Past events

Each spring, Ford School faculty and staff nominate dozens of outstanding student research and service projects for recognition at the Gramlich Showcase of Student Work. Established in 2008 to honor internationally renowned economist and former Ford School dean, Ned Gramlich, this event features exceptional student work on a broad range of local, national, and international policy challenges.

Federal Reserve Bank Vice Chair for Supervision Michael S. Barr, former dean of the Ford School, will discuss the workings of the Fed, his work on banking reform, and the lessons of leadership he has learned in his career in and out of government service. 

This policy briefing is the culmination of a project carried out by five Masters of Public Policy students who worked with the American Friends Service Committee’s Michigan Criminal Justice Program in the Strategic Public Policy Consulting course at the Ford School of Public Policy. The students gathered current data on the MDOC prisoner population and modeled the potential cost savings that could be realized under the proposed Second Look legislation in Michigan. 

Join the Center for Racial Justice in welcoming Dr. Clarence Wardell III, Senior Program Officer on the Economic Mobility and Opportunity team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for a virtual workshop on the importance of service design in ensuring equitable access to key government programs. 

Thank an alum! Get a free t-shirt! 

The Center for Racial Justice and Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) are excited to host Alejandro Mayoral Baños for his talk Beyond the Digital Divide: Unpacking the Complexities of Development and Data Colonialism. Alejandro will be exploring the intricate and multifaceted realm of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), and assessing its promising advantages and its significant downfalls.

This discussion, hosted by the Ford School Student Affairs Committee (SAC) will focus on how to create more inclusive communities and the politics around identity. 

On Wednesday, March 13, celebrate Giving Blueday's 10th anniversary! From midnight through 11:59 p.m. EST, Fordies around the globe will have the opportunity to support what we love about the Ford School and University of Michigan! 

Join us for Black Maternal Rights: Voices & Visions, a compelling panel event focusing on the multifaceted issue of Black maternal reproductive rights.

Marc Goldwein, Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, discusses the fiscal challenges awaiting the next administration.   

The Center for Racial Justice proudly welcomes Chloë Cheyenne for our 2024 Masterclass in Activism event: A Conversation on Social Justice Activism in the Digital Age. This event is free and open to all. 

Racism is a multifaceted, interconnected, and fundamental cause of racialized health inequities. As such, racism impacts who gets sick, who dies, and who is able to live healthy. In this talk Dr. Pirtle will overview interventions of her empirical research, informed by critical race theory, that utilizes multidimensional measures of race and structural measures of racism to explore health outcomes for Black, Latinx, and other populations of color. 

The Michigan Presidential Primary is February 27th which is during Spring Break. But don’t worry: Michigan now has nine days of early voting! Please join our amazing student-led organization Turn Up the Turnout (TUT) for an all-community lunch and Walk to the Polls on February 20, 2024, 11:30-1:00.

In this enlightening conversation, Distinguished Professor Dr. Earl Lewis delves into a profound exploration of his personal journey spanning over three decades, during which he navigated spaces where representation was sparse or non-existent. This event is hosted by the graduate chapter of Students of Color in Public Policy (SCPP).

The lives of Flint pregnant moms and babies are about to change. Mark your calendar for the heartfelt Rx Kids launch event.

Join the Center for Racial Justice in welcoming Diane J. Wright, Disability Advocate and creator of Autastic.com, for a virtual workshop on disability and racial justice.

This month's Food for Thought will be held on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. Associate dean Jeff Morenoff will host a panel with staff from the Prison Creative Arts Project to discuss Unpacking Justice, Policy, and Artistic Advocacy.Please join us to share your thoughts and learn more! Pizza will be provided on a first-come first-served basis.

Save the date for the February installment of the Ford School's "Food for Thought" series. More information on the topic and speakers will be shared soon.Food for thought attendance is limited to Ford School students, faculty, and staff. Pizza will be provided on a first-come first-serve basis.About "Food for Thought"Roughly once a month, we will convene community conversations to devour pizza and discuss burning issues in policy and politics. These off-the-record conversations will aim to foster frank and open dialogue among Ford students, faculty, and staff. Each session will feature one or more Ford professors or scholars with relevant expertise, but these will not be lectures. They will be guided conversations in which we share both comments and questions, listen and learn from one another, and seek to co-produce knowledge on policy issues in the United States and around the world. Please come to learn more and to share your ideas.

In this presentation, Drs. McCormick and Sachs will discuss how their experiences as a researcher and practitioner working in partnership have prepared them for their new roles at the Overdeck Family Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They will also share opportunities they see to use research and evaluation to make a positive impact on education policy and how these opportunities vary across roles.  

Meet Mark Jacobson, a seasoned veteran who has made significant contributions to NATO, the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and held key roles at the Department of Defense. Mark's journey spans academia and military service.

The Honorable Lori Lightfoot, 56th mayor of Chicago, reflects on her background and preparation for public service, the challenges she faced as mayor, and lessons about leading in crises, in conversation with Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes.

*This event has been moved from in-person to Zoom as of 1/30/24*Are you considering an undergraduate degree in public policy? Join us for an opportunity to connect with current Ford School BA students!

Our Food for Thought series is returning this Wednesday, January 31 from 11:30-12:50 in the Annenberg Auditorium. Our discussion topic will be “The Vital Role of Students in the Presidential Election,” and we will be joined by a panel that includes Abdul El-Sayed, Rusty Hills, Landon Myers, Erica Reilly, and Naomi Garcia. Food for thought attendance is limited to Ford School students, faculty, and staff. Pizza will be provided on a first-come first-serve basis.

Discover the captivating journey of President Zelensky's former press secretary and a globally acclaimed journalist. Uncover the behind-the-scenes stories of her impactful work in Ukraine and the dynamic world of journalism!

Join Dr. Tamma Carleton for the fourth installment of the International Policy Research Seminar (IPRS), hosted by the Ford School's International Policy Center (IPC).

Join the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, and Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy as we explore the legacy of Watergate fifty years on. 

Join Washington Post journalists and editors as they discuss their investigative series, "The gun that divides a nation," which examines the devastation caused by AR-15 assault rifles as well as the weapon's allure in segments of American society. Presented in collaboration with Wallace House Center for Journalists.