News - Department of Religious Studies

Religious Studies Students Honored for Outstanding Achievements

April 23, 2026

The Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University celebrated undergraduate excellence at its 2026 Undergraduate Research Symposium and Awards Ceremony on April 17, recognizing students whose academic achievements and community commitments reflect the department's core values. Three students — Alliah Woodside, Emma Wilkins, and Avery Riehl — were each presented with awards at the event for their outstanding achievements.

Award / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Linguistics / News / Philosophy / Religious Studies

Four MSU Faculty Honored with Fintz Award for Teaching Excellence

April 20, 2026

Four College of Arts & Letters faculty have been selected as this year’s recipients of the Fintz Award for Teaching Excellence in the Arts and Humanities in recognition of their exemplary Integrative Arts and Humanities (IAH) instruction. Presented each spring by the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities (CISAH), the Fintz Award, which is student nominated, recognizes outstanding faculty who engage students in arts and humanities ways of knowing while helping them develop critical thinking and effective communication skills.

Michigan Impact / News / Programs

MSU Fellowship Empowers Michigan Teachers to Reimagine Genocide Curriculum for Today’s Learners

March 23, 2026

At a time when students are encountering discussions of genocide not only in history books but as it unfolds in real time across social media and global news, a program…

News / Religious Studies / Scholarship / Student / Student

MSU Students Bring Religious Traditions to Life Through Immersive Digital Projects

January 23, 2026

Students in a Religious Studies 101 class at Michigan State University are seeing their coursework reach a public audience. Projects created in the class taught by Nareman Amin, Assistant Professor…

Faculty / Faculty / International Impact / News / Religious Studies / Research

Ask the Expert: How Ideas of Democracy and Religion Have Changed Since the 2011 Egyptian Revolution

January 13, 2026

In early 2011, Egyptians calling for “bread, freedom, and social justice” took to the streets to protest the 30-year authoritarian rule of Hosni Mubarak. Jan. 25 marks the 15th anniversary…

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Grant / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Religious Studies / Research / Scholarship

Professor Researching Indigenous Environmental Stewardship with Support from Newberry Fellowship

November 10, 2025

Elan Pochedley, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and 1855 Professor of Great Lakes Anishinaabe Knowledge, Spiritualities, and Cultural Practices, was awarded the Newberry Consortium in American Indian and Indigenous Studies (NCAIS) long-term faculty fellowship to research how Indigenous peoples’ expressions of environmental stewardship and governance have been practiced, sustained, interrupted, and/or rekindled throughout the central and western Great Lakes region.

Alumni / English / News / Religious Studies

From First-Generation Graduate to Rehabilitation Counselor and Advocate for Developmentally Disabled

November 7, 2025

Renee Hall earned dual bachelor’s degrees in English and Religious Studies from Michigan State University in 2010 and a master’s degree, also from MSU, in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2014. She has been an active member of the disability community for more than 20 years, serving in roles including advocate, direct support professional, service coordinator, counselor, and research specialist. She also is a first-generation college graduate.

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Religious Studies Professor Part of $3.6 Million NSF Grant to Build First-of-Its-Kind Solar-Agriculture Lab

October 27, 2025

Michigan State University scientists plan to build a first-of-its-kind outdoor lab to study how solar panels placed alongside crops cloud save water, improve soil health, and support ecosystems, all while boosting farmers' bottom line and preserving farm production. The project, led by Earth and Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Anthony Kendall, is made possible by a five-year $3.6 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Gretel Van Wieren, Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at MSU, is among the senior research personnel on the project.

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2025 Faculty Award Winners Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

September 30, 2025

The College of Arts & Letters honored its Faculty Award Winners at the 2025 College of Arts & Letters Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception on Sept. 29 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. These faculty members were recognized for their outstanding leadership, teaching, innovation, and community engagement, as well as the significant impact they have made in enhancing curriculum and student experiences.

News / Religious Studies / Student / Student

M.A. Program Allows Graduate Student to ‘Double Down’ on What She Loves

September 26, 2025

Katie Paauwe, a student in the M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership, Global Cultures, and Social Enterprise program at Michigan State University, worked in various office management, human resources, and sales coordination positions before deciding to go back to school to earn a master’s degree.