As an associate professor of public policy and urban planning, Thacher’s research draws from philosophy, history, and the interpretive social sciences to develop and apply a humanistic approach to policy research. Most of his work has focused on criminal justice policy, where he has undertaken studies of order maintenance policing, the local police role in homeland security, community policing reform, the distribution of safety and security, prisoner re-entry, and criminal justice discretion.

Waltz specializes in human rights and international affairs, with a focus on arms transfer policy and regional expertise on North Africa. She also maintains the website Human Rights Advocacy and the History of International Human Rights Standards, hosted by U-M. For some 15 years she was involved in international efforts to promote an international Arms Trade Treaty and has more recently focused on U.S. firearms export regulations.

Weiss does research on policies to improve the leadership and management of public and nonprofit agencies. Weiss founded the Nonprofit and Public Management Center, and is currently the faculty director of the Nonprofit Board Fellowship program. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and has been a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.

Marina v.N. Whitman is professor emerita of business administration and public policy. From 1979 until 1992 she was an officer of the General Motors Corporation, first as vice president and chief economist and later as vice president and group…

Yang's research is on the economic problems of developing countries. His specific areas of interest include: international migration, microfinance, health, corruption, political economy, and the economics of disasters. He teaches a Ford School course on the economics of developing countries, as well as a PhD course in development economics.

In memoriam: James J. Duderstadt is President Emeritus and University Professor of Science and Engineering. A graduate of Yale ('64 BSE in electrical engineering) and Caltech ('65 MS and '67 PhD in engineering science and physics), Duderstadt's…

Parthasarathy studies the governance of emerging science and technology and the politics of evidence and expertise in policy in comparative and international perspective. Her current research focuses on equity in innovation and innovation policy. She co-hosts The Received Wisdom podcast.

To email Rusty, please use the following email address: [email protected] Rusty Hills is a lecturer in public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He has served in senior leadership roles in the…

Levitsky serves as senior associate of the school's International Policy Center, and senior advisor to the Weiser Diplomacy Center. During his 35-year career as a U.S. diplomat, Levitsky was ambassador to Brazil from 1994-98 and held such senior positions as Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters, ambassador to Bulgaria, deputy director of the Voice of America, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights.