Matthew Springer, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education, Director of the National Center on Performance Incentives Vanderbilt University. The Project on Incentives in Teaching (POINT) experiment was a three-year experimental study of middle school math teachers and their students and schools. The signature activity of the POINT experiment was the study of the effects on student outcomes of paying teachers bonuses of up to $15,000 per year on the basis of student test-score gains.

Rami Khouri is the Director of the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut as well as editor-at-large of the Beirut-based Daily Star newspaper. He is an internationally syndicated political columnist and author. The Middle East is defined today by a new set of issues and actors that often seem incomprehensible to both local and foreign observers.

Terrorism is an inherently social phenomenon. While it is commonly assumed that terrorists kill and die for a cause, they are motivated and strengthened by social connections. This colloquium brings together researchers in this area to discuss terrorism's root causes in the interpersonal relationships between terrorists, competition between terrorist groups within societies, and strategic alliances between organizations. Note as of 10:00am 1/27: Erica Chenoweth and Michael Horowitz will be unable to join us due to inclement weather on the East Coast.

Student-alumni networking reception to follow. Join former Ford School dean and current Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Commerce Rebecca Blank for her personal reflections on management at senior levels of government and on the relevance of public policy education for leadership in the public sector. Come and hear from a favorite former professor and dean; join in a lively conversation about policy, politics, and careers; and reconnect with old friends at the networking reception to follow. A large group of current Ford School MPP students will be in DC for the schoo

Free and open to the public. Reception to follow. About the speaker Congressman Eric Cantor is the Majority Leader for the 112th Congress and has represented Virginia's 7th district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2001.

Free and open to the public. Panelists: Christopher Borick Professor and Director, Muhlenberg Institute of Public Opinion, Muhlenberg College Erick Lachapelle Départment de science politique, Université de Montréal Barry Rabe Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R.

Free and open to the public. The University of Michigan International Institute will hold a round table discussion to analyze the underlying tensions in the Middle East that have led to widespread unrest and political instability.

Space is limited, but the event will be available via live webcast (see additional information below). No PowerPoint, no script; just stimulating conversation Nanotechnology has been touted variously as the next industrial revolution and the next asbestos. But where does the hype end and reality begin? And what does this mean for public health?

Free and open to the public. Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army Colonel and former U.S. Deputy Ambassador presents an examination of U.S. foreign policies in the Middle East from her point of view as a former military officer and government official, and peace activist. Further, drawing upon her recent travels, she will share her direct observations and personal experiences. About the speaker Ann Wright grew up in Bentonville, Arkansas, and attended the University of Arkansas, where she received a master's and a law degree.