News

Five lessons from Africa’s 2025 elections

January 9, 2026 - Kelechi Amakoh

MSU PLS PhD candidate Kelechi Amakoh is a 2025-26 Good Authority Fellow. Here is his latest report on African elections.

Faculty-Student Research Collaborations make Political Science real for students

January 7, 2026

Collaborative research between faculty and students has become a defining strength in PLS. In just the last year, 16 faculty members—about two-thirds of the Department—reported working with students on research projects, with several supervising multiple collaborations at once. These projects span topics from representation to international conflict and public opinion, and they show how shared inquiry deepens learning for both students and faculty. They take many forms, including co-authored papers in peer-reviewed journals, joint data collection, and mentoring relationships that develop as students move from coursework into independent research.

Three MSU PLS grads named 2026 Michigan Political Leadership Program Fellows

January 5, 2026 - Karessa Weir

MSU Political Science alumni Jolie Lawrence, Josh Darnell, and Ava Vitale are among the incoming cohort of 24 rising leaders for the Michigan Political Leadership Program.