FEATURES

LANSING, Mich. – Thirteen historic Michigan properties were given special recognition in 2025 through their listing in the National Register of Historic Places, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation has announced. Administered in Michigan by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the National Register is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. 

"Every year the SHPO has the privilege of working with communities, groups, and individuals throughout the state to elevate Michigan sites to the National Register of Historic Places,” said State Historic Preservation Officer Ryan Schumaker. “The SHPO is pleased to announce the listing of these 13 properties on the National Register in 2025, highlighting the state's diverse cultural and architectural legacy. Listing in the National Register opens opportunities for economic investment and ensures that significant places from the past continue to contribute to their community’s unique character.” 

More than 100,000 properties across the country, including nearly 2,000 in Michigan, have been listed in the National Register since the program began in the 1960s. The National Register is a program of the National Park Service and is administered by the states.  

Each place listed in the National Register is referred to as a “property,” whether it is a single building, site or structure, or a historic district composed of dozens of individual buildings/contributing historic resources. In 2025, eight individual properties and five historic districts comprised of more than 300 contributing historic resources in Michigan were listed. 

To be considered for listing in the National Register, a property must generally be at least 50 years old and significant when evaluated in relationship to major historical events or trends in the history of their community, the state, or the nation. A property must also possess historic integrity – the ability to convey its significance. 
 

The following Michigan properties were listed in the National Register in 2025: 

2025 Michigan Properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places 

Alpena - Alpena Central Historic District - Alpena 

Charlevoix - Charlevoix Central Historic District - Charlevoix 

Dearborn - Dearborn Country Club - Wayne 

Detroit - St. Mary of Redford Catholic Church complex - Wayne 

Evart - Evart Downtown Historic District - Osceola 

Flint - Marian Hall - Genesee 

Grand Rapids - Auburn Hills Historic District - Kent 

Muskegon - C.W. Marsh Company Building - Muskegon 

Niles - Ferry Street Historic District - Berrien 

Northfield Township - Bessert-Ryan House - Washtenaw 

Northfield Township - German Park Recreation Club - Washtenaw 

Northfield Township - Joshua and Nancy Leland House - Washtenaw 

South Haven - Nichols Hotel - Van Buren 

“One of the great things about the National Register program is that the designation makes clear that this place matters,” said National Register Coordinator Todd Walsh.  Each of these places is important for the people and stories they represent, for the challenges faced and overcome, and for the achievements of so many people who built our great state.  The 13 new places listed in 2025, and all the others in Michigan, embody what it means to be a Michigander.  I encourage everyone to find the places that matter in their communities and celebrate them, whether that is through the National Register or in another meaningful way.” 

SHPO staff help applicants craft their nominations as research is compiled. Each Michigan nomination is presented to the State Historic Preservation Review Board for their comments and approval. Once in its final form, the state historic preservation officer formally submits each nomination to the National Park Service for final review and listing. 

Listing of a property in the National Register is honorary and places no restrictions on what a property owner may do. They are not required to open the site to the public nor to display a plaque acknowledging the listing, although many companies offer plaques to recognize the hard work and effort to get a property officially listed. In addition, listing in the National Register provides opportunities for promotion, makes available certain incentives like grants and tax credits that foster investment in our cities, towns, and villages, and allows for the consideration of historic resources when federal funding or permits are involved. 

-courtesy story

Eight Michigan universities now participating in social worker student stipend program  

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is expanding its partnership with public universities to strengthen the state’s child welfare workforce. Three additional universities, Oakland University, Eastern Michigan University and Ferris State University are joining the program that provides stipends to social work students who agree to work in under-resourced communities across the state after graduation. The three new additions bring the total number of participating schools to eight. 

The University of Michigan manages the federally funded Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend Program, which provides students $5,000 to $15,000 per semester in stipends in exchange for a commitment to work in child welfare in Michigan after graduation for up to 16 months. Other participating universities include Central Michigan University, Michigan State University, Wayne State University and Western Michigan University. 

Currently, 82 students are enrolled in the program. Since its launch, 25 students have graduated, with 19 now employed by MDHHS. 

“This program has already resulted in 25 graduates who have committed to protecting children and supporting families as part of Michigan’s child welfare workforce,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “It helps support social work students financially as they prepare to enter the workforce and is critical to recruiting and retaining dedicated professionals.” 

Michigan, like many states, faces a shortage of child welfare workers. To address this, MDHHS launched the Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend Program last year and increased funding for the program this year from $1.7 million to $4.5 million.   

Elizabeth Montemayor, child welfare programming coordinator at Michigan State University, oversees 32 fellows in the program. She described the experience as incredibly rewarding, noting that strong preparation and mentorship are vital to supporting students’ passion and commitment to child welfare. 

The initiative equips future social workers with the skills and knowledge needed to serve Michigan families. Participating universities provide both financial assistance and educational resources to bachelor’s and master’s students pursuing child welfare careers. 

"Being a Title IV-E fellow, I have had the opportunity to see the child welfare system beginning to end, from the initial allegation of child maltreatment to reaching permanency,” said Ryan Drew, a Master of Social Work student who graduated in December 2025 from the University of Michigan. “Additionally, I have been able to collaborate with and learn from child advocates across the state via the Child Welfare Certificate curriculum and through the 2025 Michigan Justice for Children Conference. These experiences have deepened my passion for and commitment to infusing social justice into child welfare case management practice and cross-system delivery of services. I am looking forward to using this lens with the children, families and youth I work with in my future practice. I also am eager to show up with unconditional positive regard and empathy, which I have learned are crucial to this work." 

“Going into a field in child welfare has always been a passion for me,” said Justis Ferns, a Wayne State University Master of Social Work graduate. “The Title IV-E program helped bring my passion to reality. The program had courses specific to child welfare, which better prepared me for what the field was going to be like. It also offered a stipend, which helped tremendously with accomplishing grad school. I now work for MDHHS as a CPS specialist. The job has its struggles, but it is so rewarding and is preparing me for a brighter future. The network of people I have met has been very beneficial as they see my passion and the changes I will one day make.” 

For more information on the stipend program, visit Michigan Title IV-E Child Welfare Fellowship. 

-courtesy story

Transforming Theatre Ensemble highlights student work at annual commemoration

By: Annabelle Julien 

When first-year MSU student and Detroit-based poet Charisma Holly’s words echoed through the full Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center banquet room, she knew she was giving back to a celebration transcending injustice.

Holly, a College of Communication Arts and Sciences major, is part of a tradition for the Transforming Theatre Ensemble, or TTE, a 30-member student group led by Artistic Director Lynn Lammers, that includes professional actors, community members, students and sometimes faculty and staff. The group typically performs short issue-driven pieces ranging from three to 20 minutes and presents them across campus in classrooms, staff meetings, conferences and large community events like Michigan State University’s 46th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration. The performances are designed not only as artistic expressions, but as a tool to spark dialogue, reflection and learning.

While the ensemble is a staple at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Unity Dinner, Lammers established a new tradition two years ago in which students audition to write a piece they will perform during the dinner. This year, that honor went to Holly, who not only submitted her written piece but also sent a voice recording, which stood out to Lammers.

“I had someone submit a piece who is a very skilled writer, but she’s also a performer,” Lammers said. “She’s used to performing her work and so, I thought, I want to put her up there with some other actors.”

Along with Holly, there were two other performers for the Jan. 15 Unity Dinner’s performance: local professional actor Kamara Drane and Tasiyah Hampton, an undergraduate working on her Bachelor of Fine Arts and acting in the Department of Theatre at MSU. The group went through a process of getting to know the piece and what it meant to them, as well as figuring out how to best deliver the performance. For Holly, it was a positive and impactful experience.

“I love the rehearsal process; being the playwright in the space fueled my creative liberty because I was able to just kind of say, here’s what I was thinking when I wrote it and that allowed me to help kind of guide what was going on in the piece,” Holly said. “But I was also able to learn so much from listening to other people’s reactions to what I had written. And so, it made me a better writer.”

Holly’s main motivation for writing is inspiration and reflection, which is evident in the piece she wrote for the performance. She expressed that this piece has been part of her attempt to capture the African American experience through her own feelings and perspectives, as well as the experiences of others and the world around her, which this opportunity helped her pursue further.

“I wanted to make sure that I was honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because a lot of times when we talk about civil rights, we talk about our history because Black history is American history,” Holly said. “There’s a delicate balance between acknowledging the hardships that were experienced during that time, while also celebrating the accomplishments that were achieved.”

During the performance, the three actors stood in a triangle and took turns speaking in different tones, portraying the African American experiences of grief, resilience, uncertainty and hope. The piece ultimately concluded with the performers speaking in unison, reinforcing Holly’s idea of multiple truths coexisting. The ensemble was met with resounding applause.

“I wanted to show that every standpoint is legitimate. Everyone has a valid perspective, but all of these perspectives are able to coexist at the same time,” Holly said. “So, each of the voices portrayed in the piece are all of the hope, but also the endurance and uncertainty that was present during the time and even currently.”

For Lammers, performances like this one are important because they spark conversation, reflection and learning. Key goals of the Residence Education and Housing Services program.

“I think it’s powerful to sit with the notion that these are coming from a student and can give us a window into what some students are thinking and feeling because it will be a lot of staff, faculty and administrators in the room,” Lammers said. “I think that live performance can change the temperature in a room. It can get us out of our heads and tie really big, deep thinking with our humanity. It reminds us that there are so many ways of knowing and understanding each other and ourselves.”

The Transforming Theatre Ensemble is part of MSU’s Office for Inclusive Excellence and Impact and is known for using applied theater to spark dialogue around social justice, identity and community issues. More information about the program is available on the Transforming Theatre Ensemble website.

-courtesy story

The 2026 World Economic Forum — one of the largest gatherings of economic leaders each year — recently concluded. This year’s conference came on the heels of increased U.S. international intervention — including seizing Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela and continued posturing over Greenland’s sovereignty, eliciting pushback from NATO.

Global conflicts continue, from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war to tensions in the Middle East and Africa, among other conflicts. With the 2026 mid-terms gearing up, foreign policy is taking center stage.

Experts from Michigan State University can react and comment on increased tensions and U.S. relations with key regions across the globe, including: the Middle East, Europe, Greenland, Asia, Latin America and the future of international organizations such as NATO.

Russell Lucas is a professor at James Madison College and the College of Arts and Letters. He is an expert on international relations and domestic politics and culture of the Middle East, as well as theories of global studies. He is also a scholar of Middle Eastern politics with attention to foreign policy and public opinion.

“At the time of this writing, President Trump has held off on attacking Iran. Such an attack would be designed in theory to support the wave of anti-regime protests in Iran to hopefully lead to the downfall of the government of Iran. The Trump administration would be wise to refrain from using U.S. military force to attempt changing Iran’s regime. Bombing would not be an effective method of supporting Iran’s anti-government protesters.

“U.S. bombs will not prevent Iran’s government from repressing the protesters. In fact, U.S. attacks would allow Iran’s government to paint the protesters as supporting a foreign plot against the Islamic Republic. Iran’s regime is complex with a diverse coalition of social groups still supporting it despite its declining legitimacy because of its poor performance in the eyes of many other Iranians.

“The governments of most U.S. allies in the region such as Qatar, Turkey or Saudi Arabia are also worried about the effects of a U.S. attack on Iran since they are likely to be struck by any Iranian reaction. Moreover, both governments and publics in the Middle East are starting to see that the U.S., and not Iran, is the source of threats and chaos in the region.”

Yael Aronoff is a professor at James Madison College and the College of Arts and Letters and is also the Serling Chair of Israel Studies. Her expertise and teaching focuses on Israeli politics, cultures, and society, as well as foreign policy. Her research explores the conditions under which wars end, and a process towards peace is achieved.

“The ceasefire that went into effect in October 2025 has warded off the worst of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza – but it is fragile and has been violated repeatedly by both Hamas and Israel. The process it lays out is complex and daunting, requiring the rebuilding of homes, schools, and hospitals in Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas (with unanswered questions as to who would do so and how), and an Israeli withdrawal from the entirety of Gaza. There is a fear on all sides: fear on the part of Palestinians of being governed by non-Palestinians, and/or of continued Israeli occupation, as well as fear among some of Hamas’ continued control; fear on the part of Israelis of Turkey and Qatar’s involvement – as supporters of Hamas -- on the Gaza Executive Board, and, of the Board’s inability or unwillingness to disarm Hamas; there is fear among many around the world, including US allies in Europe, over Trump’s role as Chairman and his “pay-to-play” policy in determining the Board’s makeup.”

The success or failure of the reconstruction of Gaza – and the myriad conflicts and concerns that flow from that -- hinges on trust in and credibility of the Board on the part of all those involved, and that trust is not currently there. It also hinges on the verifiable implementation of measures that can build trust and hope for people to live in futures of dignity, equality, and freedom.”

In order for that to happen, the immediate needs of Palestinians in Gaza – food, medicine, shelter, security – must be met, but at the same time, it is crucial to move towards a long-term peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that would ensure a Palestinian state alongside Israel, in which both populations can live in peace, security, dignity, and freedom. For this to happen, new leaderships are also required.”

Matthew Pauly is an associate professor in the Department of History at the College of Social Science where he is an expert on Ukraine, Eastern Europe and Russia. He holds interests in the histories of nationalism and national identity, childhood and youth, education, philanthropy and medicine.

“Any proposal for a ‘land swap’ is a misnomer. Russia is not proposing giving up Russian land, but rather Ukrainian land that it illegally occupies. As Zelensky quite rightly argues, Russia seeks to deceptively secure through negotiations after what has largely been an unsuccessful quest on the battlefield the past 12 years. Although Russia is slowly advancing, the cost is high in terms of both fatalities and resources. The Russian capture of the entirety of the four provinces it claims to have annexed (the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts) should not be presumed.

“It is imperative that the burden of surrender does not fall on the victim when the aggressor demonstrates no significant concessions. Russia’s insistence on a peace agreement instead of a ceasefire is a strategic maneuver designed to prolong hostilities and allow for continued bombing of Ukrainian cities. A ceasefire would provide a temporary respite from hostilities, allowing the commencement of genuine negotiations.

“More Ukrainians are willing to concede the temporary loss of Ukrainian land, but they will not concede the sovereignty of Ukraine. Ukraine has built up a network of defenses on land in the eastern part of the country that Russia is now demanding. Forfeiture of this land would expose Ukraine in the same way Czechoslovakia was fatally harmed by the handing over of the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany in 1938. Permanent surrender of Crimea would allow Russia to control the Black Sea trading routes and threaten the Ukrainian supply of grain to the world. It would also present a key security vulnerability. Russia launches most of its drones and missiles launched against Odesa and southern Ukraine from Crimea. It could continue to do so whenever it wanted.”

Matt Zierler is an associate professor at James Madison College where he is an expert in issues relating to foreign policy, international security, international relations theory, international law, and international cooperation.

“The Trump foreign policy reflects a lot of uncertainty in current global politics. When Putin’s Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, it was a sign of aberration to the liberal international order that had been undergirding world politics since the end of World War II. Instead of rejecting those positions challenging the virtues of international law, the Trump administration seems to embrace the idea of not being fully constrained by international law and norms.

“The invasion of Venezuela to arrest Maduro could have been seen as helping to promote democracy but it seems to be based more on the Trump administration’s desire to control economic resources and ensure dominance over the Western Hemisphere. The current discussion about the fate of Greenland — while not neglecting the fact that there are international security concerns in the Arctic — seems more focused on Trump’s desire for control and status rather than continuing to work with our historic allies to ensure security and stability. There is a lot of concerns that the way in which the Trump foreign policy is done could have drastic negative long-term consequences for the United States and the world.”

Robert Brathwaite is an associate professor at James Madison College where his teaching and research interests include topics associated with international security, strategic competition with China, terrorism, cyber warfare, religious violence and the conduct of civil wars.

“The 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy frames China as a primary strategic competitor emphasizing economic, technological and military competition rather than ideological confrontation with China. A core theme for the current administration emphasizes “peace through strength,” through the promotion of U.S. technological and economic power. This perspective will inevitably create tension in the U.S.-China relationship. However, the administration has pursued selective engagement with China on core issues like trade and fentanyl, which signals an approach that blends competition with transactional diplomacy rather than full containment. Time will tell whether this approach can mitigate core disagreements over Taiwan and other attempts by China to reconfigure the global order to reflect its strategic interests.”

Myunghee Lee is an assistant professor at James Madison College where her expertise interests include authoritarian politics, democratization, protest and foreign policy. Her regional focus is East Asia, particularly the Korean Peninsula and China.

“Trump’s foreign policy in his first term was often characterized as transactional; his second term is far more complicated. It combines personalistic and ideological goals with an explicit projection of power in international affairs. He does not view multilateralism as necessary, nor does he see the post–World War II international order and the UN system, which is designed to create spaces for cooperation and negotiation rather than the rule of power, as constraints on his decision-making in the international arena. He is surrounded by ideologues in his cabinet who actively pursue their own ideological agendas. This tendency is evident in his recent efforts to capture Maduro, which run counter to international law while projecting American military might. His interview with the New York Times further encapsulates his worldview: He stated that he sees no constraints in international politics other than his own morality. As he erodes international organizations, global politics gradually shifts from cooperation toward power politics.

“What does this mean for East Asia, where tensions between a rising power (China) and an established power (the U.S.-led alliance system) are intensifying? 

Trump has not attacked Asian alliances as directly as NATO, largely due to concerns over China’s rise. However, the administration’s approach to NATO and its rhetoric toward alliances can slowly erode trust among allies. Meanwhile, China continues to project itself as a defender of the international order. Over the past years, China has sought to expand its influence within international organizations, emphasizing its commitment to international cooperation and multilateralism. At the same time, it aims to revise the order by removing the liberal international order’s emphasis on democracy and human rights. Trump’s attacks on international organizations and his power-driven approach may therefore create new opportunities for China, potentially expanding its presence and influence in the international arena.”

Galia J. Benítez is an associate professor at James Madison College where she is an expert on international political economy and transnational drug trafficking and can comment on issues related to illicit drug markets, drug trafficking routes, and antinarcotics policy in Latin America and beyond. She examines how illegal drug networks operate, how governments respond to them, and the political and economic consequences of the global drug trade for states and societies.

“U.S.–Latin American relations have long been framed through drug trafficking and security cooperation, relying far more on the stick than the carrot. Aid, law enforcement cooperation and conditionality often pressure governments to comply with U.S. priorities, while development or institutional support takes a back seat. This pattern has a long history, but it reached its peak under the Trump administration, with threats of military action and harsh sanctions making the asymmetry painfully clear.”

Mark Axelrod is a professor at James Madison College and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. His expertise and research center on international environmental law as well as international and comparative environmental governance, with a focus on justice outcomes.

“After World War II, the United States led the development of an international legal order based on reciprocal long-term commitments. These commitments have allowed the U.S. to maintain its global dominance by providing incentives for other states — including rising powers — to also maintain the U.S.-dominated system. Even aggressive actions are often justified in legal terms in order to avoid upending the system.

“The United States has always been particularly cautious in agreeing to international environmental commitments, signaling that it was focused on upholding those provisions to which it has agreed. In response, other countries have been willing to share resources — without the U.S. resorting to costly use of force or reduced economic relations — in those areas (e.g., high seas fishing limits) where the U.S. maintains commitments. Without an expectation of reliable U.S. legal compliance over time, other countries’ willingness to mutually follow rules may be diminished, dismantling benefits the United States has accrued over the last 80 years. Without being “in the room” for environmental negotiations, such as the Paris Climate Accords’ evolving guidelines, U.S. influence is further reduced. Overall, the inability to rely on U.S. commitments is positioned to be costly to U.S. economic and security interests.”

Matthew Pauly is an associate professor in the Department of History at the College of Social Science where he is an expert on Ukraine, Eastern Europe and Russia. He holds interests in the histories of nationalism and national identity, childhood and youth, education, philanthropy and medicine.

“A security guarantee ‘like NATO’ sounds good, but the devil is in the details. Why not just be granted NATO membership then? It remains to be seen if the Europeans, and certainly the United States, would be willing to commit ground troops and an air defense that would defend Ukraine from an attack. In terms of what is clear, the United States should refrain from participating in the appeasement of Russia. Russia’s primary objective is to dismantle the rule-based international order that has safeguarded the transatlantic community since the conclusion of World War II.

“The Europeans need the United States to continue placing pressure on Russia by demanding a ceasefire, imposing new sanctions and continuing to militarily supply Ukraine. The pursuit of peace is a noble idea, but it is absurd to think of Putin, an indicted war criminal, as a practitioner of peace. The Europeans understand this better than the United States because they face the very real prospect of a war that expands beyond Ukraine’s borders and they host millions of Ukrainian refugees. However, the United States has a real interest in forcing Putin to accept responsibility for this deadly war that he began. American security has been eroded by the Russian invasion, and American economic interests in Europe are in peril because of the instability that the war has wrought.”

-courtesy story

By: Shelly DeJong  

A groundbreaking international study of over 1,000 adolescents and young adults at risk for psychosis has found that social and academic difficulties emerge years before clinical symptoms appear, offering a critical window for early intervention.

Psychosis, a symptom of mental illness, refers to a mental state when one loses touch with reality and can involve hallucinations, delusions or difficulty deciphering reality.

This study is one of the first papers to analyze data from the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia® project, the largest and most diverse international study of psychosis risk to date. An international consortium of 43 sites recruited participants from 13 countries to complete clinical interviews, cognitive testing and symptom assessments.

The study, led by Assistant Professor Henry Cowan, analyzed early data from the AMP SCZ® project, finding that functional decline and negative symptoms appear to develop well before psychosis-risk syndromes are identified. Early-life social and academic struggles strongly predicted later negative symptoms and cognitive impairment.

Negative symptoms, especially deficits in motivation and pleasure, were the clearest markers of longstanding functional problems, even when controlling for depression and anxiety. These patterns were consistent across early- and late-symptom onset.

However, researchers also found that reduced attenuated psychotic symptoms — low-level hallucinations or delusions that appear prior to a first true psychotic episode — had no relationship to functioning levels before psychosis-risk symptoms emerged.

“Psychotic disorders are highly disabling, and outcomes remain poor for many individuals. This study shows that by the time psychosis-risk symptoms appear, years of functional deterioration may already have occurred,” said Cowan, co-author of the study and a professor at MSU’s Department of Psychology. “Early social and academic problems are an important developmental signal appearing in critical developmental periods, years before actual clinical symptoms emerge.”

This study underscores the need for clinicians to recognize and address social and academic challenges during critical developmental periods.

“We hope this work encourages clinicians and researchers to look earlier and broader when identifying risk for serious mental illness,” Cowan said. “Rather than focusing narrowly on psychotic symptoms, the findings support early intervention strategies targeting developmental issues with motivation, social engagement and cognitive functioning, which may be more closely tied to long-term outcomes.”

-courtesy story

 By: Alex Tekip 

Michigan State University’s online graduate business (non-MBA) program in the Broad College of Business has been ranked No. 5 among universities nationwide and No. 3 among public institutions, according to the U.S. News & World Report Online Program Rankings 2026 Edition. MSU is also ranked No. 4 overall in online business programs for veterans.

Broad online programs also ranked in these specialty areas:

• No. 1 for general management
• No. 1 for health care administration
• No. 1 for human resource management
• No. 1 for leadership
• No. 1 for organizational behavior
• No. 2 for marketing
• No. 2 for accounting

“Our faculty work hard to develop graduate programs that give students the critical thinking and creativity to succeed as alumni,” said Broad College of Business Dean David Souder. “We are committed to ongoing innovations in how we engage online graduate students to keep delivering at levels recognized among the best in the nation.”

Out of more than 320 online graduate programs nationwide, MSU’s online graduate program in the College of Education ranks No. 13 overall and among public institutions. Additional education disciplines continue to rank in the top 10, including:

• No. 1 for educational administration and supervision
• No. 3 for curriculum and instruction
• No. 3 for special education
• No. 7 for educational/instructional media design

“When we create, assess or aim to improve upon our online master’s programs, we think about students first. We want to offer high-quality, accessible and rigorous programs to meet the needs of learners across the globe. This recognition is one way we can say we are meeting that mark,” said Jerlando F. L. Jackson, dean and MSU Research Foundation Professor of education.

Among nearly 100 programs ranked nationwide, the MSU College of Social Science’s online graduate program in criminal justice ranks No. 8 overall and No. 5 among public institutions. MSU is also ranked No. 5 overall and No. 4 among publics for criminal justice programs for veterans.

“These rankings help to validate the outstanding work of the faculty and staff in the MSU School of Criminal Justice who are providing world-class, cutting-edge education in an accessible format for Spartans across the country,” said College of Social Science Dean Brent Donnellan. “We are proud to be named among the other prestigious institutions on this list. These rankings reaffirm our commitment to transforming the human experience through research, engagement and education.”

U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on a combination of reputational surveys, data-based metrics and metrics specific to online instruction.

By: Alex Tekip  

Smartphone addiction, also called problematic smartphone use, is a widely studied and discussed topic. A search for “smartphone addiction” on Google Scholar shows over 40,000 results, and researchers have created many tools to measure it. Studies suggest about 27% of people worldwide may show signs of smartphone addiction, and research has linked it to depression, anxiety, poor sleep, low physical activity and changes in the brain. Overall, a great deal of time, effort and money has been spent trying to better understand smartphone addiction.

Dar Meshi, an associate professor of advertising and public relations at the Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences, investigates the psychology of technology use. He recently co-authored a piece in the journal Addictive Behaviors arguing that most of the existing research on smartphone addiction is misguided because the idea itself is flawed.

Meshi and his co-author, Jens Binder, an associate professor of psychology at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom, contend that if researchers shift their focus away from smartphones and toward the specific rewards people get from them, everyone could benefit. Clinicians could design better treatments, the media could explain the issue more clearly and policymakers could make more informed decisions when creating laws about smartphone use.

Here, Meshi discusses more about addictive disorders, reward systems and smartphone use — and effective ways to examine their effects.

All addictive disorders stem from rewards, which are substances or activities that activate the brain’s reward system. For example, alcohol or opioids are taken into the body and act upon the brain’s reward system. A disorder can develop if repeated use of alcohol or opioids causes psychological distress or problems with daily life. These conditions are called alcohol use disorder or opioid use disorder due to the rewards that cause them.

Similarly, winning money through gambling activates the brain’s reward system, and gambling disorder can develop as a result. Importantly, in all addictive disorders recognized in the American Psychiatric Association’s “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” one type or category of reward causes the disorder, and the disorder is named after the behavior used to get that reward (for example, “opioid use” in opioid use disorder or “gambling” for money in gambling disorder).

A smartphone is not inherently rewarding. Instead, smartphones are tools that deliver many different rewards through the internet and cellular connections. For example, these rewards can be social or financial, such as getting “likes” on social media or winning money on gambling websites. The biological nature of these rewards is supported by many brain imaging studies showing that the brain’s reward system becomes active in response to social and monetary rewards.

Clinicians do not diagnose people with disorders based on reward delivery tools. For example, alcohol is usually consumed using bottles or glasses, and opioids are often taken using syringes or pills. However, clinicians do not diagnose people with “bottle and glass disorder” or “syringe and pill disorder” when problems develop from use. When explained this way, the problem with smartphone addiction becomes clear. Yet, as far as we know, this issue has not been discussed before in the existing smartphone addiction literature. As a result, many studies have been carried out to better understand and describe the flawed idea of smartphone addiction.

The field should focus on specific rewards and the behaviors used to obtain them, rather than on broad tools that deliver many different kinds of rewards, such as smartphones, computers or the internet. This approach would greatly improve research results and the clinical treatments and interventions that are developed. In line with this idea, we suggest two changes for the field.

First, researchers should stop using the flawed idea of “smartphone addiction” and instead focus on possible addictive disorders tied to specific rewards and the behaviors used to obtain them. For example, in smartphone research, addiction scholars could study gambling disorder, in which money is gained through gambling, or problematic social media use, in which social rewards are gained through social media. While specific social media activities may involve more specific rewards, focusing on general reward types helps prevent the overuse of addiction labels.

Second, researchers should consider smartphones and other tools that deliver rewards as “cues” for possible behavioral addictive disorders. Cues are environmental in nature, and in substance use disorders, include sensory reminders of a drug or related items, such as a syringe. Seeing these cues can trigger cognitive and physical responses in people with substance dependence, and treatments based on cue exposure have been developed.

While smartphones mainly function as tools that deliver rewards, they could still play a role in the development of behavioral addictive disorders, especially because of their hardware and operating system design. Similar to how a bottle’s design could make it easier to access the alcohol inside, smartphone features such as physical design, interface layout and software structure may increase awareness of and access to rewards.

For example, smartphones may encourage repeated use through frequent push notifications, constant prompts and automatic app installations. These features, whether added on purpose or not, are worth closely examining because they may push users toward using their phones more often. Importantly, researchers have not traditionally focused on separating these design features from the rewards that are delivered through smartphones.

Read more news from the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

 By: David Ortega  

Food affordability remains a pressing concern for Michigan households. In 2025, food prices increased 3.1%, with grocery prices up 2.4%. Recent monthly data also point to renewed inflationary pressures, suggesting that food costs may continue to rise in 2026.

David Ortega, the Noel W. Stuckman Chair in Food Economics and Policy at Michigan State University, has testified before lawmakers to explain why grocery bills remain high and how trade policy, including tariffs, continues to affect what Michigan families pay for food.

Drawing on his research in food economics and trade, Ortega explains how policy decisions made at the national and international level quickly translate into higher costs for Michigan families, farmers and food-related businesses.

Food prices today are not only higher than they were a few years ago — they continue to move upward. Although food inflation has come down from a few years ago, the 3.1% increase in 2025 and recent monthly gains show that price pressures have not fully eased. For households, the challenge is compounded by the fact that food prices rarely fall in a sustained way. Since the turn of the century, food prices have decreased only twice, and those episodes were brief and modest. As a result, families are often left adjusting to a higher price baseline rather than seeing meaningful relief at the checkout line.

This reality also helps explain why promises that food prices will “come down” frequently miss the mark. When expectations are set around price declines that are historically unlikely, frustration grows when relief does not materialize, and confidence in economic policy can erode. Looking ahead, additional price increases remain possible. I caution that predicting food prices is inherently difficult. Weather shocks, global supply disruptions, labor costs, energy markets and trade policy decisions all interact in ways that make forecasting highly uncertain. The past several years has shown how quickly conditions can change and how sensitive food prices are to both domestic and global shocks.

Tariffs are taxes placed on imported goods. Consumers never see them listed on receipts, but they feel their effects through higher prices. They are “hidden taxes” because they quietly raise costs as food moves through supply chains, from imports and processing to packaging costs. Even though some food‑related tariffs were rolled back in recent months, tariffs remain relevant to affordability. The ongoing threat of new tariffs creates uncertainty that keeps prices elevated even when tariffs are reduced and they discourage investments.

This uncertainty is likely to intensify in the coming months. We have seen renewed tariff threats on countries that we import food from. The U.S. Supreme Court is also expected to rule on the legality of certain tariffs, a decision that will have ripple effects across food and agricultural markets. At the same time, the United States, Mexico and Canada are preparing for the joint review of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, arguably the country’s most important trade agreement. The outcome of that review could reshape trade flows, market access and pricing dynamics for Michigan farmers, processors and consumers.

There are several familiar grocery items where tariffs and trade disruptions have contributed to higher prices. Coffee prices have increased nearly 20% over the past year. While supply disruptions in major producing regions are a key driver, tariffs have added to those pressures. Until recently, coffee imported from Brazil — the United States’ largest supplier — faced tariffs as high as 50%, raising costs throughout the supply chain.

Banana prices also have risen. Because nearly all bananas consumed in the United States are imported, higher prices largely reflect tariff-driven cost increases rather than domestic production conditions or changes in consumer demand. Canned foods provide another example: tariffs on imported steel raise the cost of tin cans and packaging, increasing production costs for food manufacturers and, ultimately, contributing to higher prices at the grocery store.

Ground beef is another category experiencing notable increases, with prices up more than 15% over the past year. Tariffs have added to inflationary pressures here as well, as the United States relies on imported lean beef trimmings to blend with domestic beef to produce ground beef sold at retail.

That’s unlikely and, if they do, it will be short-lived because food prices are “downward sticky.” They tend to rise quickly but almost never fall in a sustained way. When tariffs push food prices higher, they raise the overall price baseline. Even if tariffs are later reduced or removed, food prices typically remain elevated. What consumers are more likely to experience is a moderation in the rate of increase, which is the rate of inflation. This is another reason why political promises that food prices will fall are misleading. The structure of food markets, combined with the historical behavior of food prices, makes sustained price decreases unlikely.

Uncertainty around trade policy is damaging on its own. Farmers, food manufacturers and retailers rely on stable and predictable conditions to invest, expand and modernize operations. Frequent changes to tariff policy, or even the threat of new tariffs, make long‑term planning difficult. Higher costs, slower investment and reduced export opportunities weaken the food system over time. For Michigan families, this means continued pressure on grocery budgets. The upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision on tariff authority and the USMCA joint review add additional layers of complexity. Both have the potential to reshape trade relationships and cost structures in ways that will directly affect Michigan’s agricultural economy and the prices consumers pay.

Food affordability remains under pressure in Michigan. While food prices are difficult to predict, key drivers — supply disruptions, labor costs and trade policy uncertainty — continue to affect prices. Tariffs are not the sole cause of higher food prices, but they raise costs, reduce competition and create uncertainty that keeps prices elevated. Because food prices rarely fall in a sustained way, even when tariffs are reduced, their effects tend to linger. Promising that food prices will “come down” is not supported by the data and risks misleading consumers. Stable and predictable trade policy is essential to improving affordability and strengthening Michigan’s food and agricultural economy over the long term.

 By: Shelly DeJong  

New research from Michigan State University finds that in the four years after the COVID-19 pandemic upended campus life, the majority of college students successfully bounced back. Students experienced rising life satisfaction and declining loneliness and, surprisingly, even a fonder remembrance of online classes from the early days of the pandemic.

The study, published in Personality and Individual Differences, is one of the few longitudinal studies to come out of the pandemic. Researchers tracked the same 248 college students from 2020–21 through 2025.

The study — which sampled MSU students — found broad improvements in psychological functioning. Participants reported higher life satisfaction, less loneliness and seeing friends more often in person again.

Largest of all, participants reflected more fondly on their online courses nearly five years after the initial shift to online learning. They also reported having a preference for in-person and hybrid work and learning opportunities over fully remote options.

“The fact that people now see remote learning more favorably — even though they hated it at the time — tells us something important about how we design flexible education and work options going forward,” said William Chopik, co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Psychology. “People’s preferences for remote versus in-person work are tied to who they are as people and how they might work or learn best, so blanket policies probably aren’t the best approach.”

Personality traits were a small predictor of outcomes years following the pandemic. Extraverts reported higher life satisfaction and lower loneliness, while more anxious people struggled a bit more with loneliness over time.

“This study gives us a clearer picture of how personality matters more during crises but less so once things stabilize,” said Logan Gibson, co-author and undergraduate research associate. “It’s reassuring to know that people aren’t locked into bad outcomes just because of their personality traits.”

However, researchers emphasize that the findings suggest that one-size-fits-all approaches to postcrisis recovery may leave vulnerable individuals behind.

“We’re hoping this helps organizations and mental health professionals understand that while most people are resilient, not everyone rebounds at the same rate,” said Chopik. “If you know that certain people might need extra support during big transitions, you can actually do something about it. This could help schools and workplaces design better support systems instead of assuming everyone’s fine once restrictions lift.

By: Alex Tekip  

Perhaps you’ve heard him featured on Cardi B’s 2019 hit “I Like it.” Maybe you’ve seen him host Saturday Night Live. You might have even seen his name during the Grammys, in recent headlines, or come across songs from his most recent album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” on your music streaming app of choice.

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, is everywhere.

The Puerto Rican superstar, three-time Grammy Award winner and 17-time Latin Grammy Award winner, has redefined what it means to succeed in music: crossing cultural barriers while remaining steadfast to singing only in Spanish. On Feb. 8, he’ll take the stage as the halftime show headliner at Super Bowl LX, marking the first time the halftime show will be performed primarily in another language.

Alejandra Márquez is an assistant professor of Spanish in the Michigan State University College of Arts and Letters. She researches gender and sexuality in Latin American literature and culture and has used Bad Bunny as a learning tool in her classes

Here, Márquez discusses the significance of Bad Bunny’s halftime show performance, the meanings behind his music and how his pride in Puerto Rico and his native tongue is shaping culture in the United States.

The fact that Bad Bunny is going to be at the Super Bowl, given the current state of the world and our country, shows that even though there may be pushback against Spanish speakers, immigrants or people who look different from what we usually think of as American, there is no way to stop culture and language from spreading and being enjoyed by all kinds of people.

It also highlights the importance of Latino communities in the entertainment industry, not only as consumers but as people who value and enjoy art and music. It shows how Spanish music and cultural production are truly universal.

In 2025, Bad Bunny beat Taylor Swift to become the most streamed artist in the world on Spotify. That shows that regardless of what is happening around us, there is real cultural power in Spanish and in Spanish-speaking cultures and cultural production.

It’s really important to have an artist who sings only in Spanish at the Super Bowl because in the current political and social climate — where people are often racially profiled or targeted for speaking Spanish — it shows that despite this tension, Spanish-language music and Latinx culture are thriving in the U.S. and around the world.

The pushback around Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance reflects a reluctance to recognize that Spanish is not a foreign language in the United States. The U.S. is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country, with over 40 million speakers. There is a wide range of views about what Spanish means for the country, but I think his Super Bowl performance highlights the importance of Spanish and how it is part of American culture. Much of the pushback comes from the perception that he is not American, even though he is.

There are about 600 million Spanish speakers around the world. Connecting the language to culture helps you understand that Spanish is not just a set of grammatical rules, but a living, evolving language that shapes many different cultures and identities.

Bad Bunny has said in interviews that the Spanish he sings is very specific to Puerto Rico. Even people from other countries, including myself, who are not Puerto Rican, may not fully understand everything. That complexity shows how committed he is to his culture. It also pushes listeners, whether they speak Spanish or not, to do their research and try to understand where he is coming from and what he is saying. In that way, it shows that he does not underestimate his audience — he does not give us everything, and we have to make an effort to fully understand him.

Bad Bunny and his music are deeply engaged with Puerto Rican culture and history. Many of his songs address issues like political corruption and blackouts on the island, and he shows a strong sense of pride in his culture — something that is reflected not only in his music but in his overall performances.

He is able to bring that pride in being Puerto Rican and Latinx to a global audience.

Bad Bunny’s artistry also teaches us that gender and sexuality are fluid. In many interviews, he has said that sexuality exists on a spectrum and that he does not like to define his own sexuality. He often dresses in what we might consider feminine clothing and paints his nails, which may not seem novel in U.S. culture but is significant in Latin America.

He also shows that reggaeton, a genre often viewed as misogynistic or not well suited to addressing women’s issues or women’s rights, can be a space where those topics are openly discussed.

Reggaeton is often seen as a very narrow genre, similar to hip hop, in that it comes from the margins and frequently addresses issues relevant to marginalized communities. As a result, there are strong racial and class components in how reggaeton is perceived, which has led many people to view it as a complicated genre.

Bad Bunny is truly a force to be reckoned with. His visibility shows that, despite the pushback against Latino communities, a large part of the U.S. is interested in learning about different cultures, supports that interest and finds him appealing.

The fact that he receives so much attention gives me hope that there is genuine interest in and support for diverse voices in music and entertainment.

 By: Shelly DeJong 

New research from Michigan State University finds that how young adults recall adverse childhood experiences fluctuates based on the current quality of their relationships — particularly with their parents.

In a study tracking nearly 1,000 emerging adults over a two-month period, researchers asked participants three times about memories of their experiences growing up before turning 18. Each time, participants reported on their adverse childhood experiences, as well as their current relationships with parents, friends and romantic partners.

The research team, led by MSU Associate Professor William Chopik, found that while reports of childhood adversity remained stable, they did see meaningful differences in participants’ answers over the eight weeks of the study. The most consistent predictor of these fluctuations was relationship quality. When people reported more support and less strain from their parents than usual, they tended to report fewer adverse childhood experiences, particularly emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.

The findings suggest that reporting on adverse childhood experiences contains both stable and dynamic information.

“People are generally consistent in how they recall their past, but the small shifts in reporting are meaningful,” said Chopik, co-author of the study and faculty at MSU’s Department of Psychology. “It doesn’t mean people are unreliable, it means that memory is doing what it does — integrating past experiences with present meaning.”

The researchers hope that recognizing the dual nature of these memories could improve how we interpret adverse childhood experiences in research and in clinical settings.

“From research forms to clinical intakes, people often report on their adverse childhood experiences,” said Annika Jaros, co-author and research associate. “Caring about the small differences in reporting can encourage more thoughtful use of these measures when predicting mental health, well-being and life outcomes.”

One idea for more accuracy could be to assess adverse childhood experiences more than once rather than relying on a single snapshot to better evaluate how people’s memories might be shaped by their current mental states.

“Those small changes in reporting may tell us something important about how people are currently coping, how they’re making sense of their life story and how relationships in adulthood continue to shape the way the past is understood,” said Chopik.