Katherine (Kathy) Cusick is one of three individuals being recognized by the Office of Institutional Access this December as part of our Staff Appreciation Month celebration. Cusick has been a member of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) staff for 31 years, formerly as Director of the Office for Survey Research’s telephone interviewing facility and currently as a Program Coordinator with IPPSR’s Michigan Political Leadership Program. Her many years of service at the College of Social Science culminates in her retirement in January of 2026. Congratulations, Kathy!
Prior to arriving at Michigan State in 1994, Cusick was a court investigator with the State of Michigan for eight years and a Director of Residential Life at Barry University (Miami) and the University of Detroit Mercy. She spent several years in the realm of student resident life services, continuing to work as Assistant Resident Director for Siena Heights while working in the court system. An experience with family illness prompted her to explore job options closer to home in Lansing, and after applying for a job at MSU, she received a call from MSU Human Resources who read her application and said she would be a great fit for the survey lab opening.
Cusick immediately jumped into more student-centered work as she managed IPPSR’s Office for Survey Research telephone survey division. The office relied on help from student and temporary on-call workers to conduct survey interviews with residents across Michigan. Topics ranged from women’s healthcare to monitoring change in local politics and the economy, collecting data for scientific and policy research, and surveys relating to the Arab, Polish and Hispanic populations.
“I got a chance to work with some wonderful students and staff,” Cusick said. “We hired a very diverse group to assist in these studies, and it was a great experience to meet people who came from a variety of backgrounds. I had the opportunity to work alongside people who spoke a different language, practiced different faiths, and enjoyed different traditions.”
In 2005, Cusick began work with the Michigan Political Leadership Program (MPLP), which provides training and development for individuals who aspire to run for public office or hold leadership roles within their communities. The 10-month nonpartisan program takes a cohort of 12 men and 12 women to all four corners of the state, giving a crash course on all things Michigan and educating them on the specifics of each region, equipping them with the knowledge to participate in state or local politics.
Getting to engage with each cohort has been one of Cusick’s favorite parts about working with the MPLP. Their own inquisitiveness helped to broaden her knowledge on various statewide issues.
“Prior to MPLP, I had minimal knowledge about the many cities where we have conducted our sessions,” she said. “Going east and seeing industry in action in Detroit, visiting windmills and a sugar plant in Bay City, learning about the tourism and wineries in Traverse City, being educated on the Arab community in Dearborn, and hearing about the challenges facing healthcare workers in Grand Rapids … and sharing all of this with the many talented MPLP fellows who will one day lead our state was awe-inspiring.”
Another one of Cusick’s favorite things about working at IPPSR is the many people she has met and worked with over the years. She describes her coworkers as having a ‘major influence’ in her life. “You work alongside your colleagues every day, and you share your joys, your sorrows, and grow together. Their input often gives you a different perspective on what you might be dealing with in your life.” She mentions Linda Cleary, Iris Harper, Matt Grossmann, Cory Schmidt, Arnold Weinfeld, Jes Sprague, Tony Zammit and Bevertone Anyonga as just a few of the many colleagues that have positively impacted her time with IPPSR. “Working alongside these ambitious and enthusiastic colleagues and calling Berkey Hall home for 31 years will be greatly missed.”
Cusick is also grateful for the professional development and networking opportunities at Michigan State, made possible by the administration and the campus unions. She appreciates the sense of belonging cultivated within the College of Social Science and its efforts to create healthy and inclusive spaces for students and staff.
In closing, Katherine shares that it has been a privilege to work at MSU. “Michigan State University is a great space to grow professionally and personally, and a place where everyone can truly feel welcome.”
Honorees’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the College of Social Science.