MSU Today with Russ White

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 hesitancy and share respectful ways to educate citizens on the health benefits of vaccines.   

Conversation Highlights:

(0:50) – Gulick on his time at MSU and research interests.

(2:45) – Valles on his time at MSU, research interests and the Center’s mission.

(5:13) – Some history of vaccines and their acceptance. What about anti-biotics? How are vaccines like fighting computer viruses?

(9:30) – To what do you attribute the rise in vaccine hesitancy? “It’s really more of a spectrum of hesitancy.”

(14:21) – How do we break through some of the misinformation and get more people to see the health benefits of vaccines? Simple, direct and respectful education is key.

(17:19) – What about herd immunity? “It’s not about what you have to do, but what is right to do.”

(21:01) – Sean’s takeaways. “Invest in prevention.”

(22:01) – “Respect each patient you deal with.”

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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) – Talk about “complex infrastructure for a complex institution” and the wide variety of energy sources that power the campus.

(15:35) – What is the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System, and how are we doing? Spoiler: MSU has been rated gold since 2019. Can we get to platinum?

(20:00) – Tell us about the campus water supply. Do you remember red water alerts on campus? 

(25:54) – What’s your advice on how we can all be our best sustainable selves? “Think about your consumption habits.” 

(33:03) – How does the demand for power on campus vary from day to day and season to season?

(40:44) – MSU is supporting pollinators and is designated as a Bee Campus USA.

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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, whether it’s research, education or our clinical care, we go directly at meeting the health needs of the people of the entire state.”

(8:39) – The opportunities presented by the burgeoning Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences partnership. This includes the recent MSU Board of Trustees approval to build “the largest human health research building in the history of Michigan State University.”

(16:49) – MSU's efforts in Flint, including MSU’s first philanthropically-named department, the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health. “What’s happening in Flint is emblematic of how MSU works with communities.”

(24:10) – Beauchamp reflets on his time and “scalable impact” at MSU and his new role at Georgetown. “What we’ve been able to build is something that will continue to accelerate because of the commitment to hope, health and healing.”  

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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 resistant diseases earlier. 

Like Alocilja, Richard Lunt, who is a Johansen Crosby Endowed Associate Professor in the College of Engineering, also was inspired to make the world a better place. Lunt’s work is focused on creating better materials that are more efficient and longer lasting for solar energy production. 

André Bachmann, a professor and associate chair for research in the College of Human Medicine, has found that holding a patent is often the first step in the process of having the idea commercialized and made available. Bachmann’s research has been concentrated on drug development in oncology and rare diseases. 

Alocilja and Bachmann join Emilie Lorditch and Russ White to talk about their passions and inventions and the entrepreneurial ethos at MSU. 

Conversation Highlights:

(2:08) – Alocilja describes her research interests and passions.

(6:21) – Bachmann describes his research interests and passions.

(11:04) – What originally attracted you to MSU. And is there an entrepreneurial spirit on campus that’s conducive to inventing?

(13:39) – What’s your advice for colleagues who might have ideas or inventions to patent but don’t know how to go about it?

(20:15) – What are you working on now and looking forward to?

The 2024 class of Senior Members will be celebrated at NAI’s annual conference June 16 to 18, in Raleigh, North Carolina. There’s more at academyofinventors.org. 

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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 Largent discuss progress on the implementation of the student success theme of the plan.

Conversation Highlights:

(1:35) – Tell us about your role at MSU, Mark. What does a dean of undergraduate studies do?

(3:15) – Why are most graduation rates based on six years rather than four?

(5:39) – Are there particular times during a student’s college career that are most critical? Are there points of struggle, and how do we help them get past them? 

Students only spend 15 percent of their time as college students in the classroom. Covid had a large impact on the college experience. 

(12:28) – Largent on the “caustic impact of a deficit mindset.” 

What’s the difference between a student deficit model and an institution deficit model? 

“MSU is a place in which people are invited from a broad variety of backgrounds to come here and leave better than when they got here. It’s our responsibility to serve their needs to allow them to learn, thrive and graduate.”

“We punch 10 percentage points above our weight.”

“Three quarters of the students who come to MSU and graduate have changed their major at least once.”

(23:04) – When a student decides to change their major, does it extend their time in college? 

(30:28) – What has surprised you most about your role as dean of undergraduate studies? How have you kept momentum for student success going through leadership changes?

“We have completely bucked the trend of raising your graduation rate by lowering your admission rate. We have raised our admission and graduation rate simultaneously.”

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

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 oversees the implementation of the strategic plan. Steve Troost is the campus planner in Infrastructure Planning and Facilities and played a key role in the development of Vision 2050, an integrated facilities and land use plan for MSU. Beekman and Troost talk about Vision 2050’s place in MSU 2030.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:41) – How is the overall implementation of MSU 2030 going?

(2:17) – Talk about your role at MSU and what a campus planner does.

(4:08) – What is a facilities and land use plan? What’s in the Vision 2050 plan? What factors do you consider?

(6:31) – How does Vision 2050 fit into the MSU 2030 strategic plan?

(9:08) – How do you think about building up versus building out?

(18:05) – How do you look at parking on campus going forward?

(22:47) – How does the rise in employees working remotely impact your plan?

(27:05) – In addition to the main campus, the plan looks at MSU’s presence around the state, nearly 21,000 acres in Flint, Grand Rapids, Detroit, and around the state.

(31:07) – What’s in the plan that might surprise people?

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

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 experiences with gun violence in their respective communities. They talk about how they originally came together on this subject and what led them to exchange students and begin an annual conference. And they define what they mean by a public health approach to reducing gun violence.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:56) – How did this “grass roots phenomenon” get started? 

(5:31) – What do you mean by a public health-focused approach to gun violence?

(6:58) – Talk about the February 2024 Remembrance Conference on campus and what came out of it? The 2025 conference will be in May in Buffalo.

(9:25) – How can the public adopt this public health focus? The students are providing the energy. They’re our doctors of the future. Overall wellbeing is crucial.

(17:04) – What are key takeaways from this conversation?

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

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, experimentation, and innovation on MSU’s vibrant campus, culminating in the creation of groundbreaking artworks at the intersection of art, science and technology.

Korinsky talks with Morgan Butts, director of communications and marketing for University Arts and Collections.

Conversation Highlights:

(1:13) - Can you tell us a little about how you found this residency and what interested you? 

(2:14) - This residency is really built on the intersection of the arts and the sciences. Can you tell us a little more about how you’ve explored this intersection in your past work? 

(3:15) - You’ve been here at MSU and working closely with FRIB for a few weeks now. What sorts of interactions have you had and where are you now in terms of thinking of the work you’ll create in response to this experience? 

(5:04) - From your perspective, what are some of the similarities and differences between art and science? What can artists and scientists learn from each other?

(6:48) - You have a series of public engagements during your residency, including one coming right up on April 11. Can you tell us about the Intersection Conversation? 

(8:04) – What is University Arts and Collections?

(8:26) – What’s coming up on campus in the next few weeks?

(8:56) – Generous sponsors supported Abel’s visit.

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

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 community organizations came together to collaborate and engage on this subject. Expert-led interactive discussions centered on four topics, including human interaction with artificial intelligence, accessibility changes to technology, new skills in the labor market and government engagement.

Tara Behrend is the initiative’s director and John Richard Butler II Endowed Professor in the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations. Hye Jin Rho is an assistant professor in the school.

Conversation Highlights:

(1:21) – Tara on her background and interest in the future of work and on how the land-grant mission attracted her to MSU. “Technology doesn’t make decisions. People make decisions.”

(3:04) – Hye Jin on her background and research interests. MSU’s interdisciplinary approach attracted her.

(7:19) – Why did you think this topic necessitated a conference?

(9:28) – How do you define “future of work?”

(12:10) – What were conference themes? Who was there? And what are some things that came out of it?

(15:57) – More on Hye Jin’s research. “Technology isn’t inherently good or bad. How is it used? It’s important to consider employee input on how technology is deployed.”

(19:52) – Artificial intelligence will greatly impact the future of work, right? What is automation surprise?

(24:17) – What’s the state and future of remote work? “Many managers don’t know how to manage a remote workforce. What tasks need to get done and how many of them need to happen in person?”

(30:32) – What new questions do you have coming out of the conference? And if you were the czar of the future of work, what initiatives would you try to implement?

(33:30) – The School of Human Resources and Labor Relations is on the cutting edge of many important trends. Everything that’s global is local first.

(35:12) – The conference is just the beginning of MSU’s Future of Work initiative. And what are some key takeaways from this conversation?

(42:10) – Has the power balance tipped a bit more in employees’ direction? Are unions on the rise?

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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.”

Ashton and Jack talk about what attracted them to Com Art Sci at MSU and how their experiences impacted them. And they talk about challenges and opportunities ahead for journalism and intercollegiate athletics.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:49) – How does it feel to receive this honor?

(2:27) – What attracted you to MSU, and how did your experience impact you?

(7:03) – Ashton, what are championship resources, and what culture are you building?

(9:01) – What is name, image, and likeness (NIL), and tell us about Spartan Nation NIL.

(11:40) – Jack, how has journalism evolved and what are its challenges and opportunities ahead?

(15:08) – Ashton asks Jack for his views on the challenges and opportunities ahead for intercollegiate athletics.

(18:00)- Jack asks Ashton about the biggest challenge he faces. What keeps him up at night?

(21:30) – Final thoughts.

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