LSA Magazine is the flagship publication of the largest college at the University of Michigan. We are distributed to more than 200,000 alumni, as well as donors, faculty, and staff. Our goal is always to highlight the importance and impact of a liberal arts and sciences education; in 2025, though, the importance of that messaging came into ever-sharper focus. The liberal arts and higher education are under attack in the national dialogue, and as such, we made it our goal to publish stories that would connect with readers on subjects that affect their everyday lives and to delight them at a time when much of the national news cycle feels heavy. This issue of the magazine has a theme of “A Second Look,” which we represented with stories about a look beneath an important historical site with non-invasive archaeological techniques rather than a backhoe or bulldozer; what a dumpling can tell us about the history of the nation and the world; whether Michigan will become a climate haven; and why some people are powering down during the digital age in favor of simple pleasures. Numerous readers wrote to tell us they found the content delightful and thought-provoking.
From the Judges
The writing in LSA Magazine was totally on point: the stories were diverse and well-written. The interesting mix of content, with a good blend of short- and long-form articles, elevated the magazine to its gold medal. In fact, judges felt that some stories could easily have been feature stories in a non-university, mainstream publication.
