Alumni, BA alumni, MPP alumni, PhD alumni, MPA alumni

When Mallak Beydoun (MPA ‘22) and Jeff Pfeifer (MPA ‘22) met at the Ford School, they quickly bonded over their shared government and campaign experience. Although they have different political perspectives, they continue to collaborate...

Ford School alumni and students played a key part in upholding democracy during the 2022 midterms—running for office, knocking on doors, and working at polling stations, up and down the ballot, across Michigan and around the country. Several...

Government consulting, examining the effects of free tuition, teaching sociology – all are activities that recent graduates who worked with the Education Policy Initiative (EPI) at the University of Michigan are pursuing, putting their research and...

The Ford School welcomed back the Class of 2020 at a reception in their honor at Weill Hall, in conjunction with the University of Michigan Comeback Commencement Ceremony. Some 100 alumni, faculty, staff and families attended the...

When the global pandemic locked down international travel and postponed her fellowship in 2020, Sierra Stephens (BA ‘20) took time to reflect on her long-term goals. She turned her car into a camper and set out to explore national parks in the...

After Katie D’Hondt Brooks (BA ‘12) graduated from the Ford School, she worked at Partnership for Public Service where she managed a set of programs meant to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in public service. She thought she would work...

While studying at the Ford School, Geoff Gamm (BA’ 18) focused on health care policy, and planned to continue his studies in public health after graduation. Looking for a break from academia, he went to work as a project manager at Epic, an...

In the summer of 1999, Laura Rivera-Carrion (MPP ‘02, PPIA ‘99) attended the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute. The program gave her the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to pursue a master’s degree in...

Vanessa Castro (MPA/MPH ‘20) landed her dream job right out of the Ford School — Associate Director of HIV and Health Equity at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).  “HIV work and working with the LGBTQ community has been something I’ve always been...

Six Ford School alumni have been elected to serve on the Alumni Board by their peers. The newly elected members are all engaged alumni, bringing experience from numerous fields, including environmental work, philanthropy, consulting, government, and...

Throughout nearly three decades at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Susan McLaughlin (MPP/MBA '93) has worked a wide range of roles, most of them closely involved in the Fed's interactions in financial markets. In addition, she has had her...

Nick Occhipinti (MPP ‘08) describes himself as “your friendly neighborhood lobbyist” — but, his job entails so much more than that.  “When I win, nobody makes any more money, nobody gets a raise, but Michigan’s air, land and water get a little...

After a single semester at the Ford School, Ruqayya Ahmad (MPP ‘21) felt compelled to switch her focus. Coming in with a background in international studies, that’s what she expected to continue to concentrate on.  “After my first semester of...

Ammara Ansari (MPP ‘19) never imagined working on youth education and wellness policy or conducting evaluations—but in a joint fellowship with The Skillman Foundation and the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF), that is exactly what she’s doing....

Instrumental in passing Proposal 3, which heavily expanded access to the ballot in Michigan, Sharon Dolente (MPP/JD ‘04) is an expert at creating voting rights policy. “Although Americans identify in our tribes, or our camps, or our political...

Before she took a position at the Nuclear Energy Institute as the director of stakeholder strategy & engagement, Kristy Hartman (MPP ‘13) served as the energy program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). NCSL’s energy...

Matisse Rogers (BA ‘19) is an associate at Hamilton Place Strategies (HPS), a public affairs consulting firm based in Washington, DC. She believes that helping her clients be clear, concise, and persuasive in their communication has helped them...

Farouk Ophaso was honored by the Public Policy & International Affairs Program (PPIA)—a program designed to build diversity in public service—as one of their 40 Changemakers to mark their 40th anniversary. The University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford...