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Zoe Vaughn named 2026 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellow

Oct 2, 2026

The Ford School recognizes Zoe Vaughan (MPP '28) as the 2026 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellow.

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Reauthoring political futures in U.S. territories

Oct 2, 2026

At a Ford School event during the University of Michigan's Democracy Week, "Decolonizing imagination: Narratives, memory and political possibility in the U.S. Territories," Ford School associate research professor Mara Cecilia Ostfeld led panelists i...

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Better Government Lab receives more than $2 million from the Walmart Foundation to support SNAP administration, accuracy, and access

Oct 2, 2026

BGL will help state agencies analyze payment-error patterns and prioritize quality-assurance efforts while supporting timely access for eligible people.

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What’s changing in Medicaid and what can you do?

Oct 2, 2026

With eligibility rules for people with lower incomes changing in every state, it’s important to stay up to date, seek trustworthy sources and not fall for misinformation.

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STPP adds second fellow to MiST Program through the Civic Science Fellowship Award

Sep 29, 2026

STPP is expanding its efforts to connect scientific expertise to decision makers in Lansing by adding a second postgraduate position to its Michigan Science, Technology, and Public Policy (MiST) fellowship program.

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Ayanian wins national public health policy award

Sep 29, 2026

John Z. Ayanian, M.D., M.P.P., has received one of the nation’s top awards for health researchers, as the 2026 winner of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation David E. Rogers Award.

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Ford School faculty examine democracy beyond U.S. borders

Sep 29, 2026

During a recent Democracy Week event, Ford School faculty considered what cross-national and historical research reveals about democratic resilience and erosion.

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Holly Bass discusses art, memory, and the nation’s unfinished story

Sep 28, 2026

Holly Bass, the Ford School's fall 2026 Towsley Policymaker in Residence and U-M's 2026 Roman J. Witt Artist in Residence, explored these questions and more as part of a special Penny Stamps Speaker Series during the University of Michigan's Democrac...

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Detroit gun violence drops sharply during ShotStoppers program

Sep 27, 2026

Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan evaluated public safety impact of community violence intervention program

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Parthasarathy urges AI regulation

Sep 26, 2026

"The United States urgently needs to regulate AI, because of the risks the technology poses today, to privacy, civil liberties, equality, our health, environment and beyond," according to professor of public policy and director of the Science, Techno...

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Bipartisan leaders discuss what it takes to build trust across political divides

Sep 25, 2026

What sustains democratic trust when political disagreements remain unresolved? At two Ford School events during the University of Michigan’s Democracy Week, current and former Democratic and Republican elected leaders pointed to local participation, ...

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Parthasarathy among newest cohort of Michigan Society of Fellows

Sep 24, 2026

Shobita Parthasarathy has been named to the Michigan Society of Fellows for a term of four years.

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Ford School names Tyler Mathieu and Courtney Moore as 2026 Kohn Scholars

Sep 23, 2026

The Ford School recognizes Tyler Mathieu (MPP ‘28) and Courtney Moore (MPP ‘28) as the 2026 Kohn Scholars.

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Remembering Reynolds Farley: An expert on Detroit, the census, and America's racial divide

Sep 22, 2026

Reynolds (Ren) Farley, a sociologist and demographer who used Census data to illuminate the persistence of racial segregation in American cities, died on September 12, at 88.

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News

Pamela Herd named 2026 NIH Matilda White Riley Honoree

Sep 17, 2026

Pamela Herd, Carol Kakalec Kohn Professor of Social Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy, has been named the 19th National Institute of Health (NIH) Matilda White Riley Distinguished Lecturer.

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U-M experts comment on EPA removing limits on power plant pollution

Sep 16, 2026

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has announced it will stop restricting the greenhouse gas emissions from gas- and coal-fired power plants.

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Ayanian co-leads University-wide theme year focusing on U-M’s role in transforming health

Sep 16, 2026

John Ayanian will co-lead the Year of Human Health and Well-Being, which will will create opportunities for people across U-M to connect their work and expertise to advance health and well-being.

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U-M experts comment on latest national poverty statistics

Sep 15, 2026

National poverty statistics declined to 10.2% in 2025, down 0.5 percentage points from 2024. University of Michigan experts are available to discuss the latest numbers.

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Michigan voters really ‘just want results’ from Washington, says U-M political expert

Sep 15, 2026

Most voters really just want results—and maybe some relief—from Washington, according to political expert Rusty Hills. Frustrations are shaping the debate as the pivotal state and nation overall barrel toward another midterm election.

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Michigan Secretary of State debate set for October 8 hosted by the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy

Sep 14, 2026

The University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy will host a debate between the Democratic and Republican candidates for Michigan secretary of state, on October 8, 2026, 6:30-7:30 pm.

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Broad media interest in Ali's commentary on 9/11 anniversary

Sep 13, 2026

The Ford School's Javed Ali was widely sought for comments on the 25h anniversary o the 9/11 attacks.

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Axinn to study lifelong caregiving

Sep 13, 2026

Ford Professor William Axinn will participate in a $17.8 million research project funded by the National Institutes of Health that will explore how caregiving experiences evolve over the life course, shaping caregivers’ health and well-being in later...

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U-M project to study links between free school meals, student performance and well-being

Sep 10, 2026

Ford School researchers will examine whether Michigan's statewide free school meals program is linked to improvements in students' academic performance, attendance, graduation or progression, and discipline outcomes.

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Greetings from the Dean - The Briefing, September 2026

Sep 10, 2026

With the academic year underway, Weill Hall is filled with the exchange of ideas that define the Ford School. As we welcome new and returning Fordies, I am inspired by the many ways our community is advancing the public good through learning, researc...

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Announcing the Ford School fall 2026 events schedule

Sep 9, 2026

What does it take for people, communities, and democratic institutions to thrive? This fall, the Ford School will bring together a wide range of voices to explore that question—and some of the most pressing issues shaping our shared future.

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U-M to emphasize civic engagement with inaugural Democracy Week

Sep 8, 2026

The university will launch its inaugural Democracy Week on Sept. 14-18, timed to coincide with National Voter Registration Day, Sept. 15, and Constitution Day, Sept. 17. Faculty, staff, students and the broader community are invited to participate in...

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Ford School students explore food security and urban agriculture with OBSSAN in Bogotá

Sep 7, 2026

In March 2026, a delegation of graduate students from the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy traveled to Bogotá, Colombia, to learn about the practical realities of international development policy and programs from key stakeholder...

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Kohn Social Policy Conference announces full program and panelist lineup

Sep 4, 2026

Organized around the question "What can a city do to promote human thriving?," the conference will bring together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, civic leaders and community partners to examine practical, evidence-informed approaches to challe...

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Ali comments on upcoming 9/11 anniversary

Sep 4, 2026

25 years after the 9/11 attacks, Ford School professor Javed Ali comments on the implications of the U.S. government response.

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Two U-M students awarded social science research fellowships

Sep 3, 2026

This year, two of the three graduate research fellowships awarded by the Social Science Research Council hailed from the University of Michigan.

(Left to right) Fadilat Olasupo and Margarita Maria Rodriguez Morales.