Message from the Vice Provost
Kwesi Brookins, Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement
Anchored in Our Community
The Red Cedar River in Michigan flows from Cedar Lake in Livingston County for 51 miles until it joins the Grand River in downtown Lansing. In Ingham County, on its banks are several towns including Williamston, Okemos, East Lansing, and Lansing. This past academic year alone, Michigan State University welcomed 50,000+ students. For nearly 170 years, this annual rite of fall has made our campus another de facto town that contributes greatly to the life and vitality of the area. Walking and biking along the river have long been a favorite pastime and helped me de-stress from the rigors of my graduate program over 40 years ago.
As the nation’s premier land-grant university, MSU has long understood its responsibility to serve as an anchor institution—deeply rooted in place, committed to strengthening local economies, fostering innovation, and investing in the people and neighborhoods that make up the Greater Lansing region. Being an anchor means being a neighbor, a partner, and a steady presence in the community.
Building on this legacy, the Office of University Outreach and Engagement (UOE) is continuing to advance MSU’s engagement mission with a hyperlocal focus, deepening relationships and expanding the university’s positive impacts across the Lansing and tri-county area.
At the heart of this commitment is the MSU Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED), a department of UOE. When the center opened its doors more than 55 years ago, it opened the university to the Lansing community. Guided by the belief that innovation flourishes through collaboration, CCED has maintained relationships with residents, businesses, nonprofits, and public officials to address barriers to economic opportunity and growth.
To further support the center’s mission, Dr. Kevin Brooks recently joined the team as a community engagement specialist. His efforts focus on strengthening university-community relationships by leveraging MSU’s resources and supporting community-driven development strategies.
One example of our commitment to hyperlocal engagement is the Urban Community Engagement Fellows (UCEF) program, developed by UOE in partnership with MSU’s Graduate School. The program pairs MSU graduate students with Southwest Lansing-area community partners to collaborate on community-identified projects. University and community advisory committees provide fellows with professional expertise, strategic guidance, and institutional resources to support research and community engagement projects.
MSU’s deep roots are grounded in the belief that when university and community work together, they both grow stronger. We’re proud to build on that foundation by embracing our role as an anchor institution in Greater Lansing. We look forward to continuing to support President Kevin Guskiewicz’s local and regional engagement initiatives and MSU’s 2030 Strategic Plan to invest in, and grow with, the communities so many of us call home.
Kwesi Brookins,
Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement
