Student organizations

The Student Affairs Committee (SAC) supports student organization leaders with funding, guidance, and event facilitation, serving as the primary liaison between the Ford School's students, faculty, and administrators. SAC engages in a number of activities, including organizing days of service and fundraising events to support community organizations, and promoting interaction between students, faculty, and staff. Email [email protected] for more information.

Officers: 
Chair: Mya Walters
DEI Chair: Lexie Milukhin
Social Chair: Ava Pecora
Communications: Chair Emily Kuttner
External Relations: Chair Major Stevens
Treasurer: Kavita Rani
DEI Coalition Representative: Natalia Rice
DEI Coalition Representative: Annie Henseler
Master's Program Committee Representative: Brooke Tran

Participation open to: Master's students only

The Ford School Undergraduate Council is an elected board of undergraduate public policy students. The council consists of 3 senior class students who are elected in the spring of their junior year and 2 junior class students who are elected in the fall of their junior year. The students elected in their senior year will serve a total of 2 semesters, while the students elected in their junior year will serve a total of 4 semesters. The Ford School Undergraduate Council is responsible for planning social events for the undergraduate class, organizing community service opportunities and acting as the liaison to the Ford School Administration. The council meets on a weekly basis. Email [email protected] for more information.

Officers:
President: Sachin Sukumar
Vice President: Akhila Mullapudi

Participation open to: Undergraduate students only

The mission of Domestic Policy Corps (DPC) is to provide a forum for academic engagement and dialogue on current domestic policy issues. DPC plans to foster and activate students’ voices on current and vital policy issues as they arise, believing that the school should be a leader on campus and among its academic peers in discussing, analyzing and promoting domestic policy solutions. The DPC advocates the deliberation of ideas between today’s current policy leaders and tomorrow’s future leaders. In an effort to engage these debates, the DPC coordinates discussions, policy briefs, research, an annual publication, debates, keynote speakers, workshops and training seminars. These experiences will further the path to policy professionalism through practical, hands-on-knowledge and a working ability to explore, learn and express views outside the classroom.

Officers:
Co-Chair: Hope Wang
Co-Chair: Chelsea Giller
Treasurer: Major Stevens
Events Coordinator: Georgina Bailey
Secretary: Ben Grossman

Participation open to: All students 

The Environmental Policy Association is a student organization at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy that is committed to protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and promoting equitable and just choices for communities disproportionately affected by environmental impacts. Email [email protected] for more information. 

Officers: 
Co-President: Warren Gunn

Participation open to: Master's students only 

The Ford+Munk Conference Committee is an annual student-led policy conference between the University of Toronto Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and the Ford School of Public Policy. Held in the Winter semester, the event brings together students from both schools in a team-based learning environment where they are challenged to analyze, evaluate, and present key findings related to a current policy issue facing both sides of the border. This bi-national case competition is a great opportunity to further your understanding of multi-stakeholder and cross-border policy collaboration and implementation.

Officers:
Co-Chair: Aiswarya Padmanabhan

Participation open to: Master's students only

In order to uplift local and student artists and bring musical performances to the Ford Community, Funky Fordies will provide a space for musicians and music enthusiasts to come together in a positive and creative environment. Our organization will create a unique experience for Ford School students by fostering relationships between the policy and artistic communities at the University of Michigan.

Global Fordies is a student organization of international students at the Ford School, focused on establishing a global and multicultural community of engaged public servants. GF’s objective is to collaborate within the Ford School to ease the transition for international students, maximize their potential and career opportunities and encourage them to contribute to the school community. Our mission is to provide a unique platform for international students to engage with the Ford School community, voice their issues and bring positive change by promoting multicultural perspectives with the peers and colleagues at the entire Ford School.

Officers:
Co-chair: Maulshree Sinha, [email protected]
Co-chair: Riya Cherian, [email protected]
Advocacy Chair: Oieshi Saha, [email protected]
Language Exchange Chair: Yu-Yu Lin, [email protected]
Alumnx Chair: Chia Wen Cheng, [email protected]
At-Large Member: Francisco Daniel Renteria Macedo, [email protected]
At-Large Member: Gerardo Mendez Guiteierrez, [email protected]

Participation open to: All students

The Health Policy Student Association (HPSA) provides and supports educational and professional development opportunities for all students interested in health policy.

Members come from many disciplines and degree programs including public health, public policy, law, social work, business, medicine, dentistry, and nursing. HPSA is a place for students to participate in health policy related events including guest speakers, local and national level meetings, panel discussions, policy outreach efforts, and a variety of social activities.

HPSA is a growing organization with opportunities for leadership roles, career enhancement, skill development and networking in the health policy world.

Email [email protected] for more information.

Officers:  
President: Madeline Reneaud, [email protected]
Vice President: Daniel King, [email protected]
Professional Development Chair: Medina Sabic, [email protected]
Education/Advocacy Chair: Jessica Gao, [email protected]
Finance Chair: Nour Salloub, [email protected]
Education/Advocacy Vice Chair: Gloria Mshana, [email protected]

Participation open to: Master's students only

Intramural sports is a fun way to meet some great people and enjoy Michigan. For those of you interested in a bit more competition, we offer a slate of competitive teams in all of the major sports; for those who want to come out and simply enjoy your evenings, we will also offer recreational teams. 2014 Champions: Mens and Grad Sand Volleyball, Flag Football, and Wally Ball. 2014 Runner-ups: Basketball, Co-Rec and Grad 5-5 Basketball, Indoor Soccer, Co-Rec and Women's Swimming, Dodgeball, and Indoor Volleyball.

Participation open to: Master's students only

International Policy Student Association (IPSA) promotes, facilitates, sustains, and provides opportunities for the study of international policy issues at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. IPSA provides networking and skills-building to help students to explore international careers, to network with global organizations, and to learn about international policy in a professional and academic environment. IPSA also compiles information about international policies, international organizations, and relevant international events for students resources.

IPSA benefits from distinguished Ford School faculty members who are experts in the fields of international political, economic, and social policies. IPSA maintains a close relationship with International Policy Center (IPC) at Ford School which is one of nation leading institution for interdisciplinary research, education, and policy dialogue on international economics, security, and human rights.

Officers:
Operations Chair: Joanna Bascom
Undergraduate Co-chair: Eric Derr
Undergraduate Co-chair: Maya Ellis
Communications Chair: Elizaveta Dorofeeva

Participation open to: All students

Leaders for Ethical AI Development Now (LEAD Now) will mobilize around the adverse social, economic, and geopolitical consequences of unregulated AI development. We will explore potential policy regulations through article readings, speaker events, documentary screenings, and more. This group aims to build a coalition of individuals across the University of Michigan who are passionate about technology policy and are interested in advocating for a more equitable future.

Officers:
President: Audrey Melillo, [email protected]
Vice President: Yael Atzmon, [email protected]
Secretary: Sachin Sukumar, [email protected]

Participation open to: All students

The Michigan Journal of Public Affairs (MJPA) is the student-run academic journal of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. The MJPA promotes dialogue on a wide range of public policy issues by publishing a diverse group of contributors, ranging from students to public policy professionals. Co-editors-in-chief, to be selected. For more information, email [email protected].

Officers:
Co-Editor in Chief: Hank Peters-Wood
Co-Editor in Chief: Tyler Baird
Managing Editor: Annie Hensler
Webmaster: Major Stevens

Participation open to: Master's students only

Officers:
Chair: Javi Pineiro, [email protected]

Participation open to: Master’s students only

Out in Public is the LGBTQ and ally group at the Ford School of Public Policy. We seek to create a welcoming space for LGBTQ people at the Ford School, engage the wider Ford School community in dialogue about LGBTQ issues and connect with other LGBTQ groups across campus. Bachelors students, Masters students, PhD students, faculty and staff are all welcome.

Officers:
Executive Director: John Blake
Finance Director: Michael Fuller
Social Chair: Katrina Wheelan
Social Media: Lauren Fuller

Participation open to: All students

Policy for the People is a space for students who are interested in learning more about Leftist ideology through discussions, speakers, and direct actions. We are dedicated to supporting, advocating for, and establishing socially, politically, and economically equitable institutions, policies, and systems in local and international communities. We understand that social, political, and economic issues are inherently intertwined so that to address one we must address the others.

Participation open to: All students

The mission of SCPP is to create an environment at the Ford School and within the University of Michigan campus community in which public policy students of color can succeed emotionally, academically, and professionally. SCPP meets regularly to provide a place for discussion of policy and personal issues and to organize activities. The organization, which welcomes all interested students.

Officers:
Chair: Kenneth Wilson
Outreach Chair: Samuel Owusu
Events Chair: Winnie Chen
Communications Chair: Natalia Rice

Participation open to: Master's students only

Officers:
Co-Chair: MaryGrace Ortega
Co-Chair: Isha Khan
Social Coordinator: Luz Mayancela-Cazho
Treasurer: Akhila Mullapudi
Executive Coordinator: Christian Loredo-Duran

Participation open to: Undergraduate students only

WeListen is a grassroots, campus-based organization working to bridge the American political divide. Through biweekly discussion sessions on topics ranging from gun control to free speech, we facilitate small-group conversations (not debates!) between people with divergent political viewpoints. We're looking for students of various backgrounds with views across the political spectrum (Democrats, Republicans, or neither) who are interested in learning why someone might not agree with them. We hope to show that political disagreement is not inherently hostile, and that constructive political discourse is both possible and valuable.

Officers:
Co-President: Hanna Kelly, [email protected]
Co-President: Jasper Scheiber, [email protected]
VP of Finance: Ciara Nolan, [email protected]
VP of Operations: Leo Lofy, [email protected]
VP of Content: Raj Aryal, [email protected]
VP of Outreach: Caroline Martin
Head Moderator: Taylor Smith

Participation open to: All students

Formed in 2002, Women and Gender in Public Policy engages the Ford School community in a dialogue about gender and related domestic and international public policies. WGPP promotes professional development activities by facilitating communication and networking among current students, Ford School alumni, faculty, and working professionals to form a lasting community of policy professionals.

Officers:
Chair: Farah Pitcher
Undergraduate Liaison: Charlotte Vincent
Graduate Liaison: Georgina Bailey
Chief of Staff: Lara Lasic
Communications Chair: Sonia Desai

Participation open to: All students