STEM+ Education @ State

Welcome to the STEAMpower Project at MSU!

Welcome to the Art, Science, and Culture Collaborative at Michigan State University. The goal of this group is to build community and to centralize communication and coordination of those doing (or interested in exploring) the intersections among, the arts, the sciences, and culture/ society.

Join the Art, Science, Culture Collaborative

1. Join our email list for lunches and other events.
2. Join the Art, Science, and Culture Collaboration.
   • Create a Commons account
     • Go to commons.msu.edu and click “Register”
     • Learn more: Register for the Commons
   • Join the Art, Science, and Culture Collaboration
     • Go to the Collaboration Group
     • Click the JOIN button
     • Learn more: Join Groups in the Commons
   • Explore the Groups
     • Click the welcome and introduction post
     • Add a reply to introduce you, your work, and your interests!
     • Learn more: Explore the Group for Next Steps
3. Attend one of our lunches or events.

STEAMpower Project Lunch and Dialogues

The work as part of the collaboration that discusses and supports work and exploration at the intersection of art, science, and/or culture. 12-1:30 pm in the STEM Building Generator Room (2110), third Weds. of the month.

Next time at the salon…

Maeve Bassett

Topic – Plants for Purpose: The Role of the Botanical Garden in a Modern World

Abstract – Not just a park, not quite a museum – traditionally Botanical Garden’s have been a repository of plants, but modern botanical gardens are also a collection of plant knowledge, relationships, and potentially full of solutions for worldwide problems.

Bio –

As an applied ethnobotanist, Maeve Bassett uses the dark, funny, weird, gross, and fascinating history of plants to facilitate connections between people and the natural world. Working primarily in botanical gardens and museums, her overarching goal is to figure out what aspects of plants may excite her audience the most, whether it’s art, sex, food, math, or cold war assassination methods.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maeve grew up moving around the country and occasionally the world, with her anthropologist parents. This unique upbringing fueled her interest in learning about plants, the environment, and cross-cultural foodways. These interests led her through a variety of jobs including an African American art museum, a Chinese tea company, managing a refugee health program, and both the New York and San Antonio Botanical Garden. She is now Education Director at the Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum with Michigan State University where she facilitates the relationship between plants and people through research, writing, program development, and interpretation.

…and others

STEAMpower brings people together to collaborate at the intersections among the arts, the sciences, and culture/society for the goal of broadening our perspective and improving our life/work. We’re asking colleagues from and beyond MSU to join a panel of peers and share about their work, life, and passions in any form (presentation, activity, performance, etc.). After each panelist has contributed, the panel will field questions and join a facilitated discussion with the audience.

MSU Arts Initiatives

The Department of Art, Art History, and Design at MSU just launched the MSU Arts Initiatives. You can find out more information by simply clicking the button below.

STEAMpower Fellows

The STEAMpower Project is looking for graduate student fellows and faculty/staff-led teams that are interested in exploring the intersection of STEM and the arts/humanities. The theme for this year’s projects is sustainability. 

Are you interested in contributing to the STEAMpower project?

Get to know our fellows and see the projects they have worked on.