Featured Educator: Mark Auslander

Dr. Mark Auslander serves as director of the Michigan State University Museum and is an associate professor of Anthropology and History at Michigan State University. According to his bio at the MSU Museum Dr. Auslander is a sociocultural and historical anthropologist, who works at the intersection of ritual practice, aesthetics, environmental transformation, kinship, and political consciousness in sub-saharan Africa and the African Diaspora.
 
With his students, Dr. Auslander has led numerous community engaged/service learning courses, partnering with vulnerable communities in developing collaborative exhibitions, documentary projects, and social justice initiatives, such as restoring and documenting historically African American cemeteries; collaboratively curating art exhibitions with African refugee communities; and co-curating poetry performances with incarcerated youth in correctional facilities.
 
Here's what a fellow Spartan had to say about Dr. Auslander's impact:
"Mark is a brilliant individual and MSU is fortunate to have him head up the MSU Museum. The way Mark works across the university while still being newer to MSU sets a standard we can all learn from. His depth and breadth of knowledge is significant, and he has taken on some of the most challenging projects on behalf of the university and makes it look easy. I am happy to know someone of his caliber and appreciate his partnership."
 
For more on the MSU Museum: https://www.museum.msu.edu/
To read Dr. Auslander's full bio: https://www.museum.msu.edu/employees/mark-auslander/
To thank an educator yourself: http://bit.ly/ThankanEdMSU