The MSU Museum CoLab Studio will present the latest edition of Ignite Talks MSU, a dynamic, fast-paced showcase of student research, creativity, and innovation. The free public event brings together Michigan State University students from across disciplines to share their work in a compelling five-minute format featuring 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds. This structure challenges presenters to communicate clearly, concisely, and creatively.
Since launching in fall 2023, Ignite Talks MSU has grown into a vibrant campus platform for interdisciplinary exchange, storytelling, and community engagement. Each semester, outstanding students are selected through an open call process to present timely ideas spanning scientific discovery, cultural inquiry, technological advancement, environmental research, and public health.
“Ignite Talks MSU brings together bold ideas and diverse voices from across campus, giving student researchers a platform to connect with audiences in energetic and surprising ways,” said Abbie Stevens, MSU Museum Program Manager and founder of Ignite Talks MSU. “It has become a powerful space for connection and exchange. It’s kind of a third place on campus where students can share relevant ideas and engage new audiences beyond the classroom or laboratory.”
This year’s presenters highlight the remarkable breadth of inquiry at MSU. Topics include language and cultural identity in African families; the impact of political messaging on democratic systems; recording atomic electrons at 100 trillion frames per second; the hidden ecological dynamics of invasive plants; developing bendable Mooncrete and Marscrete materials for future space habitats; how diamond defects could enable a quantum internet; reframing gun violence through a public health lens; bird conservation strategies that extend beyond park boundaries; and the critical, often overlooked role of medical packaging in saving lives.
Presenters include:
• Yétúndé Alábẹdé, graduate student in the Department of Teacher Education, College of Education
• Kelechi Amakoh, graduate student in the Department of Political Science, College of Social Science
• Kaedon Cleland-Host, graduate student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Natural Science
• Thomas Hennessey, graduate student in the Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Matias Leon-Miquel, graduate student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
• Ian Morris, graduate student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Natural Science and College of Engineering
• Angel G. A. Prempeh, MD student in the College of Human Medicine
• Bruna Rodrigues do Amaral, graduate student in the Department of Integrative Biology, College of Natural Science
• Dangkamol Wongthanaroj, graduate student in the School of Packaging, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
By fostering communication skills and public dialogue, Ignite Talks MSU exemplifies the MSU Museum’s role as a creative collaboratory that strengthen collaboration, curiosity, and creativity across disciplines while inviting the broader community into conversation.
The MSU Museum welcomes all interested individuals to attend. Tickets are free, but seating is limited!
Register Here