On March 20, 2026, the Becky Blank Great Hall was filled with posters and people as students presented their research and service projects at the 19th Annual Gramlich Showcase of Student Work. This year, 16 outstanding student projects were nominated by faculty and staff, on topics ranging from China's influence on Global South countries at the United Nations to proposed plans for Detroit's education and youth policy options.
As part of her PubPol 480 Global Engagement Seminar, Edra Timmerman (BA ‘26) researched potential communications strategies and policy interventions to mitigate the European Union's climate crisis, analyzing several environmental bills and policies across the EU to determine their public reception and feasibility.
"With the emergence of ‘greenlash' and anticlimate policy across the globe, we wanted to research backsliding on environmental policy and how to prevent it," Timmerman said. "Looking critically at the Clean Industrial Deal, European Grid Package, and citizen engagement mechanisms allowed us to identify areas where the EU can improve their policy communication."
Timmerman said the Ford School's experiential learning and research opportunities have helped her apply lessons learned in the classroom to real-world situations and provide politically feasible policy recommendations to diverse audiences.
"Our research was conducted as part of the undergraduate Global Engagement Seminar, where we had the opportunity to learn, research, and visit Brussels to meet policymakers and learn more about the intricacies of EU politics," she said. "I'm very honored to have been nominated for the Gramlich Showcase and have the opportunity to share my group's research with classmates and alumni."
Named for internationally renowned economist and former Ford School dean, Edward "Ned" Gramlich, the event honors Gramlich's belief in the value of public policy education by showcasing exceptional student work on a range of local, national, and international policy issues.
Over three decades of service, Founding Dean Ned Gramlich shaped the Ford School's mission and vision and was a world-class policy professor. His highly-respected research, both theoretical and applied, were published in books, scholarly journal articles, and policy briefs. He also often shared his findings with policy leaders. He also served in leadership positions in government, including as a governor of the Federal Reserve Board and acting director of the Congressional Budget Office.
Read more about the Gramlich Showcase of Student Work in the Michigan Daily.
Story written by Lauren Fuller (MPP/JD ‘26) and Margaret Peterman (BA ‘27)