VR Opens New Doors for Students With Disabilities to Learn Essential Life Skills
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.
Decoding Plants’ Language of Light
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.
Basso Lab Featured in New York Times
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.
AI and Engineering: Pioneering Positive Change
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.
Documentary by French Professor Earning Recognition at Film Festivals Worldwide
“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.
Making a Mark When It Comes to Investing in the Arts as Essential to K-12 Education
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.
Exhibit by Professor Part of Inaugural Cape Town Photography Festival
“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.
AgBioResearch Helps Propel Potato Industry
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.
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