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News

Ford School names 2026 Weill Scholars

Oct 12, 2026
Five outstanding master's students have been named the 2026 Weill Scholars. Nour Abdel-Ghani (MPP '28), Sadie Burnaine (MPP/MSW '29), Aries Cole (MPP '28), Kelsey Faranda (MPP '28), and Georgia Youngblood (MPP '28) are recipients of the prestigious F...
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Publication

What does it take to reshape society?

Oct 12, 2026
In a recent International Organization article, Ford School professor Megan Stewart examines changes to the social order during the French Revolution to show how "symbolic programs" can produce lasting and sometimes unintended effects.
Headshot of Megan Stewart
News

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellowship Turns 10

Oct 12, 2026
As the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellowship celebrates its 10th anniversary, its nine recipients have built a legacy of leadership and service nationwide. Today, the Fellowship continues to nurture future policy leaders who exemplify academic excel...
Photo of a bronze statue of President Ford in Weill Hall's Great Hall
News

Small Michigan communities feel early voting strain

Oct 11, 2026
Most Michigan city and township officials report positive or neutral impacts from recent state election administration reforms, but many cite the costs and staffing demands associated with nine days of early in-person voting as a concern, according t...
Scene of a line of voting booths
State & Hill

Cell phones away. Then what?

Oct 7, 2026
As tablets and laptops have become common classroom tools, schools continue to wrestle with another device: the cell phone.
A student holds a smartphone beneath a classroom desk while other people appear blurred in the background.
State & Hill

People of the Machine: Q&A with historian Joy Rohde

Oct 7, 2026
Today’s generative AI companies promise systems that will surpass human capabilities—and often portray that future as inevitable. Public policy historian Joy Rohde argues that these promises echo a long history of attempts—and failures—to use compute...
A person with short brown hair sits at a table, looking at the camera, with wooden bookshelves behind them..
State & Hill

Alumni impact: The people behind the numbers

Oct 7, 2026
Samuel Owusu helps Michigan strengthen early childhood data systems so leaders can see if public investments are reaching the children and families they are designed to serve.
A person wearing a suit and identification badge talks on a phone outside a large government building.
State & Hill

Letter from Dean Watkins-Hayes, fall 2026

Oct 6, 2026
The nation’s 250th anniversary this summer invited us to reflect on how much has changed and to look ahead at the choices shaping our future. That forward-looking perspective feels especially important as emerging technologies are rapidly reshaping h...
Woman smiling in white blazer with off-white background
News

Reauthoring political futures in U.S. territories

Oct 2, 2026
At a Ford School event during the University of Michigan's Democracy Week, "Decolonizing imagination: Narratives, memory and political possibility in the U.S. Territories," Ford School associate research professor Mara Cecilia Ostfeld led panelists i...
A speaker addresses attendees seated in a tiered lecture hall during a panel discussion, with a “Vision” presentation slide projected at the front.
Policy Matters

What can a city do to promote human thriving?

Oct 2, 2026
Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes reflects on highlights from the Ford School's inaugural Kohn Social Policy Conference and the role of universities to bridge expertise and experience so that better solutions emerge.
A smiling speaker wearing glasses and a blue blazer addresses an audience from behind a podium, using a headset microphone against a blue University of Michigan backdrop.
In the Media

Cohodes contributes to "30 Ideas for Fixing U.S. Schools"

Sep 30, 2026 The New York Times
Ford School professor Sara Cohodes, who studies education policy, contributed to a New York Times survey of experts about how to improve education. The two most popular ideas: frequent small group tutoring during the school day for students who need...
Headshot of Sarah Cohodes