Creating collective prosperity for the common good is a vital part of Michigan State University’s mission and tradition as the world’s pioneer land-grant university.

Through powerful partnerships established in communities from Michigan to Malawi, MSU researchers are helping develop sustainable solutions that address the world’s more pressing problems. In the process, they are helping define the model for the land-grant university in the twenty-first century, the model we call world-grant.

Being world-grant means we leverage the strengths of world-class scholarship and traditional land-grant values in order to make a positive impact on society and create value for people locally and globally. It means we approach problems from the ground level and work with those in the community to cocreate solutions that foster prosperity and a better quality of life.

In areas as diverse as food safety, education, technology, and economic development—and in parts of the world as close to home as East Lansing and as far-reaching as Rwanda, India, Nicaragua, and China—Spartans are conducting and applying innovative research as they work to enhance the lives of millions of people every day. I share some examples of the excellent work we do in these and other important areas in my recent State of the University statement, available at www.president.msu.edu.

This report offers stories of just a handful of the projects that exemplify the many ways in which MSU is advancing knowledge and transforming lives in Michigan and around the world—as well as a wealth of links to related resources.

I hope at least one of these stories intrigues or inspires you. I invite you to share your thoughts and reactions with me at president@msu.edu.

Sincerely,

Lou Anna K. Simon

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