Kohn Collaborative for Social Policy

The Kohn Collaborative for Social Policy is a Ford School hub that will catalyze interdisciplinary research and policy impact to promote social equity and inclusion. The collaborative consists of three pillars: Kohn Professors, Kohn Scholars, and policy impact.

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$17M

A set of gifts totaling $17M established the Kohn Collaborative

5

The collaborative funds 5 professorships in social policy

#1

The Ford School ranks #1 in social policy USNWR

Kohn Professors

Top row (L-R): Hermann and Amalie Kohn, Karl and Martha Kohn; Bottom row (L-R): Arlene Susan Kohn, Harold Kohn, and Carol Kohn — The Kohn Collaborative includes five endowed professorships named for Hermann and Amalie Kohn, Karl and Martha Kohn, Arlene Susan Kohn, Harold Kohn, and Carol Kohn

The heart of the collaborative: a cohort of preeminent scholars who together will tackle structural inequalities and improve lives—while training the next generation of leaders in social policy.

Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professorship in Social Policy and Social Justice, promoting scholarly and applied research focused on social justice
Karl and Martha Kohn Professorship of Social Policy, advancing societal equity and inclusion in the U.S.
Arlene Susan Kohn Professorship of Social Policy, addressing the rights of disabled people in the United States
Harold Kohn Professorship, supporting applied research in U.S. economic policy that advances social equity and inclusion
Carol Kakalec Kohn Professorship, promoting social equity through U.S. education policy, with a potential focus on childhood development

H. Luke Shaefer

Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy

Shaefer serves concurrently as the Ford School's associate dean for research and policy engagement and as the inaugural director of Poverty Solutions. Shaefer’s research on poverty and social welfare policy in the United States has been published in top peer-reviewed academic journals in the fields of public policy, social work, public health, health services research, and history.

View Shaefer's bio

Kohn Scholars

The Kohn Collaborative will support two Kohn Scholars, as part of the Ford School’s partnership to support Rackham Master’s Awards.

Marco Ramirez (MPP '23)

Kohn Scholar

Marco Ramirez has been named as the inaugural Kohn Scholar. He was chosen for his outstanding qualifications and his promise for future leadership in the field of social policy. Ramirez believes health policy is the best vehicle to improve the lives of community members. He was selected as a John Gardner Public Service Fellow, where he worked with the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Program for the Study of Health Reform and Private Insurance in California. He also worked health policy at the state level for Covered California and Public Consulting Group (PCG).

Students: Learn more about Kohn Scholars opportunities