News | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

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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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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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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.

A large audience listens to two seated speakers during a University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy event in a tiered lecture hall.

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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.

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Water shortages in Puerto Rico: U-M experts available to discuss

Aug 28, 2026

Mara Ostfeld is available for comment to discuss Puerto Rico's water shortage.

Mara Ostfeld speaking at a Poverty Solutions event.

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Hardy Vieux (MPP/JD ‘97) to receive 2026 Neil Staebler Distinguished Service Award

Aug 27, 2026

Hardy Vieux (MPP/JD ’97) will accept the school’s highest alumni honor for dedication to excellence in public service on Oct. 16 during the Ford School’s 2026 Homecoming celebration.

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Ford School celebrates faculty appointments and promotions

Aug 26, 2026

The Ford School is welcoming new and returning scholars, artists, and policy experts in 2026, while celebrating the promotion of three accomplished faculty members and new roles for longtime members of the school community.

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The unitary executive assault: Bagenstos responds in Boston Review Forum

Aug 26, 2026

In a response to Zeynep Pamuk's "How to Save Science," University of Michigan law and public policy professor Samuel R. Bagenstos examines the relationship between science, politics, and democratic governance in the Boston Review's Forum.

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Ford School faculty awarded U-M Strategic Initiative Fund grants

Aug 26, 2026

Ford School faculty to lead on: a new center for democracy, a Detroit-centered civic engagement platform, a food hardship tracker, practical insights about Michigan's clean energy and mobility transition, and shipbuilding revitalization.

University of Michigan flag flying over the Michigan Union

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Alice Kinney named 2026 Robert R. Robinson Memorial Scholarship recipient

Aug 21, 2026

The Michigan Townships Association named Alice Kinney as a 2026 Robert R. Robinson Memorial Scholarship recipient. The annual award aims to encourage students and other individuals to pursue or further a career in public service.

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Nicole Sherard-Freeman to join Luke Shaefer for featured keynote conversation at Kohn Social Policy Conference

Aug 20, 2026

The conversation will explore how leaders across sectors can work together to strengthen the systems that shape opportunity, stability, and well-being. It will connect directly to the conference's central question: What can a city do to promote human...

Portraits of Nicole Sherard-Freeman and Luke Shaefer.

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Leiser promotes new MPPS report: Michigan local governments highly confident in election integrity

Aug 17, 2026

The Michigan Public Policy Survey report presents the opinions of Michigan's township and city leaders on issues related to election administration in their jurisdictions, including confidence in overall accurate election administration and expected ...

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State media outlets cover latest poverty report

Aug 16, 2026

Media outlets throughout Michigan shared analysis by U-M Poverty Solutions that nearly 40% of state residents are struggling to afford basic needs

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Weiland argues that the West Virginia Legislature must reform the state's school closure process

Aug 16, 2026

In an op-ed for the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Ford School professor Chris Weiland argues that the West Virginia Legislature must reform the state's school closure process. In Roane County, recent school closures have resulted in a fine that will doubl...

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Beyond India-Pakistan: What the Mecca defense pact reveals about a changing security order

Aug 14, 2026

Javed Ali discusses what the new Mecca defense agreement could mean for India, Pakistan and the wider region, and why the relatively restrained responses from both New Delhi and Washington are worth watching.

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“Talk data to me”: ASPIRE fellows explore youth mental health, school trust, and pathways into policy research

Aug 11, 2026

The 2026 Applied Social Policy Internship and Research Experience brought students from Spelman College and Morehouse College to the University of Michigan for hands-on training in applied social policy research.

The 2026 ASPIRE cohort and their mentors.

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Award-winning artist Holly Bass named Towsley Policymaker in Residence at the Ford School

Aug 4, 2026

Bass, whose award-winning work spans dance, theater, poetry, photography, installation, video, and performance, brings to the Ford School a powerful practice rooted in American history, social justice, community engagement, and the arts as a vehicle ...

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About 4 in 10 Michiganders struggle to afford basic needs, same as last year

Aug 4, 2026

An updated Michigan Poverty and Well-Being Map shows nearly 40% of Michiganders are struggling to afford basic needs.

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Shobita Parthasarathy named president-elect of Society for Social Studies of Science

Jul 31, 2026

Shobita Parthasarathy has been elected incoming president-elect of the Society for Social Studies of Science, an international nonprofit association for researchers in science and technology studies.

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Hanson shares insights about opening of new bridge between Detroit, Windsor

Jul 27, 2026

Ford School professor Jonathan Hanson comments on the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor.

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Parthasarathy comments on new White House science report

Jul 24, 2026

Shobita Parthasarathy comments on a new White House report that calls for academic research dollars to go to tech and artificial intelligence companies despite the public's distrust.

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Ford School to host inaugural Kohn Social Policy Conference in Detroit

Jul 24, 2026

The University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy is establishing the Kohn Social Policy Conference, a biennial convening designed to examine emerging social policy challenges and practical, evidence-informed solutions.

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India’s national medical entrance crisis and student protests: Neggers comments

Jul 23, 2026

Ford School professor Yusuf Neggers, who is affiliated with the Center for South Asian Studies discusses the youth-led protests in India amid back-to-back education scandals.

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Rethinking bureaucracy: Study finds overloaded officials–not corruption–can slow public benefits

Jul 22, 2026

University of Michigan research in India shows that giving bureaucrats better access to information can speed payments to millions of workers.

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Michigan's local leaders remain confident in election security, accuracy despite claims of vulnerabilities

Jul 21, 2026

Local officials across Michigan have maintained high confidence in election security and accuracy over the past several years.

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Kamissa Camara joins conference panel on U.S.–U.N. relations in Bloomington

Jul 15, 2026

Ambassador Kamissa Camara participated as a panelist in “America’s Evolving Relationship with the U.N.” at the 11th America’s Role in the World Conference, held at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies in Bloomington, Indiana....