MSU aims to tap in-state suppliers for at least half of its purchasing, as the first university to partner with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. in a new program designed to boost Michigan companies.

Many institutions are eager to put more local food on their menus, and area farmers are interested in supplying it, say surveys by the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems.

Back in the 1970s, Bay Cast Inc., built parts for the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at MSU, parts that accelerated beams carrying charged particles to velocities nearly half the speed of light.

The number of workplace deaths in Michigan declined in 2012, as an estimated 127 workers died on the job compared to 141 in 2011, according to preliminary figures from an annual report compiled by MSU.

Michigan’s reputation as a place to visit continues to grow, fueling a steady increase in tourist spending despite the sluggish economy, finds an annual report from two MSU tourism experts.

The Broad College of Business is partnering with MSU Athletics to present “Building Winning Teams: A Quest for Excellence,” a three-day program designed to help business professionals develop sustainable leadership and team effectiveness skills.

Training is underway this spring for 2013 Fellows of MSU’s Michigan Political Leadership Program.

MBA students at MSU’s Broad College of Business brought their best entrepreneurial ideas to this year’s second annual Broad MBA Business Plan Competition held March 23 at the Wharton Center.

As Michigan becomes the nation’s 24th right-to-work state, its residents remain sharply divided over whether the new law will hurt or help the economy, MSU’s latest State of the State Survey shows.

As Michigan’s right-to-work law takes effect March 28, the future of the American labor movement is unclear, an MSU expert says.