Kaltura Video
Webinars
Admitted students can expect a rich array of opportunities between March 13 and April 14. Starting with a welcome webinar, these online events delve into getting to know our community, career services, academic support, and funding.
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Join Kathryn Dominguez, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, a current student, and Paige Ziegler, Ford School Embedded Counselor through Counseling and Psychological Services, for a welcome webinar. This team will highlight our values, community, and support, including our research centers and the great ways our faculty and staff impact current policy issues.
Join some of our Ford School alumni for an informal chat about their experiences as a student as well as post-grad. Get a better sense of your Fordie community!
Alumni
Janani Ramachandran Yates, MPP '13
Janani Ramachandran Yates is a founding Partner in the management and budget consulting firm Watson & Yates, LLC. As the Deputy Budget Director for the City of Detroit from 2021-2024, she comprehensively rebuilt the City’s post-bankruptcy budget decision-making apparatus, enabling a more transparent, inclusive, and evidence-based process. From 2018-2021, Janani was Associate Budget Director to Mayor Muriel Bowser of the District of Columbia, where she led the strategic management of the District’s $10 billion capital infrastructure budget. During her tenure, she also helped direct the District's financial response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the strategic allocation of once-in-a-generation federal aid packages totaling nearly $4 billion. Earlier in her career, Janani served as a senior financial analyst with Arlington County, VA and held budget and operations roles with the federal government at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She lives in metro Detroit with her husband (Will Yates, MPP ’13, who she met at the Ford School!), their two children, and dog.
Michael Manansala Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. Department of State
Michael Manansala serves as a Program Officer at the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) where he leads U.S. law enforcement cooperation in the Pacific Islands and manages relationships with Australia and New Zealand. Prior to joining the Department in February 2022, Michael worked on a range of international development programs at several consulting firms, NGOs, and venture funds such as DT Global, FHI 360, Pearson Ventures, DAI Global, and DevWorks International. Michael covered several areas such as governance, economic growth, agriculture, education, global health, and cybersecurity and connectivity. An immigrant born in Manila, Philippines and raised in Minnesota, Michael earned an MPP from the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and a BA in Political Science from Macalester College. In his personal time, Michael enjoys reading fantasy novels, cooking for friends, playing video games, and traveling.
Are you interested in pursuing a dual degree during your time at Ford? Have you already been accepted into another program and are on your way to becoming a dual degree student? Join some of our current Ford School dual students for an informal chat about their experiences. Get a better sense of your Fordie community!
Curious what life is like for our international Ford School students? Join some of our current Global Fordies for an informal chat about their experiences. Get a better sense of your Fordie community!
Join staff experts from Career Services and the Leadership Initiative to learn about the many opportunities and resources available to Fordies that jumpstart their careers after graduation.
Remote video URLSusan Guindi, Director of Student & Academic Services, and the SAS team are here to answer any questions you may have and to discuss services offered by Student & Academic Services, academic advising, and funding and financial support.
Join some of our Ford School community (current students and/or alumni) for an informal chat about their experiences as Fordies working in the public sector or intending to pursue careers in this space in an AMA-style event.
Alumni
Safiya Merchant, MPP ‘21
Safiya Merchant works on the policy team at the City of Detroit's Housing & Revitalization Department, where she focuses on strategy development, policy research and analysis, and community engagement on affordable housing and homelessness issues. Before starting her public policy career, she worked in higher education communications and as a journalist. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University in 2014, she worked for newspapers in the Chicago area and Calhoun County, Michigan, where she developed a passion for community-centered policymaking. Born and raised in Chicago, Merchant is a proud graduate of Chicago Public Schools.
Sarah DeStefano
Sarah DeStefano is an Attorney Advisor at the Economic Development Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce, providing legal and policy advice in support of the office’s implementation of the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (more commonly known as Recompete). Authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, Recompete is a place-based economic development pilot program which aims to alleviate persistent economic distress in places across the United States that are challenged by high prime-age unemployment by using large, flexible investments to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and job creation.
The Ford School enabled Sarah to pivot her career and access many opportunities in support of her policy interests in economic development, rural policy, and state and local government by conducting research with the Center on Finance, Law, Policy (CFLP), the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP), and as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomacy Lab program. She was also a Ross Leaders Academy fellow (a year-long leadership program offered to 50 graduate students across U of M) and interned in Summer 2022 at the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development. Further, Sarah supported her studies and her peers by serving as a Graduate Student Instructor of a Ford core course and as a peer advisor in Career Services.
Prior to attending Ford, Sarah worked for nearly a decade in the financial services industry as a compliance officer on anti-money laundering and sanctions issues and as an attorney in private practice. She also recently served as a commissioner on the Ulster County (NY) Commission on Reapportionment, redistricting the county legislature boundaries. She received a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. from American University and is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.
Current Fordie
Jelena Goldstein, MPP ‘25
Jelena Goldstein is a second year master's student in public policy with a concentration on climate and economic policy. Prior to coming to the Ford school, she worked as an Economist at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and completed a detail as Economic Statistician at the Council of Economic Advisers. During her MPP, she interned with the U.S. International Trade Commission and contributed to research at the Economic Growth Institute. She has enjoyed engaging with the Ford community as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) and Chief of Staff for Women and Gender in Public Policy.
Join some of our Ford School community (current students and/or alumni) for an informal chat about their experiences as Fordies working in the non-profit/NGO space or intending to pursue careers in this space in an AMA-style event.
Alumni
Grace Evans Pedanou (MPP ‘16)
Grace Evans Pedanou is the chief of staff at ONE Neighborhood Builders, a community development organization in Providence, RI. With nearly ten years of experience working in and in service to communities, she has led strategy and special projects across the philanthropic, nonprofit, and government sectors. She previously served as a government performance fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab and is an alum of the Coro Center for Civic Leadership’s Public Affairs Fellowship. In addition to her MPP from the Ford School, Pedanou holds a BS in mathematics and a BS in nonprofit management from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
Current Fordie
Leslie Rios (MPP ‘26)
Leslie was born in Wisconsin and raised in Hidalgo, Texas, located in the Rio Grande Valley. She received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, serving as a McNair Scholar, Student Government President, and on the Equity & Justice Council in the process. Post-undergrad, her experiences growing up along the TX-MX border motivated her to become a Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center to work with community-based and policy organizations working to fight hunger and poverty in the U.S., leading to her current interests and work on higher education and anti-poverty policy. In her free time, she enjoys knitting and crocheting, attending group workout classes, and listening to live music.
Join some of our Ford School community (current students and/or alumni) for an informal chat about their experiences as Fordies working in the private sector or intending to pursue careers in this space in an AMA-style event.
Alumni
Brenda Duverce (MPP ‘16)
Brenda Duverce is a global sustainability / ESG analyst in Morgan Stanley’s equity research division. In this role, she conducts research on environmental, social, and governance factors and their impact on investments. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Duverce worked in management consulting for five years supporting federal government/public sector clients on a variety of business related challenges stemming from strategy and operations, business and operating model development, customer experience, and human capital management. She currently resides in Washington, DC.
Sam Geller (MPP '17)
Sam Geller is a senior analyst for electric regulatory strategy at Consumers Energy where he provides communications, strategic planning, and regulatory support for the company's electric generation and distribution divisions. Prior to this role, Geller was the budget analyst with the City of Detroit Mayor's Office. He has also served as a finance staffer on political campaigns for U.S. congressional, governor, and city council races. In 2017, Geller served as the Riecker Michigan Delegation Fellow with U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI).
Current Fordie
Elizabeth Mugo (MPP ‘26)
Elizabeth Mugo comes to Ford with a background in policy research at Mathematica. As a Research Analyst, Elizabeth worked on several federal and state studies focused on child welfare, family engagement, and economic mobility. For instance, she led a process evaluation of a statewide learning community of state leaders in Mississippi. As a 1.5 generation migrant from Kenya, she’s passionate about issues of immigration and displacement. At Ford, she hopes to strengthen her quantitative analytical skills and build her knowledge in policy issues related to forced displacement. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing with her two cats, and watching Formula 1.
Got a last minute question before making your admission decision? Don't worry, Ford School Admissions is here to help! Stop by our drop-in chat at any point during the hour and we can help put your mind at ease.
Alumni chats
Join Ford School alumni for an informal conversation and refreshments where you can ask questions, get answers, and learn how the Ford School shaped and prepared these former students for their career and professional paths. Sign-up here! We can't wait to meet you.
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Time: 8:00-9:00 AM
Location: Le Pain Quotidian, 800 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20006Hosts
Callie Furmaniak, MPP '20
After earning her MPP from the Ford School of Public Policy in 2020, Callie moved to Washington, D.C., to begin her work as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) in the Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO) at the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. In this role, she played a key part in establishing a new data governance structure and served as the Product Owner for www.FiscalData.Treasury.gov. During her PMF rotation, Callie also worked in the Office of Consumer Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where she transitioned into a full-time Policy Advisor position. In this capacity, she contributed to significant policy initiatives, including the report Crypto-Assets: Implications for Consumers, Investors, and Businesses, and led hundreds of stakeholder outreach meetings for the launch of the inaugural National Strategy for Financial Inclusion in the United States: Fostering Financial Access, Resilience, and Well-Being for All.
As of January, Callie serves as a Project Specialist in Community Affairs at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
Before attending the Ford School, Callie worked at Capital One, where she gained experience as both a project and product manager in their home loans and retail banking divisions. Outside of work, Callie enjoys hiking and figure skating—activities she finds plenty of opportunities to enjoy both in Michigan and Washington, D.C.
Guy Packard, MPP '20
As a Strategic Account Manager for Curtiss-Wright, Guy Packard is in charge of growth opportunities within the Southeast U.S. nuclear power market. Prior to this role, he served as the Business Development and Government Affairs Lead at X-energy, an advanced reactor developer. Guy holds his B.S.E in Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences as well as his M.P.P. with a focus on energy and sustainability from the University of Michigan.
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Cafe Reveille, 1998 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109Host
Carmen Ye, MPP '18
Carmen Ye is the Director of People and Culture at Action Network, which creates technology for the progressive movement. Previously she led People Operations at Make School in San Francisco and LaunchCode in St Louis, both non-profits creating alternative educational pathways to technology for underrepresented communities. During Carmen’s time at LaunchCode, the organization was a 2019 and 2020 honoree in the St Louis Women’s Foundation Women in the Workplace scorecard. This distinction recognizes employers who are committed to gender equity and initiatives to support women in the workplace. LaunchCode was also featured in Forbes’ 2019 Best Startup Employers. Carmen holds a Master of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She was also a 2011 Public Policy and International Affairs fellow. Her policy interests include diversity, equity, and inclusion, leadership development, and identity formation among Asian Pacific Americans. Her personal interests include traveling, baking, and learning new languages, with fluency in Cantonese, Spanish, and Mandarin.
Time: 8:30-9:45 AM
Location: Two Zero Three Coffee Bar, 204 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60601Hosts
Carter (MPP '24)
Carter (MPP '24) is an administrative analyst with Cook County's Justice Advisory Council in Chicago. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Carter attended the University of Michigan for their bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and Economics. After traveling for a year, they returned to Ann Arbor in 2022 for their Master of Public Policy degree with the Ford School, in which they focused on health policy and social determinants of health. While at Ford, Carter was on the Executive Board for the Ford School's queer student organization, Out in Public. Carter was also a Graduate Research Assistant with Professor Paula Lantz, and worked as a Policy Fellow for the Human Trafficking Lab out of the Michigan Law School. Upon graduating, Carter moved to Chicago, and began working with the Justice Advisory Council, where they currently work.
Kristina Kaupa, MPP '18
Kristina Kaupa is the Director of Policy for the Cook County Justice Advisory Council where she leads a team of legislative and policy analysts in developing and implementing Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s criminal justice reform efforts. Before joining the JAC, Kaupa served as Policy Advisor to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx where she spearheaded the office’s work to automatically clear tens of thousands of low-level cannabis convictions. From Fargo to Detroit, Chicago and Cook County, Kristina has spent her career in local government developing and implementing evidence-based, community-informed, and data-driven policies that work to build more equitable communities. Kaupa was a 2023 University of Chicago Civic Leadership Academy Fellow, holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Environmental Policy from Concordia College, Moorhead.
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Argus Farmstop, 1200 Packard Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48104Host
Naomi Goldberg, MPP '08
Naomi: Naomi Goldberg is the executive director of the Movement Advancement Project (MAP). She started at MAP in 2010 as a junior policy researcher, directed the policy department and then the LGBTQ program, and most recently served as MAP’s deputy director. She is a trusted expert on the topics of LGBTQ data inclusion, laws impacting LGBTQ parents, and various federal policy issues. She’s published reports on LGBTQ families, the criminal justice system, economic security, and served as a co-author on several papers with data from the longest running longitudinal study of planned lesbian families. Naomi attended Mount Holyoke College and received a Master of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She completed a public policy fellowship at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Naomi lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with her wife and son.
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: 260's New York, 260 W. 39th St., New York, NY 10018Host
Morgan Beeler, MPP '20
Morgan Beeler leads North American renewable fuels policy and regulatory affairs at the STX Group, a global environmental commodity trading firm. Responsible for assessing all stages of federal and state policy impacting renewable fuel markets, Morgan leads internal legislative and regulatory analysis for the trading and commercial teams. She also works with STRIVE by STX, the corporate climate action arm of the STX Group, to support education on climate disclosures and carbon accounting for voluntary decarbonization initiatives. Morgan collaborates with state and federal regulators and market stakeholders to promote policies to incentivize renewable fuel development to support global decarbonization efforts. She holds a Masters of Public Policy and a Masters of Science from the University of Michigan.
