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News

Drone view of the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant

Politics Shape What Brazilians See on TV About Energy Shortages

A new study led by Karina Ninni Ramos of the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, reveals that relationships between presidents and the press strongly influence how the country’s biggest broadcasters cover energy shortages, blackouts, and rationing.
Gulbransen lab members

Decoding the Second Brain

Trust your gut is more than an expression. The gut’s ability to influence our wellbeing is rooted in the enteric nervous system. This complex network of neurons and glial cells that lines the gut is often called the “second brain.”
Sherif Ramadan at work in the lab

Sweet Targets: The Quest for an Improved Whooping Cough Vaccine

With cases on the rise, researchers are aiming to develop a “one-two punch” vaccine strategy against pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough. This work could ultimately help reduce transmission of the disease and combat the threat of resistant bacteria mutating into stronger, more lethal “superbugs.”
Peter K. Lundquist in a lab

Scientists Solve Long-Standing Mystery of Amino Acid Transport in Plants

The team’s new study, published in Nature Plants, identifies a class of previously unknown transport proteins called RETICULATA1 (RE1), which enable the exchange of key amino acids within plant cells.
Musicians involved in the Waking Dream

“Waking Dream” Builds on Napoleon’s MSU Jazz Guitar Foundation

Jazz guitarist Randy Napoleon’s latest release, Waking Dream: The Music of Gregg Hill and Randy Napoleon (OA2 Records), is more than an album—it’s a testament to mentorship, collaboration, and the vibrant jazz community cultivated at MSU.
Kirstin J.H. Brathwaite

Brathwaite Explores Nationalism’s Role in Combat Motivation

JMC Associate Professor Kirstin J.H. Brathwaite’s new book, Symbols and Sacrifice in War, challenges conventional wisdom about military motivation. She argues that soldiers’ commitment to battle depends not just on training or unit bonds, but on whether the war’s goals align with their deepest beliefs about national identity.
Sedatole conducting

Faculty and Students Showcased in New Album

When the Michigan State University Wind Symphony took the stage at the Wharton Center on March 20, 2025, it wasn’t just another performance—it was the beginning of a recording that would become a testament to the College of Music’s commitment to excellence, collaboration, and student opportunity.
Man releasing a wood pecker

On a Florida Bombing Range, Endangered Woodpeckers Get a Second Chance

Florida’s Avon Park Air Force Range is teeming with life. Over 40 at-risk species occupy the 106,000-acre expanse used by the military for training exercises — including bombardments. But Spartan scientists are using the range to test something other than weapons: innovative strategies to save threatened species.
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.
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.
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.
Call for Applications: Graduate Student Affiliate Program at CIRCLE
CIRCLE is excited to announce the launch of its Graduate Student Affiliate Program.
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.