Michigan State University College of Communication Arts & Sciences

06/02/2026

Faculty, researchers and graduate students from around the world recently gathered in Colombia for an international symposium exploring environmental communication and democracy across Latin America.

Co-organized by faculty member Bruno Takahashi, the symposium brought together scholars to examine how communication shapes public understanding of environmental crises, media accountability and public engagement on climate issues.

The event also marked the launch of the Latin American Network of Studies in Environmental Communication, a new international collaboration advancing research, publications and future projects across institutions and countries.

Read more: http://spr.ly/6188B8Yzcn

Knight Center for Environmental Journalism | School of Journalism at Michigan State University

06/01/2026

Amanda Holmstrom (COM) and Maryam Naghibolhosseini (CSD) have been named Brandt Excellence Fellows after being selected through a competitive, multi-stage review process for the three-year fellowship supporting innovative research initiatives.

This award recognizes faculty members whose research projects demonstrate strong potential to advance communication science and create meaningful societal impact.

Take a closer look at their achievement: http://spr.ly/6180B8nNPC

Michigan State University Communication Department | MSU - Comm. Sciences & Disorders

05/29/2026

Created by junior Austin Endres alongside Langston Key, Eric Zheng, Quinten Ruff, Vivek Kilari, Daniel Grover, Sydney Gossage and Chris Currier, “Dimlits,” an original multiplayer fantasy game, recently earned second place at the 2026 Michigan Games Entrepreneurship Race.

“From designers making rooms for levels, artists creating models and textures for assets, programmers helping create systems that players interact with, and audio designers crafting sounds and music, we all work hard on the different parts of the game to bring this world to life,” said Endres.

Learn more: http://spr.ly/6184B8Z10Q

Media and Information at Michigan State University

05/28/2026

ComArtSci sophomore Madelyn Wilkins has spent the past academic year researching how “Get Ready With Me” (GRWM) videos influence purchase intention, consumer attitudes and perceived similarity among viewers and recently received a ComArtSci grant to support the project’s next phase.

Wilkins joined the MAP Lab during her freshman year and has contributed to multiple research projects while gaining hands-on experience in data collection, analysis and collaboration with faculty, graduate students and peers.

Explore her project: http://spr.ly/6182B8nLdC

Advertising + Public Relations at Michigan State University

05/27/2026

Stephen Spates (COM) and Thea Knowles (CSD) have been selected as Global Partnership Scholars through the Alliance for African Partnership, a program that advances international research collaboration and global engagement.

The award includes a $10,000 grant for each scholar to strengthen partnerships and expand research with meaningful global impact. The support will help further Spates’ international research exploring communication and artificial intelligence while advancing Knowles’ collaborative work in speech, language and communication sciences.

Read more: http://spr.ly/6189BBQ8Jb

Michigan State University Communication Department | MSU - Comm. Sciences & Disorders

05/25/2026

Students in Digital Storytelling 492 in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University earned seven Crystal Pillar awards at the Michigan Chapter of the NATAS Student Production Awards, with every project submitted from the course earning a nomination. ComArtSci earned more awards than any other school in Michigan.

The awards recognize outstanding student-produced television and media work across Michigan and highlight the creativity, collaboration and professionalism students develop through the course.

Learn more: http://spr.ly/6180BB4MIw

05/22/2026

The LIFT Project, which explores information ecosystems across the Midwest, released a new report offering a closer look at how Indiana residents connect with local news and information.

Among the findings, researchers discovered that trust in news is highly personal and often connected to identity, politics or expertise. The study also highlighted the unique role weathercasters may play in strengthening trust between communities and newsrooms.

“The News for Hoosiers: Community Priorities and Media Preferences Report” was developed by Danielle K. Brown, Jarrad Henderson, Jasmine Snow and Jung-Hsiang (Eric) Hsieh.

Learn more: http://spr.ly/6183BBvhhD

School of Journalism at Michigan State University

05/21/2026

ComArtSci is proud to share it has named this year's Brandt Excellence Fellows, recognizing faculty members whose research projects demonstrate strong potential to advance communication science and create meaningful societal impact.

Amanda Holmstrom (COM) and Maryam Naghibolhosseini (CSD) were selected through a competitive, multi-stage review process for the three-year fellowship supporting innovative research initiatives. The awards help faculty expand existing projects, pursue new research directions, foster collaboration and position their work for future external funding and broader public impact.

Learn more about their outstanding achievement here: http://spr.ly/6180B88aUY

Michigan State University Communication Department | MSU - Comm. Sciences & Disorders

05/19/2026

For ComArtSci faculty member Luke Capizzo (ADPR), the Spartan Bus Tour offered a firsthand look at how MSU’s land-grant mission comes to life through partnerships across Michigan. Traveling through Flint, Saginaw and Bay City, Luke experienced the ways Spartans are working alongside communities to support public health, agriculture, environmental sustainability and cultural preservation.

Read Luke’s reflections from the Spartan Bus Tour: http://spr.ly/6188BBAKxa

Photo by Derrick L. Turner

Advertising + Public Relations at Michigan State University

05/19/2026

As AI chatbots become a growing source for emotional support, ComArtSci faculty member Celeste Campos-Castillo (M&I) examines whether reminders that users are interacting with AI, do more harm than good.

Read more: http://spr.ly/6185BBAK3R

Media and Information at Michigan State University

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and more people are turning to artificial-intelligence chatbots for emotional support. Michigan researchers question whether...