William Axinn and Paula Lantz will continue their leadership of the Ford School’s International Policy Center (IPC) for the 2025-26 academic year. Together, they are poised to expand IPC’s impact, foster new global collaborations, and offer students a growing array of opportunities for meaningful engagement in international policy.
Axinn, a leading sociologist and demographer, remains the interim director of IPC. He serves as co-director of the Chitwan Valley Family Study and was recently appointed the Ronald and Deborah Freedman Director of the International Hub at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (ISR)—a significant new role positioning him at the helm of cross-campus international work. In this capacity, Axinn supports U-M faculty and staff engaged in global research, capitalizing on the expertise and partnerships of ISR’s five centers. This new role significantly strengthens IPC’s ability to link international policy scholarship at the Ford School with expansive global research networks.
Paula Lantz, a social demographer and James B. Hudak Professor of Health Policy, will continue as interim associate director of IPC. With decades of expertise in population health policy, social transformation, and academic leadership, Lantz’s guidance ensures continued growth in IPC’s experiential educational initiatives.
Together, Axinn and Lantz are launching a year filled with applied learning opportunities, including:
- Research assistantships with leading faculty on global policy projects, contributing to actionable, policy-relevant work while practicing analytical and communication skills;
- Skill-building workshops integrated with international policy work;
- Connections to new internship opportunities with organizations in priority regions around the world.
These new initiatives are designed to provide Ford School students with real-world experience in international research and policy analysis—preparing them to become leaders who can address complex challenges on the global stage.
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