House Appropriations Higher Education and Community Colleges Subcommittee Presentation

Thank you, Chairman Markkanen and members of the subcommittee, for inviting me today. 

Next week, I have the privilege of congratulating more than 10,000 new Spartan graduates at our spring commencement ceremonies. Michigan State awards degrees to more Michigan residents than anyone, and about two-thirds of those who are starting their careers will stay in Michigan — a huge annual infusion of talent.

I keep in mind that most of these graduates will continue working into the 2070s. So, think for a moment about how the workplace and economy have changed just in our own lifetimes. I see my job as not only preparing our students for the careers they’re about to enter but also for occupations that might not yet even exist.

That’s why Michigan State seeks additional state support for our proposed Engineering and Digital Innovation Center, which will host research and education in the growing fields where physical and digital technologies converge. We greatly appreciate the initial funding granted by the state and are seeking private sector partnerships to leverage this investment, allowing us to expand our engineering enrollments to better support Michigan’s growing technology sector.

We might be known for our agricultural roots, but Michigan State broke its most important ground 170 years ago when we were founded as a place not only for the elite but for all. That mission has never been more important, as we are called by the state and nation to grow the capacity of every person to address the increasingly complex issues that confront us.

Michigan State is a proudly public university that established the template for America’s great network of land-grant colleges. 

I’m acutely aware of the need for higher education to demonstrate its value, and I know Dan Hurley presented information already attesting to public universities’ return on investment. I’ll just add that our figures show MSU bachelor’s earnings four years after graduation are robust relative to comparison public university groups.

We also recognize that not everybody wants or needs a university degree. MSU’s Institute of Agricultural Technology offers two-year certificate programs on our campus or at one of our 10 community college partners. 

In Detroit, we offer 4-week and 10-month coding, design and business skills programs at our MSU-Apple Developer Academy. And we just announced a new MSU-Apple Manufacturing Academy there as well. It will offer free courses covering skills like project management and manufacturing process optimization, plus vocational and leadership skills for individuals and small and medium businesses. Both Apple academies are the first of their kind in the United States.

For those already pursuing careers, MSU colleges offer a range of professional development programs, such as the leadership and management skills program our Broad College of Business conducts for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

MSU research and innovation 

I want to turn now to our discovery and innovation programs. MSU was the first college to teach scientific agriculture, and today, it excels in plant science and veterinary medicine. We collaborate with Michigan’s agricultural community to protect apples, cherries, grapes and many other crops, supporting grower prosperity and ensuring a safe, plentiful food supply.

MSU’s research enterprise, however, is much broader. It extends to disciplines like medicine and physics and to applied technology, including advanced mobility and sustainable energy — areas vital to our health, national competitiveness and quality of life. Our development of the cancer drug cisplatin in the 1960s created a gold standard for treatment that has saved millions of lives to this day. We also work with the Department of Defense to develop autonomous vehicles and other innovations to defend our national security.

MSU operates the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science national user facility and the world’s highest-energy, most powerful heavy-ion accelerator. FRIB has earned federal investment of about $1.5 billion since 2012, 79% of which has been spent in Michigan. Delivered on budget and ahead of schedule, this unique facility was designed and developed by Michigan firms and workers.

FRIB creates quality jobs for over 700 families, generating over $541 million in Michigan business contracts since 2011. It attracts top talent that strengthens the state’s economy, national impact and global competitiveness. 

It strengthens Michigan’s workforce by training the next generation of scientists, engineers and defense professionals in high-demand fields, equipping local talent to lead in innovation, national security, and advanced industries. And FRIB boosts Michigan’s role in national innovation and competitiveness by enabling breakthrough research and technology development in medicine, energy, defense and advanced manufacturing. This includes testing microelectronics used in spaceflight, wireless technology and autonomous vehicles.

From a humble yet visionary institution, MSU today is a leading global research university ranking among the world’s top-100 patent-granting universities. The MSU Innovation Center helps more than 150 of our discoveries become patented products or start-up companies each year.

Key partner for Michigan

With an annual statewide economic impact of $6.81 billion, MSU applies its vast knowledge and resources to create solutions in partnership with communities across the state, making Michigan a place of opportunity. 

I’m sure you’re all familiar with MSU Extension, whose nearly 700 professionals support resilient, sustainable communities and programs like 4-H statewide. Our food and health programs empower families to make healthier lifestyle choices, and we partner with the agriculture industry to open access to innovative research and technologies.

MSU AgBioResearch, with centers on campus and 19 other locations around Michigan, conducts leading-edge research guided by our stakeholders to address emerging threats and support our agriculture and natural resources industries. Our success is based on such close partnerships, together with MSU Extension, governmental funding agencies and exceptional legislative support. 

We all know Michigan faces a shortage of K-12 teachers, and our College of Education — with four No. 1 ranked graduate programs — is responding. Our research tells us that Michigan’s educator workforce remains less stable and experienced than before COVID-19. This is especially true in the state’s rural areas throughout the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, where districts face higher turnover, more vacancies and greater reliance on under-credentialed teachers.

So, the college compressed its highly regarded five-year teaching program into four years, which also makes its degree more affordable. It offers an opportunity for high school students to dual-enroll in college-level courses, while another program helps college juniors and seniors become science teachers through a forgivable loan program.

Our College of Social Science, meanwhile, is working to address the state’s 9,000 early childhood educator vacancies. Its Birth to Kindergarten and Special Education degree program offers teacher certification and licensure for the state’s infant/toddler, preschool and kindergarten classrooms.

Michigan State closely partners with Michigan health systems at some 1,000 clinical sites to train much-needed physicians and nurses. Our three health sciences colleges enroll more than 2,300 students, 70% of whom stay in Michigan to practice. 

You might have seen the news report last week about an MSU medical student from Sault Ste. Marie who responded to not one, but two medical emergencies on a flight home. He applied skills learned from a unique in-flight emergency course at our College of Human Medicine’s Upper Peninsula campus. 

We’re very proud this young man plans to practice medicine in rural, underserved communities. You might also find Spartans staffing sporting events in the UP in our wilderness emergency medicine elective in partnership with the National Ski Patrol.

In addition to helping us educate tomorrow’s health care providers and broadening Michigan State’s clinical services, our 30-year health sciences partnership with Henry Ford Health in Detroit supports important medical research. A joint medical research center on the Henry Ford Health campus is well underway and will accommodate 80 Henry Ford and MSU research teams. That’s some 500 scientists working to cure cancer and other deadly diseases. Additionally, our clinical and research collaborations will help us address health disparities in rural and urban settings across Michigan.

I think it’s important for MSU’s faculty to be familiar with the challenges our communities face. Last year, I inaugurated our Spartan Bus Tours, taking about 50 of us to places around central and western Michigan where MSU partnerships with local businesses and organizations support their economies. We saw firsthand the challenges and incredible opportunities in front of our state and how Michigan State has a unique role to play.

I’m looking forward early next month to leading a bus tour of the Detroit region to visit medical, technology, manufacturing, agricultural and cultural partners. And in the fall, Mr. Chairman, I’m looking forward to a Spartan Bus Tour that includes stops in our beautiful Upper Peninsula. 

Speaking of partnerships, I’m very pleased to welcome our colleagues from Michigan Tech into the ranks of R1 universities and into Michigan’s University Research Corridor, which also includes Wayne State and the University of Michigan. I know my fellow presidents and I look forward to working with President Koubek to showcase Michigan as a home to world-class university discoveries and innovation.

Moment of challenge and opportunity

I want to conclude with an acknowledgment that universities must be accountable for how their federal, state and philanthropic resources are utilized, as well as what we receive from our Spartan families. We recognize the public’s right to expect efficiency and transparency in how their tax dollars are spent.

I’m proud of Michigan State’s responsible stewardship of these resources, but I am concerned about the impacts of recent federal executive orders and other actions. Appropriations from the state are more critical than ever, and I thank you for continuing many years of public support for this critical state asset.

Thank you for inviting me today, and I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.