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Join us for the Social Science Tailgate on October 17
Rob Lincoln at Homecoming
The MSU Social Science Homecoming Tailgate
Saturday, October 17
9:30 to 11:30 AM
Prior to the MSU vs. Northwestern Game

At a tent next to the IM West Outdoor Pool and across from Munn Ice Arena.
Enjoy a tailgate buffet, visit with fellow alumni, faculty and students, and cheer on the Spartans!

There is No Cost
RSVP to Vicki by replying to this email, calling 517-432-7047, or emailing
vicki@msu.edu.
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Stay Connected 

GET INVOLVED. To volunteer or to find out more about volunteer opportunities, contact Vicki Essenmacher, assistant director of alumni relations or click here.

JOIN  THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.  By joining the MSU Alumni Association and choosing Social Science as your constituency, you support student scholarships and alumni activities in the College of Social Science.  Belong Now!
 
MAKE A GIFT. To inquire about making a financial investment, contact Sarah Blom, senior director of development and alumni relations. Give Now!

ATTEND ALUMNI EVENTS. To find out more about upcoming alumni events and activities, contact Vicki Essenmacher.
 
STAY IN TOUCH.
Click here to update your contact information and ensure that you continue to receive news from MSU and the College of Social Science.

Ventures Staff

Senior Editor
Vicki Essenmacher
vicki@msu.edu

Contributing Editors
Erin Goebel
Michele Strobel

Contributing Writers
Sarah Blom
Gina Clouse
Lois Furry
Patty Gonzales
Melanie McGuire
Nick McLaren

Charitable Gifts from IRAs

Charitable gifts from IRAs are available through December 31, 2009. This incentive for charitable giving permits owners of traditional or Roth IRAs who are age 70 ½ or older (and required to take minimum distributions) to make gifts directly to MSU, with a limit of $100,000 per year. Although no charitable deduction is available to donors for the amount gifted to MSU, the donor does not need to claim the gift as ordinary income. To discuss IRA rollover gifts, contact Nick McLaren at mclarenn@msu.edu or 1-866-761-4199.
Social Science Logo
Greetings! 
Symposium on Science, Reason, and Modern Democracy DirectorsThe social, behavioral, and economic sciences continue to grow in importance as we seek to address society's most pressing challenges. It gives me great pleasure to announce that faculty in the Department of Economics and the College of Education at MSU recently were awarded a five-year $5 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences. The grant will be used to develop an interdisciplinary doctoral program training researchers to use methods from economics to address critical policy issues in education.
 
Other departments and schools continue to grow. The School of Criminal Justice will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2010. More ...

Marietta L. Baba, Dean and Professor

LinkedIn LogoConnect to Social Science Alumni on LinkedIn

The College of Social Science recently launched a group on the online professional networking site LinkedIn.
 
-Reconnect with past and present colleagues and classmates
-Discover Spartan connections
-Find and share job opportunities
-Interact with students and recent graduates
-Keep tabs on news and events happening around campus
-Talk to fellow Spartans
 
Visit www.linkedin.com to get started. Once you set up your profile, you can start building a list of contacts and search groups for the MSU College of Social Science.
The Human Development Initiative at MSU
 
Human Development InitiativeIn the interest of advancing knowledge surrounding human development, a community of scholars at MSU has created the Human Development Initiative (HDI). Serving as a hub connecting researchers and building networks for cross-cutting, interdisciplinary work, the initiative has many robust partners across the university, including the Colleges of Social Science, Natural Science, Education, Nursing, and Human and Osteopathic Medicine. Cutting-edge research involving genetics, neuroscience, and psychosocial development and studying how these factors intersect during an individual's lifespan will provide improved intervention relating to parenting, education, and medical treatment.
 
The Human Development Initiative at MSU follows an engaged and collaborative model, one where scholars and practitioners benefit from the application of science-founded knowledge, and communication between the two provides positive implications for the economic and social future of our local and global communities.
 
The lead college for childhood development, The College of Social Science, is well positioned across disciplines to begin asking and addressing questions that will ultimately improve the quality of life for people of all ages. To read more, click here...
JSRI Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Julian Samora Research Institute (JSRI) was founded in 1989 and named after Dr. Julian Samora. Samora was a distinguished teacher and scholar, a pioneer in Mexican American Studies, and one of the first Mexican Americans to earn a doctoral degree in sociology at a major US university. As one of the Midwest's premiere Latino research centers, JSRI supports research projects, research assistantships, and public forums on critical Latino issues across the nation.

This November, the Institute will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a series of events. For additional information regarding the 20th anniversary events, click here.
Social Science Alumni Association Update

As the leaves begin to turn, please consider joining us for the College of Social Science Homecoming Tailgate. This year's event will take place on Saturday, October 17 from 9:30 to 11:30 am at a tent across from Munn Ice Arena and near the IM West Outdoor Pool. Alumni and their guests are invited to attend, enjoy tailgate food and drinks, and visit with other Social Science alumni, faculty, and students at no cost. If you would like to attend, please contact Vicki Essenmacher at vicki@msu.edu or 517-432-7047 by Friday, October 9, 2009.

Over 80 alumni and friends joined us at the MSU Horticultural Gardens for the Social Science Alumni Association Annual Meeting in May. Dean Marietta Baba gave a fascinating presentation on the Human Development Initiative highlighted above. Before taking a tour of the beautiful gardens, Jennifer Wallace (Social Science '86) was elected as a new board member. Jennifer is Outreach Manager for the Michigan Bureau of Student Financial Assistance. More . . .

Christine Mason-Soneral
President, College of Social Science Alumni Association
(BA Political Science '95)

Join the MSU Alumni Association, choose Social Science, and connect to Spartans Worldwide

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Muije Bequest Supports Student Scholarships

A successful attorney and MSU alumni, John Muije recognizes the importance of planning and wanted to ensure MSU would be a beneficiary of his estate someday.DC House

John (Economics '76, MBA '77) together with his wife, Bobbi, recently made a commitment through a charitable bequest to benefit two scholarships rich in meaning to John. "I probably would have gone to school somewhere, but the particulars of what is offered at Michigan State gave me a great opportunity," John said. "It is only right that we give back to a good cause that benefits society, and MSU is it."
More ...

Psychology Professor and Criminal Justice Alumnus Honored

Alumni and Teaching Award RecipientsAt the Social Science commencement ceremony in May, the College of Social Science Alumni Association presented an Outstanding Teaching Award to Psychology Professor Rebecca Campbell and an Outstanding Alumni Award to Gordon Kettler (Criminal Justice '63 and '64).

To read more about the receipients and the College of Social Science Alumni Association awards, click here.
Student Profile - Kaushi Muthukuda 

Kaushi MuthukudaFor senior Political Science and Pre-Law student Kaushi Muthukuda there is never a dull moment-or a spare one. With aspirations of studying international human rights law, Kaushi has immersed herself in all the opportunities that the College and the campus community have to offer.
 
Focusing her degree in International Development with a Peace and Justice Studies specialization, Kaushi's academic work will more than prepare her for a future defending civil liberties abroad. Kaushi says that being a student in the College of Social Science has great advantages. More...
Alumnus Gives the NBA an International Assist 
Eric Drummond
 
Hailing from Detroit, Eric Drummond (International Studies '83; Labor and Industrial Relations '86) knew he wanted to pursue a career that would take him around the world. Now the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Vice President for Global Human Resources, Eric is working to build the NBA brand not only into a household name-but a global one. To read more, click here.
About the College of Social Science