Working together for a safer, stronger, healthier Michigan
Imagine starting your morning with a glass of water and some cereal with milk. You drop the kids off at school before taking the dog to the vet and then, as a special treat, you pick up the kids and surprise them with a trip up north for a weekend along Lake Michigan.
It sounds like an ordinary day in Michigan, simple and spectacular all at once. But behind many of those everyday moments are people working to keep your water safe, your food supply strong, your family healthy and the places you love protected.
Across the state, Michigan State University works alongside communities, businesses and partners to turn research, education and collaboration into practical solutions in your hometown.
Strengthening communities across Michigan
The MSU Forestry Innovation Center in Escanaba, Michigan. Photo by Garret Morgan
No matter which of Michigan’s 83 counties you call home, MSU Extension’s community-focused resources are within reach. More than 700 staff members live and work in the communities they serve, building relationships and connecting people with MSU knowledge they can put to use.
In 2025 alone, nearly 300,000 Michiganders participated in Extension programs. More than 60,000 took part in agriculture and agribusiness programs to strengthen local food systems, while nearly 140,000 young people ages 5 to 19 built confidence and leadership skills through 4-H.
“Behind what makes MSU Extension possible are real people: our staff, our partners, our volunteers and the Michiganders we’re proud to serve. We’re a statewide network powered by MSU, built on relationships and committed to helping people thrive.”
Quentin Tyler, director of MSU Extension
Other programs help residents grow a home garden, launch a small business, prepare for emergencies or buy a first home.
“Behind what makes MSU Extension possible are real people: our staff, our partners, our volunteers and the Michiganders we’re proud to serve,” says Quentin Tyler, director of MSU Extension. “We’re a statewide network powered by MSU, built on relationships and committed to helping people thrive.”
That commitment reaches beyond Extension, with programs bringing specialized services directly to communities across Michigan.
Thousands of Michigan families receive financial support during a baby’s first year
Rx Kids, the nation’s first community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program, has extended to 42 communities in Michigan and provided direct support to more than 11,000 families — and early reports are showing promising results.
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Young people in Detroit build skills and prepare for what’s next
With programs like the Apple Developer Academy, where an AI-readiness grant is helping MSU students turn ideas into solutions, and Community Music School-Detroit, MSU’s involvement spans a variety of areas that are making an impact every day.
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Animals across Michigan receive veterinary care where they are
MSU recently launched a mobile veterinary clinic with a custom-built mobile surgical unit that brings care to animal shelters and welfare organizations across the state, including spay and neuter services. Plus, the clinic is training future veterinarians.
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Michigan’s future is in good hands
Strong communities require talented, passionate people who are ready to lead and innovate. Many of them get their start at MSU.
Long before graduation, Spartan students gain valuable experience by working directly with clients, launching businesses and supporting community initiatives. Through MSU Extension, they find summer internships alongside educators, specialists and Extension partners.
That focus on practical, real-world application means graduates are prepared to launch careers right here in Michigan. They’re also in demand — in the Global Employability University Ranking 2025 published by Times Higher Education, Michigan State was ranked No. 8 among U.S. public universities and No. 31 in the country overall among universities that recruiters at top companies believe best prepare students for the workplace.
Over 60% of bachelor’s degree graduates choose to stay and work in the state, bringing their expertise to the industries and spaces Michiganders rely on every day. For example, Brett Brothers is a Spartan food scientist applying his training to help regional food manufacturers innovate and grow. Tamar Davis is guiding the brand of the Detroit Pistons, engaging with the millions of fans following along.
Tamar Davis, MSU alum and brand manager for the Detroit Pistons. Photo By G. L. Kohuth
Along the shores of Lake Michigan, alum and biological science technician Kate Reitz is helping to protect and preserve plants at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The dunes, which hug 35 miles of Lake Michigan’s eastern coastline, are valuable not only for the beautiful scenery and environment, but also for Michigan’s economy: They attract over 1.5 million visitors each year.
“I think the work that we do there is not only beneficial for people everywhere but also for the local community. Michigan is just a really beautiful place worth protecting.”
Kate Reitz, biological science technician
Kate Reitz at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Photo by Nick Schrader
“I think the work that we do there is not only beneficial for people everywhere but also for the local community,” Reitz says. “Michigan is just a really beautiful place worth protecting.”
Preparing the next generation to contribute to Michigan means continuing to adapt as the state’s needs change.
Michigan needs a workforce ready to use AI responsibly and effectively
Programs like AI-Ready Spartans prepare students for a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
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Growing industries call for more engineers and technology professionals
The new Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation is expanding capacity to train the technical leaders Michigan industries need most.
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Transforming communities through meaningful service and civic engagement
At MSU, students learn the importance of giving back and lending a hand to community members across the state: MSU is a top-ranked school for service learning.
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Vital research with impact you can see
The discoveries being made at MSU help keep Michiganders safe and healthy.
When you or someone you love is facing cancer, advances in treatment can change what the future looks like. Through partnerships like Henry Ford Health + MSU Health Sciences, scientists are working to improve the outlook for pancreatic, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancers.
“We have learned how cancer cells adapt to chemotherapy by altering their internal structure. This enables them to survive and ultimately resist treatment.”
Sachi Horibata, assistant professor, Precision Health Program
In the MSU College of Human Medicine, researchers uncovered how ovarian cancer resists chemotherapy — and how to reverse it. The team found that cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapy drug whose cancer-fighting potential was discovered at MSU, is working in different ways than previously understood.
“We have learned how cancer cells adapt to chemotherapy by altering their internal structure,” said Sachi Horibata, assistant professor in the Precision Health Program and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the College of Human Medicine and one of the lead researchers on the study. “This enables them to survive and ultimately resist treatment.”
Practical science extends to your everyday environment, too. MSU researchers are also working to protect water and support local farms and healthy diets.
Trusting the water that comes out of the faucet
By investigating how harmful pathogens like Legionella behave and studying the byproducts of water treatment, Spartans are helping ensure that communities have reliable, safe drinking water flowing from taps for your family.
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Keeping farms productive while maintaining the food supply families rely on
With new soybean varieties used for cattle feed, researchers are helping family-owned dairy farms stay profitable while keeping high-quality, nutritious milk on kitchen tables.
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Transforming diabetes care with resources for patients
With funding from the National Institutes of Health, an MSU program is helping patients with diabetes take control of their health — and the effort is working to improve medication adherence and prevent cardiovascular disease.
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Michigan’s state university
A stronger Michigan is one with safer water, healthier families, productive farms and successful businesses. It’s a state with more opportunities for young people to build their lives and careers and it’s full of pristine, treasured places protected for the next generation.
This is what can happen when a university’s knowledge and resources are put to work for the people of Michigan. And it’s what it means to be Michigan’s state university.
