Careers in public policy
Date & time
Location
This is a Virtual Event.
With professional, personalized career services and a powerful, deeply committed alumni network, the Ford School helps students achieve their career goals. This session features Jennifer Niggemeier, director of graduate career services and alumni relations, as well as Ford School alumni.
Alumni panelists:
Ali Abazeed, MPP ’17
National Institutes of Health
Public Health Advisor
Ali Abazeed serves as Public Health Advisor at the National Institutes of Health. He joined public service as a Presidential Management Fellow and has worked across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the Secretary, Office of Refugee Resettlement, and the Assistant Secretary for Policy and Evaluation. He has led a health and social policy portfolio ranging from homelessness eradication, health interventions in rural and tribal America, tobacco policy and cancer prevention and control, and mitigating the effects of the global refugee crisis. Prior to joining the federal government, Ali served as an advisor at the Detroit Health Department where he bolstered efforts to reverse water shutoffs and revitalize human services following the city’s historic bankruptcy. He developed robust comparative perspectives working on maternal and child health interventions with the United Nations Development Program in the refugee camps of Lebanon. Ali is a three-time graduate of the University of Michigan, holding a MPH, MPP, and a BS.
Claire Hutchinson, MPP ’14
Humana
Associate Vice President of Public Policy
Claire Hutchinson is an Associate Vice President of Public Policy at Humana where she leads prescription drug policy. Prior to joining Humana and upon graduation from the Ford School, she was a strategy manager in Accenture's Health and Public Service practice where she supported health care clients across Medicare, Medicaid, and Health Insurance Exchanges.
Luz Meza, MPP ’18
Wayne County
Research and Design Manager
Luz Meza holds a B.A. in Economics and International Studies, an M.A. in Applied Economics, and an M.P.P. from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. During college, she served as a founding member of the Coalition for Tuition Equality, a member of One Michigan, Detroit’s youth-led immigrant rights group, a member of the University’s task force on undocumented students, and a leader in the successful movement for in-state tuition for undocumented students at U-M. Luz additionally served as a bilingual educator in Dallas, Texas.
Currently, Luz serves as the Research and Design Manager for Wayne County's Economic Development team. Luz was previously a District Business Liaison with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation where she served small businesses in Council District 6. Her hope is to expand the influence of Latino communities in policymaking circles. The goal: to positively impact the social, civic, and economic wellbeing of minorities in the United States.
Megan Nestor, MPP ’19
Fourth Economy
Data Analytics and Research Strategist
Megan is a Data Analytics and Research Strategist at Fourth Economy, a national community and economic development consulting firm based out of Pittsburgh. A self-proclaimed “policy wonk” with 10 years of nonprofit experience, Megan enjoys using data and research to connect policy and practice across disciplines. Prior to joining Fourth Economy, Megan served as program director of The Opportunity Network, an organization that ignites the drive, curiosity, and agency of underrepresented students on their paths to and through college and into thriving careers. While receiving her Master’s degree in Public Policy at the University of Michigan, Megan worked for the City of Detroit Mayor’s Office conducting a feasibility study on Universal Pre-K. Outside of work, you can usually find Megan camping (in any season), reading trashy mystery novels, or rooting for the Steelers.
