Ford School welcomes 2020 alumni to Comeback celebration | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
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Ford School welcomes 2020 alumni to Comeback celebration

May 13, 2022
Photo, taken from above, of attendees at the Class of 2020 Comeback Commencement reception

The Ford School welcomed back the Class of 2020 at a reception in their honor at Weill Hall, in conjunction with the University of Michigan Comeback Commencement Ceremony. Some 100 alumni, faculty, staff and families attended the event. 

Photo of Dean Barr and a group of Ford School alumni standing in front of a giant maize Block M and smiling
Barr and Class of 2020 graduates

Though the Class of 2020 wasn’t able to experience graduation ceremonies and festivities in-person two years ago, the “Comeback” events provided an opportunity to celebrate the milestone.  

Dean Michael Barr kicked off the event with congratulations to the class of 2020.

“Fordies will forever be bonded with each other and with the faculty and staff here by our shared experiences at U-M at the start of the pandemic. We began this now 2+ year journey together. I can’t tell you how great it is to see you today, to be in-person again, and to hear where you’ve landed in your careers and other endeavors,” he said.

Photo of Naomi Goldberg addressing attendees of the Class of 2020 Comeback Commencement reception in the Great Hall
Goldberg

Naomi Goldberg (MPP '08), Chair of the Ford School’s Alumni Committee, welcomed the Class of 2020 into the alumni community, and encouraged them to stay in touch with one another and with the school's strong alumni network. 

“Being able to welcome - in person! - the 2020 Ford School graduates to our community of alumni was an honor. These graduates demonstrated reliance, strength, and creativity in finishing their studies during the early days of the pandemic. I know they will bring those traits to their careers, in how they address challenges, and in the ways they shape public policy,” she said.

A group of alumni chat in the Great Hall

Finn Storer (BA '20) attended the event with family. “I’m so grateful to the Ford School staff and faculty for welcoming 2020 graduates back to Weill Hall. The Ford School is home to many of us at Michigan, and we loved the chance to reflect on the last two years with Dean Barr and the Ford School community. It’s never too late to celebrate our achievements and reconnect.”

Celebrations in honor of the Class of 2020 will continue this fall at the Ford School’s Welcome HoMe celebration over Homecoming weekend, with a slate of events and opportunities to reconnect for the classes of 2020 and 2021.

View more photos

Class of 2020 Comeback Commencement reception

Michael S. Barr portrait

Faculty Expert

Michael S. Barr

Frank Murphy Collegiate Professor of Public Policy; Roy F. and Jean Humphrey Proffitt Professor of Law
Barr is a governor and vice chair for supervision of the Federal Reserve Board, currently on leave from the University of Michigan. At U-M, Barr conducted research and wrote about a wide range of issues in domestic and international financial regulation, with a particular emphasis on financial services for low-income communities. He served in President Barack H. Obama's Administration as the U.S. Department of the Treasury's assistant secretary for financial institutions, and was a key architect of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.