Leadership

Have a question for our panel? Submit your question at: https://myumi.ch/4rPZ4Two high-profile advocates from opposite ends of the political spectrum seek ways to connect and communicate about the most important issues facing the country. 

The Ford School community will have access to tickets of the UMS production of Fight Night, an interactive drama experience that gives a new perspective about the democratic process. An exclusive discussion with the show's director and cast members will follow the performance.  On the brink of a presidential election that people on both sides have called the most consequential in history, Belgium’s extraordinary Ontroerend Goed offers a fun and thought-provoking, examination of free will and politics that puts electronic voting devices — and the candidates’ fates — directly into the hands of audience members.

Join us for an inside look at how the FBI is tackling the evolving threats to U.S. elections, from cyberattacks to terrorism. Deputy Director Abbate will discuss the FBI's latest strategies and hard-earned lessons in defending democracy.

In recent years, the process for securing elections has been called into question. So how do elections really work? What systems are in place to ensure open, fair voting for all?

Join Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Ford School alumna, Stacy Dean, as she discusses her career and the challenges to improve nutrition for all Americans.

Fordies, we welcome you to join us for a gathering on faith, spirituality, and public policy. Led by our very own Ford School professor Dr. Ann Lin.

Former United Nations Under-Secretary General and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), will join us to discuss the intricate relationship between health equity and economic resilience in Africa. Dr. Songwe's insights will highlight Africa's role in global power dynamics and strategies for asserting its agency amid evolving economic landscapes.

Join Dr. Estelle E. Archibold, the Leadership Initiative and the Center for Racial Justice for this virtual session about restorative justice and its policy implications.

Federal Reserve Bank Vice Chair for Supervision Michael S. Barr, former dean of the Ford School, will discuss the workings of the Fed, his work on banking reform, and the lessons of leadership he has learned in his career in and out of government service. 

The Michigan Presidential Primary is February 27th which is during Spring Break. But don’t worry: Michigan now has nine days of early voting! Please join our amazing student-led organization Turn Up the Turnout (TUT) for an all-community lunch and Walk to the Polls on February 20, 2024, 11:30-1:00.

Our Food for Thought series is returning this Wednesday, January 31 from 11:30-12:50 in the Annenberg Auditorium. Our discussion topic will be “The Vital Role of Students in the Presidential Election,” and we will be joined by a panel that includes Abdul El-Sayed, Rusty Hills, Landon Myers, Erica Reilly, and Naomi Garcia. Food for thought attendance is limited to Ford School students, faculty, and staff. Pizza will be provided on a first-come first-serve basis.

Discover the captivating journey of President Zelensky's former press secretary and a globally acclaimed journalist. Uncover the behind-the-scenes stories of her impactful work in Ukraine and the dynamic world of journalism!

Join this virtual mayors panel via livestream or in person at the Watch Party hosted at the University of Michigan's Taubman College.  This annual event brings together mayors from cities across the states of the Big Ten in a conversation around timely topics of national importance that manifest at the municipal level.

The Ford School community is invited to join for a community conversation on leadership with motivational coach Greg Harden. Parker Tracey, an ICF Associate Certified Coach who works with Ford School MPP students as part of our executive coaching program, will interview Harden on his work, leadership advice, and his new book: Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive.

Join us for CommuniTea! A student-led series of informal, bi-weekly gatherings held in Weill Hall, focusing on key topics of interest to our community.

Join Dr. Khalid Medani for the second installment of the International Policy Research Seminar (IPRS). 

Join P3E for a virtual panel discussion with policy experts that explores perspectives on Arab American issues and whether current policies and legislation meet the needs of Michigan’s Arab American population.

Women make up over 50% of the state’s population, but just 16% of Michigan’s local chief administrative officers. The Michigan Municipal League’s 16/50 Project is transforming this leadership gap – getting more women seated in the municipal top spot in Michigan communities.

Here's your chance to get help with your legal, technology, accounting, and regulatory issues all at once! DNEP is proud to co-host a Small Business Resource Fair with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation's District 4 Business Liaison Kenzie Current, Jefferson East, Inc., Michigan Law's Community Enterprise Clinic, and Accounting Aid Society.

Join us as we welcome Dr. Ruha Benjamin to campus to discuss her newest book, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want. In this talk, Dr. Benjamin draws on the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and introduces a micro-vision of change—a way of looking at the everyday ways people are working to combat unjust systems and build alternatives to the oppressive status quo. 

Women’s rights have been at the forefront of policy conversations over the past few decades, especially recently. Join P3E for a discussion of policy perspectives on women’s rights issues with Christie Baer, Center on Finance, Law & Policy Assistant Director; Mara Ostfeld, Associate Faculty Director, Poverty Solutions; Research Director, Center for Racial Justice; Assistant Research Scientist, Ford School; and Faculty Associate, Center for Political Studies; Tonya Burns, Flint city councilmember; and Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Director for the City of Ann Arbor. 

The Peacemaker explores how Ronald Reagan and his national security team developed a multifaceted and successful Cold War strategy to win a peaceful victory over Soviet communism.

Detroit business owners, as the University makes plans to develop a new University of Michigan Center for Innovation in Detroit, what kinds of incubator spaces would be helpful to you?

Join the Center for Racial Justice for a workshop on changemaking from the inside with Gabrielle Wyatt, part of our Racial Justice in Practice workshop series. Open to U-M students, faculty, staff, and community partners. In this virtual workshop, we will collectively visit frameworks and strategies for affecting change as institutional insiders. Specifically, we will discuss strategies for building and sustaining multi-generational change by exploring power, structural change, and leadership.

Join STPP for a conversation with alum Scott Henry (Masters of Science in Information, Data Science '20, STPP Certificate '20), Senior Data Scientist at Cisco.  

Join the Center for Racial Justice for a workshop on decolonizing development with Farah Mahesri, part of our Racial Justice in Practice workshop series. Open to U-M students, faculty, staff, and community partners. In this interactive 3-hour session, we will collectively explore what a decolonized space or a decolonized approach for global development actually look like. How can we structure our organizations and our programs to draw to center more liberatory practices and help us radically re-imagine global development?

Join P3E for an Alumni Experiences discussion with José Lemus (MPP '22), senior advisor for the jobs and economy team with the City of Detroit’s Mayor’s Office, where he facilitates public-private partnerships to support the City of Detroit’s infrastructure and workforce development objectives.

Join P3E’s community engagement manager DeAndré J. Calvert for a discussion of policy perspectives on contemporary and historical issues related to black Americans with Patrick Wimberly, mayor of Inkster, MI; Alma Wheeler Smith, former Michigan State legislator; and Theodore Jones, Detroit Public Schools Community District project manager.

The Ford School’s Michigan Public Budgeting and Finance Planning class invites Ford students to join them for a conversation with guest speaker Janani Ramachandran Yates, Deputy Budget Director of the City of Detroit (and Ford School alum).