On September 29, Michigan State University leaders, donors, alumni and friends gathered at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts for the 2026 Faculty Investiture and State of the University, hosted by President Kevin M. Guskiewicz.
The program kicked off with the Investiture, celebrating the most recent cohort of appointees to endowed chair and professor positions, MSU Research Foundation Professorships, Red Cedar Distinguished Professorships, and John A. Hannah Distinguished Professorships.
These positions are awarded to MSU’s best and brightest faculty members, in honor of their contributions to their respective fields, and for what they bring to MSU as colleagues, mentors, and educators. Thirty-six honorees in total, representing 12 of MSU's 16 degree-granting colleges, hundreds of published works cited thousands of times, decades' worth of world-changing work and inspiration for the next generation.
In his congratulatory address to the honorees, President Guskiewicz—who was an honoree himself, receiving a John A. Hannah Distinguished Professorship—highlighted the often-surprising cross-disciplinary nature of their work: a philosopher studying science and environmental ethics, an economist advancing maternal health research, a plant scientist who has sent seeds into outer space, and so on. (As a university president who is also a respected expert in neuroscience as it relates to sport-related concussions, President Guskiewicz was in good company.)
After the medaling ceremony, President Guskiewicz delivered his annual State of the University address, in which he credited the generosity of the global Spartan community for achieving a second consecutive record-breaking year of fundraising in support of MSU’s $4 billion comprehensive campaign, Uncommon Will, Far Better World.
He also acknowledged the strong academic standing of the university, highlighting MSU’s nationally ranked programs, 80%+ graduation rate, and the Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams Scholarship, which welcomed its second cohort this fall.
As he outlined the year's highlights and tied them back to the history upon which they were built, he also looked to the future: asking the audience and his cohort of faculty honorees onstage to "Imagine if..."
"We should all have an 'imagine if' aimed at solving a grand challenge," he said. "Our university was conceived more than 170 years ago by forward-thinking founders who, being broadly curious and well-read, also dared to imagine something new.
"As we imagine ways to fulfill our land-grant mission better and enhance our impact and reputation, we can take encouragement that others share our vision and confidence. Simply put, we are on a great trajectory, alongside our outstanding faculty and researchers; our dedicated staff; some of the country’s most accomplished coaches; and let us never forget why we all come together — to serve our ambitious and curious Spartan students."
2026 Honorees
Angel Abuelo
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
Annick Anctil
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Selin Aviyente
James O. Fishbeck and Lee A. Morgan Professor in Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Melissa Bauer
C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health
Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health
Jeremy Tyler Bruskotter
Gordon and Norma Guyer and Gary L. Seevers Endowed Chair in Natural Resource Conservation
Department of Community Sustainability
Jennifer Blesh
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
W. K. Kellogg Biological Station
Tamara Reid Bush
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Brendan J. Cantwell
Dr. Mildred B. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education
Department of Educational Administration
Bora Cetin
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Natoshia Cunningham
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Family Medicine
Federica Brandizzi
John A. Hannah Professor
Plant Research Laboratory
Andrea Gonzales
Joseph Zichis Endowed Chair in Chemistry
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Kevin M. Guskiewicz
John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor
Department of Kinesiology
Chris Hogan
Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting and Information Systems
Department of Accounting and Information Systems
Beth Herbel-Eisenmann
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Teacher Education
Kevin Elliott
W.K. Kellogg Foundation Endowed Professor
Department of Philosophy
Hanne M. Hoffmann
MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor
Department of Animal Science
Andras Komaromy
Albert C. Dehn and Lois E. Dehn Endowed Chair in Veterinary Medicine
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Geoffroy Olivier Laumet
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Physiology
Lik-Chuan Lee
Marvin L. VanDerPloeg Endowed Professor in Mechanical Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Hui Li
MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor
Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
Jinxing Li
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Wen Li
MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sijia Liu
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Richard Lunt
Johansen-Crosby Endowed Professor in Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences
Leps Malete
Gwen Norrell Professor in Youth Sport and Student-Athlete Well-Being
Department of Kinesiology
Caroline Mansfield
Pat Carrigan Chair in Feline Medicine
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
David Markowitz
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Communication
Mason Marks
MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor
College of Law
Gerry McNamara
John H. McConnell Chair in Business Administration
Department of Management
Cristian Ioan Meghea
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
Ted Robert Miller
C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health
C.S. Mott Department of Public Health
Jeffrey Nanzer
MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sriram Narayanan
John H. McConnell Chair in Business Administration
Department of Supply Chain Management
Karin Allor Pfeiffer
Gwen Norrell Professor in Youth Sport and Student-Athlete Well-Being
Department of Kinesiology
Matthew B. Pontifex
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Kinesiology
Erin Purcell
Martin J. Vanderploeg Endowed Professor in the College of Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Dohun Pyeon
MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor
Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology
Alfred J. Robison
Barnett Rosenberg Chair in Biological Science
Department of Physiology
Alfred J. Robison
MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor
Department of Physiology
Arun Ross
Anil K. and Nandita K. Jain Endowed Professor
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
David Roy
MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor
Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences
Liangliang Sun
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Department of Chemistry
Sri Talluri
Hoagland-Metzler Chair in Purchasing and Supply Management
Department of Supply Chain Management
Xiaobo Tan
Richard M. Hong Endowed Chair in Electrical Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Shawnee Vickery
Demmer Legacy Chair
Department of Supply Chain Management
Wrennie Wang
Joe Vargas Chair in Turfgrass Pathology
Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
Russell M. Weinstein
Frederick S. and Marilyn Marshall Addy Endowed Chair in Economics
Department of Economics
Weiwei Xie
MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor
Department of Chemistry