Town & Gown

The Town & Gown Series is an MSU AgeAlive program in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, in partnership with MSU Social Science Scholars Program, Generations Connect, East Lansing Prime Time Seniors Program, The Great Decisions Program of the Foreign Policy Association, and The Peoples Church of East Lansing.

The Town & Gown Series brings MSU faculty and community members together for conversations on topics ranging from public policy to personal well-being. These events strengthen academic-community connections and reflect AgeAlive’s commitment in translating university expertise into meaningful public dialogue. These sessions are free and participants have every opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.

2025 – 2026 Town & Gown Series 

All Town & Gown sessions will be held on the third Friday of every month from noon to 1 p.m. in the Robertson Room, The Peoples Church, 200 W. Michigan Avenue, East Lansing. Below is the current schedule:

• Friday, Oct. 17 – Speaker: Dr. Kseniia Borodin, Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at Michigan State University | Topic: Ukraine – Language – War – Me: A Personal Story Intertwined with History
• Friday, Nov. 21 – Speaker: Charles Keith, Ph.D., Professor of History, Michigan State University | Topic: MSU and Vietnam: New Thoughts on an Old Story
• Friday, Dec. 19 – Speaker: Dr. Gabriel Wrobel, Ph.D.,  Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Bioarchaeology Laboratory at Michigan State University | Topic: The Hidden Dead: Bioarchaeology of Ancient Maya Cave Ritual
• Friday, Jan. 16, 2026 – Speaker & Topic: Dr. Yoorae Noh is an Assistant Professor in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University | Topic: Microplastics and Us: Can you believe there is a plastic needle stuck in your brain?
• Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 – Speaker & Topic: Dr. Jay Zarnetske is a Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Michigan State University | Recording: Telling the ‘Hidden’ Stories of Water: Revealing Connections between Climate, Land, Water, & Human Systems / Slides: Feb 20 2026 – Town and Gown Presentation Slides – Hidden Stories of Water / Handout: Feb 20 2026 – Town and Gown Handout – Human domination of the global water cycle

• Friday, March 20, 2026 – Speaker & Topic: Clare Luz, PhD, Associate Professor, IMPART Alliance, PI/Executive Director, Founding Director of MSU AgeAlive, Family and Community Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University | Topic: What the World Needs Now: Caregivers
  • Overview: This presentation focuses on the extraordinary, groundbreaking work being done in Michigan to address this major issue. MSU IMPART Alliance, grounded in the College of Osteopathic Medicine and directed by Dr. Luz, has been working with the State of Michigan and statewide partners for two decades on efforts to expand and support the direct care workforce. The work is driven by an integrated strategies framework that is resulting in unprecedented progress and garnering national attention. Attendees will learn more about the status of caregiving in Michigan, solutions being developed, and a push to establish a Caregiving Ecosystem that provides hope and promise for all in Michigan who are touched by caregiving experiences. REGISTER
• Friday, April 17, 2026 – Speaker & Topic: TBD

Previous Town & Gown Sessions
Check out our videos of previous Town & Gown sessions to continue your lifelong learning: Video Listing