Ford School students Roland McKay and John Chin selected as 2007 Rosenthal Fellows

The Gerald Ford School of Public Policy
University of Michigan

Out of over 200 applicants from the top public policy and international relations programs in the country, two first year Ford School students were selected to spend their summers this year in Washington, DC as recipients of the prestigious Harold W. Rosenthal Fellowship in International Relations. Roland McKay will serve as the Egypt Desk Officer in the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs where he will assist with managing the bilateral relationship between the US and Egypt. John Chin will work in the East Asia division of the Treasury Department's Office of International Affairs, focusing on energy and environmental policy reform for the Strategic Economic Dialogue with China.

Roland McKay arrived at the Ford School following his work as a Fulbright scholar in Syria and a summer position as the State Department's Lebanon Desk Officer during the recent Israel-Hezbollah conflict. "Both experiences shaped the course of my studies at the Ford School and made me realize the relevance of Economics and Statistics coursework to policy decision-making at the highest levels of government in a crisis situation."

John Chin began his education at the Ford School with "some knowledge of China, a passion for diplomacy and foreign policy, and a bachelor's degree in Political Science." "The Ford School's MPP program" said Chin, "equipped me with the quantitative skills and economic know-how that has made it possible for me to compete and succeed in landing a position in the organization at the heart of US economic policy."

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Rosenthal Fellowship. It is named after US Senate staff member Harold Rosenthal, a victim of international terrorism in 1976 at the age of 29. Fellows are selected based on the quality of their academic backgrounds and their demonstrated commitments to the ideals of conflict resolution, democratic governance and multiculturalism, embodied by Harold Rosenthal. Roland McKay and John Chin are the first Ford School students to be selected for this honor.

For more information please contact: Laura K. Lee
Phone: (734) 764-8593