Policy Topics

Science and technology

Showing 361 - 390 of 693 results

Stevenson speaks at White House Summit on Working Families

Jun 23, 2014

Betsey Stevenson, a member of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, will offer a plenary speech during the June 23 White House Summit on Working Families in Washington, DC. Her topic: A 21st century economy that works for businesses and...

Inaugural Dow Sustainability Fellow Cassie Brown helps city establish revolving loan fund for A2 energy efficiency upgrades

Apr 16, 2014

The first cohort of Dow Sustainability Fellows has recently partnered with the City of Ann Arbor on a pilot project establishing a new, low-interest revolving loan fund for landlords and renters seeking to improve the energy efficiency of rental...

Ford School celebrates the legacy of Margaret Ann (Ranny) Riecker (HLLD '05)

Apr 9, 2014

Margaret Ann (Ranny) Riecker (HLLD '05), who passed away in Midland, Mich., on April 7, was among the Ford School's most generous volunteers and supporters. Her philanthropy through the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation (where she was...

Axelrod and Iliev introduce model to better predict timing of cyber attacks

Jan 14, 2014

Robert Axelrod and postdoctoral research fellow Rumen Iliev have created a mathematical model to better understand internet security risks by analyzing when attackers are most motivated to exploit vulnerabilities in a target computer system. By...

State & Hill

Rare and powerful analysis

Dec 16, 2013

Latesha Love (MPP '02) was two weeks into her second year of graduate school in Ann Arbor, getting dressed for class and watching the news with an absent-minded interest, when she realized that "something was really, really, really wrong." It was...

State & Hill

Paul Courant's powerful public service, the HathiTrust digital library

Dec 16, 2013

Scholarly CVs are long, there's no denying it, so it's not surprising that Paul N. Courant's CV stretches a good twelve feet from end to end. What is surprising is that what is likely to be Courant's single greatest contribution to scholarship isn't...

Carl Simon's work with mathematical models earns him a spot on a list of top STEM educators

Aug 30, 2013

Carl P. Simon was named one of the top 25 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professors in Michigan by the Online Schools Michigan website, which is a resource for students to learn about online education options in the...

Ford School alum wins coveted science teaching fellowship

Aug 1, 2013

Nicole Fernandes (MPP/MS '08), has been awarded a five-year Science Teaching Fellowship by the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation.Established in 1999 to improve math and science education in the United States, the Knowles Science Teaching...

Direct Relief recognized for outstanding use of mapping in humanitarian work

Jul 11, 2013

Ford School alumnus Andrew Schroeder (MPP '07), director of research and analysis for DirectRelief, accepted the Esri President's Award on behalf of the nonprofit on July 8 in San Diego, California. Direct Relief was recognized for its outstanding...

Kay Kelly works in transportation policy. So how did she become an advocate for newborn screening?

Jun 19, 2013

It was a scene that began like so many others: Kay (Milewski) Kelly (MPA '05) and her husband had just brought home their three-day-old son from the hospital. Waiting to welcome the newest member of the family, along with a homemade birthday cake,...

Gene patents limit availability of information, says Parthasarathy in New York Times op-ed

Jun 6, 2013

In the article, "Ownership of Genes Stops Research," at the New York Times, Shobita Parthasarathy, associate professor of public policy, responds to the question of whether companies should be allowed to patent genes. Parthasarathy reasons that, as...

NAS publication features report on aging co-authored by Susan M. Collins

Apr 30, 2013

A report co-authored by Susan M. Collins will be featured in a new publication celebrating National Academy of Sciences (NAS) 150th anniversary.The report, "Aging and the Macroeconomy," was produced by the National Research Council's Committee on...

Yu Xie named 2013 Henry and Bryna David Endowment recipient

Apr 29, 2013

Yu Xie has been named the 2013 recipient of the Henry and Bryna David Endowment by the National Research Council's Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. The award is given annually to individuals performing innovative research in...

Ford School APS students reimagine GM Powertrain Plant Facility and Willow Run Airport

Apr 26, 2013

Ford School master's students Patrick Leonard, Tyler Sawher, Dan Trubman, and Eboni Wells presented proposals to local officials, community leaders, and residents that would repurpose the GM Powertrain Plant Facility and the Willow Run Airport as a...

Call for Summer 2015 Internship Partnership Proposals in Science, Technology, or Health Policy

Apr 10, 2013

The Ford School seeks proposals from alumni to develop Summer 2015 internship partnerships in the areas of science, technology, or health policy. Proposals must be for internships within public and non-profit organizations otherwise unable to fund...

NRC appoints Barry Rabe to steering committee on shale gas development

Feb 4, 2013

The National Research Council (NRC) has appointed Ford School Professor Barry Rabe to a steering committee that will organize two workshops examining the social and decision-making issues related to identifying, assessing, and managing risk in shale...

NRC appoints Barry Rabe to steering committee on shale gas development image

The storm after the superstorm: alumna lobbies for forward-thinking relief

Jan 30, 2013

When Superstorm Sandy struck the northeast coast last October, it struck with a vengeance. It cascaded over seawalls; knocked a roller coaster into the ocean; yanked out chunks of the Atlantic City boardwalk; felled trees and power lines; flooded...

Time cites Kevin Stange study on outcomes of differential tuition

Jan 3, 2013

As college tuition prices skyrocket and interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors remains stagnant, can lowering the price of tuition for more technical majors garner increased interest? That's the proposition...

Time cites Kevin Stange study on outcomes of differential tuition teaser image

State & Hill

Everyday innovation

Dec 18, 2012

Ford School alumni 'work smart' on international development at USAID "Just imagine the communities you came from if, within a six-week period of time, your schools had to double in capacity to take in refugees from a neighboring country,"...

Informed Relief: Andrew Schroeder (MPP '07)

Dec 6, 2012

Part of what can make a hurricane deadly is the storm surge that follows: high winds that cause the sea level to rise significantly above the average high-tide line. Storm surges caused devastation in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and, most...

Michigan Daily article cites CLOSUP panel on Proposition 3

Oct 18, 2012

An article in the Michigan Daily, entitled "Michigan voters divided on Proposition 3," cited a panel discussion hosted by the Ford School of Public Policy's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy. The event, "25% by 2025: Michigan's Renewable...

Parthasarathy: Geoengineering patents could follow the U.S. atomic energy model

May 23, 2012

Shobita Parthasarathy told Nature magazine that the geoengineering field "urgently needs" to define intellectual property rights for technologies that could have far-reaching consequences for the planet.The issue of whether such patents should...

Shobita Parthasarathy's book, Building Genetic Medicine, which informs the debate over gene patents, re-released in paperback

Feb 13, 2012

Shobita Parthasarathy's book on the development and implications of gene testing and patenting has been re-released in paperback by The MIT Press.The book, Building Genetic Medicine: Breast Cancer, Technology and the Comparative Politics of Health...

Paul N. Courant joins Digital Public Library of America steering committee

Dec 15, 2010

Paul N. Courant has joined the steering committee for the proposed Digital Public Library of America. This 12-member committee, composed of library and foundation leaders, will create a blueprint for "an open, distributed network of comprehensive...

Shobita Parthasarathy interviewed by German Public Radio about legality of human gene patents

Dec 1, 2010

Shobita Parthasarathy was interviewed by German Public Radio about recent debates on the legality of patenting human genes. Since a narrowly decided Supreme Court ruling in the 1980s, the U.S. Patent Office has allowed patents for a variety of life...

Shobita Parthasarathy interviewed by German Public Radio about legality of human gene patents image

Jeff Lawson & Kara Swisher Break the News

Apr 2, 2025, 4:00-5:30 pm EDT

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium (1120)

Join Jeff Lawson, owner of satirical news site “The Onion”, and award-winning journalist Kara Swisher for a discussion on the status of our media, democracy, and more at this live taping of “On with Kara Swisher”.

Watch live from this page

Headshots of Jeff Lawson and Kara Swisher with cut onions in background

"I Hope This Helps"

Mar 30, 2025, 12:30-2:00 pm EDT

Main Auditorium, Michigan Theater

"I Hope This Helps!" is a humorous, genre-bending hybrid documentary that invites viewers to ponder the evolving relationship between humanity and technology.

The Future of U.S. Transportation

Mar 28, 2025, 9:15-10:00 am EDT

Morris Lawrence Building Washtenaw Community College

Join the Ford School's Robert Hampshire, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, and Daiana Furchgott-Roth (George Washington University) for a discussion surrounding the future of USDOT research funding and economic impacts from the new administration.

Paving the Way: Taking Bold Action Toward Environmental Justice

Jan 27, 2025, 5:30-7:00 pm EST

Rackham Auditorium

Join us for an event that’s more than just a celebration—it’s a call to action. In alignment with the University of Michigan’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium's 2025 theme of "Restless Dissatisfaction: An Urgent Call for the Pursuit of Justice and Equality," we invite students, staff, faculty and the greater community to a powerful and inspiring gathering.

Policy Talks @ the Ford School

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: Infrastructure accomplishments and challenges in the Biden administration

Jan 13, 2025, 4:00-5:30 pm EST

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will join the Ford School community for a conversation on the Biden-Harris Administration’s record in transportation and infrastructure.

Watch live from this page