Suban Nur Cooley, assistant professor in the Department of African American and African Studies at Michigan State University, has been named Lansing’s next poet laureate and will serve the greater Lansing region for the 2026-2028 term. She also is an MSU alum having earned her Ph.D. in rhetoric and writing from MSU’s Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures.
A storyteller and communications professional, Nur Cooley has more than a decade of experience creating and supporting poetry spaces in greater Lansing. She is a strong believer in poetry’s ability to connect people and communities and is embedded in the poetry scene around the region.
“I am deeply honored and excited to serve greater Lansing as its next poet laureate, not only because I love the written word but also because I deeply love this community,” Nur Cooley said. “Lansing has long shaped my personal voice and journey, and serving as poet laureate allows me to offer up that voice back to the city, connecting and conversing with others about what makes it so special: its people.”