Greetings Fellow Fordies,
The Ford School Alumni Board convened in a hybrid format this past April for our spring meeting. We had a rich and forward-looking conversation focused on alumni engagement, student support, and the evolving priorities of the school in the current climate.
Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes joined us to share key updates on the state of the Ford School and invited us to continue the dialogue at the All-Alumni State of the School event that took place on Monday, April 28, 2025. That conversation served as a valuable opportunity for alumni to hear directly from Dean Watkins-Hayes and engage with school leadership.
The board also discussed the development of the Ford School’s new Online MPA program, and members were encouraged to participate in a focus group to help inform its design. If you expressed interest or circulated the survey, thank you for your support in shaping this new offering. The application period closes October 1 and the Ford School looks forward to welcoming the first cohort in January 2026.
In addition, we were invited to contribute to the ongoing Policy Analysis Learning Lab (PAL) initiative. Ford School staff shared a survey to gather alumni feedback that will inform future PAL programming. We appreciate everyone who took the time to participate—your insight strengthens how the program is developed.
As part of a community-wide book read, the Ford School selected Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson to spark reflection on progress, governance, and the future of public policy. Alumni Board members received copies to support their participation in this shared learning experience. During Ford School Spirit Day celebrations, the school also hosted a giveaway of Abundance to encourage broader alumni involvement. We look forward to future opportunities for our community to come together for reflection and discussion.
Following our meeting, the Alumni Board launched the Summer Social Media Challenge to help strengthen Fordie connections across platforms. Participants were encouraged to follow the Ford School on social media, update their contact information and LinkedIn profiles, and share a selfie in Michigan gear. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped spread the word.
We also hosted a successful in-person happy hour in Washington, DC. The Ford School Community Happy Hour took place on Friday, May 9, 2025, at Buddy’s, a Michigan alumni-owned venue in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. It was a joy to connect with many of you in person. The event was hosted by Cortney Sanders, MPP ‘17 (Alumni Board Chair), Olga (Co-Chair of the Alumni Visibility Committee) Ioffe Kasher, MPP/MA ‘99, and Rohan Dharan, BA 13 (Ford School representative to the U-M Alumni Association). If you’re interested in hosting a happy hour in your city or region, please don’t hesitate to contact the Alumni Board—we’d love to support you.
On July 11, 2025, Ford School alumni and friends gathered for our 15th annual Worldwide Ford School Spirit Day in nine cities across the globe, including Ann Arbor, Washington D.C., New York City, San Francisco, and more. Over two hundred attendees, the event was a great success—thank you to all of our local hosts and to everyone who came out to celebrate and reconnect.
We also held our first quarterly board meeting of the year, where we explored new ways for alumni to connect more directly with current students and discussed how to reimagine engagement across the Ford School community. Our next board meeting will take place in October during Homecoming weekend.
Thank you for your continued support of the Ford School community. Please reach out if you would like to discuss anything related to the Alumni Board or our most recent meeting.
A few final reminders:
- Don’t forget to update your contact information in the Ford School if you have moved and/or changed jobs.
- If you are a Fordie and are looking for resources to explore employment opportunities, see more information provided by Career Services.
- Stay connected with Dustin Castro on the Admissions team if you know a potential Ford School applicant or are interested in supporting outreach.
Best,
Cortney Sanders, MPP ‘17
Chair, Ford School Alumni Board