News

The MSU College of Natural Science Dean’s Office has promoted three staff members to acknowledge their outstanding leadership and contributions, and to expand and strengthen the college’s DEI and student success efforts. Danielle Flores Lopez assumed a 50 percent interim appointment as NatSci DEI assistant dean; Kanchan Pavangadkar joined the NatSci Academic and Student Affairs Office as assistant director of student success; and Kaitlin Peterson was promoted to assistant director of pre-health and human biology advising in the office. All three positions became effective in April.

Michigan State University and Spelman College in Atlanta are teaming up to create a new educational pipeline for data science, one of the fastest growing fields in the country. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that, by 2026, the nation will have created more than 11 million data science jobs. The duo are teaming up to create a new degree program to help make data science more inclusive and equitable.

The Michigan State University College of Natural Science (NatSci) will soon welcome four new faculty members as part of MSU’s inaugural 1855 Professorship Initiative, launched by the Office of the Provost. The 1855 Professorship investments in NatSci will be in the areas of data science, quantum computing and plant sciences, which are rapidly developing areas where diverse excellence is required to address a wide range of challenges evident in existing and emerging technologies and communities. NatSci’s positions are among 13 selected for funding across the university.

Jabbar Bennett, Michigan State University vice president and chief diversity officer, was interviewed as part of a special section published May 22 in the Lansing State Journal on what’s changed in the year following George Floyd’s murder.

Yesterday, on April 20, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter for the death of George Floyd. While Chauvin’s conviction cannot undo the harm created, the outcome of this trial must spur essential systemic and societal change.

Over the past year, racism and hate crimes directed toward the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American/Asian (APIDA/A) community have been ever growing. The MSU College of Natural Science condemns all anti-Asian sentiments and actions and mourns the victims of the recent attacks in Atlanta. We fully support President Stanley’s statement and stand in solidarity with the MSU APIDA/A community.