Michigan State University, which believes in the collective responsibility to support and advocate for the equitable health and well-being of students, faculty and staff, on February 19 announced that it has adopted the Okanagan Charter as a member of the U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network, or USHPCN. 

“We are excited to affirm our commitment to supporting health and well-being for all MSU students, faculty and staff by formally adopting the Okanagan Charter,” said Alexis Travis, assistant provost and executive director of University Health and Wellbeing. “The action lets students and employees who choose MSU know that we are coming together as a community to support a culture of care.”

In this episode of MSU Today, Dr. Travis elaborates on the evolving mission of UHW at MSU.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:28) – What is the history and evolving mission of University Health and Wellbeing?

(2:20) – What was the impetus for the February 2025 Health and Wellbeing Summit?

(4:18) – What are the four priorities in the UHW Plan?

(4:45) – What are some of the next steps as you implement the plan?

(7:34) – What do you mean by “collective responsibility?”

(9:16) – What is the Okanagan Charter that President Guskiewicz officially adopted at the summit, and what does it mean for MSU?

(10:20) – UHW has a bold vision to be a premier health promoting university by 2030. What has to happen for this goal to be reached?

(11:08) – What’s ahead for UHW, and what is your hope for the culture of caring at MSU in the next five to ten years?

(11:54) – What would you like us to keep in mind about UHW moving forward?

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

State of the State is the monthly round up of policy and research for the state of Michigan from Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR). Matt Grossmann and Arnold Weinfeld from IPPSR are joined by economist Charley Ballard to discuss the latest in politics and the economy.

On this episode, the trio discusses the short- and long-term political and economic impacts of tariffs. 

Conversation Highlights:

(1:08) – What are the political impacts of tariffs, and what do you make of the UAW’s support for them? Is this a trade war or a drug war?

(3:31) – What about the economic impact? “The economic and political impacts are intertwined, and Michigan stands to lose the most.”

(6:06) – How are the markets reacting?

(7:51) – What about the long-term political impacts? What is the president’s “out” if the tariffs lead to economic stress for consumers? What is the reaction from Congress and the impact on the president’s approval rating?

(9:38) – What are the four upcoming fiscal deadlines we should pay attention to? And what about cuts to Medicaid and Veterans Affairs? How do reduced staffs impact services?

(14:15) – Are Americans fine with layoffs until they feel the cuts personally? “There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty. Corporations and consumers do not like uncertainty.”

(18:02) – How will the Federal Reserve respond?

(20:27) – What do you make of Governor Whitmer’s response? And the Democratic response across the country seems to be all over the board. There doesn’t seem to be a coherent response.

(25:11) – What about the impact of cuts to the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and USAID?

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

Welcome to another episode of Kevin’s Conversations on MSU Today. Kevin is Michigan State University President Kevin Guskiewicz, who joins me occasionally to elaborate on key initiatives he’s leading to guide MSU into its vibrant future. Today, Kevin welcomes the co-chairs of MSU’s Health Sciences Council.

The Health Sciences Council was convened under the guidance of the Office of the President to advise and support collaboration on curriculum, interprofessional education, clinical care and the development of strategies to enhance our performance in biomedical and public health research. 

In today’s episode, President Guskiewicz talks with co-chairs Joyce DeJong, dean of MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine; and Jeff MacKeigan, senior advisor in MSU’s Office of Research and Innovation and professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development in the MSU College of Human Medicine.

Conversation Highlights:

(1:35) - Kevin, last June, you announced a thorough assessment of Michigan State’s health sciences structure, given today’s complex health care environment and MSU’s unique mix of educational, research and clinical assets. 

After six months of diligent work, the council has delivered its final report to you with several bold options for a more integrated approach, positioning the university as a model for addressing complex health challenges and advancing health and wellness.

Please tell us more about why you have created the Health Sciences Council and what its mission is. What are some of those bold options? 

(4:08) - Joyce and Jeff, how did you arrive at these options, and why do you think these are the key ones for us to act on first?

(6:56) - Kevin, what do you mean by One Team? And Joyce and Jeff, what do you mean by One Health?

(10:15) - Joyce and Jeff, what do you both see as both the challenges and opportunities ahead for MSU Health Sciences? How can this council’s work positively impact its future? 

(13:26) – Veterinary Medicine Dean Kim Dodd is on the council, too, and Vet Med will play a crucial role as we move forward.

(14:36) – Joyce and Jeff, why are you so passionate about these possibilities, and what led you to accept Kevin’s invitation to co-chair the council?

(16:25) – Talk about the importance our external healthcare providers and partners play in this bold future and how those relationships will be strengthened.

(18:45) - Kevin, what are next steps for the Council? 

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

Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning “humanity to others”. It is often described as reminding us that “I am what I am because of who we all are.” It is a traditional African philosophy that emphasizes the interdependence of all people and the importance of community. 

Core values of Ubuntu are: Compassion: Expressing compassion for others; Reciprocity: Treating others as you would want to be treated; Dignity: Valuing the dignity of all people; Humanity: Showing humanity to others; Mutuality: Working together for the benefit of the community.

Upenyu Majee and Halla Jones are working to establish the Institute for Ubuntu Thought and Practice (IUTP) at Michigan State University.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:32) – Upenyu, what’s your background, and what attracted you to MSU?

(1:53) – Halla, what brought you to MSU?

(2:44) – Say more about the Ubuntu Dialogues Project that initially brought you two together.

(4:24) – How did the project evolve into the institute?

(6:02) – What is the mission of the IUTP?

(11:04) – What is the change you would like to see in the world today and how can Ubuntu help us get there?

(13:47) – Why aren’t we there yet? The concept of Ubuntu sounds so good. How and why are our lived experiences important to understand? “We listen to understand.”

(21:12) – How is Ubuntu strategic and deeply necessary?

(23:42) – What would you like us to keep in mind about the IUTP?

(27:33) – How would you like citizens to get involved with IUTP? How do we get others to see themselves in the institute?

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

Give Green Day is MSU’s university-wide day of philanthropy featuring unique giving priorities from across campus, all geared to supporting student success. ​
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The goal is to provide an opportunity for all MSU connected programs to raise awareness for their funding needs and to encourage vital donations for their programs through outreach to alumni and friends of the university.​
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The Michigan State University Federal Credit Union is lead sponsor for Give Green Day 2025 and, along with MSU’s Office of the President, is providing a $100,000 challenge gift. The challenge gifts are used to incentivize giving by key audiences and encourage campus participation in promotion of the day.

MSU offers specific matches for students, first-time faculty/staff donors, and current parents of Spartans, while also running hourly challenges throughout the day to encourage donors to give multiple times in support of different areas. 

On this episode of MSU Today, MSUFCU President and CEO April Clobes and MSU Assistant Vice President for Alumni Nick McLaren talk about the day.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:42) – What is Give Green Day, and how is it different from MSU’s daily philanthropy work?

(1:41) – Why is MSUFCU so interested in supporting Give Green Day? And why are you so supportive of MSU throughout the year?

(4:19) – How do the challenge gifts work? 

(5:38) – Student success is a key focus of Give Green Day.

(7:34) – How do people participate in Give Green Day?

(10:51) – Final thoughts from MSUFCU, April?

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

John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of Management and Psychology Quinetta Roberson and Assistant Professor of Communication Stephen Spates share their thoughts on the state and future of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the workplace.

Conversation Highlights: 

(0:29) – Quinetta on her background and what brought her to MSU.

(1:45) – Stephen on his background and what brought him to MSU.

(3:25) – Stephen on his research interests.

(5:18) – Quinetta on how her research interests have evolved.

(7:52) – What is the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues today? – “People are reacting to the terminology rather than what is in practice.”

(11:30) – “By putting the three words together, it takes away from what it’s all about.”

(13:47) – Are there some facts you would like to reinforce and/or some myths you’d like to dispel?

(20:56) – How does increasingly pervasive technology like artificial intelligence play into all this?

(26:04) – Are we in the moment of an opportunity? Is there some buyer’s remorse with the phrase DEI?

(32:04) – What are the three questions you ask leaders to reflect on?

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

Welcome to another episode of Kevin’s Conversations on MSU Today. Kevin is Michigan State University President Kevin Guskiewicz, who joins me occasionally to elaborate on key initiatives he’s leading to guide MSU into its vibrant future. Today, Kevin welcomes the co-chairs of his newly created Green and White Council.

President Guskiewicz recently announced this significant progress of one of his premier initiatives by appointing former Bank of America executive and Michigan State University alumnus Matt Elliott and Broad College of Business Dean Emeritus and Professor Sanjay Gupta as co-chairs of the university’s much-anticipated Green and White Council. 

Conversation Highlights:

(0:52) - President Guskiewicz, please tell us about why you have created the Council and what its mission is.

(2:49) - Matt, give us your background, and what attracted you to co-chairing the Council. Why did you accept Kevin’s invitation?

(3:27) - Sanjay, give us your background. You have been at MSU for a while, what attracted you to co-chairing the Council. Why did you accept Kevin’s invitation? 

(7:10) - Matt, thank you for accepting my invitation to co-chair the Council. How did your MSU experience impact you and help get you where you are and how you’d like to share that experience to help others?

(10:22) - Sanjay, what first attracted you to MSU and the Broad College?  And how did your role at the college evolve and how can your experience translate to our students? 

(16:15) - Matt and Sanjay, what do you see as both the challenges and opportunities ahead for MSU and all of higher education?

(25:27) - Matt and Sanjay: How do you see your expertise and experience most positively impacting the mission of the Green & White Council? And what synergies can be created by better linking our students to the various sectors in the business community? What are the pathways for internships and exploration and what I like to call experiential learning?

(31:44) - Kevin, what are next steps for the Council? How will the Council operate, and how and when will we learn some of the outcomes the Council hopes to see?

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

Carmen Bradford is jazz royalty and a 2024 Grammy Award winner for “Basie Swings the Blues – the Count Basie Orchestra.” She’s been nominated five times for Grammy Awards and is the recipient of the Los Angeles Jazz Society's Jazz Vocalist Award. 

With her body of work, which reflects her vast experience, versatility, and technical brilliance, she has carved out her place in jazz history, and she continues to contribute to the preservation of this uniquely American art form.

In August 2024, Carmen joined the faculty as associate professor of jazz voice in the Jazz Studies program in the College of Music at Michigan State University.

Bradford talks about her background and how she fell in love with singing. She details her relationship with Count Basie. And she tells how, when, and why she became involved with MSU’s Jazz Studies program.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:22) – What is your background, and when did you fall in love with music and singing?

(2:21) – Tell us about your “little girl” relationship with Count Basie.

(14:31) – How, why, and when did you become involved in the MSU Jazz Studies program?

(20:09) – How would you describe the MSU Jazz Studies program, and what makes it so great?

(21:07) – Who has influenced your art, and who have you enjoyed performing with?

(23:22) – Who are you listening to on Spotify these days?

(23:57) – What would you like people to know about Carmen Bradford?

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

The Michigan State University College of Law is home to eight law clinics, each specializing in a public service area of the law that provides professional legal counsel to the most vulnerable people in society. 

Each clinic is directed by licensed attorneys who are members of the MSU Law faculty and staffed by law students who gain critical hands-on research and litigation experience. The clinics provide pro bono legal services and have won important cases for clients across the country.

MSU Law clinics cover the following areas of the law: immigration, family and juvenile law, housing, small business, public defense, Indian law, tax law, and first amendment.

In this new law clinic podcast series, MSU Today explores how our law clinics have won life-changing cases for clients and have given students incredible starts to successful legal careers. 

For today’s episode, we talk with Christina Wease, director of the Alvin. L. Storrs Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. 

Conversation Highlights:

(1:23) - Christina, tell us about your background. How did you get involved in tax law and the Tax Clinic?

(2:07) - What services and work do you provide at the clinic?

(3:05) - Tell us about a case or two that exemplifies the reach of your work.

(5:25) - Are there students who have chosen tax law as their career as a result of working in the tax clinic?  

(6:00) - How do you get students interested in the Tax Clinic? 

(7:36) - You are celebrating 25 years of operation. Why is this an important milestone?

(8:17) - How do you keep up with changing tax law?

(8:53) - Given laws and political changes in the state and the federal government, how might this change your work? 

(9:44) - As many Americans are getting ready to file taxes, do you have any tips or suggestions? 

(11:35) - How can people reach out to the clinic?

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

Teresa Dunn is a Mexican American artist raised in rural Southern Illinois. Her identity, life, and art are influenced by her racial and cultural heritages and the complexities of being a brown woman in the Midwest.

She came to MSU in 2006 and is a professor of painting and drawing in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design in MSU’s College of Arts and Letters.

On this episode of MSU Today, she talks about her path to MSU and what inspires and motivates her art. And she describes her piece commemorating the inaugural Spartan Bus Tour.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:33) – Dunn elaborates on her background and what motivates her art.

(1:53) – Were you always drawing as a child? When did you begin to express your heritage through your art?

(3:03) – When does the feeling hit you that you want to and can express your feelings in your way?

(5:40) – Did you feel a creative boost after coming to terms with how you want to express yourself through your art?

(6:37) – How and why do you come to MSU in 2006?

(7:39) – What do you enjoy about teaching?

(8:57) – How have you seen students change over the years?

(10:04) – When you create a piece, are there takeaways you hope people feel when experiencing your art?

(11:32) – How did you become involved in commemorating the Spartan Bus Tour?

(13:33) – How did you grasp the feeling and spirit of the tour?

(15:14) – How would you describe your art, and what would like people to know about Teresa Dunn?

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