Ford School News

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Alumni spotlight

Sierra Stephens (BA ‘20) helps businesses invest in a sustainable future

Apr 29, 2022

When the global pandemic locked down international travel and postponed her fellowship in 2020, Sierra Stephens (BA ‘20) took time to reflect on her long-term goals. She turned her car into a camper and set out to explore national parks in the...

Alumni spotlight

Katie D’Hondt Brooks (BA ‘12) creates a safer digital world for everyone at The Aspen Institute

Mar 30, 2022

After Katie D’Hondt Brooks (BA ‘12) graduated from the Ford School, she worked at Partnership for Public Service where she managed a set of programs meant to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in public service. She thought she would work...

Alumni spotlight

Geoff Gamm (BA ‘18) shapes social care policy through technology

Mar 9, 2022

While studying at the Ford School, Geoff Gamm (BA’ 18) focused on health care policy, and planned to continue his studies in public health after graduation. Looking for a break from academia, he went to work as a project manager at Epic, an...

Alumni spotlight

Laura Rivera-Carrion (MPP ‘02, PPIA ‘99) gives back to her community and assists in disaster recovery with HUD

Feb 23, 2022

In the summer of 1999, Laura Rivera-Carrion (MPP ‘02, PPIA ‘99) attended the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute. The program gave her the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to pursue a master’s degree in...

Alumni spotlight

Vanessa Castro (MPA/MPH ‘20) advances equity and increases HIV awareness at the Human Rights Campaign

Jan 26, 2022

Vanessa Castro (MPA/MPH ‘20) landed her dream job right out of the Ford School — Associate Director of HIV and Health Equity at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). “HIV work and working with the LGBTQ community has been something I’ve always been...

Alumni spotlight

Stephanie Sandoval-Pistorius focuses on people-centered medical research

Jan 10, 2022

Stephanie Sandoval-Pistorius is pursuing her PhD in neuroscience at Michigan Medicine, studying the molecular underpinnings of Parkinson’s disease. She will go on to UCSF for her postdoctoral training, where she will investigate pathological brain...

Alumni spotlight

Beza Merid, PhD: STPP gave me insights into how policy can develop justice-based health innovations

Dec 23, 2021

Beza Merid was a faculty affiliate with STPP when he became a research fellow in cardiology at Michigan Medicine. Now at Arizona State University, he appreciates how influencing innovation policy can create better health outcomes for underserved...

Alumni spotlight

STPP alum Michelle Brechtelsbauer (MPP '16) works to impact zero-carbon energy

Aug 18, 2021

Michelle Brechtelsbauer (MPP '16) interrupted her government service to obtain her Ford School Master of Public Policy and the Science, Technology, & Public Policy Graduate Certificate Program. Now in the private sector, at the Energy Impact Center,...

Alumni spotlight

Susan McLaughlin (MPP/MBA' 93) manages financial crises in three decades at the Fed

Aug 13, 2021

Throughout nearly three decades at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Susan McLaughlin (MPP/MBA '93) has worked a wide range of roles, most of them closely involved in the Fed's interactions in financial markets. In addition, she has had her...

Alumni spotlight

Nick Occhipinti (MPP ‘08) works across differences for the environment

Aug 10, 2021

Nick Occhipinti (MPP ‘08) describes himself as “your friendly neighborhood lobbyist” — but, his job entails so much more than that. “When I win, nobody makes any more money, nobody gets a raise, but Michigan’s air, land and water get a little...

Alumni spotlight

Ruqayya Ahmad (MPP ‘21) leverages international experiences to combat healthcare inequities

Jul 26, 2021

After a single semester at the Ford School, Ruqayya Ahmad (MPP ‘21) felt compelled to switch her focus. Coming in with a background in international studies, that’s what she expected to continue to concentrate on. “After my first semester of...

Alumni spotlight

Ammara Ansari (MPP ‘19) serves Detroit youth through evaluation

Jul 14, 2021

Ammara Ansari (MPP ‘19) never imagined working on youth education and wellness policy or conducting evaluations—but in a joint fellowship with The Skillman Foundation and the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF), that is exactly what she’s doing....

Alumni spotlight

Sharon Dolente (MPP/JD ‘04) expands ballot access in Michigan

Jul 13, 2021

Instrumental in passing Proposal 3, which heavily expanded access to the ballot in Michigan, Sharon Dolente (MPP/JD ‘04) is an expert at creating voting rights policy. “Although Americans identify in our tribes, or our camps, or our political...

Alumni spotlight

Kristy Hartman (MPP ‘13) informs and supports state energy policy

Jun 28, 2021

Before she took a position at the Nuclear Energy Institute as the director of stakeholder strategy & engagement, Kristy Hartman (MPP ‘13) served as the energy program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). NCSL’s energy...

Alumni spotlight

Matisse Rogers (BA ‘19) on the importance of communication in public affairs and its impact on communities

Jun 25, 2021

Matisse Rogers (BA ‘19) is an associate at Hamilton Place Strategies (HPS), a public affairs consulting firm based in Washington, DC. She believes that helping her clients be clear, concise, and persuasive in their communication has helped them...

Alumni spotlight

Farouk Ophaso (MPP '06) breaks down barriers at Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, honored as PPIA Changemaker

Jun 4, 2021

Farouk Ophaso was honored by the Public Policy & International Affairs Program (PPIA)—a program designed to build diversity in public service—as one of their 40 Changemakers to mark their 40th anniversary. The University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford...

Alumni spotlight

Marwa Alnasaa (MPP ‘08) promotes sustainable and inclusive economic growth at the IMF

Apr 26, 2021

“There are particular challenges associated with the need to act very quickly in a global pandemic, and the need to make sure that your policy advice is both timely and tailored,” said Marwa Alnasaa (MPP ‘08) about her work with the International...

Alumni spotlight

Interview with MPP, STPP alum Melvin Washington II

Mar 4, 2021

Melvin Washington is an alumnus of the Ford School’s Master of Public Policy Program and the Science, Technology, & Public Policy Graduate Certificate Program. In his role as a Program Associate at the Vera Institute of Justice, he puts this passion...

Alumni spotlight

Julia Friedman (BA ‘10) believes that good international trade policy means investing at home and abroad

Feb 23, 2021

Julia Friedman (BA ‘10) looks back on her experience at the Ford School as pivotal, propelling her into the world of politics and public service, and preparing her for future success. “It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” she...

Alumni spotlight

Reinstadtler (MPP ‘04) holds DOD accountable for fragile states spending

Aug 28, 2020

“The U.S. has been involved in different countries trying to support their partner nations' militaries and security forces for a long time, particularly after September 11th,” says Chris Reinstadtler (MPP ‘04). In 2017, Congress established the...

Alumni spotlight

Caroline Andridge (BA ‘14) keeps a person-centered approach to humanitarian relief

Aug 27, 2020

Even in high school, Caroline Andridge (BA '14) had a vision of shaping policy that would impact an individual’s quality of life. She came to Michigan already intending to apply to the Ford School. She said: "I was drawn to the ability to dig...

Alumni spotlight

Former Riecker Fellow Chelsea Davis (BA ‘15/MPP ‘19) tackles emergent issues on the Hill

Aug 25, 2020

Chelsea Davis (BA '15/MPP '19) spent her last year in graduate school working on the Hill for Senator Gary Peters during her Riecker Fellowship. After graduation, she signed on as his full-time legislative aide. Tackling issues like protecting the...

Alumni spotlight

From community organizer to state senator, Sen. Chang (MPP/MSW ‘14) is committed to public service

Aug 21, 2020

Senator Stephanie Chang (MPP/MSW '14) entered graduate school with the long-term goal of running a non-profit. With community organizing experience under her belt, she started at the Ford School and School of Social Work to enhance her quantitative...

Alumni spotlight

Seeking asylum rights during the pandemic

Aug 20, 2020

In February 2019, Hardy Vieux (MPP/JD '97) traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, to better understand the needs of asylum seekers at the United States’ southern border. That trip laid the foundation for a program to help people navigate the process, at the...

Alumni spotlight

Yosuke Matsuda (MPP ‘03) marries economics and public policy for organizational efficiency

Aug 18, 2020

A partner at McKinsey & Company in Japan, Yosuke Matsuda (MPP '03) helps industrial clients with strategy, organizational efficiency, productivity improvement, and company-wide transformation. Prior to coming to the Ford School, Matsuda worked at...

Alumni spotlight

Latesha Love-Grayer (MPP ‘02) brings fact-based analyses for better government decision making

Aug 17, 2020

For 17 years, Latesha Love-Grayer (MPP '02) has informed decision making and monitored practices by the U.S. government at the Government Accountability Office (GAO). She says it’s the opportunity to influence legislation and improve implementation...

Alumni spotlight

Laura Bishop (MPA ‘99) ‘leans in’ on environmental sustainability in the public and private sectors

Aug 17, 2020

Laura Bishop (MPA '99) recently came full circle moving between the public and private sectors, and back to state government. Her time at the Ford School gave her the foundation in public administration, analytics and economics, as well as the...

Alumni spotlight

Bart Édes (MPP ‘87) forges international partnerships to assist Asia’s developing countries

Aug 11, 2020

As the Asian Development Bank’s North American representative, Bart Édes (MPP '87) raises awareness of the economic, environmental and social challenges facing Asia and the Pacific, and builds partnerships in Canada and the United States to meet...

Alumni spotlight

Kenneth McFarlane (MPA ‘14) pivoted from highest profit to greatest outcome

Aug 10, 2020

Kenneth McFarlane’s (MPA '14) transition from a civil engineer to Chief Deputy Director in the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development was guided by the Ford School. McFarlane landed a civil engineer’s dream job in Las Vegas,...

Alumni spotlight

Brandy Johnson (MPP ‘09) makes college accessible in Michigan

Jul 29, 2020

Increasing college access has been a top priority for Brandy Johnson (MPP '09). What started as a $2 million grant application Johnson was asked to write during her Ford School internship with Governor Granholm evolved into the highly successful...

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