The Spartan Bus Tour traveled through Flint, Saginaw and Bay City May 6–7. Led by MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., a delegation of faculty and administrators toured locations representing the university’s vital partnerships in agriculture, public health, cultural preservation and environmental restoration. Explore highlights from these site visits, where Spartans engaged with the communities and industries shaping the future of the region.
Carmen Bradford, associate professor of jazz voice, takes part in the Spartan Bus Tour tradition of signing the outside of the bus as the tour concludes. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
Spartans buckle up for a two-day, 14-stop tour of communities in Flint, Saginaw and Bay City. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
Founder Kevin Collins with the Kuungana African Drum and Dance Company leads Spartans in a traditional West African drumming lesson at the Flint Development Center. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
Spartan Bus Tour participants visit the UAW Sitdowners Memorial Park in Flint to learn about the city’s labor legacy and its role in building the American middle class. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
At MSU’s Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center, staff shared how MSU research and partnerships with industry have helped generations of growers in the region improve crops like sugar beets, wheat and dry beans. Photo by Garret Morgan
Members of the Flint African American Quilters Guild discuss their craft and their collaboration with MSU’s Quilt Index, a digital archive preserving thousands of stories and images of quilts and their makers. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
A tour of the USS Edson introduces bus tour participants to the Forrest Sherman-class destroyer and Vietnam War-era naval vessel docked at the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum in Bay City. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
President Guskiewicz prepares to release “Sparta” into the Saginaw River. Sparta and “Gus” — two juvenile lake sturgeon — are the latest of more than 8,000 sturgeon released into local waterways through a restoration project. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
President Guskiewicz takes a selfie with MSU faculty and representatives at the Michigan Sugar Company, where the group learned how sugar beets go from field to factory to store shelves. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
Leaders at Saginaw Valley State University take participants on a tour of the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum. The collection includes a cast of Fredericks’ iconic “Spirit of Detroit.” Photo by Derrick L. Turner
Stepping into the spotlight, Spartans explored the rich history and meticulous restoration of Flint’s historic Capitol Theatre, even taking to the stage for a performers’ eye view of the iconic venue. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
President Guskiewicz and MSU faculty members join a cooking demonstration with Flint Kids Cook — a free nutrition program that teaches children healthy cooking techniques and recipes at the Flint Farmers’ Market. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
Spartan Bus Tour participants enjoyed a taste of MSU Dairy Store ice cream at the Flint Farmers’ Market — a preview of the new Dairy Store location set to open at the market in 2027. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
The Spartan Bus Tour ended with a visit to MSU’s Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health in Flint, the first academic department co-created and co-governed by the community, for the community. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
Carmen Bradford, associate professor of jazz voice, takes part in the Spartan Bus Tour tradition of signing the outside of the bus as the tour concludes. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
Spartans buckle up for a two-day, 14-stop tour of communities in Flint, Saginaw and Bay City. Photo by Derrick L. Turner
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