Audiences: current students, admitted students, employees, current and admitted student parents, alums and BOT
Dear Spartans and friends,
Michigan State is kicking into high gear as we move through the fall semester. The campus is beginning to show its autumn colors, and the sights and sounds of university life are in full swing. With the energy of Spartans everywhere, we’re excited to keep the momentum going through this busy season. I’ve enjoyed greeting new and returning students, faculty and staff, meeting alums and advocating for Michigan State’s engine of discovery and prosperity.
My travels have taken me to Detroit to meet young leaders at the Detroit Economic Club; to Washington, D.C., to confer with peer research university leaders and our elected representatives; to Southern California to cheer on the football team and meet our passionate alums and friends; and, this week, I’m back in Grand Rapids to join community partners to celebrate 15 years of health care innovations at the MSU Secchia Center.
I can’t wait to hit the road again next month, joining several dozen leaders and faculty colleagues for the latest leg of our semi-annual Spartan Bus Tour. We’ll visit several communities MSU students and alums call home, this time through northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, to showcase our commitment to improving quality of life for Michiganders. Our stops over several days will bring us together with local partners, stakeholders and fellow educators, helping deepen our appreciation for the impact of MSU’s educational, research and outreach missions in every corner of Michigan.
Seeding innovation
Back in March, I shared the story of cisplatin — the groundbreaking cancer drug developed at MSU in the 1960s. It’s a powerful example of scientific discovery, collaboration and the impact of federal research funding. This month, that legacy was recognized with the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s 2025 Golden Goose Award for cisplatin’s role in saving millions of lives and demonstrating the value of basic research. Many of us know someone whose life has been touched by cisplatin — I certainly do.
The drug’s success also sparked local innovation: Licensing revenues helped form the MSU Research Foundation’s endowment, which has invested over $400 million since 1974 in MSU research, technology transfer and startup support across Michigan. Most recently, the foundation announced a statewide expansion of its PitchMI competition, which will award $4 million to eight winning teams, backed by the Michigan Innovation Fund and the foundation’s own Michigan Rise Evergreen Fund.
To explore more of MSU’s research impact, visit our Research for You website — and consider adding your voice in support of the science that powers progress.
Spartan honors and must-dos
The foundation is also a key supporter of the chief source of Michigan State’s impact: our world-class faculty. We’ll be celebrating MSU Research Foundation professors, together with other endowed faculty, at the 2025 MSU State of the University and Investiture for Endowed Faculty Sept. 30.
There, I’m looking forward to joining Provost Laura Lee McIntyre and other colleagues in recognizing this amazing group of scholars. I’ll also deliver my State of the University address. It’s a chance to discuss progress on many of the leadership initiatives I announced at my presidential investiture a year ago, supporting student preparation for 21st-century careers and other key goals. I invite you to watch the livestream or the recording.
Dedication to discovering knowledge is just part of the culture that binds us together. The college experience is something that stays with us the rest of our lives and is something all our faculty and staff strive to make the very best for our students. It’s also about the slices of life in between classrooms and studies — things we have shared together — that make it unique.
Some memorable Spartan experiences, like learning the fight song, climbing Beaumont Tower or joining the midnight scream — span generations. Others are more specific to our newer cohorts, like pausing to recharge in the Multicultural Center’s reflection room or taking a selfie with yours truly.
So, we are offering a guide with our refreshed list of Michigan State must-dos. We’ve assembled a list of 50 fun activities that help define and add life to the Michigan State experience. And students, I’ll be pleased to help you out with checking off No. 24!
Go Green!
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
(pronounced GUS-ka-wits)
President
Professor, Department of Kinesiology