Matthew Andler is the 2022-23 Stephen O. Murray Scholar in Residence, marking the program’s second scholar to assume the role. He earned a Master of Science in sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Virginia.
As pandemic travel restrictions became more relaxed, I began looking into study abroad programs that would work well for me as a Comparative Cultures and Politics major as well as a Spanish minor. I started hearing about the internship abroad opportunities in Madrid, Paris and Buenos Aires through James Madison. The Buenos Aires program immediately caught my attention as I would be able to improve my Spanish skills and complete my Field Experience requirement.
Being in a place with so much concentrated power and affluence was disorienting. While running errands in the Capitol I (literally) ran into Bill Gates and Matthew McConaughey, got a hug from AOC and spoke with Dolores Huerta on multiple occasions.
This summer, I have been an intern with the start-up company Globaleur. We focus on using AI-based technology to create the perfect vacation plan for people interested in traveling the world. Before I arrived, I would have said marketing was one of my least desirable areas of interest. However, I am eternally grateful that I was given this position because I made lifelong friends who I know I can reach out to at a moment's notice.
Students bring exciting news, interesting questions and sometimes heartbreaking problems into my office. I am honored by the opportunity to help them, in both the good times and the bad.
Since 1983, 22 of MSU’s past Fulbright Student Scholars are alumni of James Madison College. This year, JMC alumna Emily McHarg (IR ’20) will continue to represent the college during an English teaching assistantship in Bonn, Germany. Solomon Kronberg (CCP ’22) was named an alternate for a Fulbright to Thailand.
I am currently on a study abroad in Amman, Jordan, learning Arabic and exploring the country. This past school year, I worked as a research assistant under Professor Norman Graham and developed a UURAF project. I researched China’s global infrastructure plan and its effects on Central Asia.
Often, we task those in the minority with the responsibility of being the change they want to see and, while that approach is still one that I encourage, as a community, it is our collective responsibility to be supportive as students navigate our school and space.
During the week of August 24-30, James Madison College will welcome its first cohort of students into a new bridge program. The program is possible due to a gift from a JMC alumnus and donor.
Nine MSU students and alumni have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for the 2022-23 academic year, and four additional candidates have been named as alternates. More than 9,300 applications were submitted in this cycle according to the Institute of International Education.
Michigan State University is hosting its largest open house for prospective students and their families July 22, 25-29.
It feels like just a few years ago when I entered the back of the (was it Wilson, Wonders; I can’t recall) auditorium early, walking slowly to sit in the front row of a MC 201 lecture, carrying my iPod Shuffle, bumping Common, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Kanye (yes, I want the old Kanye back!), Jeezy and Mariah Carey, and even a lil bit of autotune.
JMC’s content has given me the tools to not only analyze social issues through a variety of lenses but also to articulate my learning in a concise and analytical way.
The California cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles are two of the last places I would expect to find professionals with a degree in public affairs. With Silicon Valley tech dominating the Bay Area’s professional scene and Los Angeles seemingly saturated with TikTokkers and movie stars, I never thought of California as particularly hospitable to JMC grads. Yet, I found that California is home to countless Madison alumni who work in nearly every field imaginable.
Working in higher education offers me the chance not only to assist students as they navigate a challenging time in their lives but also normalize asking for help — things I needed as a college student!
I have met some of my best friends through James Madison, and doors that were previously shut for me opened up. I was able to do research, find internships, make connections with faculty and students alike, and learn more about myself in the process.
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued its opinion in the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Center. The outcome of this opinion overturns Roe vs. Wade, the legal precedent set in 1973 affirming the American constitutional right to abortion. The situation is evolving and is quite complex, as state-by-state implications vary, and many laws or bans will not go into effect immediately.
During my time in California, however, my perspective about careers in public affairs dramatically changed. By meeting with JMC alumni pursuing careers from technology entrepreneurship (Douglas Breckenridge IR ‘86) to program and data management at Netflix (Daniel Feenstra IR' 17), I now understand the career possibilities for Madison grads.
The availability of my JMC professors has single handedly been my biggest support in my academic journey. I always can count on office hour appointments or prompt help over email with professors who truly care about me.
Natalie Harmon says she chose MSU’s James Madison College because she liked the idea of being part of “a tight-knit community,” while also having opportunities that exist at a larger university. Harmon, a rising junior majoring in comparative cultures and politics, or CCP, explains how the residential college community has fostered her own acceptance of who she is.
When Troy Calkins (IR ’88) was an elementary school student in Holt, Michigan, his class took a field trip to the Michigan State University Planetarium. Following their visit, they toured parts of campus and ate lunch in one of the nearby dining halls. One decade later, during the fall semester of 1984, Calkins entered Case Hall as a first-year student in MSU’s James Madison College. Overcome with a feeling of déjà vu, Calkins realized he had previously dined in the Case cafeteria.
The residential college community helped me find LGBTQ+ friends my first year. Through these friendships, I have been able to talk about subjects that I was unable to before because of where I grew up, and it is liberating to relate to a larger community of people with similar experiences.
Four JMC students were selected for the MSUFCU Paper Competition for best paper in public and international affairs. The award recognizes students whose writings showcase JMC’s mission to produce graduates who are well prepared to engage in cultural, political and social analysis; evaluate public and foreign policies and practices; and suggest creative strategies for addressing pressing issues in public life.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the legacy of Vincent Chin’s case that ultimately expanded civil rights laws to include Asian Americans and led to other tidal shifts, such as the teaching of Asian American history in higher education.
During the month of June, we celebrate Pride Month and Juneteenth. Pride Month recognizes the progress of LGBTQ+ rights and provides a time to reflect upon the continued progress which must occur. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.
From March 25-30, 2022, Race in 21st Century Americas Conference held a hybrid event for the first time. The biennial conference was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the uncertainty of a potential surge in COVID cases, the Race Conference committee opted to make the March 25 student day in-person and the two half-days, March 29 and 30, virtual.
MSU economist and professor Lisa D. Cook was confirmed earlier this week by the Senate Banking Committee to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Cook is the first Black woman to serve on the board in its 108-year history.
I believe, as writer and civil rights activist Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Meaning, self-care is a form of activism and rebellion that we can all do to create new ways of approaching crisis and injustice. It is a way to counteract the strikes of internalized doubt, hate and restrictions.
We have also spent a good amount of time looking back. As you know, I am a historian of public policy, so I love looking back and thinking about how the past has shaped the present. I’d like to take a moment to revisit some of our guiding questions from your first class at James Madison College, Introduction to Public Affairs, or MC201. And I’d like you to think about how these questions and your answers to these questions have shaped you over these last four years.
We’ve had many reasons to celebrate over the last couple of weeks. From the numerous awards announced within the college to various events to the wrap-up of final projects, papers and exams. And most recently, James Madison hosted spring commencement exercises at the Wharton Center.
James Madison College students are known as leaders both in the classroom and beyond. This year’s spring and summer graduates continue to set the bar high for current and incoming JMC students. The college gave 10 students a total of 11 Outstanding Senior Awards.
MSU was busier than usual last weekend as MSU’s Office of Admissions hosted an Admitted Student Day on Saturday, April 16. The event was tied to the spring football game, allowing prospective families to experience firsthand the campus spirit.
James Madison College is pleased to announce a new summer bridge program designed to better acclimate JMC students to Michigan State University and to the college itself.
Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, or IPPSR, and James Madison College hosted the 2022 Daniel Rosenthal Legislative Intern Awards ceremony from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., April 13.
The rise in anti-Muslim and antisemitic attacks over the last several years has prompted two campus leaders and faculty members to join forces to educate the Spartan community about the harm caused by Islamophobia and antisemitism.
James Madison College, International Studies and Programs and the College of Arts and Letters collaborate to facilitate multi-faith engagement.
Not only does Melissa Green’s surname suggest her Spartan identity runs deep, one can’t help but feel energized and hopeful upon meeting her. Green (PTCD ‘01), who is assistant general counsel for the American Medical Association, is someone you feel you’ve known forever and simultaneously want to know better.
I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on the horrific news out of Ukraine. I know this has personally affected some members of our community who struggle to make sense of the invasion and its brutality. We are doing our best as a community to support each other, and recently had a panel discussion about the conflict in Ukraine with Professors Garnett, Graham and Olcott. I learned a lot from their expertise, as well as the insightful questions from students.
When I am asked where I am from, I naturally respond, “New York. Queens to be exact.” That’s where I consider home; although, I was born in Michigan and moved back and forth between New York and Michigan for the early part of my childhood. When I am asked where I am from, the expected response isn’t either of these places. I’ve lived much of my life viewed as someone who doesn’t belong.
In honor of Women's History Month, James Madison College is spotlighting faculty, staff, students and alumni who have made, or are making significant contributions to the college. We recently spoke with Rosa Razmi, president of James Madison College Student Senate.
In honor of Women's History Month, we are spotlighting members of the JMC community. Emelia Hammond is the recruitment coordinator and an academic adviser in James Madison College since August 2015.
Dr. Mieka Smart in the College of Human Medicine told me about a campaign called #8cantwait that advocates for eight key police policy reforms. These reforms, when implemented, have been proven to show a decrease in police-related mortality. Dr. Smart suggested we compare police policies in the state of Michigan with the #8cantwait guidelines, and then compare them to police-related mortality statistics. This was an idea that hadn’t been explored for the entire state of Michigan.
The Spartan Food Security Council is hard at work this year to fulfill its mission. Last semester, we began navigating the complex food security landscape at Michigan State, namely by connecting with other organizations. Professor Rashida Harrison, chairperson of the Race in the 21st Americas Conference, has entrusted us with the opportunity to showcase the keynote address centered around this year’s theme “Race and Rights: Empowering Our Communities.”
As a survivor of the Darfur Genocide, I remember a time when I didn’t know what it was like to dream. I was 5-years old when our home was burned, and we were forced to flee our land.
Madison gave me the opportunity to learn a lot about more about the world around me. Teaching me how to think critically and analytically about current events and history and why people live and think the way they do. We’re all shaped and molded by our experiences and the world around us and being able to recognize those differences sometimes helps us to find common ground. Those skills have served me in nearly every opportunity I’ve pursued.
During the month of March, we celebrate Women’s History Month, noting just a few of the vast contributions of James Madison College (faculty, alumni and students). We reflect upon the contributions of Dr. Barbara Steidle, the first and only permanent woman dean of James Madison College. We also honor Dr. Katherine O’Sullivan See, who was the first female tenured professor, and helped shape JMC’s Social Relations and Policy, and Comparative Culture and Politics majors. In addition, we acknowledge Mary Kay Henry, the first woman president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Since I was 10-years old, I dreamed of studying abroad. My cousin, who is an alumna of Michigan State, participated in a study abroad program that took her all around Europe and, to me, that was the coolest thing I could imagine. Learning, traveling AND creating lifelong memories… What could be better than that?
From Jan. 27-Feb. 9, Salvador Vidal-Ortiz, the Inaugural Stephen O. Murray Scholar in Residence in James Madison College, was on MSU’s campus for the first time to begin exploring the Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections, housed in MSU Libraries.
As a recent transplant from Arizona, I’ve been anxious for months about the Michigan winter. After the storm that brought us a foot of snow in one day, I can safely say I’ve learned to embrace it. That doesn’t mean I’m not desperately looking forward to spring though!
The countdown to spring break is upon us. And while it may not feel quite like springtime weather, the sun is shining more and most of the snow and ice is melted (for now). As you prepare to return home, travel or stay close to campus, we want to emphasize the importance of taking time for yourselves.
Four MSU students whose research and creative activity supports the ideals of inclusive excellence through topics of inclusion, diversity, marginalized populations and civil rights, have received the Martin Luther King Jr. Advancing Inclusion through Research Award.
Ten MSU students are nominated for 12 prestigious national awards this year. Four out of 10 are students in the James Madison College.
Michigan State University is pleased to welcome the return of a time-honored event to campus this year. Race in 21st Century Americas is a biennial event hosted by James Madison College that began in 1999 under the leadership of its founder Professor Emeritus Curtis Stokes, who retired from James Madison in 2019 after 36-years of scholarship and teaching.
As a young girl growing up in a Houston suburb, Amy Simon loved to play school, pretending to be the teacher. Simon no longer imagines her vocation as she’s been making an impact as both a teacher and scholar since joining Michigan State University in August 2016.
As we celebrate Black History Month, I reflect upon and honor rich contributions that African Americans have made to the field of higher education within Michigan State University. At the institutional level, I honor Dr. Cliff Wharton, Michigan State’s first Black president, Dr. David Dickson, MSU’s first Black faculty member and William Thompson, the first known Black student to graduate from Michigan State University.
JMC is a small community within a large university, and I realized that I was able to get the best of both worlds. I walked into my first MC201 lecture with all 250 of my fellow freshmen, a number of students higher than my entire grades 7-12 high school, and realized I had an opportunity to start fresh.
In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black studies, initiated the first “Negro History Week,” which would evolve into Black History Month here in the United States in 1976. For many people, it is an important commemoration of the long-standing contributions of African Americans in this country. However, one month cannot capture the myriad of ways that Black people continue to serve, create and drive the country forward. Our continuous movement cannot occur without the historical relationships built with other ethnic and racialized communities that continue to resist white supremacy as a frame for how we live our lives.
I knew Dubai for its opulent and luxurious lifestyles decorated with skyscrapers and private beaches. Women wore black niqabs for modesty but still wore the newest Versace and designer bags. Men wore headscarves like the Bedouin nomadic sand-dwellers but went home to mansions with a Rolls Royce in the driveway. As someone from more than humble beginnings in a mobile home and wearing second-hand clothing, I was afraid to touch such shimmering creations, in case it breaks or it is all a mirage.
Molly Hall graduated from JMC with a degree in international relations in 2012. Upon graduation, Hall worked in Lansing as a staffer in the Michigan Legislature and then pursued work in Washington D.C. in public affairs for six years. In 2020, Hall made the decision to return to her studies and is in her first year pursuing a master’s in public policy at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt in Erfurt, Germany.
Since the pandemic restricted many opportunities for me to explore the world, I was eager to find another study abroad program before I graduate this spring. Dubai was one that stood out to me the most since I’ve always wanted to learn more about the Middle Eastern realm, and it is a global city that not many have a chance to explore in their lifetime.
As I sit in my office, it’s nice to hear the familiar hum of activity returning to Case Hall. I know many in our community are anxious about the return to in-person teaching, but I am happy to see everyone’s masked faces again! I am very hopeful that as the Omicron variant recedes, much of our collegiate life will return to some sense of normalcy.
As we resume in-person classes this week, we understand the potential anxiety and spectrum of emotions this may bring. The transition will require patience, consideration and an understanding that we are all dealing with the adjustment differently.
When I first applied to college, I felt lost. You see, I come from a family of immigrants who did not have the opportunity to pursue higher education. My parents did not know how the college application and selection process worked, so they were not able to offer me any assistance.
I came to MSU wanting to go to law school and, now (after many changes), I’ve decided I want to become a professor. I want to educate and engage with students in a similar way that JMC professors do.
I did not discover James Madison like the typical student does during their college application journey. I had one serendipitous moment that sparked the beginning of everything.
2022 marks the inaugural year of the Stephen O. Murray Scholar in Residence Program at Michigan State. Salvador Vidal-Ortiz, an associate professor at American University, whose scholarship focuses on the intersectionality of race, sexuality, gender, migration and religion, is honored to be selected as the first scholar to explore the archives and raise the torch that bears Murray’s name.
This weekend’s hostage standoff at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas was frightening and traumatic to members of our community. Each instance of violence that appears to target a specific community can send shockwaves that are felt by many — particularly those who identify with the victims closest to the tragedy.
February 11th will mark the 57th anniversary of Dr. King’s visit to MSU. How much has changed since that day? How has Dr. King’s vision for America materialized?
MSU economist and professor Lisa D. Cook today was nominated by President Joe Biden to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. If confirmed, Cook will be the first Black woman to serve on the on board in its 108-year history.
James Madison College's Lisa D. Cook has been elected to the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
December 10th is International Human Rights Day. JMC celebrates this day by recognizing the work of the JMC Human Rights Lab
JMC has launched a fundraising campaign to the Career Exposure program. Gifts made in December will be matched one to one by an anonymous donor until a $3,000 campaign challenge is met.
JMC’s Career Exposure Programs bring current students face to face with alumni to see the potential and power of their Madison degree. Please make your most generous donation to support scholarships for students to attend a Career Exposure Program.
Jesús Arzola-Vega (IR, Economics ‘15), Kenya Sanchez Vicarte (IR '17), and David Treviño (SRP '12) provide a glimpse of their lives post-Madison and reflect on some of their fondest JMC memories.
Dean Cameron Thies provides some background on himself and his vision for JMC in the coming years.
Alumni Spotlight: Jessica Ayoub (SRP, PTCD '13) (she/her/hers) Public Engagement Strategist, ACLU of Michigan
Michigan State University Provost Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., is recommending Cameron G. Thies as the next dean of James Madison College. The appointment will be effective July 1, 2021, pending approval by the Michigan State University Board of Trustees.
Professor Louise Jezierski was recently named of one of sixteen inductees into the 2021 Urban Affairs Association (UAA) Distinguished Service Honor Roll. Since 2013, UAA has awarded the Distinguished Service Honor Roll to the most impactful leaders who have contributed outstanding service to the association.