Ford School News

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Alumni spotlight

“Tremble with the world”: Airea D. Matthews (MPA ‘07) on using the arts as an avenue for change

Dec 6, 2023

Airea D. Matthews (MPA ‘07) dreamt of being a writer since she was a child. As she got older, she struggled to identify a clear path that turned her dream into reality. “My working-class roots didn’t seem to make space for sustainable possibilities...

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Alumni spotlight

MPA grads continue to collaborate across differences

Nov 28, 2023

When Mallak Beydoun (MPA ‘22) and Jeff Pfeifer (MPA ‘22) met at the Ford School, they quickly bonded over their shared government and campaign experience. Although they have different political perspectives, they continue to collaborate...

Alumni spotlight

Lishaun Francis (MPP ‘09) on her journey into child advocacy

Nov 2, 2023

Upon graduating from the Ford School, Lishaun Francis (MPP ‘09) headed to DC to work as a Management and Program Analyst at the United States Department of Education (DoE). Although she felt she was making an impact on public education, working at...

Alumni spotlight

Sandy Su (MPA '20) on charting her career path

Oct 10, 2023

Sandy Su (MPA ‘21) was an experienced non-profit professional working in the humanitarian and development sectors in her home country of Myanmar. With aspirations to work internationally, she needed to expand her resume beyond her localized...

Alumni spotlight

Tara Lanigan (MPA '21) on her pivot to the public sector

Oct 3, 2023

Tara Lanigan (MPA ‘21) was working for a mobility start-up and wanted to focus more intentionally on transportation or sustainability policy. She was awarded a Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) in 2022 and serves as a policy advisor for the...

Alumni spotlight

Egle Klekere (MPA '21) on taking her firm to the next level

Oct 3, 2023

Egle Klekere (MPA, '21) is the founder of her own communications consulting firm in Latvia. She was looking for a program to help deepen her knowledge and gain new energy for her own and her company's performance. How has your work been...

Alumni spotlight

William Selesky (MPA '20) on value unlocked at the Ford School

Oct 3, 2023

William Selesky (MPA ‘20) was a practicing attorney in state government who wanted to expand his policy skill set and network beyond the legal profession. He now serves as corporate counsel for Amazon. What do you do for Amazon? I'm an...

Alumni spotlight

Inés Llorente (MPA '20) reflects on her time at the Ford School

Oct 2, 2023

Inés Llorente (MPA '20) was working for a human rights organization when she realized she wanted to go back to school to focus on immigration policy and refugee integration. She is now the outreach and content manager at the International Rescue...

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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 and develops people-focused solutions

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

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

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

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

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

Sen. Chang (MPP/MSW ‘14) commitment 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

Sarah Perrine (MPP/MIRS ‘06) removes barriers to early education access in Bulgaria

Jul 27, 2020

Sarah Perrine (MPP/MIRS '06) has been a lifelong advocate for the Roma population in Bulgaria. Her Peace Corps placement in Bulgaria and homestay with a Roma family was formative. "I was shocked and troubled by the level of prejudice and...

Alumni spotlight

DiGiovanni (MPP ‘00) emphasizes the critical role of budgeting in policymaking

Jul 21, 2020

After being awarded a Presidential Management Fellowship with the State Department, Antony DiGiovanni (MPP '00) didn’t expect his career trajectory would focus on federal budgeting. When explaining to a prospective employer he was interested in...

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