State of the State is the monthly round up of policy and research for the state of Michigan from Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR). Matt Grossmann and Arnold Weinfeld from IPPSR are joined by economist Charley Ballard to discuss the latest in politics and the economy.

Bryan Beverly is director of the Office of K-12 Outreach in MSU’s College of Education. He and members of the team join the conversation to talk about their work on how school districts are responding to expiring COVID-19 funds.

Conversation Highlights:

(1:12) – Beverly introduces his team and describes the research.

(2:47) – Tyler Thur adds his perspective.

(6:11) – Abigail Bies adds her perspective.

(7:02) – Are districts having to cut back on programs?

(9:37) – Are there examples school districts can point to that was successful due to temporary funding?

(13:40) – Closing thoughts

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In a bold demonstration of philanthropic leadership and long-standing commitment to Michigan State University, the MSU Research Foundation has designated $75 million over the next eight years to support the university’s comprehensive campaign, Uncommon Will, Far Better World.

The nonprofit foundation’s $75 million of financial support to MSU reinforces its decades-long partnership with Michigan State University, advancing research, innovation and student success through strategic funding over the next eight years.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:39) - David Washburn is CEO of the MSU Research Foundation.

(1:52) - Randy Cowen is chair of the MSU Research Foundation board.

(2:32) - Dave, what motivated this support for MSU at this time?

(3:38) - Kevin Guskiewicz, president of Michigan State University, on the impact of this generosity.

(4:39) - Kevin sees the $75 million being used across all three campaign pillars (Talent Activated, Synergies Imagined and Futures Built).

(6:08) - What else should we know about the Uncommon Will, Far Better World campaign?

(7:00) - Randy Cowen is a graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters, College of Social Science, and Honors College. And he is a 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, which is among the highest awards MSU bestows on its alumni. He demonstrates a continued commitment to MSU by investing in the Physics and Astronomy Department through endowments. The Jerry Cowen Endowed Chair in Experimental Physics honors the memory of Cowen’s father, Professor Jerry Cowen, who was a distinguished researcher in the MSU Physics and Astronomy Department for more than five decades.

Michigan State University formally launched the Uncommon Will, Far Better World campaign on March 9, 2025. With a $4 billion goal, it is the largest campaign in the university’s history and aims to accelerate discoveries, expand access to education, and create the infrastructure needed to empower Spartans to lead in every field.

For more, visit president dot msu dot edu and/or msu foundation dot org.

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New Michigan State University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics J Batt was introduced to Spartan Nation at an introductory press conference on June 4 in the Greg and Dawn Williams Lobby of the Tom Izzo Football Building on the MSU campus.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:00) – Opening remarks from President Guskiewicz

(3:11) – President Guskiewicz introduces Tom Izzo.

(8:22) – President Guskiewicz continues his remarks.

(12:45) – President Guskiewicz introduces J Batt.

Related Content: Meet new MSU Spartans Athletic Director J Batt

Questions from the media for Kevin and J

(20:16) – “Challenges are not a responsibility. They’re a privilege.”

(21:05) – How do you enhance MSU’s role within the Big Ten?

(21:50) – How important is it to you to learn MSU’s history?

(22:52) – What’s the role for non-revenue sports in today’s landscape?

(23:31) – Did you talk to Nick Saban about MSU?

(24:13) – How much can you change quickly, and how much needs to change? And what about NIL?

(25:45) – What traits of J’s stood out to you?

(27:32) – What is J’s rocket fuel?

(28:49) – Did J do something that convinced you to hire him?

(30:28) – How can you best help football?

(31:18) - What do you look for in the people you hire?

(32:05) – How important was it for you to hire someone with sitting athletic director experience?

(33:40) – Talk about the importance of alignment in an athletic department.

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J Batt is Michigan State University’s new vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics.

Batt’s contract and appointment as vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics will be voted on by the Board of Trustees at its June 13 meeting, he will start the week of June 16.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:29) - Give us a bit of your background. Your name is Jason, but you go by J? Is there a story there?

(0:52) - You first met President Kevin Guskiewicz when you were a student athlete at UNC (he played soccer there), and you had to work with him on concussion treatments.

(2:22) - What attracted you to the AD position at MSU?

(3:50) - What’s the state and future of college athletics? NIL, transfer portal, etc. What is coming July 1?

(5:07) - What do see as the challenges and opportunities ahead for Spartan Athletics and all of college athletics?

Related Content: J Batt introduced as MSU's next athletic director

(6:12) - What are some of your short-term goals as you get started at MSU?

(6:57) - If you have had time to think about it, what about some long-term goals?

(7:40) - How would you describe your management and leadership style?

(8:20) - What is your philosophy on fundraising. Why do you love it? “Relationships. People invest in people.”

(9:30) – How does your experience as student-athlete inform your leadership of a department?

(10:48) - Final thoughts for Spartan Nation as you take over leadership of Spartan Athletics.

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Eric Olmscheid is executive director of Michigan State University’s Wharton Center for Performing Arts.

Olmscheid reflects on his first three years leading Wharton Center. He talks about challenges and opportunities ahead for the arts, and he describes some highlights of the center’s coming season. He shares several examples that show the center’s commitment to its education and engagement mission. He also describes how important donors are to Wharton Center’s mission.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:14) – Have you settled into Wharton Center, MSU, and the community now that you’ve been leading Wharton Center for three years?

(0:58) – How has Wharton Center come out of Covid, and what are the challenges and opportunities ahead?

(3:51) – Why are you so passionate about the arts?

(5:22) – Give us some highlights of the coming ‘25/’26 season.

(6:26) – Talk about the importance of Wharton Center’s Education & Engagement mission. Eric mentions the Act One School Series, Sutton Foster Awards, creative classrooms initiative, and Broadway Bridges.

(12:45) – Eric on the access and arts within reach initiatives.

(14:18) – Wharton Center’s website is the best place to go for tickets.

(15:17) – How important are donors to your vision and mission?

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Michigan State University President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. has selected Laura Lee McIntyre as MSU’s next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs following a comprehensive, national search.

As provost, McIntyre will be the chief academic officer for the university, providing leadership for academic programs and research and outreach involving faculty, students and staff. Her planned start date is August 4, 2025, and she will also serve as MSU Research Foundation Professor in the Department of
Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education.

Laura Lee currently serves as dean of the college of education and the Castle-McIntosh-Knight Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Oregon.

She is an accomplished scholar, a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, and a certified school and board licensed psychologist. Her research focuses on children’s mental and behavioral health, special education, and prevention and intervention to promote child and family well-being in vulnerable and underserved populations. McIntyre is known for her work in early childhood, autism, family-centered interventions and family-school partnerships for children with disabilities.

Conversation Highlights:

(1:50) - Give us some of the highlights from your background.

(4:46) - Do you have any experience with MSU and/or the state of Michigan?

(5:26) - Many outside of academia aren’t entirely clear on what a provost is and does. Can you expound a bit on a provost’s role in higher education at a university like MSU?

(6:38) - What attracted you to the position? Why do you want to be provost at MSU?

(9:12) - What do you see as some of the challenges and opportunities ahead for MSU and all of higher education as you lead the academic enterprise at America's pioneer land-grant university?

(13:40) - Talk about your research interests and why those are your interests. And what research do you plan to pursue at MSU?

(18:16) - What are some of your short- and long-term goals as you prepare to get started in August?

(20:47) - How would you describe your leadership and management style?

(22:59) - Summarize what you would like Spartan Nation to know about you as the summer progresses, and you prepare to join MSU in August.

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

State of the State is the monthly round up of policy and research for the state of Michigan from Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR). Matt Grossmann and Arnold Weinfeld from IPPSR are joined by economist Charley Ballard to discuss the latest in politics and the economy.

MSU Supply Chain Professor Jason Miller joins the trio to discuss the trade and tariff issues dominating the news.

Conversation Highlights:

(1:14) – Ballard unpacks the latest numbers showing a shrinking national economy. And he talks about Michigan’s unemployment numbers showing an increase in labor participation in the state despite an uptick in Michigan’s unemployment numbers.

(4:32) - Grossmann on the political implications of the economic numbers.

(7:32) – What about immigration? What are the political implications of the court rulings mostly going against the Trump administration?

(9:34) – Is a lot of the American electorate in the middle of the extremes shown by the Biden and Trump positions on immigration?

(10:40) – Are the court defeats for the Trump administration helping to inform the Democrats strategy to restrict Trump?

(12:15) – What’s the status of Republican budget and tax proposals? “It’s difficult to have high spending, low taxes, and a balanced budget.”

(14:34) – Miller weighs in on the latest trade and tariff news. “The United States will not win a trade war with China. U.S. consumers do not like to find empty shelves in stores.”

(18:43) – Is there long-term isolation ahead for the United States when it comes to trade?

(22:37) – How will Michigan’s economy be impacted as the trade war continues. Will Trump back down?

(25:43) – How will Americans react to empty shelves in the stores? How do these tariffs compare to the tariffs in the first Trump term? There are more consumer goods impacted this time. What is the worst-case scenario? Do bigger tariffs mean bigger problems for Trump?

Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.