extreme, and fascinating ways.”

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.