The Regents of the University of Michigan have approved the appointment of Barry G. Rabe as the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, for a five-year renewable term, effective November 1, 2011 through October 31, 2016.
The Harris Professorship was established by a generous gift from the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Foundation. The Regents approved the establishment of the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professorship in Public Policy in May 2003. The purpose of the professorship is to support research and instruction in key areas related to public policy, including a wide range of economic and political issues.
Barry Rabe received his Bachelor of Arts degree (summa cum laude) from Carthage College in 1979. He attended the University of Chicago, where he completed a Master of Arts degree in 1980 and his doctorate in 1985. He joined the University of Michigan faculty in 1985 as an assistant professor of health politics in the School of Public Health. He achieved tenure there in 1992 and became a professor in 1999. His appointment was moved to the School of Natural Resources and Environment, where he was instrumental in the creation of the Program in the Environment (PitE) and where he served as interim dean for two years. Professor Rabe has had an active appointment in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy since 2001, and his tenured appointment was moved to the Ford School in 2009. He retains non-tenured appointments in both the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
To mark the occasion of Rabe's appointment as the Harris Family Professor of Public Policy, the Ford School will host a public lecture by him soon. Please check back to the Ford School website for details.