State & Hill sat down with the Ford School’s new dean to reflect on her scholarship, her mentors, and Gerald Ford
State & Hill: Tell us about your intellectual journey to leading the Ford School.
Celeste Watkins-Hayes: What you see in my...
A new University of Michigan study finds Chicago residents are receptive to the idea of a city-run public bank, but they have questions about how the bank would operate and what measures would ensure public banking benefits for their...
How do policy professionals apply racial justice in practice? This semester, the Ford School’s Center of Racial Justice hosted a series of workshops to explore different dimensions of justice, from antiracism and global development to community...
New research from the University of Michigan points to the potential of public banking to better serve the financial needs of Chicago residents as the volume of complaints about private banking services has increased exponentially over the past...
In October 2022, students from the Ford School and members of the greater University of Michigan community gathered together to hear “Racial Justice Changemakers”—social justice leaders, artists, and advocates—share their diverse journeys into...
Erin Zaikis
"Make sure that you're curating people in your life that will have your back and want you to succeed. Being an entrepreneur is the loneliest task, but also the most rewarding."
Erin Zaikis (BA...
For the second year in a row, the Ford School joined with the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs to host a student career exploration trip in Chicago, May 19-21, 2015. MPP students from both schools had the opportunity to...
The fifth annual Worldwide Ford School Spirit Day will be held on Thursday, July 9 in a dozen domestic and international cities.
We’ll send out invitations with more details soon, but for now, we’re happy to announce that alumni-led Spirit Day...
For years, the Ford School has hosted an annual student trip to Washington, DC, where Ford School students can learn more about careers in our nation's capital. This year, we added something new to the mix—a student trip to Chicago.Only a short car...
In an era of shrinking public education budgets, school districts cannot afford to make the wrong decision when they hire a teacher or cut a program. To make sure they reach the right answers, administrators are turning to Annenberg Professor Brian...
Brian Jacob spoke to Eight Forty-Eight, an award-winning WBEZ Chicago Public Radio show, about policy changes within the Chicago Public School system. Newly published research by Jacob examines the impacts of a policy giving principals the autonomy...
According to new research by Brian Jacob, public school teachers took less time off when principals had more flexibility to dismiss them without completing elaborate documentation or attending a hearing.Two papers authored by Jacob examined a policy...
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
The Honorable Lori Lightfoot, 56th mayor of Chicago, reflects on her background and preparation for public service, the challenges she faced as mayor, and lessons about leading in crises, in conversation with Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes.
Join the Center for Racial Justice for a workshop on racial equity impact assessment with Niketa Brar (MPP '15), part of our Racial Justice in Practice workshop series. Open to U-M students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
This event brings together mayors from cities across the states of the Big Ten in a discussion about how leadership at the city level shapes our national approaches to some of the most pressing issues of the day.
Meet Ford School representatives attending graduate school fairs and admissions events throughout the fall. We strongly encourage you to join us for more information about our programs, and are happy to answer any questions you may have. Check back...
The Honorable Lori Lightfoot, the 56th mayor of Chicago, reflects on her background and preparation for public service, the challenges she faced as mayor, and lessons about leading in crises. February, 2024.
This ethnodramatic performance tells the story of a beginning teacher's first year in the Chicago Public Schools and her efforts to make a difference in a third grade classroom. January, 2014.