Carol Kakalec Kohn Professor of Social Policy

State & Hill

A safety net that keeps its promise

Oct 7, 2026

Better Government Lab helps states navigate new SNAP pressures without losing sight of access

Empty shopping cart in a brightly lit grocery store aisle lined with stocked shelves.

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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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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 Institutes of Health (NIH) Matilda White Riley Distinguished Lecturer.

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Community water fluoridation has no negative impact on cognitive function, new study shows

Apr 21, 2026

New research from Pamela Herd, the Ford School's Carol Kakalec Kohn Professor of Social Policy, shows no negative relationship between community water fluoridation (CWF) and adolescent or adult cognitive function.

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Service Design Weekend allows students to re-imagine government

Apr 8, 2026

Departments across campus came together on March 27 and 28 for an interdisciplinary weekend focused on public service design – how people, processes, and tools come together to deliver effective government services.

Conference attendees in the Great Hall talking

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Herd addresses barriers to health benefit access

Oct 27, 2025

Ford School Professor Pamela Herd addressed barriers to families accessing health benefits at a recent conference. Herd, the Carol Kakalec Kohn Professor of Social Policy, was speaking a forum organized by the Tax Policy Center, a collaboration betwe...

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The effects of pausing SNAP benefits: U-M experts can comment

Oct 27, 2025

EXPERTS ADVISORY University of Michigan experts are available to discuss the impact of a potential halt in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding due to the federal government shutdown. A directive from the U.S. Department of Agriculture h...

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Better Government Lab to evaluate the effectiveness of social programs designed to Improve economic mobility

Aug 27, 2025

In August, Arnold Ventures awarded the Better Government Lab (BGL) an $800,000 grant to fund the completion of five studies that assess the causal effects of social policies meant to improve economic mobility in the United States. The project will be...

A composite image, comprising a photo of the US capitol dome, upside down at an angle, in front of a red textured background

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Herd and Moynihan: Administrative burdens will cause low-income Americans to lose benefits

Jul 7, 2025

The "Big Beautiful Bill" passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump will cause low-income Americans to lose health coverage and government food assistance, mostly because of new administrative burdens put in place. Ford School ...

Headshots of Pamela Herd and Donald Moynihan

Making it hard: How administrative burdens affect inequality

Apr 13, 2026, 4:30-5:30 pm EDT

Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium (1120)

Pamela Herd's Carol Kakalec Kohn Professorship of Social Policy lecture

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Kohn Collaborative for Social Policy roundtable

Nov 11, 2025, 11:30 am-12:50 pm EST

Weill Hall O'Neill classroom (1230)

Join the Ford School’s Kohn Collaborative—our Kohn Professors and Kohn Scholars—for a roundtable conversation on shaping social policy for a thriving society. Explore bold ideas and insights from leading voices as they discuss what it takes to build communities where everyone can truly thrive.

Headshots of Luke Shaefer, Christina Weiland, Pamela Herd, and Samuel R. Bagenstos

Pamela Herd: Making it hard-How administrative burdens affect inequality

Apr 13, 2026 1:04:00

Pamela Herd delivers the Carol Kakalec Kohn Professorship of Social Policy lecture, reflecting her research that showcases how inequality intersects with health, aging, and policy, and the bureaucratic obstacles people encounter when accessing govern...

Pamela Herd: Making it hard-How administrative burdens affect inequality