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News

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MSU Project Documenting Enslaved Individuals Publishes Latest Data of Black Americans Born Before Emancipation

Michigan State University’s Enslaved.org, in partnership with other organizations, documents the lives of named enslaved individuals of African descent. Its latest data release makes information on two million Black Americans born before emancipation, identified in the 1900 census, available for discovery and download.
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Puckett Leads Postcard Research Project to Connect Members of the Transgender Community

Researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Oregon have given out over 10,000 postcards to the community over the past couple of years — postcards that highlight what resilience means to the transgender and nonbinary community.
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Spartan Science Protects the Food on Your Table

From apples to potatoes and from farm fields to your family table, MSU researchers are helping ensure that fresh, healthy food stays available, affordable and safe.
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MSU Research A to Z

Explore 26 ways Spartan research is improving lives — from A to Z. These examples offer just a glimpse into the wide-ranging impact Spartans are making every day through discovery and innovation.
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Some Plants Make Their Own Pesticide — But at What Cost to the Atmosphere?

A natural alternative to pesticides may be hiding in a misunderstood plant compound, but it could come at an environmental cost. New Michigan State University research 40 years in the making now sheds light on how this natural chemical can repel insects.
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MSU a Top 40 Institution Among US Universities Granted Patents

Michigan State University has been named one of the top 40 institutions in the Top 100 U.S. Universities ranking by the National Academy of Inventors, which recognizes universities granted the most utility patents each year.
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MSU Water Alliance Supports Interdisciplinary Research, Community Partnerships in Second Year

The MSU Water Alliance is helping faculty connect across disciplines, supporting student and young professional research, and turning scientific expertise into real-world solutions.
Illustration showing three colorful grid-lined 3D shapes representing exotic atomic nuclei

FRIB Researchers Use SuN to Shine Light on Exotic Nuclear Shapes

A team of researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, or FRIB, at Michigan State University discovered that cobalt-70 isotopes form different nuclear shapes when their energy levels differ only slightly. The findings, published in Nature Communications Physics, shed light on the dynamic, complex nature of exotic nuclear particles.
Announcements
Malete and Pfeiffer Named Gwen Norrell Professors
Two Michigan State University professors were named Gwen Norrell Professors, recognizing their work in youth sport and student-athlete well-being. Their research will advance physical, mental and developmental outcomes for young athletes.
Cooley Named Lansing’s Next Poet Laureate
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.
Law School Celebrates 25 Years of the Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute
The Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute marks 25 years of hands-on legal training rooted in advocacy and real-world experience. The program continues to shape future trial lawyers through immersive, practice-based learning.
Professor and Alum Earn International Outstanding Publication Award for Second Language Acquisition Research
A Michigan State University professor and alum earned an international award for research on how people learn second languages. Their study supports a widely used model of language skill development.
9 MSU Faculty Named Fellows for AAAS
Nine Michigan State University researchers have been elected 2025 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, one of the world’s largest and most respected scientific societies.
Limbu Awarded HARP Large-Scale Funding to Advance Global Understanding of Himalayan Indigenous Rhetorics
A Michigan State University professor received major funding to study and preserve Himalayan Indigenous knowledge and oral traditions. The research aims to elevate global understanding of Yakthung culture and its living systems of knowledge.