On September 20, the Michigan Journal of Public Affairs launched its 2017 edition, the journal’s fourteenth volume. The journal featured six submissions by students and professionals, including two Ford School students and one alumna. The special issue highlighted topics of health equity, housing policy, and criminal justice:
- "Paying child support while incarcerated: A policy proposal to reduce financial barriers for re-entry citizens" by Sruthi Naraharisetti (MPP/MSW ’18)
- "Sanitation access as a predictor of child and maternal mortality" by Matthew Hudson-Flege
- "The impact of closing community mental health clinics on crime in Chicago neighborhoods" by Rachel Baccile
- "Enfranchising elderly and disabled voters in an unequal and unfair America" by Maya Efrati (MPP/JD ’16)
- "President Nursultan Nazarbayev and the process of democratization in the Republic of Kazakhstan" by Matthew Chakov
- "Frybread: What’s really beneath the grease" by Preston Parish (MPP ’18)
The 2016-2017 MJPA staff included:
- Editors-in-chief Maha Arshad and Sundar Sharma
- Managing and special issue editor Joshua Fleming
- Director of communications Olivia Lewis
- Director of digital media Caitlin Conway
- Senior editors Rhonda Bishop, Afton Branche, Erica Muñoz-Rumsey, and Alana Podolsky
- Associate editors Esi Hutchful, Kristina Kaupa, William Kim, Alexander Mervak, Jacqueline Mullen, and Dhananjay Singh
The Volume 14 L(a)unch Party attracted over 40 first-year students interested in serving as editors or contributing pieces to the MJPA. At the event, students heard from this year’s editors-in-chief Olivia Lewis and Kristina Kaupa and faculty advisor Elisabeth Gerber, who each laid out the vision for MJPA in the year ahead. Naraharisetti also appeared (via video message) to share her experiences throughout the submission and editorial process last year, enthusiastically encouraging interested writers and editors to get involved.
As MJPA gears up to begin accepting submissions for Volume 15, the executive board is excited to announce its editorial staff for this year:
- Editors-in-chief Olivia Lewis and Kristina Kaupa
- Director of digital media William Kim
- Director of communications Larry Sanders
- Editors Hannah Bauman, John Cumming-Meininger, Alexandra Husted, Jacqueline Mullen, Erica Muñoz Ramsey, Alana Podolsky, Molly Robertson, Sacha Rose-Phillips, Dhananjay Singh, and Anna Zinkel
In addition, Lena Dreves, Troy Epstein, and Leah Squires are joining MJPA as contributing writers; in this new role, they will assist in developing online content for MJPA. Beginning this year, submissions for online content will be accepted year-round. These pieces will highlight shorter articles and opinion editorials on timely and policy-relevant topics.
Follow the organization’s brand-new social media pages for MJPA updates and information about MJPA-sponsored events throughout the rest of the year: @fsppmjpa on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
You can find this year’s journal, past editions, and other MJPA-related information on the organization’s website.
--By Larry Sanders (MPP '18)