2023-2024 YEAR END REPORT HONORS COLLEGE
A MESSAGE FROM THE INTERIM DEAN OF THE HONORS COLLEGE
On behalf of the MSU Honors College community, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous support. Your commitment to our mission has a profound and lasting impact on the lives of our students, enabling them to pursue their education with determination and excellence.
This year, your support has helped empower some of our brightest and most driven students. These scholars, many of whom come from underrepresented or financially challenged backgrounds, are achieving remarkable things. They are excelling in rigorous coursework, earning prestigious national and international scholarships and fellowships, and conducting groundbreaking research that addresses pressing global challenges. Their achievements are a testament to your belief in their potential and the transformative power of education.
We are also thrilled to share some of the aspirational projects that are shaping the future of Honors College. One of our most exciting developments is the renovation of our new living-learning residence hall in beautiful, historic Campbell Hall. Campbell Hall will reopen as the home to the Honors College in August 2025. It is shaping to be a space designed to foster
collaboration, innovation, and a sense of community among students. This state-of-the-art yet historic facility will provide a vibrant environment where students can immerse themselves in interdisciplinary learning and engage in meaningful dialogue about the issues that matter most to them.
these successes and creating even more opportunities for our students to thrive. Every story that follows was made possible through philanthropic giving. None of this would be possible without your partnership and belief in our
Your commitment to our mission has a profound and lasting impact on the lives of our students, enabling them to pursue their education with determination and excellence.
Additionally, our students continue to shine on the national and global stage. In the past year, we celebrated our 1st Schwarzman Scholar, 14th Udall Scholar, 20th Mitchell Scholar, and 54th and 55th Goldwater Scholars, showcasing the caliber of talent and ambition nurtured within our college. Across disciplines, our students are engaging in impactful research and service projects that not only enhance their academic experiences but also contribute to the broader community. From sustainability initiatives to social justice advocacy, their work reflects the core values of our college and the transformative opportunities made possible by your generosity.
As we look to the future, we remain committed to building on
vision. Your support is not just an investment in our students; it is an investment in the future leaders, innovators, and change-makers of our world.
Thank you once again for your generosity and for being an integral part of our community. I look forward to sharing more stories of student success and the impact of your support in the months to come. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like to learn more about the initiatives and aspirations shaping the MSU Honors College.
Glenn Chambers, Ph.D.
Interim Dean of the Honors College
Interim
Dean
of the Residential College in the Arts
and Humanities
THE BRATZEL FAMILY USES PHILANTHROPY TO CARRY ON HONORS COLLEGE LEGACY
The Bratzel family, including Andrew and Carolyn, and their three daughters Amy, Allison, and Claire, were all Honors Spartans.
As scholarship recipients themselves, the Bratzel daughters understood how impactful financial assistance could be. Alongside their parents, they established a family endowment with the Honors College.
“They saw others with loans and struggling financially, realized how lucky they were, and wanted to give back and help out as many people as they could,” Carolyn said.
The endowment is a broad fund that can be used at the Honors College’s discretion. The Bratzels’ experience in higher education showed them the wide array of students who could benefit from the funds, and they wanted as many students to be impacted as possible.
Erin Schmidt Photography
DR. BESS GERMAN
Andrew and Carolyn recently expanded their giving to the Campbell Hall renovation.
“It was really exciting to get the design and get our little spot in the building, in the south part because we met in South Case Hall,” Carolyn said. Alongside their daughters, the pair is using philanthropy to extend their legacy not just to current students through monetary gifts, but through their support of Campbell Hall that will impact generations of future students to come.
27 YEARS AND COUNTING OF PASSION AND IMPACT
Since she began working for the Honors College, Assistant Dean Bess German has been a constant source of comfort, advice, and friendship for students and faculty alike.
She started working at the Honors College as its first-ever admissions counselor. Now as assistant dean, German has many roles and responsibilities to maintain, including admissions; diversity, equity, and inclusion; student affairs; and scholarships for incoming and newly admitted students. She also co-teaches a first-year seminar and advises several student organizations.
German recently pledged a gift to fund Campbell Hall’s south breakout room, which is dedicated
for student use. With her donation, German wishes to name the room in memory of her grandmother, Betty.
After dropping out of high school during the Great Depression, Betty worked full-time at a factory to support her family, sacrificing her
own college dreams. In honoring Betty’s legacy, German hopes the breakout room will be a space for students to gather and further develop their education.
The Honors College thanks German for her dedication to building a brighter future for students.
THE HEART BEHIND THE CAMPBELL HALL PROJECT
ThreeSpartan alumni siblings –Bill Porteous, Dave Porteous, and Ruth Porteous Hamilton –often thought of ways they could honor their parents, who had attended Michigan State between 1937-1942.
When the siblings learned of the project to renovate Campbell Hall into an Honors College living-learning community, they were interested in helping fund it because their parents – William and Mable Porteous – had met at Campbell Hall.
As a student, Mable lived in Campbell and worked in the residence hall cafeteria to help pay her room and board. William lived off campus in a fraternity but also worked in the Campbell cafeteria.
After working together for a year, they fell in love. William proposed
to Mable on a bench behind Campbell Hall, and in 1943 they were married at The People’s Church across the street.
Years later, the three siblings all followed their parents’ footsteps to MSU. Now, together with their spouses and families, they have pledged $1 million to renovate the former cafeteria into what will be The Porteous Grand Hall. This new space will give future Honors College students a place to collaborate and build lasting connections, just like their parents did.
“There is nothing that encapsulates our parents’ passion for Michigan State, their passion for education, and their passion for family,” Dave said, “that as a family we are able to come together and provide this
“You couldn’t have written a script in a better way to put all the things that mean something together with family, Michigan State, and education all in the same place. ”
—Cameron Hamilton
opportunity for a special naming and recognition of our parents.”
Thank you to Ruth and Tom Hamilton, Dave and Joan Porteous, Bill Porteous and Elizabeth Weber, Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Copeland, and the grandchildren of Mable and William Porteous for generously committing to fund this space.
View the full story at tinyurl.com/porteous-hamilton
Campbell Hall to greet students in August 2025
Powered by our donors, we are officially turning Campbell Hall into an Honors College livinglearning community.
This will be an opportunity to expand the Honors College beyond the walls of Eustace-Cole Hall and elevate its position nationally.
So far, the Honors College has raised $2.9 million, or 95%, of its fundraising goal for this project.
Scan this QR code or visit tinyurl.com/campbell-project to learn more about the renovation.
HONORS STUDENT GIVES BACK TO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
POWERED BY THE SCHOENL FAMILY GRANT
When Honors student Sumaiya Imad learned of the struggles women in her home country of Bangladesh face, she started the nonprofit Sincerely, Her to support them. With it, she provides former sex workers the chance to recover from extortion and hardship through sustainable entrepreneurship, helping them start businesses and giving them a second chance at life.
In her first year at Michigan State, the Honors College selected Imad as a recipient of the Schoenl Family Undergraduate Grant for Dire Needs Overseas, which helps fund projects solving communitybased problems outside the United States. The Schoenl family supported Imad’s nonprofit and its mission outside of that initial funding as well.
“It means the world to me that they believed in my passion and commitment to giving back to my community,” Imad said. “To have this support is a promise to both me and the good I am trying to foster; it is the start of a legacy and I hope to keep that passion ignited for years to come because of this grant.”
ALUMNUS CHARLES MCLRAVY
ENSURES THE NEXT GENERATION OF HONORS EXCELLENCE
Charles McLravy has worn many hats throughout his life, thanks to his experiences in the Honors College. Now, as a retired media mogul, published author, and second-generation Honors College alumnus, he is using his success to inspire and support a new generation of Honors Spartans.
His estate gift will create a discretionary endowment fund – its interest will be used annually by the dean to support the college and its students, giving great flexibility as needs change and opportunities arise.
“The Honors College was a great fit for me,” McLravy said. “I was getting a business degree but also getting a liberal arts education because the Honors College gave me flexibility when choosing my classes. This had a huge impact on my life because it allowed me to explore my passions and led me to where I am today.”
RENOWNED MATHEMATICIAN EXPONENTIALLY BOOSTS
STUDENT SUCCESS
As a mathematician, Ted Petrie is a natural problem solver.
He navigated financial hardship and the challenges that come with being a first-generation college student to earn a degree at Michigan State University.
As an Honors College Spartan, he went head-to-head against students from MIT, Harvard, and other premiere institutions in the national Putnam Mathematical Competition, placing fourth with his team.
He was a problem solver as a Ph.D. student at Princeton, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a member of the mathematics faculty at Rutgers.
Now Ted Petrie, with his wife Jane, is solving problems for the next generation of Honors College students. The couple has generously donated $500,000 toward the first-ever cohort of Petrie Scholars.
The Ted Petrie Honors College Scholarship has been offered to 17 students, which provides thousands of dollars of annual funding for up to four academic years at MSU.
“The potential for growth in a place like MSU seems endless, and to be graced with the Petrie Scholarship before venturing into the world of data analytics leaves so much more potential.”
–Ty Siemens,
scholarship recipient
MAKING AN (HC) IMPACT
From learning about social inequity to volunteering at service sites, incoming first-year students jump head-first into their new community, both on and off campus, during the HC IMPACT program.
This program introduces incoming students to a variety of social inequity and inequality topics, including poverty, health, education, and the environment. Students also complete service with various community organizations in the Greater Lansing area.
Guided by mentors, these students are also exposed to life on campus and introduced to other incoming students in the program, kickstarting long-lasting relationships among Honors students.
“As a mentor, it’s been so rewarding to guide all these other students, to seeing those connections and having that service-learning experience where they really integrate themselves with these incredible organizations and nonprofits that are doing such incredible work,” said third-year student and program mentor Eli Flikkema.
HC IMPACT is powered through donor support and collaboration with campus and community partners.
THE NATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED
MSU DEBATE TEAM
SUPPORTED BY THE HONORS COLLEGE
MSU boasts one of the best public university debate programs in the country. At the 2024 American Debate Association national competition, the Spartans had two teams qualify for the sweet sixteen portion of elimination debates. Going into this season, the team has been recognized as one of the top seven in the country, based on exclusive tournament invitations.
USING INNOVATION TO WIN
Joanna Gusis, an Honors College senior on the debate team, is using her programming background to further the efficiency of the team. She created Debatabase, an app designed to take anecdotal data and synthesize information the team collects about their opponents and various judges. Now before a debate, a process that took them 10 minutes takes them mere seconds thanks to Gusis and Debatabase. It gives the team an edge as they prepare for debates and is only getting more useful as more data is compiled into it.
WITH DONOR SUPPORT
Michigan State alumnus Howard Akumiah, who graduated in 2014, chose the green and white because of the debate team. Since then, he has given over $300,000 in contributions to the teams success.
After attending the first-ever debate reunion this year and meeting Gusis, Akumiah saw the potential Debatabase had. As the founder of Betty Labs, which builds consumer social apps for sports fans, Akumiah was in a unique position to help Gusis develop the app.
With his help, the app was finished and is now setting up Spartan debaters for succes as they look ahead to this year’s national competition, where they will try to earn their fourth national title in team history.
Pictured above are Howard Akumiah, the MSU Debate Team and coaches, and Joanna Gusis.
EDUCATION ABROAD FUNDED BY THE MARSHALL SCHOLARSHIP
Honors College student Dorothy Zhao is Michigan State’s 20th Marshall Scholar. The Marshall Scholarship provides support for outstanding undergraduates in the United States to study any academic subject at United Kingdom universities of their choice for up to three years. Zhao is now pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford in England.
Zhao participated in undergraduate research as a Professorial Assistant and a Wielenga Scholar in the Honors College. View the full story at tinyurl.com/dorothy-zhao
GOLDWATER SCHOLARS SHOW RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AT MSU
Honors students Libby Ashby and Aaron Philip have earned the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. This award honors those committed to a research career in STEM fields, providing $7,500 per year in funding. Ashby is a junior studying geochemistry and Philip is a sophomore studying physics. Both hope to pursue research-based careers in the future.
Ashby and Philip were both members of the Professorial Assistantship program funded by the Honors College. View the full story at tinyurl.com/goldwater-scholars
HONORS ALUMNA NAMED MSU’S FIRST SCHWARZMAN SCHOLAR
Honors College alumna Angela Yuan is the institution’s first Schwarzman Scholar. The Schwarzman Scholars program selects students from around the world for a fully funded one-year master’s degree and leadership program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Yuan graduated from MSU in 2021 with a degree in environmental studies and sustainability.
Yuan’s application process was facilitated through the Honors College’s Distinguished Student Awards Office. View the full story at tinyurl.com/angela-yuan
DETROIT EARLY HONORS EXPERIENCE
In a hands-on experience exploring the community around them, rising eighth and ninth grade students from Detroit Public Schools Community District developed as scholars through the second annual Detroit Early Honors Experience.
Led by MSU faculty, staff, students, and local experts, students spent four days learning about art, technology, and science through educational activities and field visits.
The Honors College, the MSU Detroit Center, the Office of Gifted and Talented Education, and partners in the DPSCD hosted the program together with funding from Larry and Nadine Walker.
Learn more about DEHE at tinyurl.com/detroit-early-honors
PROFESSORIAL ASSISTANTSHIP PROGRAM USED TO ADVANCE GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH
PROGRAM INSPIRES STUDENT INTEREST AND DEVELOPMENT
Justin Simard, J.D., Ph.D., an associate professor in the College of Law, is a faculty mentor in the Professorial Assistantship Program, sponsored by the Honors College.
Simard founded the Citing Slavery Project, a website that houses a database of approximately 14,000 cases involving enslaved persons, including modern-day cases that cite past slavery cases.
Simard and his Professorial Assistant, Honors College student Jesse Doolin, began
working together in August 2022. Assigned to read through court cases involving the sale of liquor within a 50-year period of the 1800s, Doolin became deeply involved and passionate about the research project.
“This is the sort of opportunity I previously thought was for a much later stage of my academic career, but thanks to the Honors College and the PA program, I’ve been able to work on something so important and form such impactful professional relationships much sooner than I thought I could,” Doolin said.
“Students have played a critical role in collecting cases involving enslaved people,” Simard said.
“Jesse has established advanced legal research and analysis skills, contributed to a project he cares about, and built connections with me and my team.”
The PA program links first and second-year students with a faculty member in their interest area to assist with research endeavors and complete their own projects.
Students work 8-10 hours a week and receive a stipend for their participation.
HONORS COLLEGE
@honorscollegemsu @msuhonors
honorscollege.msu.edu honors@msu.edu
https://tinyurl.com/hc-shop
468 E. Circle Drive
Eustace-Cole Hall, Room 105
Michigan State University (517) 355-2326
make a difference
Anyone interested in learning more about philanthropy and gifts with the Honors College and its wide variety of programs should contact Tonya Frisbey at frisbey2@msu.edu or Kathryn Reed at kreed@msu.edu to get started.
1,250 community engagement hours were completed by HC IMPACT students in Fall 2024
12%
400
14% of Honors students author a scholarly publication during college Honors students contributed to faculty research through the Professorial Assistantship program of Honors students are considered low-income
of Honors students are first-generation
$7,000
40x
is the estimated unmet financial need gap per Honors student the cost of college in 2023 was 40 times higher than it was in 1963 Education Data Initiative
78% 13%
In 2024, institutions received of their funding from tuition dollars, compared to 30% in 1978 Michigan Association of State Universities