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News

A white stone building with intricate carvings

Research Suggests Party Affiliation is Main Voter Cue, but Candidate Identity Matters

As voters are evaluating the candidates in terms of their policies, some pundits have questioned how the identity of the candidates could impact their chance of winning over consideration of their party affiliation.
The moon partially covered by clouds

New Findings in How Tropical Mammals React to Changes in Lunar Light

New research appearing in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals that half of the mammal species in tropical forests adjust their behaviors in response to the moon’s phases and corresponding variations in light.
Concrete being bent in a stress test

Bendable, Self-Heating and Healing Concrete

Civil engineers at Michigan State University have developed flexible concrete that is self-healing and produces heat, which could prove to be an environmentally friendly option for roads in terms of snow and ice removal.
A bay of water in a forested hilly region

How Hydrologic Modeling Is Helping With Water Conservation

Newly appointed Michigan State University AgBioResearch-affiliated scientists are diving deeper into the water story, working to better understand water movement and the human impact on it.
A picture of earth from orbit

MSU Researchers to Explore Climate Change Solutions Based on Indigenous Knowledge in New NSF Grant

In a new international joint initiative, researchers led by Emilio Moran, a Hannah Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, will not only work with Indigenous communities to document the numerous challenges they face from climate change but will also collaborate with these communities to explore their innovations for addressing sustainability, adaptation, and mitigation.
An aerial view of a water treatment facility

MSU Study Finds ‘DNA Scavengers’ Can Stop Some Antibiotic Resistance from Spreading

For nearly a century, scientists have waged war on antibiotic-resistant microbes. Michigan State University researchers say they’ve found a new way to prevent it – by unleashing “DNA scavengers” in wastewater treatment plants.
A river flowing to the Tahquamenon Falls

Building a Connection Between Forests and Drinking Water

A team of MSU researchers has shown there’s “untapped potential” for ensuring that Michigan forests provide clean and abundant drinking water.
Berkley Walker and the MSU President looking at a piece of equipment in a lab

NSF Grant Awarded to Study What Happens When Plants “Overspend”

Researchers Berkley Walker and Hiroshi Maeda have been awarded a total of $1.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study how plants compensate when they “overspend” the carbon that they take in during photosynthesis.
Announcements
Jain to Help India Update National ID (Aadhaar) Innovation Roadmap
Anil Jain, University Distinguished Professor and the Douglas E. Zongker Endowed Professor of Engineering at Michigan State University, has joined a panel of experts for a strategic and technological upgrade of India’s digital identity platform.
Belin Joins MSU as the Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in North American Indian and Indigenous Literary Studies
A citizen of the Navajo Nation and an acclaimed poet, artist, and educator, Esther Belin joined Michigan State University this fall as the new Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in North American Indian and Indigenous Literary Studies in the Department of English. She is the second scholar to hold this position, following Gordon Henry, who retired in 2023 after serving as the inaugural Leslie Chair.
Basso Honored With Soil Science Research Award
Bruno Basso, a world-renowned expert in sustainable agriculture and precision agriculture systems, received the award Nov. 10 at the SSSA’s CANVAS conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Khalil Receives National ASME Medal for Lifetime Achievements
Hassan K. Khalil was presented the 2025 ASME Rufus Oldenburger Medal — the highest honor presented by ASME in the field of automatic control — during the ASME Modeling, Estimation and Control Conference in October in Pittsburgh, Penn.
Chavez Named Interim Director of Julian Samora Research Institute
Manuel Chavez, a professor in Michigan State University’s School of Journalism, has been named interim director of the Julian Samora Research Institute, or JSRI, effective early September 2025.