Features

Thea Knowles, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, assistant professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at Michigan State University, and her collaborators have been awarded two competitive grants to support their innovative research on communication challenges in Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism.

What if a soft robot like Baymax in the Disney animated film Big Hero 6 were real? Xiaobo Tan, MSU Foundation Professor and Richard M. Hong Endowed Chair, and his team are working to bring that science fiction to life by designing robots made of soft materials that are safer for both human interaction and delicate objects.

Two recent peer-reviewed studies found that nonimmersive virtual reality, or VR — screen-based programs on devices like laptops or Chromebooks, rather than expensive VR headsets — improved how well students with intellectual and developmental disabilities performed tasks such as cooking on a stove, shopping from a list and using kitchen appliances.

Researchers have revealed a previously unknown way plants shape their growth in response to light — a breakthrough that could better equip crops to handle environmental stress. In a first-of-its-kind finding, the team discovered how a compound that’s involved in plant metabolism can directly "reprogram” an unrelated light-sensing protein.

At Sandborn Farms in Portland, Michigan, a drone recently swept low over cornfields, delivering fertilizer only where data showed it was needed most. This careful approach not only saves money and boosts yields but also helps protect air, water, and soil by avoiding unnecessary fertilizer use.

A wide range of disciplines are adopting artificial intelligence, or AI, at a rapid pace. From science and medicine to the humanities and education, AI is influencing the landscape of how information is accessed and processed. At Michigan State University, the College of Engineering is exploring new ways for AI to improve lives through railway safety, AI security, learning and health outcomes.

“Chœurs Atlantiques | Tales from the Atlantic Beyond,” a documentary by MSU professor Safoi Babana-Hampton, is screening worldwide, including Michigan on Sept. 12, major European festivals on Africa and its diaspora, and has won a Best International Documentary award.

MSU integrates the arts into core subjects—math, science, social studies, and world languages—so creativity enhances every lesson. This approach fosters curiosity and joy while helping students strengthen their grasp of both the art form and the academic content to meet learning goals.

“Attached to the Soil,” the Fulbright Scholar portrait project by Peter Glendinning, Professor of Photography in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University, is a featured exhibition and was the kick-off event for the month-long inaugural Cape Town Photography Festival in South Africa.

The Michigan potato industry is seeing significant returns from investment in Michigan State University research. Scientists are helping growers deliver chips and fries that stay local longer, cut costs, and keep hundreds of jobs in Michigan.