We found 112 results that contain "masking matters"

Demystifying [Online] Student Engagement
January 18, 2024, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., virtual via ZoomPresented by Dr. Ashley Moore
Join CTLI Affiliate and Assistant Professor, Dr. Ashley Moore, in a dialogue about common challenges engaging students in an online course setting. We’ll talk about how to set the stage for a warm classroom environment, different ways to check in with students, and pedagogical strategies to get student buy-in for your course—all grounded in humanizing praxis.Learn more and register here 
Online Program Director Coffee Hour: Best Practices in course design, QM alignment, and D2L templates
January 18, 2024, 1 – 2 p.m., virtual via ZoomCTLI invites you to join us for the Online Program Directors Coffee Hour session for the month of January. We will be focusing this months discussion on best practices in online course design, alignment with Quality Matters, and D2L course templates available at MSU. Please contact Alicia Jenner (jennera1@msu.edu) for event invitation.
Introduction to Peer Dialogues
January 18, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m., virtual via ZoomPresented by Dr. Jay Loftus
Peer dialogue is a structured methodology for observation and feedback. It is intended to be a colleague-to-colleague process to help improve instructional practice, and ultimately student learning experiences and outcomes. Unlike a formal review of instructional practice that may occur as part of tenure and promotion, peer dialogue is a collegial and collaborative practice aimed at improving skills and strategies. In part 1 of peer dialogues participants will learn about the process.Learn more and register here 
Using Collaborative Discussion
January 24, 2024, 10 – 11:30 a.m., virtual via ZoomPresented by Dr. Shannon Burton
CTLI is happy to host MSU's Office of the University Ombudsperson team as they share their expertise through the "2023-24 Conflict in Groups: Pedagogy, Projects and Possibilities" series. Learn more and register here 
"Welcome to My Classroom" Series: Pedagogy of Care Panel
January 25, 2024, 10 – 11 a.m., virtual via ZoomMediated by Dr. Makena Neal | Panelists include Dr. Crystal Eustice (CSUS) & Dustin DuFort Petty (BSP)
We're excited to start the new calendar year with a panel of educators discussing the what a "pedagogy of care" means to them and what it looks like in their learning environments.Learn more and register here 
Advising/Tutoring Appointment Systems Training
January 25, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m., virtual via ZoomPresented by Katie Peterson and Patrick Beatty
Whether you are a new or current user of the Advising/Tutoring Appointment System, this session will provide guidance on different components of this system, including how to manage appointment availability, adding a student to you or another advisor’s schedule, and additional tips and tricks. Learn more and register here 
Book Discussion: “Teaching on days after: educating for equity in the wake of injustice”
January 30, 2024, 1:30 – 3 p.m., virtual via ZoomFacilitated by Drs. Makena Neal and Ashley Moore
For our second discussion, we’ll be reading “Teaching on days after: educating for equity in the wake of injustice" by Alyssa Hadley Dunn (published by Teachers College Press in 2022). This title is available via the MSU Main Library as an eBook (ProQuest EBook Central).Learn more and register here 
Boosting student engagement: Easy tactics and tools to connect in any modality
February 5, 2024, 1 – 2 p.m., virtual via ZoomFacilitated by Drs. Ellie Louson and Makena Neal
Using zoom chat, google docs and slides, word clouds, D2L, and other MSU tech tools, we will focus on low-barrier ways that instructors can connect with students, help students connect with each other, organize whole-class or small-group brainstorms, and translate effective in-person activities for hybrid or online classrooms.Learn more and register here 
Taking Care of Yourself in Times of Uncertainty
February 8, 2024, 9 – 10 a.m., virtual via ZoomPresented by Jaimie Hutshison of the WorkLife Office
We can be creatures of habit. Things that are expected and planned allow us to feel more in control of our lives and our time. This presentation will address best practices for self-care. Learn more and register here 
Generative AI Open Office Hours
February 16, 2024, 12 – 1:30 p.m., virtual via ZoomHosted by Dr. Jeremy Van Hof & colleagues from the Enhanced Digitial Learning Initative
This time will be treated like "office hours", where any educator with questions or looking for futher conversation about Generative AI is welcome to join this zoom room whenever suits them!Learn more here
"Welcome to My Classroom" Series: Jessica Sender
February 20, 2024, 1 – 2 p.m., virtual via ZoomPresented by Jessica Sender
This month, we are excited to hear from Jessica Sender, Health Sciences Librarian, Liaison to the College of Nursing, and CTLI Affiliate. Jessica will be showcasing the Anatomage Table (located in the Digital Scholarship Lab on 2West of the Main Library) and the ways it can be incorporated pedagogically to improve learning experiences. Learn more and register here 
Dialogue and Deliberation
February 21, 2024, 10 – 11 a.m., virtual via ZoomPresented by Dr. Shannon Burton
CTLI is happy to host MSU's Office of the University Ombudsperson team as they share their expertise through the "2023-24 Conflict in Groups: Pedagogy, Projects and Possibilities" series. Learn more and register here 

Educational Videos: Best Practices
This document uses learning theory and research to suggest best practices in creating educational videos.
Audio

Don’t read out loud. If you want to create a script, do it. Read it a few times. Put it away and try and speak as naturally as possible when you record. You won’t (and shouldn’t) stick to the script word for word while recording, but it should help you sound articulate without reading from a script.
Don’t speak too slowly. Research shows that speaking slowly results in learners thinking the speaker is less credible and having less interest in the materials. Speaking slower does not increase retention (Simonds, Meyer, Quinlan & Hunt, 2006).
Keep language informal. Speak in a conversational way, avoiding jargon, technical terms, and “academic-speak.” Put concepts in your own words. Use first and second person (I, you) to create a personal connection. This is referred to as the personalization principle in multimedia learning theory (Mayer, 2009).

Visuals

Change visuals often. If you are recording a screen-share of Power Point, use more slides and change the slides more frequently, spending less time on each slide. Visuals (photos, images, and diagrams) are better than words.
Omit needless words. On PowerPoint, that is. Use more images than words because people learn better when they hear the words and see images. This is referred to as the redundancy principle in multimedia learning theory (Mayer, 2009).
Include your face? Maybe! This could help create a connection with learners and help you retain viewer attention by letting you switch between a visual and an image of the speaker. Research shows students may prefer seeing your face, but it doesn’t necessarily help them learn (Kizilcec, Bailenson, & Gomez, 2015).
Recording via Zoom? Select options to record both the active speaker and the shared window (Power Point) so that you can edit the video in a way that includes both. You can do this in Zoom Settings by using Zoom Cloud Recording and selecting to “Record active speaker, gallery view, and shared screen separately.”
Informal settings are fine! High quality production backgrounds don’t engage learners more. Relax and find that balance of professional yet personal (Guo, Kim, Rubin, 2014).
Use tablet drawing. Learners are more engaged by Khan-style videos that show “live” drawing than by static images (Guo, Kim, Rubin, 2014). If you have the tools to do this, great! If not, consider using annotation tools in Power Point.

Content Considerations

Leave off speaker intros and objectives. This type of material can be presented in the description or in the materials preceding the videos. Jump straight into the content. This helps you keep videos short.
Keep it short. Research with MOOCs suggests 6 minutes or less is optimal (Guo, Kim, Rubin, 2014). In addition, it is harder for learners to use a longer video to review specific content. Keeping videos under 6 minutes isn’t a hard rule, since context matters, but shorter usually is better.

Hosting Considerations

Provide background information. Introduce the topic, the speaker, and tell the learner how long the video will be in the video description or in the material preceding the video.
Provide a take-away for more technical content. An example would be a fact sheet or a fillable PDF form with a note-taking outline that learners can fill out while watching and then download and save.
Consider interactive videos. Camtasia lets you add simple interactions to your videos to keep your viewers engaged. MediaSpace allows for interactions as well.

Before, During, After

Frame videos with a task before, during, and after. If you are hosting the video in an online course, have your viewers do something related to the topic before watching it to activate their background knowledge and build schema. Give them a task to do while watching the video, and then give them a task after to check their comprehension or to relate the content to their life experiences. Some basic examples are below.





Before


During


After





Discuss a question about the topic in a forum




Listen to answer specific question(s)




Transform the material into another form (perhaps write a summary)






Reflect on the topic by considering a question




Take notes




Answer comprehension questions






Read related content




Complete a partially filled-out outline




Discuss the topic in a forum






Take a poll related to the topic and notice how your peers answered




Fill in a chart or graphic organizer relating to the content




Share an experience from your life that relates to the material






Learn related vocabulary




Write down one thing you heard that is new and one thing you heard that you already knew




Apply what you have learned by responding to a posted scenario





 
Final Thought: Not everything needs to be a video.
Not everyone likes video. Presenting materials in different ways and including variety is important. Some material is better read, or presented as a job aid, a table, or a visual. In addition, making a change to a produced video is much more difficult than updating text. Be strategic in choosing how to deliver information.
References
Guo, P. J., Kim, J., & Rubin, R. (2014). How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of MOOC videos. L@S 2014 - Proceedings of the 1st ACM Conference on Learning at Scale, 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1145/2556325.2566239
Kizilcec, R. F., Bailenson, J. N., & Gomez, C. J. (2015). The Instructor’s Face in Video Instruction: Evidence From Two Large-Scale Field Studies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(3), 724–739.
Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Simonds, B. K., Meyer, K. R., Quinlan, M. M., & Hunt, S. K. (2006). Effects of instructor speech rate on student affective learning, recall, and perceptions of nonverbal immediacy, credibility, and clarity. Communication Research Reports, 23(3), 187–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/08824090600796401
 
 
 

This post delves into inclusive classroom activities as part of the Inclusive Pedagogy playlist.
What are some strategies for inclusive classroom activities? 
Classroom activities and interactions are where learners spend the most time with the educator. It is the space to build in trust, transparency, collaboration, and inclusivity. Some specific strategies include:

Build rapport with learners, as it is one of the most effective ways to make learners feel like they belong. There are many ways to build rapport, such as sending introductory emails, asking learners to introduce themselves, having asynchronous check-ins with learners, getting to know their interests and goals through one-on-one interactions, providing feedback that also centers praise, and having email check-ins with all learners throughout the semester.
Learn learners' names and pronouns (if they share) and how to pronounce their names correctly. Do not call roll on the first day, as learners’ names on the roster may not match the name they use. Encourage learners to also learn and use each other’s names and pronouns correctly.
Make connections of class sessions to the larger learning goals of the course, to the larger field, and to the world. 
Collaborate with learners to develop ground rules and norms
Anticipate subject matters that may need content warnings and incorporate pathways for learners to opt-out of content that would put them in a place they can no longer learn effectively
Deliver content through accessible principles and Universal Design for Learning. You may also want to consider incorporating breaks if your class session is long. 
Incorporate into classroom activities a range of diverse perspectives and thinking across race, nationality, language, disability, sexuality, gender, class, etc.. This representation should not be tokenizing but spread throughout the syllabus (i.e., not occur once to “check” a box; not present stereotypes; not be centered on a diversity month, such as Black authors in February only)
Structure discussions to include all learner voices, such as “take a queue, ask to hear from those who have not spoken, wait until several hands are raised to call on anyone, use think-pair-share activities” (University of Michigan).
Acknowledge difficult current events (but do not force learners to discuss them) and provide learners with resources if they want further support
Provide opportunities for learners to give feedback throughout the semester. For example, you may distribute an anonymous survey near mid-terms asking learners what they would like to continue, what they want to see changed, and any open questions/concerns they have. 
Refrain from making assumptions about learners, requiring learners have to speak on behalf of their identities, letting harmful comments by learners go unaddressed
If a challenging moment arises, use the P.A.L.S. method to address it in the moment and follow up with those harmed, as needed

How can I reflect on my classroom activities for inclusion? 
Some reflection questions to consider: 

How might the ways I set up classroom spaces and activities foster inclusion or disinclusion?
How do your own experiences, values, beliefs, and stereotypes influence the way you behave in the classroom?
How can I build rapport with my learners, and what impact do I think this has had on their sense of belonging?
How can I connect individual class sessions to the broader learning goals and real-world applications?
How can I involve learners in co-creating and upholding classroom ground rules, norms, and activities?
How can I prepare for and address potentially sensitive topics in my teaching?
How can I incorporate diverse perspectives into my syllabus and classroom activities in a way that is meaningful and not tokenizing?
What methods can I use to ensure all learner voices are heard and supported in classroom discussions?

Where can I learn more about inclusive classroom activities?
The resources below informed this article’s content. They are also great resources for learning more: 

Columbia’s Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia
Harvard’s Teaching in Racially Diverse College Classrooms
Ohio University’s Building Rapport
University of Chicago’s Inclusive Pedagogy Strategies
University of Michigan’s Inclusive Teaching Strategies: Reflecting on Your Practice

Return to the Inclusive Pedagogy playlist.

The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from the College of Nursing. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Rebecca Boni: Thank you for being an amazing mentor, role model, and friend this past year at MSU.  I appreciate our many chats whether it was work, school, or kid related.  Your patience and prompt answers to my many questions/concerns was very appreciated.  Excited that I am able to call you my friend and mentor!
 
Betty Buck: I appreciate your input and guidance on nursing matters and the fun we have when we get together!  Thank you for being an amazing co-worker and friend!  
 
Patrick Crane: As new faculty for NUR 460, you took the time to meet with me one on one and make sure I understood the course and how to communicate with preceptors-something I had never done before.  While I did require a lot of support teaching this course for the first time, you understood and offered all the support and guidance I needed to help me be successful and the students as well.  Thank you!
 
Izabella de Barbaro: Izabella is hands down the most passionate instructor I have had while at MSU and I am so grateful for her patience in teaching and contagious enthusiasm. 
 
Pallav Deka: In the beginning of the semester, Dr. Deka told our pathophysiology class that it would be his first time teaching the class. Usually, it is professors talking about how great it was to see students grow, but this time I'd like to acknowledge how much Dr. Deka has improved already in just one semester. He made the class interesting and enjoyable, even when the information got hard. He was willing to work with students when they needed help and often stayed after class. There was not one single day that Dr. Deka was not willing to go above and beyond for his students, or just be generally kind to them. I hope that Dr. Deka will continue teaching this course, and as he did on the last day of class, finish the lecture slides all at once:) Thank you for a wonderful semester, Dr. Deka!
 
Jessica Ery: This semester was Dr. Ery's first semester teaching NUR 205 and she did a wonderful job. I feel very prepared to move on to the next step with the base knowledge she has provided us. There are a lot of things Dr. Ery did a lot of great things throughout the semester, but the thing that has made the largest impact on me was not a teaching moment. On our last clinical day, Dr. Ery took a guess at which type of nursing everyone in the clinical group would do. During the semester while I was waiting to find out her prediction for me, I thought it would just be fun to see how my instructor saw me. However, when she told me her guess, pediatric oncology, and the reasons she thought so, it opened my eyes to a type of nursing I had never considered before. Pediatric oncology is now at the top of my interests, but without Dr. Ery I may have never discovered this. So I would like to thank her for not only doing an incredible job of teaching us all, but also for making clinical a fun, safe environment and opening my eyes to an area of nursing that I believe I will one day love being a part of.
 
Joanne Golbert: Thank you for an amazing semester where you offered me a LOT of support and guidance on student issues that were new to me at MSU.  I greatly appreciate you taking the time to help me navigate MSU policies and vesting in my success that in turn ensured students' success this semester.  Thank you!
 
Stephanie Gray: Thank you for all the support and willingness to go above and beyond to make a learning event that much better for the DMC students.  I appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share that knowledge with me to teach the future of our profession.
 
Andy Greger: Andy works tirelessly to support faculty and students successful navigation of all things technology to enhance the learning environment. He responds, without hesitation, to urgent calls about computer blue screens, presentation issues, to evaluating software, designing online learning environments, integration of technology and continuous faculty development and support. Most impressive - he is always patient, supportive, and professional.
 
Jackie  Iseler: As my Academic Advisor in both my MSN CNS and now in my post masters DNP program Dr. Iseler has been extremely supportive and encouraging. Dr. Iseler often checks in to see how I am doing with course work and provides support as needed. I have also had Dr. Iseler as course faculty in many of my CNS courses and she always did a great job of incorporating real life examples from her own clinical setting into our instruction providing an authentic learning environment. I would like to thank Dr. Iseler for providing me the support and guidance I need as I work towards achieving my academic goals. 
John Mailey John was the best clinical instructor I've ever had, and was by far the most influential in developing my clinical skills, knowledge, and confidence. 
 
Emily McIntire: Emily McIntire is the director of the simulation lab and has developed a program of simulated learning at the College of Nursing that uses the best technology available.  However, beyond that, she has amazing skills in developing real life scripted situations that allow nursing students to experience fully the minute to minute consequences of their nursing decisions in a high pressure setting.  Over the past two years, Emily and I have been adopting and presenting the first ever community based simulation at the College of Nursing using the Missouri Community Action Network Poverty simulation kit.  As we provide this simulation, Emily and I have become aware of the emotional aspect of this experience.  She is currently exploring the concept of embodied learning in order to understand how simulation can provide more than kinesthetic based learning, but also help develop emotional intelligence and compassionate based care giving.  This project has been presented at the National Conference for the Association of Contemplative Learning in Higher Education and is currently an active IRB based study with a manuscript in process.  We can always train intelligent nurses, but exploring how to train wise and compassionate nurses is a more daunting task.  I believe Emily McIntire is a champion and leader in this important area. 
 
Kyle Miller: Bio was a hard subject for me to comprehend and Dr.Miller really made it more enjoyable and showed that he really cared when I was having difficulties 
 
Francisika Nekaien: I appreciate the helpful and flexible office hour times and that the professor showed that she genuinely cared about students understanding of the material.  I appreciate the professor's down to earth personality and also her patience when I was struggling to understand the material. Getting one on one help time surely help me understand the class material. 
 
Kathleen Poindexter: 
a) You are a wonderful leader, teacher, and friend.  It is impossible to count the ways that you have helped me to achieve my professional and personal goals.  Without you, I would not be the nurse, leader, or educator I am today.  Thank you for believing in me and teaching me how to believe in myself.  
 
b) Dr. Poindexter impacted my life tremendously as a graduate student at MSU in the MSN clinical nurse specialist (CNS) program. As a graduate student I had to balance many responsibilities (family/children, full time employment etc.). Dr. Poindexter gave me the support, encouragement, and guidance I needed to continue to achieve my goal of becoming a Masters prepared CNS. Dr. Poindexter was always there when I needed her, once when I was feeling very overwhelmed in my second semester of coursework I called Dr. Poindexter and her and I spoke for almost 2 hours and our conversation helped me to have a renewed sense of confidence and determination, this was a turning point for me in the program. Currently I am faculty in the CON at MSU and a Masters prepared CNS and again with Dr. Poindexter's encouragement and support I am continuing my education to pursue my post masters DNP. Dr. Poindexter is my faculty mentor and is helping me to transition into my faculty role at MSU as well. Dr. Poindexter is  great role model and someone I greatly admire and would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank her for the role she has played in my academic and professional career thus far. 
 
c) Thank you for your assistance on my first poster presentation, promotion of an EBP clinical learning environment, and navigating scholarship at MSU.  My success (current and future) is because you believed in me and guided me to the path I needed to be on.  Thank you!
 
Amy Pollock: Dr. Pollock was an amazing professor.  She knew her subject very well and made it as easy as possible for me to understand the material.  She was also very helpful during her office hour and I would definitely have her again!
 
Lorraine Robbins: Dr. Robbins has provided guidance and support throughout my PhD Nursing Program at Michigan State University. She is always available and willing to share her vast experience in research. She has the nursing research experience to know and adhere to the ethical standards associated with conducting research. Her professionalism and expertise in nursing research should be applauded.  Through her research experience she is well versed in conducted research and analyzing data in a detailed and scientific manner to accurately assess the benefits of program interventions. She is able to communicate these skills across all levels of the interdisciplinary research team. She is committed to ensuring efficient, high-impact and well-organized research studies and holds her students to these same standards. She is very deserving of this recognition.  
 
Carol Vermeesch: Thank you for always being available and responding to the many needs and questions I had through the past year.  As new faculty, your guidance has made me feel more welcomed at MSU and successful in being a Spartan Nurse! 
 
Anne Thomas (Passed in July): Thank you for being inclusionary of all new faculty.  I truly have felt very welcomed and set-up for success at MSU because of the environment you have created among faculty.  This environment that is welcoming and supportive does not go unnoticed by our faculty, especially those of us that are new!  Thank you!
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll be directed to a form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.

The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Jenifer Fenton: Jenifer is a fantastic mentor and constantly seeks out new pedagogical information to pass on to others. Her knowledge and direction really helped me improve my summer asynchronous online courses, and current and upcoming synchronous online courses. Additionally, she was fundamental in the redesign of our Nutritional Sciences major.
Tatiana Thomas: In a very challenging semester, Tati committed to helping me with ANS 300E, animal welfare judging. She served as both a ULA, an assistant coach for the judging team, and in both roles was a huge help to me. She came to each class with a positive attitude, always encouraging and ready to support the students and instructor. In her role as a ULA, Tati created a mock welfare scenario for the students and monitored their fact sheet submissions providing valuable practice and important feedback to the students. With such a trying semester for me, the quality of this course would have suffered had it not been for Tati. A million times over, thank you.
Jessica Kiesling: Jessica seems to be an endless well of patience, positivity, and productivity. She gives students meaningful assignments, path-plowing networking opportunities, and much-needed grace as we stumble our way into the professional world. I am so grateful to have Jessica as advisor and instructor, and the animal science community is so lucky to have her! Thank you, Jessica!
Scott Winterstein: I would like to give a huge shoutout to Dr. Winterstein for being the most exemplary mentor for the past 3 years and for his unparalleled dedication to excellence in teaching that I have witnessed the past 2 years as his Undergraduate Learning Assistant (ULA).
I met Dr. Winterstein when I was a freshman psychology major in his ISB202 course. Dr. Winterstein’s ISB202 course and our discussions after class strengthened my passion for environmental protection and showed me that I could turn my passion into a career. Near the end of the course, I changed my major to Environmental Studies and Sustainability. Now a graduating senior, Dr. Winterstein has been an amazing mentor to me and has completely shaped my career goals and introduced me to all the amazing opportunities the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) has to offer.
I have had the pleasure of working as his ULA for the last 4 semesters. In this role, I have seen him consistently go above and beyond for his students. He is incredibly committed to spreading his love of environmental science and supporting every one of his students. Dr. Winterstein’s work ethic and devotion to creating the best academic experience for his students is unparalleled. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and transition to online learning, I have seen many classes decline in quality and effort. For his ISB202 sections, I have only seen Dr. Winterstein dedicate more time and effort to perfecting his course. Moreover, he seriously takes into consideration the end of the semester surveys every time. Although he already has recorded lectures from the last two semesters online he could easily use, he re-records them every week adding new information and slight changes he makes based on survey results and careful analysis. He is extremely understanding of student difficulties, organized, and well-read. Additionally, I have seen many professors throughout my years at MSU change office hours to by appointment only, understandably, due to a lack of participation. When students would not show up to office hours due to zoom exhaustion, Dr. Winterstein opened up an extra office hour day in hopes of fitting student’s schedules better. He is always open to talking to his students about questions, related or unrelated to the course. And, many students have shared how fascinating and inspirational his memories about the history of the environmental movement and his own research is. While reading feedback he received from students on how to improve the course, a common trend I found was a deep appreciation of how enjoyable he made the science lectures through his humor and clear passion. He teaches in a way that is easily digestible to non-science major students and stimulating enough to convince me and many others to switch to science majors.
As a mentor, Dr. Winterstein has changed my life for the better. Always more than happy to help, I have asked Dr. Winterstein for endless letter of recommendation requests and his references has helped me secure over $8,000 in scholarships. Not to mention, he always forwards workshops/conferences he finds relating to environmental protection and my goals that he thinks may be of interest to me. Moreover, this year Dr. Winterstein offered to serve as the faculty advisor for my personal gap year project, a clean drinking water initiative in Mfangano Island, Kenya. Since, he has helped me apply to grants that could fund clean drinking water for 700+ residents and helped me secure an amazing summer internship.
Professor Winterstein is clearly in the top 1% of professors I have encountered at MSU based on both his dedication to his subject matter and unwavering passion in helping his students succeed. Personally, he helped me tremendously in growing from a confused freshman to a passionate and experienced professional with a clear career goal and life purpose. To be frank, MSU was not my top choice, but now I am graduating with an overwhelming sense of belonging within the CANR and forever proud to be a Spartan. His passion in helping his students inspired me to be a student mentor to a handful of CANR students and to pitch a mentorship program to the CANR Alumni Association which they will be pursuing. Thank you Dr. Winterstein for all that you do. I know the trajectory of my entire life has been significantly improved thanks to your course and mentorship. It is educators like you that make the world go round!
Aakanksha Melkani: Aakanksha is an amazing peer: she is a skillful, thoughtful woman who is as much fun to work with as she is to eat a meal or chat with! Aakanksha helps address the concerns of graduate students in her role as AFRE Graduate Student Organization Vice President. Her research work focuses on understanding marketing decisions in Zambia and trade of agricultural inputs. Aakanksha really represents excellence in all its forms :)
April Athnos: GTA April Athnos chooses to be an “usher” rather than a “gatekeeper” to knowledge for students of Ecological Economics (EEM 255). She welcomes students to identify environmental challenges and uncover the economic factors underpinning them. Said one student, “April used a variety of teaching methods, to promote an inclusive learning experience for all different types of students.” April makes the time to tailor the course to individual student needs, so that another student, “had the opportunity to write a research paper on the topic of the Coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the U.S. economy for my Honors Project.”
Ankita Bhattacharya: Ankita, is the true example of a graduate student. She started in the department as a Masters student and just recently transferred into the PhD program. Several semesters she has held the position as a TA for FSC 430, with the instructor giving her rave reviews. Ankita, is a kind student that always has a smile on her face.
Sihan Bu:

Sihan is a fantastic teaching assistant. She was instrumental in the process of converting a course from in-class to synchronous online, even though she had never assisted with the course prior. The course has a lot of "moving parts", and I was very impressed with her ability to adapt and provide input. Sihan completed every task bestowed upon her, and readily took the initiative when needed. Additionally, she has been a reference for me in using R for a course I am teaching this spring. I had never used R before, and I would often reach out to her inquiring about specific codes.


Sihan is such a kind person and always has a smile. She received her MS at MSU and is continuing on with her PhD. She has contributed to several different studies within the department and with a previous FSHN student at Wayne State University.

Rick Jorgensen: Rick, is one of the most delightful, enjoyable students to be around. He has continued to keep a 4.0 GPA, His first project was to establish a IgE-Western blot method for studying wheat allergenicity. He has presented at the AAI meeting. Is a co-author on an abstract, a co-author on 2 peer-reviewed papers, the list continues on. He is also the student representative for FSHN GAC, all this while being a TA for the fall and spring semesters.
Srishti LNU: From the time Srishti entered the MS program she has had a smile on her face. Almost everyday she would stop by my desk to just say Hi and have a short conversation. This is her last semester as she will be graduating, while I am so excited for her and her future, it is sad to see her go.
Chia-Lun Yang: Chia-Lun is planning on graduating summer semester. Her career goal is to become a nutrition scientist, delivering knowledge to the general public. We have no doubt that she will meet and exceed her expectations. Chia was/is a great addition to FSHN, always kind, always smiling and always helpful.
Lucas Krusinski: Lucas is in his second year and has maintained a 4.0 GPA. He is overseeing projects and training other student in techniques and completed work on two funded grants. He also presented his research findings at the annual meeting of the American Association of Animal Science, his abstract was published in their journal. FSHN is lucky to have Lucas as a Grad student.
Alyssa Harben: Alyssa Harben has engaged opportunities across the mission (teaching, research and service) more deeply than any other student that I have had the privilege to mentor. She is critical player in our research, collecting and analyzing data as well as mentoring students and actively engaging community partners. She is an excellent teacher former FAST fellow, who has engaged in critical inquiry related to teaching and learning. All of this has led to the creation of new knowledge and new scientists. Her enthusiasm is as endless as her energy and it has been to my benefit to have known her.
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll see a short form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize

***This is part of a series of articles compiling useful resources and information for new graduate students. Some of the information in this series will be relevant for anybody new to MSU, including undergraduates, postdocs, faculty and staff. The topical areas range from settling into East Lansing and Michigan, getting to know which services can be found on campus to administrative steps and information needed throughout a graduate program at MSU. For the full series, see this playlist dedicated to (international) graduate students.***
 
Welcome to East Lansing! Here are a few resources and tips on good places to eat, drink, shop and visit. Some things that will help make settling into your new hometown easier. These suggestions don’t represent any official endorsements but are rather some favourites from your fellow graduate students. There are always new shops and restaurants opening up, so keep exploring.
Housing
On campus
There are a few on campus housing options available for graduate students. Please see this website for an overview. Make sure they are open to graduate students! Common choices are Spartan Village, Owen Hall and 1855 Place. Spartan Village is a little older and a little further from main campus than the newer 1855 Place for example. Be aware that due to demand, you may be placed on a waiting list and not get an apartment immediately.
Off-campus
There are many options to live off campus, in apartments or houses, individually or shared with others, depending on budget and location. Some help to get started can be found here. Other common websites to use are Zillow and this Facebook page specific to MSU students. Again, this is just to name a few, you will find more options googling for housing in (East) Lansing. You can also ask around in your department.
Note that MSU offers legal support services to have lease agreements and such checked for you.
Grocery shopping
The big grocery chains in this area are Kroger and Meijer. They both have several stores around East Lansing and Lansing and are reachable by bus in case you don’t have a car.
On the west side of campus is a nice “farmer’s market” type supermarket called Fresh Thyme that is really good.
For organic, nice but a little expensive groceries, check out Whole Foods and Foods for Living.
For Asian and other ethnic foods try out Fresh International Market. Specifically Indian food can be found at Swagath Foods, next to Swagath Indian restaurant (near Fresh Thyme market).
There is an Aldi in Okemos (east of East Lansing), near Meridian Mall that is a great cheap option.
Horrocks on the west side of Lansing is a little far away but definitely worth the drive! Fantastic produce, cheese and beer/ wine section and you can grab a coffee while you’re shopping.
A word on groceries…
Many stores have rewards programs or special days on which you can save money. They can definitely be worth it! Just ask!
Restaurants
I thought about listing restaurants that have become favourites, however, everybody enjoys something different. So instead, I would like to point you to some areas (East) Lansing where there is a variety of dining options. This is by no means a comprehensive overview, so please google for restaurants serving your favourite cuisine!
Just north of campus in downtown East Lansing you can find several of the bigger chain restaurants but also some smaller businesses.
There are a few places near Hanna Plaza on Hagadorn Road just east of campus.
A few are dotted around Frandor Shopping Center just west of campus.
In Lansing, look at restaurants in ReoTown (southern Washington Avenue), in downtown (on Washington Avenue and Michigan Avenue) as well as Old Town (around César E. Chávez Avenue and Center Street).
Breweries
If you like to try new beers, check out the following local breweries:

Lansing Brewing Company
Midtown Brewing Company
Ellison Brewing (great Pizza food truck outside)
EagleMonk Pub and Brewery
Old Nation Brewing (outside of East Lansing, towards Williamston)

Coffee Shops
For local coffee shops, try Blue Owl Coffee and Foster Coffee in downtown East Lansing. Hooked (coffee, books, and wine) and Strange Matter are other local favourites. Find coffee, fantastic pastries and breads at Mitten Raised. For a little French flair, amazing pastries and desserts visit Chapelure east of campus.
Besides those, (East) Lansing is home to many bigger coffee shop chains such as Starbucks and Biggby Coffee with locations on and near campus.
Shopping
There are a few malls close by: Meridian Mall, Eastwood Towne Center and Lansing Mall (a little further away in west Lansing). Outlet malls are further away but can be great for finding bargains, e.g. Tanger Outlets.
(East) Lansing also has several second-hand shops, including Plato’s Closet, 2nd Time Around (both east of campus towards Okemos), St. Vincent and Paul Thrift Store (and more in ReoTown Marketplace) or Metro Retro (in Old Town).
Big “supermarkets” like Meijer, Walmart and Target also have a selection of clothing, as well as selling household products, electronics and even gardening supplies and furniture. Good to get some basics.
There are a few places that sell second-hand furniture (and used bicycles) like the MSU Surplus store and for example Dicker and Deal and many more. Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist can also be helpful for finding cheap second-hand stuff online.
A word on shopping…
There are many different stores, both big department stores that offer lots of different things as well as designated furniture/ gardening/ clothing/ etc. stores around. Too many to list here. They are often NOT located in the downtown areas but on the outskirts of the city. The closest place with a collection of stores is east of MSU campus towards and around Meridian Mall (can be reached by taking bus #1).
Cultural attractions
(East) Lansing has many cultural attractions and activities. Sometimes you just need to look a bit harder than in other places 😊 Many events use Facebook for advertising.
Directly on campus is the Wharton Center for Performing Arts that shows anything from orchestra and opera to musicals and Broadway shows. They have student discounts!
The Broad Art Museum is home to changing art exhibits and can be visited for free! There is also a Starbucks in there and sometimes free Yoga classes are hosted in the lobby.
Another great thing to do on campus is seeing a show at the Abrams Planetarium. They sometimes offer free lunch time Relaxing under the Stars or Rest with Music sessions, in cooperation with Health4You.
Old Town (a district in Lansing) is hosting different types of festivals throughout the year, including Art’s Night Out and Jazz Fest, etc. The same goes for Reo Town that regularly hosts pop-up (and thrift) stores and is home to the cute little Robin Theatre.
For a glimpse at historic Michigan, check out Meridian Historical Village.
A lot of bars have Live Music nights. I usually find out about those by “liking” events on Facebook and then getting suggestions for similar events. Again, you might have to look a little to find events but they do exist!
Nature/ Outdoors Activities
You might be wondering if there are things to do outdoors in “cold” Michigan. Of course! It actually gets pretty hot during the summer. In my experience, Michigan has very short Spring and Fall seasons, a pretty long winter with snow and cold temperatures below freezing, and hot humid summers. There is plenty to explore at any time of year. You might just have to layer up 😊 In the summer, don’t forget your sunscreen (if you’re as pale as me) and mosquito spray!
On Campus:
For a walk in the woods right on MSU’s campus, go to Baker Woodlot/ Rachana Rajendra Neotropical Bird Sanctuary. It’s beautiful any time of year. Beware the muddy pathways though!
Want to explore all sorts of plants and flowers? Check out the Beal Botanical Gardens, Horticultural Gardens and Arboretum.
Need some peace and quiet? Try the MSU Radiology Healing Gardens.
Near campus:
THE nature thing to do in Lansing in my opinion is to walk, run or cycle the Lansing River Trail. Check out the different parks along the way – Crego Park, Potter Park, Hawk Island – and follow its extensions trails further south and west. It’s a beautiful way to cycle from campus to ReoTown or all the way into Old Town for instance. There’s swimming at Crego Park and Hawk Island Park where you can also go tubing (think sliding down a snowy hill in a big rubber donut) in the winter.
Just slightly off the River Trail is Fenner Nature Center, good for a stroll and to learn more about specific vegetation and landscapes.
Missing a trip to the Zoo but don’t want to go all the way to Detroit or Chicago? Lansing has its own Zoo that also does a lot of conservation work! Visit Potter Park Zoo and maybe combine it with a walk down the River Trail.
If you’re into water sports, you can kayak on the Grand River. A rental company right in downtown Lansing is Rivertown Adventures. Though there are many more rental companies around, e.g. it’s very pretty heading towards Grand Ledge. Also make sure to check out the MSU Sailing Center for sailing boat, kayak and paddle board rentals on Lake Lansing (student discounts!).
Further afield:
Try Woldumar Nature Center for trail running and walking.
There is outdoor rock climbing at Grand Ledge.
Michigan has a decent network of hiking trails and even longer distance biking trails (e.g. the Great Lake-to-Lake Trail that crosses Michigan from east to west)
And of course so much more in other parts of Michigan, the further North you go, the more diverse the landscape 😊 Pure Michigan is a good website to use as a starting point. Definitely try to get to the Upper Peninsula while you are here. It is gorgeous up there.
 
Beauty/ Fitness
Besides the opportunities to stay fit on campus (see “Campus Services”), (East) Lansing has a multitude of gyms and fitness options to offer. From general gyms to dedicated Yoga studios, there is something for everybody. I won’t try to list them here. Please google for your most convenient location and check whether they have student specials.
In terms of hair and beauty salons, again, there are many different ones catering to all sorts of needs. Conveniently located and with good prices is Aveda Institute on Grand River Avenue, just across from campus. Be aware that this is a school, hence, students cut hair and provide the services – supervised by experienced staff.
When looking for things like beauty services or massages, it can be worth checking Groupon or other sites that offer special deals in local shops.
 
Other essentials
Postal Services
There are two post offices close to campus, one on Abbot Road and one on Collins Road. You can buy stamps and envelopes also online from USPS (United States Postal Services). Other common carriers include UPS and FedEx, especially when sending larger things. Make sure to compare prices!
A word on the postal service…
The mail is delivered every day. If you are expecting a package but weren’t home when a delivery attempt was made, THEY WILL NOT TRY AGAIN. They will leave a little note for you to know either where to pick up the package or to fill out, place in the outgoing mail box and have them try another time (according to a date you specified).
Phone plans
When choosing a phone plan, make sure you “shop around” for the best offers. The big companies here are AT&T, xfinity, Verizon, and T-mobile. But there are others too.

The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from the College of Arts and Letters. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Deric McNish: Deric is an outstanding educator, for sure. But he is also an exceptional colleague and I just want people to recognize his compassionate and thoughtful approach to holistic learning and his coordination and organization of the largest population in our department-- the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. He is a wonderful leader in that program. He also inspires me to be more thoughtful with decisions I make through his guidance and examples. He is a colleague and peer that inspires me and others.

Danielle Devoss: Danielle is an inspirational leader and guide. I have worked with her on numerous projects-- or more likely watched her work. She is tireless and completely focused and committed. I am constantly inspired by her dedication and selfless willingness to help and guide.

Krsna Santos: Herr Santos has been one of the most considerate Professors I've had in my Freshman year so far. Starting off school online with this pandemic and all has not been easy but I've never had to stress out with Herr Santos and his class, as he is very understanding of the circumstances and is willing to make compromises to help me succeed.

Hannah Allen: Professor Allen has been extremely helpful in my first year as a freshman here at MSU. Her method for preparing for and going over essays is less stressful and she is always willing to offer additional assistance if needed. She is very kind and considerate as well, especially when connection issues arise.

Adam Gacs: I dropped out of GRM 202 the first time I tried to take it. I felt overwhelmed and I was drowning. After I left nearly the entire first test blank, I dropped the class. It took two years before I tried again, this time with Adam Gacs. Under his gentle guidance, I’ve been able to maintain a 4.0 and grow in my confidence. I no longer worry about not having all the words or stumbling over grammar. I think confidence was the one place my German knowledge was really failing, and I feel like I’ve gotten to be much more capable.
He’s also done an incredibly good job at teaching a language online. We seem to all be pretty in tune with each other in class and he lets us have fun and make jokes (as long as they’re in German!) and we have a genuinely good time. The assignments are easy to find and follow, and I never feel overwhelmed with work in his class like I have in language classes previously.
Massive thanks to Adam Gacs.

Nicola Imbrascio: She has been one of the most impactful professors I have had in my time at MSU, and my field isn't even related to what I learned in her classes. She cares so much about her students in both their academic and personal lives. I learned so much in both of the classes I took with her because she is so engaging and you can tell that she is really passionate about what she teaches.

Dr. Sheila  Contreras: I would like to thank Dr. Contreras for taking the time to mentor me and other individuals like me. She has always demonstrated care and an interest to see us succeed. She is an extraordinary Latina on our campus and deserves to be recognized for her effort in supporting our community. She has gone above and beyond to see us get into graduate school. She continues to motivate other Latinx individuals to continue their education. I appreciate her effort.

Morgan Shipley: Morgan Shipley is one of the most genuine professors I have ever had. Every class he shows how much he cares for his students and lets us know he is there for us.

Kenlea Pebbles: My freshman year I had professor Pebbles and I enjoyed her class so much. She brought so much positive energy to each class and I still appreciate it today. I remember being a freshman in my fall semester and professor Pebbles made everyone feel so welcomed, it did not feel like I was a first year student that was new to everything. I still use all of the writing skills that Kenlea taught me in my junior year now. Thank you!!

Ann Larabee: I really enjoyed the chance to team-teach the grad seminar on popular culture studies. I also learned a lot from your choice of materials and general expertise in the field. It was especially cool to bring in materials and ideas from JPC. The Zoom sessions with various experts around the country were an added bonus. We created a good dynamic environment for the students.

Mohammad Khalil: A wonderful colleague, Mohammad has enthusiastically come to speak to my Music in Religion course for the last several years. Despite his very busy schedule, he makes time to speak about Muslim popular music, something I knew nothing about before he first visited. Each time he comes with fresh examples and I learn something new. Students invariably remember these visits as one of their favorite lessons from the course.

Kate Sonka: I would like to thank Kate Sonka for her continual student-perspective taking and advocacy. Her efforts have improved the numerous roles she fills across campus, representing our diversity of students and their perspectives in the policy and procedures that are developed. This recently played out more directly in Kate's own class, when one of her students presented at the national Accessible Learning Conference. When the student was asked about where she had experienced any good examples of inclusive teaching, she mentioned her experience in Kate's course. Kate supports those around her, connects relevant communities, and promotes the widest possible range of voices. With Kate Sonka at our institution, our courses, committees, and communities are richer, getting us closer to the ideal of a public land-grant institution of higher learning.

Peter Hoffman: Professor Hoffman goes out of his way to make each and every student feel connected and appreciated. I e-mailed him once apologizing for my recent late assignments due to the stress of online classes. I was struggling and felt overwhelmed, but his kind reply gave me hope that things would get better. He even told me to e-mail him any time I needed words of encouragement. He does an amazing job making online classes positive and stress free while teaching his students the importance of poetry. Aside from poetry, Professor Hoffman gives valuable life lessons and makes each student a better person because of it.

Hui-Ling Malone: In her first year at MSU, Dr. Malone has impacted all of her students so much. She re-kindled my love of teaching, and gave us all confidence in our writing skills as a class.

Amy Lampe: Amy is hands-down the best advisor on campus. She genuinely cares about her students and coworkers, and has cheerleaded me from day one. She's always there for anyone who needs an advisor, friend, or mom figure in their life.

Kate Birdsall

Dr. Birdsall believed in me when it felt like no one else did. She encouraged my best work and gave me hope for my future in academia. 


Learning from KB has truly been the highlight of my experience at MSU. This institution sucks (sorry not sorry), but Kate Birdsall ROCKS. I had the true pleasure of having her for advanced fiction writing as a fluke when the other semester was out. That was three semesters ago and I have taken class with her each semester since. In person and on zoom, Kate cultivates a powerful environment of camaraderie and caring that makes all the difference, especially during the pandemic. She asks her students how they are and cares about the answer. She pushes her students, particularly those writing for The Current in WRA 480, to produce the best work they can and, when she's your teacher, you want nothing more than to make her proud by doing just that. And you do. I am an incomparably better writer, editor, and communicator because I've worked with KB. 


KB has given me the best academic experience during my time at MSU by far. She has a way with words and working to direct a team that I have yet to see replicated at this institution. Whether it be her gracious understanding of the tricky circumstances of life or her ability to relate to the class and what concerns them the most, she's all-around fantastic. She has made a considerable and positive impact on how I will view MSU in the future as I prepare for graduation this summer. My biggest regret is not having her as a professor sooner.


Kathryn Houghton: Kathryn has been an amazing professor. During this semester, she fostered a classroom environment via Zoom that encouraged not only participation, but the challenge of arguing a dissenting opinion. I was uninterested in the subject matter before this class, but quickly became enamored by it after beginning. She utilized appropriate virtual resources to aid in better understanding her well-polished slides for class. Also, the dogs this semester were a cute and uplifting addition.

Kate Fedewa: 

Professor Kate Fedewa is personable instructor who always makes sure her students are doing their best and is very understanding when extra time is needed on an assignment. She begins ever class asking how her students are and any news in their lives. I want to thank her for making my senior year not as stressful and always being there to help and talk.


Kate's Rhetoric of Grammar class has been my favorite of this very difficult semester. I was (most) always excited to hop out of bed once a week for this 8:30 class because Kate never failed to make it more than worth my while with engaging discussion and insightful lessons. She also manages to create a fruitful discussion environment on Zoom, for which she has absolutely earned some kind of medal. Each week she came up with practical exercises to do in breakout rooms which helped to demystify complex grammatical concepts. Our big paper assignment for the year also allowed me to spend two months working with lyrics from my favorite artist which has done wonders for moral. She is empathetic, brilliant, and always ready to help. Multiple times in the semester she scheduled extra review sessions just to ensure those who wanted more time to learn would have it. She is, quite frankly, the bee's knees. 


Casey Miles: Casey has been my advisor for years (a job at which she is freaking stellar), but this semester I had her as an instructor. I have learned a lot from Casey this year and not just about the job market but about how best to be to others. Casey teaches so much about empathy through leading by example. Her motto for our class was "come as you are, as you were, as you want to be." She says this and she *means* it. Casey approaches teaching with such a fabulous sense of humor and a tremendous amount of heart. Her kindness and assurance over the course of the semester has prevented more than one anxiety spirals on my end. She is positively kick-ass at what she does and everyone should be so lucky to experience a class with Casey Miles.

Maileen Bugnaski: Maileen worked with the 4-H and MSU Broad Art Lab collaborative project called Visualizing a Year Like No Other, a Michigan Teen Photo Project. Maileen met weekly with young people ranging from ages 13-18 to take photos on prompts intended to help them make sense of the crazy world around them. Maileen expertly created each week's prompt video, providing inspiration for the youth, and facilitated a weekly small group session for the youth to talk about their photos. Maileen's creativity and ability to create a sense of community among the youth made the program incredibly impactful for the participants. One of the participants said, "My biggest takeaway from the program was probably the feeling of how amazing it was to have my own community of people who shared similar interests as me and that I felt supported me. I also learned a lot about how fun photography is and how it can have a huge impact and very deep meanings." Maileen's contributions helped to make this possible.

Dustin De Felice: Dustin spends so much conscientious and dedicated time mentoring graduate students, even those who are not officially his advisees. He is one of those mentors and colleagues who genuinely wants students to succeed not only in relation to course topics but also with respect to professionalization and academic acclimation. His door is, quite literally, always open (pre-COVID, anyway). Dustin, thank you for making students (especially non-traditional ones) feel welcome and supported.
Megan Walsh: Megan Walsh stands out as a MSU Graduate Teaching Assistant. Megan applies pedagogical approaches that promote student agency. Megan keeps students’ attention by changing their focal points. She’s like a highly organized traffic cop. She physically and mentally divides her lessons into clear, logical sequences. Each purposeful transition results in refreshed student mental states. Students could not help but be fully engaged in her fast-paced environment. It was like watching a seasoned sports coach getting team members to run different, complicated plays really well. I was very fortunate to have had Meagan as a student. She is a rising teacher-star!
Bethany Meadows: In this past year, Bethany has done phenomenal work in and beyond the writing center. She has served as an excellent mentor to new consultants, practiced trauma-informed approaches to her work, and demonstrated an enduring commitment to dismantling sexual violence. It has been a pleasure to learn from Bethany this year, especially her commitment to community engagement.
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll see a short form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize

The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from the College of Education. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Alexandra Lee: Alexandra’s research focuses on the social-psychological processes underpinning achievement motivation specifically implicit theories of intelligence, competence beliefs, and achievement goals. She has taught in the K-12 setting and in a variety of cultural contexts, prior to coming to MSU (in Thailand, Singapore, rural Mississippi, and Denver, CO). As is currently the instructor of record for TE 150 (Reflections on Learning). Alexandra shared her teaching expertise and enthusiasm at a recent Lunch and Learn session with Graduate Teaching Assistants at MSU. Those in attendance really enjoyed learning from her and her expertise. We hope to have Alexandra share more of her great work in the teaching space for all those interested in teaching.
 
Lori Bruner: For always having my back! For being patient and flexible when I was diagnosed with arthritis. For teaching me how to be organized and new technology tricks. For being a great leader and mentor to other graduate and undergraduate students! Thank you for being there and helping me with teaching tasks when I needed it the most!
 
Eliana Castro: In addition to being an incredible, brilliant scholar and a devoted, compassionate teacher educator, Eliana Castro is a generous, contributing citizen in our Department. She provides invaluable service in myriad ways: mentoring other doctoral students, serving on a search committee for a new social studies colleague, helping to recruit incoming doctoral students, among many other ways. She is also a warm, kind person of whom we are all so proud. Thank you, Eliana!
 
Marilyn Amey: I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Amey. After taking one of her doctoral courses as a part of my PhD electives, I asked Marilyn to be the chair of my dissertation committee (and while the HALE department is filled with talented educators - I feel this was one of the best decisions of my doctoral career). Not only is Marilyn competent in her field and extremely knowledgeable, she is a fantastic educator who creates spaces where learning happens in multiple directions. She is kind, compassionate, and thoughtful - all things she demonstrates as my committee advisor and as a departmental leader. There are few people who have recognized and accommodated me as a "whole person" (with things in my life outside of school), and I will feel forever indebted to her for that. MSU needs more faculty, administrators, and educators like Dr. Marilyn Amey!
 
Courtney Kosloski: Courtney truly has "the backs" of the graduate students in the HALE Department. Every time I interact with her she is professional and kind in helping answer questions and connect me with relevant resources. She keeps students' best interests in mind and takes it upon herself to reach out when better supports can be accessed. She's a wonderful person, and an asset to HALE and MSU. 
 
Mallory Weiner: Mallory is my co-instructor in ANR 310.  This class is unique in that our students come in with a blank syllabus and they create one from scratch, deciding what they want to learn, how they want to learn, and how they want to assess their learning.  Mallory has been instrumental in supporting the learning of our students by preparing them to become self-directed learners with the capacity to practice democratic decision making.  It isn't easy for a student who is a peer to the students in her class to take on the responsibility of instructor, but Mallory wears the crown with ease.  She is an excellent communicator, the ideal partner who doesn't hesitate to take action when necessary, and a supportive co-learner.  I'm proud to know that she will be educating the next generation of learners in K12 classrooms beginning next year.
 
Austin Wellette-Hunsucker: Austin regularly goes above and beyond his duties as a graduate teaching assistant. Not only does he provide tremendous support to the instructor, but he is always willing to go the extra mile for the students. I appreciate his time and effort with the students and the course, and am thankful for his assistance this semester.
 
Taren Going: Taren worked with me as a TA for my TE 407 course. As a 5 credit course, the work is demanding - there are 5 hours of lab per week and 3 hours of seminar. Taren showed tireless dedication to students' success in the course. Her primary responsibilities were to support students' work in their labs, but she often attended seminar to help her understand the core ideas of TE 407 and support students' learning from the lab. She also regularly sought feedback on her performance as a TA because of her genuine concern for students' learning. I could trust Taren to seek help when she needed it. Taren inspires others to work hard and be their best, and I am so grateful she gave so much of her talents and energy to this course.
 
Juan Mascorro-Guerrero: I appreciate Juan because he is our graduate advisor for culturas de las razas unidas outside of helping us with our roles on e board he always offers to help us with applications for scholarships, finding internships, or just provides us a space to talk. Juan is an assistant community director in Wilson Hall , he has a busy schedule but never fails to provide support and help those around him. Juan is the true definition of Latino/Latinx Excellence.
 
Terry Edwards: Terry Edwards is the rock that anchors the TE department. I thanked her last year but that is not enough, not nearly enough for all that she does in the department. Over this semester, Terry has helped me and several other doctoral students in numerous ways. She is always making sure that the doctoral students are thriving--physically and mentally. She ensures to talk to everyone and showers us with affirmations, love, and praise. I am grateful for Terry and also recognize that she does a lot of the emotional and physical work of supporting doctoral students. Terry's commitment is not merely about her role but a much deeper commitment, a commitment that is about creating a space that is welcoming to all and one where everyone feels seen and heard. She has helped me track down packages that are lost. She brought a sewing machine off craigslist because some of us wanted to use it for our work. She plays a crucial role in organizing a department potluck. She is always advocating for us. And no matter what issue you are facing, Terry will do her best to help you find a solution. We are so grateful for Terry and everything she does for us. 
 
Olivia Furman: I (Naseeb) entered into community with Olivia through WOCI, which she co-leads. Last Fall, Olivia worked with an MSU alumnus, Shakara Tyler, to promote a nature centered self-care program, where folx were able to engage in forest walks, soil meditation, and herbal foraging. As a first-year Ph.D. student, I have tremendously valued Olivia’s commitment to addressing the isolation graduate students often experience through holistic wellness practices. Most notably, Olivia has modeled for me how to leverage research to support the wellness of communities our inquiry is based upon. For example, I had the opportunity to engage in an educational research methods course with Olivia this past fall. Despite the overwhelming valuation of quantitative methods in educational inquiry, Olivia drew upon bell hooks, Audre Lorde, the Combahee River Collective and other Black womxn feminisms, as well as her professional experiences with K-12 teaching, to weave together arts-based research methods with Black feminist epistemologies to explore how Black girls experience schooling. She was met with subtle, and sometimes direct, resistance from the course peers who failed to see the transformative and community-based nature of her methodological position. Despite this, she actively pursued her arts-based research agenda, refusing to spend time justifying her methodological decisions and instead carried out her efforts with integrity and creativity. As a non-Black WOC, I have valued Olivia’s leadership example in leveraging the critical practices of wellness found in Black and Brown communities (e.g. quilts, knitting, and ceramics) to reform teaching and learning practices at MSU.
 
Kristi Lowrie: Kristi is an integral part of the TE department and has supported doctoral students tirelessly! She has been pivotal in me having a successful semester. Kristi is always willing to help and goes above and beyond to find resources/solutions. Several times when I walked into her office with a challenge/issue she would drop everything else and help me figure things out. I appreciate Kristi and her relentless support for doctoral students in the program. Thank you, Kristi! 
 
Sheila Orr: In her first year, Sheila has contributed extensively not only to the improvement of secondary mathematics methods courses in teacher education but also to the success of my NSF UTEMPT project. In only a few short months "on the job," Sheila conducted independent analyses of new data for the project and took the lead in presenting this data at a national conference in Pheonix in February. She also went beyond in her role to shadow TE 407, the first mathematics methods course for prospective secondary mathematics teachers (PSTs), by taking the lead in several sessions to help PSTs try out new mathematics teaching practices. I continue to be impressed not only by her passion and drive for learning to teach future teachers, but also by her engagement with improving MSU's coursework, in concert with innovations supported by the UTEMPT project, to better support PSTs' learning.
 
Teacher Education Undergraduate Staff: The undergraduate students working for the TE department are integral to the success of doctoral students. We are deeply appreciative of their hardwork and support. They are always willing to support us with crucial tasks--supplies, scans, photocopies, etc. Even though several of the students are not in the TE program, they go above and beyond to understand the needs of doctoral students and willing to support us. I have also learned a great deal from each of them about their respective fields and appreciate how they brighten up the department with their indomitable spirit! Thank you all for your work. 
 
Dr. Amey’s HALE Graduate Students: Students with whom I work most closely are all adult learners with very complex lives during these difficult times. They are eldercare providers, researchers whose studies have been totally interrupted as they neared completion of dissertations, those hoping for employment next year on and off campus now on hold due to hiring chills and freezes, those who have to find ways to focus on class while becoming homeschool teachers, and those who have put up my constantly shifting schedule of an academic administrator. Yet, they continue to show up to meet with me on zoom and email, inspire through their insights and leadership in these challenging times, find ways to bolster each other in virtual writing groups, and make it clear that postsecondary education will be in good hands. They remind me why I wanted to be a faculty member and are my motivation every day. Thank you isn't enough to each of them.
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll be directed to a form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.