Monthly email delivered to MSU employees, current and admitted students, parents, alums and donors
Dear Spartans and friends,
In 1965, a discovery in a Michigan State University laboratory launched a revolution in medicine. Today, the chemotherapy drug cisplatin and related platinum-based drugs save countless lives across a range of cancers, including testicular, ovarian, bladder, breast and skin melanoma.
It was a case of scientific insight, dogged experimental curiosity and collaboration. Michigan State biophysicist Barnett Rosenberg, with microbiologist Loretta VanCamp and then-graduate student Thomas Krigas, discovered that platinum compounds can arrest cellular division and shrink tumors.
Another key partner in this world-changing success story is the American people, who, through the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, supported the Rosenberg Laboratory and cisplatin’s clinical trials.
As Michigan State continues to pursue cures for cancer and other diseases, I mention this “eureka!” moment of 60 years ago to highlight the power of partnership between research universities and the federal government. This partnership grew from the post-World War II realization of its importance to America’s health, prosperity and national security.
Today, MSU and our research-intensive peers in the Association of American Universities conduct much of the government’s research — work that private enterprise would not likely risk without an assured return on investment. Even so, there are economic benefits, with a recent study determining that every dollar invested in such research by the NIH generates $2.56 in new economic activity.
Federal impacts
Now, with the slashing of federal agency staffs, budgets and operations, who knows what life-saving knowledge will go undiscovered, how many innovations will be pushed to the back burner or how many opportunities to support global health, development and stability will go unanswered?
What we do know is that the list of impacted federal agencies and programs with which we partner in the public’s interest is extensive and growing: from the NIH to the Department of Education, which administers student financial aid and other programs, to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which has funded audio aids for visually impaired visitors as well as the digitization of vertebrate collections at the MSU Museum.
That is only a partial list. American universities are an irreplaceable component of the nation’s education and innovation ecosystems, taking on society’s greatest challenges as we train engaged citizens and the next-generation workforce.
MSU’s responses
I’ve said it before: While we will follow the law, Michigan State will never abandon our core values. As a proudly public institution, that means extending opportunity to people of all backgrounds and opening our understanding to their lived experiences. We remain confident that Michigan State operates within all state and federal laws prohibiting race-based discrimination and preferences in educational and hiring settings.
This university is fully engaged in supporting our students, faculty and staff in this moment of uncertainty and anxiety. Considering program disruptions, potential travel bans and high-profile deportations around the country, we are offering guidance and other resources to our international community through our Office of International Students and Scholars. As a leading global research university, we thrive on the contributions of our international scholars as we proudly serve the people of our state, nation and world.
As I reported to our faculty and staff in a recent email, we are working across our administrative units and colleges to assess the financial impacts and respond to disruptions to our educational, research and outreach programs. No decisions have been made, but please know we remain committed to our land-grant mission of activating workforce-ready talent.
Our Office of Government Relations coordinates advocacy for our work as we consult with lawmakers, agencies and partners while working through the courts and peer associations. Those who wish to add their voices can learn how on the Spartan Advocate website. Our 2025 Federal Transition website provides additional information and updates.
Spartans supporting Spartans
I want to acknowledge another group of vital partners to this university and thank everyone who participated in our comprehensive campaign’s three-day launch this month. That includes those supporting student success and university impact on our annual Give Green Day, which shattered records with 7,423 gifts totaling more than $2 million.
Our multiyear, $4 billion fundraising campaign —Uncommon Will, Far Better World— supports strategies we describe as “talent activated, synergies imagined and futures built.” Planned long before the current barrage of federal actions, this campaign’s goals for private support are more important than ever to maintain our excellence in education and our impact through innovation and service to our communities.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
(GUS-ka-wits)
President
Professor, Department of Kinesiology