News – Department of English

From First-Generation Graduate to Rehabilitation Counselor and Advocate for Developmentally Disabled

November 7, 2025

Renee Hall earned dual bachelor’s degrees in English and Religious Studies from Michigan State University in 2010 and a master’s degree, also from MSU, in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2014. She has been an active member of the disability community for more than 20 years, serving in roles including advocate, direct support professional, service coordinator, counselor, and research specialist. She also is a first-generation college graduate.

Read more about the article MSU and Georgia Tech Receive Mellon Funding for Research Project Combining Afrofuturism, Humanities, and Horticulture

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / English / Faculty / Faculty / Grant / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Research / U.S. Impact

MSU and Georgia Tech Receive Mellon Funding for Research Project Combining Afrofuturism, Humanities, and Horticulture

November 5, 2025

Michigan State University has joined the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in The Earthseed Project, a humanities-centered research initiative that uses Afrofuturist literature to connect horticulture, climate resilience, and…

Alumni / Arts MSU / English / Michigan Impact / News

College of Arts & Letters Alum Helps Bring Vibrant Public Art to Northern Michigan Community

October 21, 2025

The future looks bright for a century-old building in downtown Cadillac — literally — thanks to the work of one Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters alum and…

Alumni / English / Event / Michigan Impact / News

English Alum’s Company Among the Stops on the Spartan Bus Tour

October 17, 2025

Michigan State University is set to embark on the Fall 2025 Spartan Bus Tour, a three-day trip celebrating the university’s partnerships and impact across northern Michigan, and one of the scheduled stops on the tour is Mammoth Distilling, a Northern Michigan-based craft distillery in Central Lake that is owned by MSU alumni Chad Munger (B.A. in English) and his wife, Tracy Hickman (B.A. in Interior Design).

Award / English / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

Professor Honored with Tamil American Pioneer Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment

October 15, 2025

Swarnavel Eswaran, Professor in the Department of English and the School of Journalism at Michigan State University, is the recipient of the 2025 Tamil American Pioneer (TAP) Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment. Presented by the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA), the award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to their fields while advancing Tamil culture and heritage.

Award / English / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

New Awards Recognize Exceptional Contributions to Mentoring Undergraduate Students

October 1, 2025

The College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University created two new awards this year to acknowledge faculty and staff who make exceptional contributions to mentoring students outside the classroom. These two Outstanding Undergraduate Mentorship Awards are nominated by students, endorsed by their chair or director, and selected by a student committee.

Award / English / Faculty / Linguistics / News / Religious Studies / Spanish

2025 Faculty Award Winners Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

September 30, 2025

The College of Arts & Letters honored its Faculty Award Winners at the 2025 College of Arts & Letters Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception on Sept. 29 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. These faculty members were recognized for their outstanding leadership, teaching, innovation, and community engagement, as well as the significant impact they have made in enhancing curriculum and student experiences.

English / Excel Network / Excel Network Communities / Excel Network Featured Interns / Internship / News / Student

Student Gains Experience Interning for Healthcare Consulting Firm

September 29, 2025

Elise Moorman is from Corona, California, and is a senior at Michigan State University with a double major in Marketing and English. She gained experience as a Marketing and Sales Intern for Healthrise, a healthcare consulting firm located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She shared her experiences with this internship in a Q&A that originally was published by the Excel Network.

English / News / Philosophy / Student / Student

English and Philosophy Double Major Named Newman Civic Fellow for Dedication to Community Engagement

September 25, 2025

Roberto Garcia, a junior double majoring in English and Philosophy at Michigan State University, has been named a 2025-2026 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a nationwide coalition of civic and community engagement experts representing colleges and universities across the country. The fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students proactively working to address social, political, and environmental issues affecting communities.

English / Excel Network / Excel Network Communities / Internship / News / Student / Student

Internship Helps Cement Desire to Pursue Public Policy Career Opportunities

September 22, 2025

Abigail Thibodeau, an English major from Farmington Hills, Michigan, had an internship this summer with TurnUp, a youth-led voter registration and turnout initiative. Thibodeau wrote about her internship experience in this Q&A.