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News

The Earthseed Lab and research project group in forest

MSU Partners With Georgia Tech on Earthseed Project

Michigan State University has joined the Georgia Institute of Technology in the Earthseed Project, a humanities-centered research initiative that uses Afrofuturist literature to connect horticulture, climate resilience and food sustainability knowledge and practices.
Beaumont tower alongside trees

Using Language to Build and Unite

Alex Guo, a third-year undergraduate student in the College of Arts and Letters at Michigan State University, is researching the power of language to build community and advocate for change. Guo represented the College of Arts & Letters at this semester’s Ignite Talks MSU where she presented her undergraduate research project, “Beyond Rhetoric: Building Trans-Affirming Communities.”
Thu Dong in research lab

Discovery May Transform What Time of Day Doctors Induce Labor

In a discovery that could shift labor and delivery practices around the world, researchers at Michigan State University have found that the effectiveness of oxytocin — a common medication used to induce or speed up labor — depends on the time of day it’s administered, especially for patients with gestational diabetes.
Hand under lie detector

Can AI Tell When Someone’s Lying? Recent Study Says Not Yet

Can an AI persona detect when a human is lying – and should we trust it if it can? Artificial intelligence, or AI, has had many recent advances and continues to evolve in scope and capability. A new Michigan State University–led study is diving deeper into how well AI can understand humans by using it to detect human deception.
MSU timeline

7 Long-Term MSU Projects Shape How We See the World

At Michigan State University, some discoveries take decades — even centuries — to unfold. The university’s roster of long-term projects and experiments range from buried seeds that have sprouted nearly a century and a half later to a decades-old twin registry that is helping researchers make new discoveries about health and psychology. Spartan researchers are committed to examining a wide range of topics that help us better understand the world.
Person sorting through groceries

Food Insecurity Linked to Nerve Damage

The nerves in our hands and feet allow us to sense touch, pressure, temperature, vibration and pain. If anything interferes with nerve function, we can have trouble with daily tasks like holding objects and even walking. Some people are at higher risk for nerve damage in their extremities. Why? New research from Michigan State University reveals that race/ethnicity and food insecurity are two key factors associated with peripheral neuropathy.
David MacFarlane with team in forest

Exploring Climate-Smart Forestry Across Continents

David MacFarlane, a professor of measurements and modeling in the Department of Forestry at Michigan State University, recently completed a six-month sabbatical that took him from the mangrove coasts of Mexico to the alpine forests of Italy. His journey was part of a Fulbright Global Scholar Award aimed at advancing an emerging global approach to forest management known as climate-smart forestry.
Little girl doing work in a classroom

$10M Grant Will Advance Science Education in the Rural South

CREATE’s research and partnerships reveal that science instruction—especially in lower grades and low-income schools—often receives less attention, widening the achievement gap between these and more affluent communities. To address this, Michigan State University scholars are expanding their innovative Collaborate Science (ColSci) curriculum to strengthen science and literacy learning and spark student engagement.
Announcements
MSU Scientist Jason Rowntree Recognized for Sustainable Agriculture Research, Leadership
Jason Rowntree received NCR-SARE's Hero Recognition for his long-term leadership and contributions to sustainable agriculture across the North Central region.
Seed Grants Nurture New Directions and Collaborations Campus Wide
MSU’s Ecology, Evolution and Behavior program awarded seed grants to 12 interdisciplinary research teams, providing early funding to help launch innovative projects and secure future external research support across fields ranging from AI to conservation and public health.
12 MSU Scholars, Students Named Fulbright Finalists
The Fulbright Program has selected five Michigan State University faculty members and seven students as finalists for the 2026–27 academic year.
MSU AgBioResearch Funds Three Projects to Advance Health, Food Systems and Community Well-Being
MSU AgBioResearch has selected three projects to fund through the Growing Healthy Together Initiative, a program designed to solve complex health challenges through transdisciplinary research.
Ren and Shipley Named Guggenheim Fellows
Two MSU professors have been named 2026 Guggenheim Fellows: Xuefei Ren, a professor of sociology in the College of Social Science, and Lara Shipley, assistant professor of photography in the College of Arts and Letters’ Department of Art, Art History and Design.

Michigan State University Advances One Health Research at Summit
This faculty-based initiative brought together more than 600 researchers to shape interdisciplinary pathways and position MSU as a national leader in One Health.