Dec. 18, 2023

The year in photos: 2023

By: Kelsie Lane, Liam Boylan-Pett, Jennifer Trenkamp

At the heart of Michigan State University lies a shared sense of purpose and a community of Spartans who support each other through collaboration, determination and a passion for the common good. Throughout the year’s struggles and successes, Spartans continued showing up for one another every step of the way.

2023 saw Spartans make positive impacts locally, nationally and globally — and even beyond when MSU researchers helped discover a planet in another solar system capable of supporting life.

Here on campus, the landscape grew and changed with the construction of new inclusive spaces designed to create enhanced opportunities for collaboration and connection. We celebrated our highest undergraduate enrollment and marked important milestones, ranging from the 150th anniversary of the Beal Botanical Garden to Tom Izzo’s 25th NCAA tournament.

When we needed it most, our MSU community was there, bringing each other hope, support and a place to call home.

Banner image by Garret Morgan.

Attendees of multicultural Center groundbreaking with shovels

In April, university leadership broke ground on a first-of-its-kind 34,000-square-foot multicultural center northeast of the intersection of North Shaw and Farm lanes. Expected to be completed by the fall semester of 2024, the center will provide students with a place on campus that will foster cultural and intellectual curiosity and understanding in a supportive, welcoming environment. Photo by Nick Schrader.

After workers from MSU’s Infrastructure Planning and Facilities team happened to encounter an impenetrable surface under the ground near West Circle Drive, they called the Campus Archaeology Program. It was the right decision, as it turned out they had unearthed the foundation of the first observatory on campus, constructed in 1881! The discovery gives insight into how scientific observation, as well as life on campus, has changed over the last 140-plus years. Photo by Nick Schrader.

As 2023 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on all the ways Spartans have come together this past year. Through times of triumph, challenge and even heartbreak, Spartans move forward — with intention and purpose — to support one other and become a part of something bigger. That’s what makes this community so special. With 2024 on the horizon, there’s no telling what Spartans, working together, will achieve. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff and President-elect Kevin Guskiewicz share a handshake in front of Cowles House. Guskiewicz, an accomplished neuroscientist, sports medicine researcher and academic leader, has been named the 22nd president of Michigan State University. The Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Guskiewicz, the 12th chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, during a special board meeting on Dec. 8. He will begin his term on March 4, 2024. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

Tom Izzo's impact on the MSU community extends beyond the basketball court. In July, after 18 months of construction, the Izzo Family Medical Center opened next to the McLaren Greater Lansing hospital in the University Health Park. The center houses MSU Health Care, the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, and McLaren Greater Lansing, featuring the most advanced diagnostic imaging facilities in the area.

The Apple Developer Academy in Detroit recognized its second graduating cohort, which consisted of more than 160 students ranging in age from 18 to 70. The free 10-month program teaches critical business and app development skills and prepares students for careers in the growing app economy. It is a partnership between Apple and MSU and is supported by the Gilbert Family Foundation. Photo courtesy Gilbert Family Foundation.

The Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to help address the most pressing needs of people around the world, and Spartans have long been a part of its important volunteer community — with more than 2,430 alumni serving abroad since the program’s founding in 1961. In fact, the Peace Corps ranked MSU No. 6 on its list of the top 25 volunteer-producing colleges and universities for the past 20 years. Photo courtesy International Studies and Programs.

In April, university leadership broke ground on a first-of-its-kind 34,000-square-foot multicultural center northeast of the intersection of North Shaw and Farm lanes. Expected to be completed by the fall semester of 2024, the center will provide students with a place on campus that will foster cultural and intellectual curiosity and understanding in a supportive, welcoming environment. Photo by Nick Schrader.

After workers from MSU’s Infrastructure Planning and Facilities team happened to encounter an impenetrable surface under the ground near West Circle Drive, they called the Campus Archaeology Program. It was the right decision, as it turned out they had unearthed the foundation of the first observatory on campus, constructed in 1881! The discovery gives insight into how scientific observation, as well as life on campus, has changed over the last 140-plus years. Photo by Nick Schrader.

As 2023 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on all the ways Spartans have come together this past year. Through times of triumph, challenge and even heartbreak, Spartans move forward — with intention and purpose — to support one other and become a part of something bigger. That’s what makes this community so special. With 2024 on the horizon, there’s no telling what Spartans, working together, will achieve. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff and President-elect Kevin Guskiewicz share a handshake in front of Cowles House. Guskiewicz, an accomplished neuroscientist, sports medicine researcher and academic leader, has been named the 22nd president of Michigan State University. The Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Guskiewicz, the 12th chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, during a special board meeting on Dec. 8. He will begin his term on March 4, 2024. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

Tom Izzo's impact on the MSU community extends beyond the basketball court. In July, after 18 months of construction, the Izzo Family Medical Center opened next to the McLaren Greater Lansing hospital in the University Health Park. The center houses MSU Health Care, the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, and McLaren Greater Lansing, featuring the most advanced diagnostic imaging facilities in the area.

The Apple Developer Academy in Detroit recognized its second graduating cohort, which consisted of more than 160 students ranging in age from 18 to 70. The free 10-month program teaches critical business and app development skills and prepares students for careers in the growing app economy. It is a partnership between Apple and MSU and is supported by the Gilbert Family Foundation. Photo courtesy Gilbert Family Foundation.

The Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to help address the most pressing needs of people around the world, and Spartans have long been a part of its important volunteer community — with more than 2,430 alumni serving abroad since the program’s founding in 1961. In fact, the Peace Corps ranked MSU No. 6 on its list of the top 25 volunteer-producing colleges and universities for the past 20 years. Photo courtesy International Studies and Programs.

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