Education policy

State & Hill, fall 2022

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Greetings from Ann Arbor!

It’s been my great honor–and a lot of fun–to serve as interim dean of the Ford School, an outstanding community dedicated to the public good. This edition of State & Hill focuses on education policy—the research, people, and politics that shape student outcomes in the classroom and beyond.

Introduction

Education policy at the Ford School

Interdisciplinary, rigorous, and committed to real world impact and to mentoring: the Ford School has one of the strongest education policy programs in the country. How did we get there? S&H asked the scholar at the front of the class, economist Brian A. Jacob.

Photo of Brian Jacob standing at the Annenberg Auditorium podium, delivering remarks at a public event

Illustration of a bubble test sheet with bubbles filled in and lines connecting them like a circuitboard

Education Policy Initiative's data clearinghouse connects researchers and policymakers

Photo of a teacher in a classroom, speaking to a young student who is seated at their desk

Education researchers look for answers

Matsudaira (PhD '05) named U.S. DOE's first ever chief economist

Youth Policy Lab's data and policy fellow expands college opportunity in Michigan

Connections at the center of monetary policy

Photo of a stone building with a large "City Hall" sign

CLOSUP checks in with local government officials

Distinguished sociologist, award-winning author, proven leader

Ford School in photos

Student internships around the world

Many internships returned to in-person or hybrid modalities this summer, taking Fordies back around the world to work with nonprofits and NGOs, governments and agencies, and consulting firms and businesses—applying the skills and knowledge they’ve learned here at the Ford School in real time.

Support student internships by making a gift to the Graduate Internship Fund or Undergraduate Internship and Travel Fund at fordschool.umich.edu/give.

View the photos

Photo of DeAndré Calvert addressing a room of attendees at the Ford School reunion in 2019

The Ford School is hard at work on interim priorities as the university prepares for its next big strategic plan

Photo of Michael Barr speaking to the classes of 2022 from a podium on stage at Elbel Field

Recipients are provided two years of full tuition, a stipend, and health and dental care

Representatives from the Sanford School of Public Policy, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Ford School of Public Policy, and the Harris School of Public Policy present at the 6th annual Voinovich Public Innovation Challenge at the 2022 NASPAA conference.

The coaching program won third prize in the Voinovich Public Innovation Challenge at NASPAA

Headshots of Isabelle Schindler, Jenna Bednar, Jonathan Hanson, Tom Ivacko, Rusty Hills, and Abdul El-Sayed

Fordies in the news: Midterm election edition

Headshots of Walesa, Webster, Crockford, and Welch

Highlights from Policy Talks @ the Ford School

Photo of the proceedings of the 6th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

Governing, the EITC, and the police footprint

Class Notes

Faculty News

Spotlights

The Last Word

The Last Word: Peter Vasher, director of career services

Q&A with the new director

This fall, after a national search, the Ford School selected Peter Vasher as the school’s director of career services. Vasher has been with the school since 2017 and served as associate director of graduate career services for three years. During that time he established deep connections with key professional policy networks and developed best-in-class programs to help students discover and navigate their career journey and enhance their professional skills. Vasher succeeds the estimable Jennifer Niggemeier, who has moved into the role of associate director for the Ford School’s Leadership Initiative.

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Dean: Celeste Watkins-Hayes; Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Luke Shaefer; Associate Dean for Research and Policy Engagement: John Ciorciari; Director of Communications/Executive Editor: Laura K. Lee (MPP ’96); Art lead: Nicholas Pfost (MPP ’15); Editor and writer: Rebecca Cohen (MPP ’09); Contributors: Deborah Holdship, Thomas Ivacko (MPA ‘93), Shaun Manning, Daniel Rivkin, George Spencer, Miriam Wasserman; Class Notes Editor: Elisabeth Johnston; Photographers: Austin Thomason, Scott Soderberg, Daryl Marshke, Peter Smith, Travis Vernon Scott; Design: Savitski Design; Printer: University Lithoprinters, Inc.

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State & Hill editor
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
University of Michigan
735 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3091

Top/cover photo

Aad Goudappel / The iSpot

Education policy

Greetings from Ann Arbor!

Education policy at the Ford School

Dot to dot

COVID-19, schools, and childcare

An economic eye on ed equity

Data for good

In addition

The Ford School and the Fed

Ivacko on the state of our democracy

Meet Interim Dean Watkins-Hayes

Student internships around the world

Diversity, equity, and inclusion highlights

New fellowship support in Michael Barr’s name

National recognition for Niggemeier, summer leadership coaching

Discourse

Soundbites

Faculty Findings

And more...