The Life and Times (and Dancing) of Jan Alleman

On the court, in the classroom and around the world, Jan Alleman has a knack for bringing out the best in all of us.

March 12, 2025

Amid the crowded Breslin Center concourse on a Spartans game day, through a blur of bodies, enthusiastic chatter and the persistent smell of popcorn, an MSU undergraduate spots a familiar face.

"It's her," the co-ed blares.

The young student approaches the woman proudly emblazoned in Spartan green. She has short blonde hair above rosy cheeks and black-rimmed glasses, punctuated by red lipstick across her famously infectious smile.

"You're the dancing lady, the one who's always on the big screen," says the student. "Can we take a photo?"

"Of course," she responds. But first, the woman peppers the undergrad with questions about where she's from, her studies at MSU and her passions and goals, eager to learn more about her new friend. Discovering that the student is an education major, the questions turn more specific—about classes and experiences, and even the authors of a textbook she's using.

"Brophy and Alleman," the student says.

The woman leans in with a wide grin and a twinkle in her eyes.

"I'm Alleman," she whispers.

There, in an instant, resides the compelling duality of Jan Alleman.

To the Breslin Center faithful, Alleman is a celebrity—the cute lil' lady so consumed by her love of the Spartans that she's become a fixture on the stadium's big screens with her in-game dancing and cheering. But Alleman is far more than a game day novelty act. She's a revered teacher, a distinguished scholar and a philanthropic soul who has penned her own glorious story at MSU.

 

 

Finding an unexpected home

Born and bred on an Iowa farm, Alleman recalls her parents lugging her to a local church for a presentation by a New York University professor. On the way home, Alleman, all of 5-years-old at the time, promised her parents that she, too, would travel the world speaking someday.

“I started saving for college when I was in elementary school,” Alleman said.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in teacher education and a master’s in curriculum from Drake University, Alleman received her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1968, and conducted postdoctoral work in urban studies at the University of Washington.

When she launched plans for a career in academia and stopped in East Lansing for a job interview, she only did so to break up her journey from Iowa to Massachusetts.

“I had no interest in working at a cow college,” she said.

But a funny thing happened as Alleman conversed with MSU faculty, spoke with students and toured the campus. She found MSU’s ambitious spirit invigorating and its enterprising culture empowering. When she spoke her beliefs, people respected her candor and conviction.

“Michigan State seemed like a place I could be me and create my own story,” Alleman said.

After accepting a position in the Department of Teacher Education, she directed a pointed question to then-department chair Dr. Vernon Hicks: “Are you ready for me?”

“No,” Hicks replied, “but we’ll get ready.”

Over the next 45 years, Alleman became a faculty dynamo at the College of Education, winning awards for teaching, research and scholarship from MSU as well as organizations like the National Council of Social Studies.

 

A celebrated career

A prominent scholar in the area of elementary social studies education, Alleman authored and co-authored 13 books and more than 100 articles, book chapters and reports, much of it alongside her cherished MSU-based collaborator, the late Jere Brophy. The duo’s 2006 book “Children’s Thinking About Cultural Universals” offered rich insights on how young students understand basic social studies concepts like food, clothing, shelter and family structures across diverse cultures and ignited novel instruction in classrooms around the U.S. and the world.

Educating future teachers herself at MSU, Alleman encouraged students to develop their voices and a sense of efficacy. She pushed them to present their work publicly and held parent-teacher conferences for her university students, tasking them to describe their activities and development to their own parents. She packed student work with thoughtful, detailed feedback and leveraged relevancy to drive learning. In tutoring Spartan hardwood standouts like Magic Johnson and Jay Vincent, for instance, she used scouting reports supplied by an assistant coach to build rapport before diving into lessons.

“It was all about growing people and showing them they matter, that they have greatness within them,” Alleman said. “With passion and goals, there’s room to flourish.”

Ted Berryhill, ’99, first encountered Alleman in a social studies education course in 1998. While Berryhill was content being a wallflower in Alleman’s classroom, the high-octane professor pushed Berryhill to think critically about what he was doing and, even more, who he wanted to become.  

“Her superpower is getting people to engage,” Berryhill said. “I’m not sure I knew what I could accomplish as a professional, but Jan seemed to always know what I was capable of.” 

Alleman also taught on behalf of MSU in more than a dozen countries around the globe, from Brazil to Bulgaria, Italy to Indonesia. She helped teachers in international locales enliven social studies instruction and consulted school leaders on strategies to heighten student performance. Alleman’s overseas experiences fostered empathy, humility and perspective she brought back to East Lansing. 

“When you go elsewhere, you encounter some people who have nothing and, yet, have everything,” she said. “It changed my life and pushed me to learn more.” 

Growing up, Alleman’s niece, Amy Jamison, marveled at her Aunt Jan’s ability to have it all. Alleman thrived as a teacher, scholar and researcher at a Big Ten university. She was an independent woman doing what she loved.

“She was a real role model to me and an absolute force of nature,” said Jamison, an education and research specialist at MSU who serves as co-director for the Alliance for African Partnership.

 

Alleman’s post-MSU act 

In 2012, Alleman retired from MSU’s faculty ranks—though she adamantly rejects the word retirement. “It’s refirement,” said Alleman, professor emeritus at MSU.

In fact, Alleman has reinvented herself over the last 13 years as an instructional coach and consultant for local school districts, finding a new home for her unrelenting energy.

Over the past several years, she’s worked exclusively with Mason Public Schools, a K-12 school district serving more than 3,000 students across six schools in Mason, Michigan. Alleman collaborates with teachers on curriculum development, devising fresh ways to motivate students and fuel learning.

The job reconnected Alleman with dozens of former students, including Berryhill, the former wallflower now in his seventh year as principal of Mason Middle School. Berryhill relies on Alleman’s intellect and passion for education to propel the success of his teachers, his students and himself. He savors his intense conversations with Alleman. He embraces Alleman’s frank text messages filled with exclamation points and all-CAPS words.

“Jan’s real passion is helping others reach their potential and knowing there’s a little more within all of us,” Berryhill said.

It’s why Alleman, more than a dozen years after leaving MSU, remains connected to so many former students. They contact her for guidance on everything from class projects to job openings to research opportunities. They relish the encouragement she delivers at just the right time with just the right force. They treasure her insight. They cherish—and crave—her honesty.

“She’s everything to me. My hero. My mentor. My inspiration,” said Rob Ley,’03, M.S. ’05, a Chicago-based teacher and co-author with Alleman, Brophy and others on “Homework Done Right: Powerful Learning in Real-Life Situations.”

 

 

A loyal Spartan 

A devoted academic, Alleman considers herself equally dedicated to the arts and athletics—a coveted “Triple A supporter,” as she calls it (Academics, Arts, Athletics). It’s a reality shining in her faithful support of MSU since the 1970s alongside her late husband, George Trumbull, ’52. Trumbull was a dyed-in-the-wool Spartan, and Jan’s perfect counterpart. Together, the pair traveled the world, visiting many countries, and found their way to a host of MSU events, offering support and even producing the MSU Rebounders Club newsletter. (For personal matters, she goes by Alleman Trumbull, but professionally, it’s always been Alleman.)

Over the years, Alleman’s gifts—from modest donations to the Wharton Center for Performing Arts to larger pledges earmarked for the Spartan Fund supporting student-athletes—have made her a member of Michigan State’s Abbot Society, MSU Athletics’ Athlos Society and Wharton Center’s Garnet Circle.

"Jan's enthusiasm and encouragement have been ever-present for many years,” said Eric Olmscheid, executive director of Wharton Center. “A devoted advocate for the arts and arts education, she goes beyond being a subscriber and donor—she’s a guiding light on our Advisory Council. It has been a joy to get to know Jan since I arrived at MSU. She is a familiar face at Wharton Center, and her energy is felt by all."

Alleman’s elementary school music teacher ignited an early interest in the arts, while volunteer work at Drake with a professor who specialized in creative dramatics for children highlighted arts’ ability to cultivate empathy. Growing up in sports-crazed Iowa, meanwhile, Alleman recognized the teamwork, discipline and accountability inherent in athletics.

“There are valuable life skills embedded in both,” she said of arts and athletics.

  Of course, Alleman’s love of Spartan Athletics shines publicly at men’s basketball games, and coach Tom Izzo calls it a “treat” to see the crowd’s reaction to Alleman on the big screen.

“I love the way she fires up our crowd and I smile every time I see her,” Izzo said of Alleman, who has followed the Spartans to NCAA Tournament games and Final Fours and occasionally paused her education classes for group watch parties.

Alleman swears she doesn’t know how her dancing became a game-day tradition in the 14,759-seat arena, but it’s made her a Breslin Center icon. Outside the stadium, on the concourse, people stop her for chats, handshakes and photos, though Alleman rejects the quick, passing interaction. Like in the classroom, she craves deeper engagement.

“The benefit is connecting with people and the interactions,” she said of her Breslin Center fame. “What you want yourself is what you give away. I want joy and sincerity, so that’s what I try to give others.”

Alleman professes a deep, abiding love for MSU—its people, its purpose, its uncommon spirit. The university unlocked lifelong friendships, intellectual freedom and a supportive community empowering Alleman to be her true, authentic self.

“Honestly, I would have paid them to let me work here,” she said. “At Michigan State, I was able to run with my dreams and create my own story.”

 

Contributing Writer(s): Daniel P. Smith