Dear friend,
Greetings from Ann Arbor!
I’ve just returned from an extended trip to several great Asian cities—meeting with leaders in the region to learn from them, to talk about the terrific work happening at the Ford School, and to grow the Ford School's intellectual and cultural connections with our alumni and other academics, business leaders, and government officials.
It was an inspiring and incredibly productive trip. On each stop along the way—in Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai—we found tremendous energy for strategic collaborations, warm and welcoming hosts, and many good friends of our globally engaged, world-class University of Michigan.
It was an honor and a thrill to make so many new friends and to connect with many Ford School and Michigan alumni in the region. You can see pictures and video from the trip here. Look for more in this fall’s edition of State & Hill.
We’re making plans to welcome many alumni back to Ann Arbor this fall as we celebrate Homecoming on October 4 and 5, 2019.
The Homecoming festivities will mark a number of significant milestones for our community. Our first class of BA students graduated 10 years ago! It’s been 20 years since the University named its outstanding policy program for President Gerald Ford. And it’s been 50 years since our first class of MPP students walked through the doors as the first in the U.S. to pursue the University of Michigan’s groundbreaking social science-based course of study.
Football is on the Homecoming Weekend agenda, of course (the Wolverines will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes). In addition, we’re arranging TED-style faculty talks, networking opportunities, and a truly special event that we’ll be able to unveil a bit later this summer. I very much hope that you can join us!
But don’t wait until Fall to connect with your Ford School friends. Please join a festive gathering in your city on July 11th, when we’ll gather for the 9th Annual Worldwide Spirit Day. RSVP for one of 6 locations now, or contact Elisabeth Johnston to set up a party in your hometown.
Meanwhile, read on through ‘The Ford School feed’ for good news about promotions for professors Betsy Stevenson, Luke Shaefer, and Sarah Burgard; watch our Commencement address from journalist Michele Norris; learn about the winner of our first Eckstein Prize for Interdisciplinary Research; and much more.
Best regards,
Michael S. Barr
Joan and Sanford Weill Dean, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Frank Murphy Collegiate Professor of Public Policy
Roy and Jean Humphrey Proffitt Professor of Law
University of Michigan