Departments and Research Centers

Science, Technology, and Public Policy program

The Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) program is a unique research, education, and policy engagement center concerned with cutting-edge questions that arise at the intersection of science, technology, policy, and society.

Showing 91 - 120 of 373 results

Publication

Green explores tech ethics and its boundaries in new paper

Feb 4, 2022

Who gets to define the ethics behind the use of technology in society? The discussion has become more pressing amid controversies related to misinformation, privacy, and algorithmic bias. Ben Green explores this question as editor of a special...

Publication

Pathasarathy calls for systemic change in U.S. innovation policy to promote equity and access

Jan 29, 2022

Ford School professor Shobita Parthasarathy is calling for a change in innovation policy to center “equity as a public value” as the scientific community ponders “the next 75 years of science policy.” In her essay Innovation as a Force for Equity,...

News

Green named Center for Democracy & Technology fellow

Jan 28, 2022

This week, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) named Ben Green as a non-resident fellow. He joins Shobita Parthasarathy as one of 31 fellows from across the country that represent a wide range of fields and disciplines that inform CDT's...

In the Media

Parthasarathy discusses her career on 'Science, Technology, and Society Shorts'

Jan 26, 2022 Science, Technology, and Society Shorts

Shobita Parthasarathy, professor of public policy and director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy program, recently discussed how she became interested in science and technology policy on Science, Technology, and Society Shorts. “I...

Publication

Lack of information related to pollution exposure key issue for low-income households

Jan 20, 2022

A lack of information is an often overlooked but important cause of pollution exposure among low-income households or communities of color, according to University of Michigan researchers. The researchers say the disproportionate exposure of...

Publication

Green’s paper receives Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award

Jan 13, 2022

The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) recently awarded Ben Green, assistant professor and postdoctoral scholar, the Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award. The award is for Green’s paper, “The Flaws of Policies Requiring Human Oversight of Government...

In the Media

El-Sayed hosts Parthasarathy on 'America Dissected'

Jan 12, 2022 America Dissected

How are issues of equity addressed in health care innovation and in particular the patent process? Shobita Parthasarathy, professor of public policy and director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy program, addressed the question on...

Professor Shobita Parthasarathy leads a discussion in the Betty Ford Classroom

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

Beza Merid, PhD: STPP gave me insights into how policy can develop justice-based health innovations

Dec 23, 2021

Beza Merid was a faculty affiliate with STPP when he became a research fellow in cardiology at Michigan Medicine. Now at Arizona State University, he appreciates how influencing innovation policy can create better health outcomes for underserved...

News

2021: A year of public policy

Dec 16, 2021

The Ford School of Public Policy is a top-ranked public policy school dedicated to preparing diverse leaders to take on society’s most pressing challenges and make transformational discoveries through cutting-edge research. Experts from the Ford...

News

Parthasarathy calls for people-centric health innovation

Dec 13, 2021

Government investment and encouragement of innovation needs to expand its scope to consider the social and economic effects on marginalized groups. In a paper published by The Next System Project, Ford School public policy professor Shobita...

In the Media

Green explains relationship between pandemic and government surveillance

Dec 9, 2021 Los Angeles Times

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed governments to roll out higher surveillance systems without pushback from citizens. Such emergencies “can be moments where governments roll out new invasive forms of data collection and it just becomes...

News

Lawmakers seek out U-M faculty for expertise on various topics

Dec 1, 2021

Federal lawmakers continue to seek out University of Michigan faculty members to lend their expertise and knowledge to help inform federal policy. In the last year, 13 U-M faculty members and researchers testified at 14 congressional hearings...

In the Media

More emphasis needed on vaccine accessibility, overcoming institutional mistrust—Parthasarathy

Nov 5, 2021 MLive

Speaking with MLive, Shobita Parthasarathy observed the complexities behind vaccine hesitancy. “We’re letting social institutions, government institutions off the hook the more that we focus on the individual as the source of the hesitancy,” she...

News

Ford School represented in U-M student delegation at COP26

Nov 4, 2021

University of Michigan graduate students and their faculty adviser are attending the two-week COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. The students will observe the negotiations, attend side events and interact with various experts. U-M has sent...

News

Expanding participation in science and technology policy through civil society partnerships

Nov 4, 2021

A grant from the Ford Foundation will facilitate consultation, research, and implementation solutions with community organizations to promote science and technology for the public good. Technology has the power to transform lives for the better...

Photo of Shobita Parthasarathy in the Great Hall, with Ford School students seated in the background

News

Lin discusses increased surveillance on faculty of Chinese heritage

Oct 29, 2021

The Department of Justice's China Initiative was launched in 2018 to reduce theft of U.S. intellectual property funded by the government. A recent survey by the U-M Association of Chinese Professors (UM-ACP) found an increased sense of worry over...

Photo of Ann Chih Lin in Weill Hall's 2nd floor hallway

News

Off the field, University of Michigan and Michigan State University work together on the big issues

Oct 28, 2021

When Michigan’s Independent Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (MICRC) held a public hearing recently in Grand Rapids, two students were assisting attendees with submitting citizen comments and suggestions for the Commission’s consideration. Working...

News

Jacob and Parthasarathy receive prestigious University awards

Oct 11, 2021

Brian Jacob and Shobita Parthasarathy have been recognized by the University of Michigan Provost for their scholarly contributions, teaching, and service to the University. They will be honored with other faculty members at a dinner and ceremony on...

Photo of Shobita Parthasarathy and Brian Jacob

In the Media

Parthasarathy on the racial reckoning in science and medicine

Oct 4, 2021 AP News

The family of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells have been used to develop numerous scientific and medical innovations, is suing a biotechnology company for selling her cells. Shobita Parthasarathy provided insight into the lawsuit. “We...

In the Media

Human oversight of automated decision-making doesn't work, says Green

Sep 28, 2021 Protocol

Commenting on his recent research, Ben Green told Protocol, “The point is not to say: Let's just allow these algorithms to be used without the human oversight. But if we're only comfortable with these algorithms because we have human oversight, we...

News

Green calls for increased regulation with government use of algorithms

Sep 22, 2021

Do algorithms help or hinder human decision-making? In a recent op-ed for The Hill, Ben Green, an assistant professor and postdoctoral scholar, argues that policymakers need to consider how humans interact with AI when regulating the use of AI in...

News

Ford School research center websites get a fresh new look

Aug 27, 2021

Seven of the Ford School’s dynamic research centers have launched new websites. Building on the Ford School’s own modern web design and technical capabilities, the new websites convey the energy and innovation of each center. Participating research...

Teaser image with screencaps of research center website homepages cascaded artfully across the board, each increasing in scale

Publication

Should complex, high-stakes government decisions be reliant on predictive algorithms?

Aug 27, 2021

Machine learning is increasingly used for government decision-making to predict adverse outcomes. For instance, many cities and states in the U.S. have adopted pretrial risk assessments that inform decisions about whether to release criminal...

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,...

In the Media

Parthasarathy calls for legislative action on privacy

Aug 11, 2021 MLive

As police increasingly use social media for surveillance and monitoring, Shobita Parthasarathy, professor of public policy and director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, calls for legislative action to protect citizens' online...

In the Media

Parthasarathy discusses bias of facial recognition technology

Aug 5, 2021 MLive

The ethics surrounding the use of facial recognition technology are under increasing scrutiny as more law enforcement agencies utilize it. Shobita Parthasarathy, professor of public policy and director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy...

News

Equity considerations must be an integral part of energy research and development, Parthasarathy tells Congressional committee

Jul 16, 2021

"We are not accustomed to thinking about equity in the context of innovation. But in recent years, we have begun to recognize that marginalized communities (including those who are low-income and those who come from historically disadvantaged...

Shobita Parthasarathy delivers testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy

In the Media

Parthasarathy facial recognition study in focus on Detroit Public TV

Jun 24, 2021 DPTV One Detroit

Detroit Public TV's One Detroit program looked at the racial disparities inherent in law enforcement's use of facial recognition technology, making reference to a study published in August 2020 by the Ford School's Shobita Parthasarathy. "We...

In the Media

Rabe evaluates Biden's climate policy

Jun 15, 2021 The Christian Science Monitor

While President Biden has shown a lot of initiative for climate policy in the first months of his term, many scholars say something is missing: a carbon tax. Barry Rabe, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy, provided an...