public health

News

Justice after trauma? Race, red tape keep sexual assault victims from compensation

Mar 4, 2026

Sociologist Jeremy Levine finds that policies requiring police verification and cooperation, as well as extensive documentation, prevent sexual assault survivors from accessing compensation.

News

When ICE sweeps a community, public health pays a price – and recovery will likely take years

Feb 27, 2026

Poverty Solutions faculty affiliate William D. Lopez co-authors an op-ed for The Conversation about the health impacts of the recent immigration raids.

Policy Matters

Why I chose a dual MPP/MPH degree

Feb 2, 2026

Delaney McDermott (MPP/MPH '27) discusses why she chose to be a dual Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Health student

Policy Matters

My experience as a dual degree MPP/MPH student

Feb 2, 2026

Amber Garcia explains what it is like to be a dual degree student pursuing a Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Health

News

Levy's health research highlighted by The Washington Post

Nov 16, 2025

“This is a big deal,” said Helen Levy, co-author of both reviews and a professor at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. “We know health insurance saves lives. Full stop.”

In the Media

Lantz on the dangers of vaccine exemptions

Oct 14, 2025 U.S. News & World Report

As vaccine exemptions are on the rise across states, the Ford School's Paula Lantz spoke with U.S. News & World Report on the issue and the concerns it poses to public health. Lantz asserted, “When you allow people to opt out of vaccine mandates beca...

Publication

Bagenstos on the science and politics of public health regulation

Oct 9, 2025

Kohn Professor Samuel R. Bagenstos challenges the prevailing viewpoint that science and politics should be kept separate.

News

New survey aims to better understand public opinion in Puerto Rico

May 30, 2025

The Puerto Rico Public Opinion Lab has launched a new survey across the island of Puerto Rico as part of a project to better understand the political opinions and experiences of Puerto Ricans. The initiative is led by researchers from the University ...

Students, faculty and staff leading the survey administration process in Puerto Rico. Image credit: Laboratorio Puertorriqueño de Opinión Pública

News

In Michigan, conspiracy thinking can be rooted in real historic harm

Apr 22, 2025

Franshelly Martinez Ortiz, a doctoral candidate in political science and public policy at the Ford School, recently wrote a blog post, "In Michigan, conspiracy thinking can be rooted in real historic harm" for U-M's Center for Political Studies based...

hands holding a newspaper in front of the michigan capitol building

State & Hill

Class notes, fall 2024

Dec 17, 2024

David Rivait (MPP ’84) was appointed by Governor Pritzker to the State of Illinois’ eight-member Budgeting for Results Commission. The Commission advises on an annual performance-based budget and provides oversight and guidance for assessments of sta...

Top row (from left to right): Laura Bishop (MPA ’99), Tyler (BA ’19) and Meghan Coady, Cristian Casanova (MPP ’21). Bottom row (from left to right): Jim Hudak (MPP ’71) with Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Dr. Gladys Mitchell-Walthour (MPP ’02), Eric (MPP ’87) and Kaye Norenberg.

Publication

Distrust in U.S. healthcare system fuels COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Sep 20, 2024

New research from the University of Michigan examines how long-standing distrust in the U.S. healthcare system has significantly impacted attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. The research is led by Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Joan and Sanford Weill Dean...

Headshots of Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes and Dom Adams-Santos

Publication

State bans on ‘divisive concepts’ could stifle population health research

Apr 25, 2024

Ten states have passed legislation that prohibits teaching and mandatory training for students, faculty, and staff in public higher education on specified 'divisive concepts' related to race and sex. In four of these states, the bans extend to all pu...

State & Hill

Demographer Paula Lantz on the challenges of designing public health policy

Apr 24, 2024

The government has a clear role in promoting and assuring the goals of public health—the prevention of illness and injury, prolonging life, and promoting the collective health of the entire population. Achieving these goals cannot be left to the priv...

State & Hill

Energy economist Catherine Hausman on stakeholders, regulation, and uncertainties

Apr 24, 2024

Choosing your favorite class to teach is a little like choosing your favorite kid. But near the top is an elective I offer most years, “Government Regulation of Industry and the Environment.” It’s a class where we aim to develop the tools and framewo...

Publication

Injuries of inequality and the promise of safety nets

Mar 7, 2024

What would a comprehensive strategy for reproductive rights and access look like, borrowing from the lessons from the fight against HIV? This is the question that Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of Public Policy at the Ford School...

News

Ali Family Memorial Prize will recognize student written work in health policy

Feb 6, 2024

Starting this semester, Ford School students will have a new opportunity to earn recognition for their work in the field of health policy. The Ali Family Memorial Prize will be awarded annually to a Ford School student or group of students for writte...

Javed Ali's mother, father, his sister's family, his wife, and son in 2019 in Detroit, smiling and standing around a birthday cake.

News

Lantz launches online course about public policy fundamentals

Sep 25, 2023

A new open online course available on Michigan Online helps learners understand the fundamentals of public policy and how policy can confront societal challenges in social welfare, public health, the environment, education, criminal justice, and more...

News

Ford School announces 2023 Rebecca A. Copeland Fellows

Sep 6, 2023

The Ford School is proud to recognize Olivia Morris (MPP/MSW ‘25) and Jennie Scheerer (MPP/MPH ‘24) as the 2023 Rebecca A. Copeland Fellows. They were chosen for their commitment to public service and focus on promoting health equity. Morris and Sche...

Portraits of Olivia Morris (left) and Jennie Scheerer (right)

News

U-M’s Poverty Solutions takes an evidence-based approach to improving life in Detroit and beyond

May 17, 2023

Luke Shaefer is the director of Poverty Solutions, a university-wide initiative that partners hundreds of University of Michigan faculty experts and student researchers with community organizations and policymakers to alleviate poverty. Shaefer said ...

State & Hill

Amplifying the voices of Puerto Rican communities

May 3, 2023

To say that Puerto Rico has faced profound and dramatic challenges over the past two decades is an understatement.

Mara Ostfeld visits the University of Puerto Rico.

News

Ford School student presents research at U-M event for WHO head

Apr 21, 2023

The Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, came to the U-M campus to receive the Thomas Francis Jr. Medal in Global Public Health, awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the advanc...

News

Lantz warns of medicalization of public health

Mar 19, 2023

How does the medicalization of public health undermine effective community-based governance responses? Paula Lantz, James B. Hudak Professor of Health Policy, dove into this question on Ethics Talk, a podcast produced by the American Medical Associat...

News

Beyond Rhetoric offers road map for responding to racism as a public health crisis

Feb 9, 2023

A group of local leaders and public health researchers are sharing their process for responding to racism as a public health crisis, with the goal of supporting other municipalities and organizations in addressing the links between racism and health ...

Photo of a road and crosswalk in Flint near the University Pavillion

In the Media

Lantz weighs in on reformed California Medicaid program

Sep 23, 2022 Side Effects Public Media

California recently launched a reformed Medicaid program, adding dental benefits, changing how addiction and mental illness are addressed, and more. But, Paula Lantz, James B. Hudak Professor of Health Policy, is worried about claims that the new pro...

News

Trish Fisher (MPP/MPH ‘23) awarded Peter Eckstein Prize for her examination of food systems and climate policy

May 18, 2022

Trish Fisher’s (MPP/MPH ‘23) paper, “The ‘Dark Horse’ of Climate Change: Agricultural Methane Governance in the United States and Canada,” earned her the 2022 Peter Eckstein Prize for Interdisciplinary Research. The Eckstein Prize is the Ford School’...

News

Two students awarded Rebecca A. Copeland Fellowships

Jan 21, 2022

Two graduate students, Phong Khải Hồng (MPP/MS, ‘24) and Danielle Wallick (MPP/MURP, ‘23) were recently recognized as the first recipients of the Ford School’s Rebecca A. Copeland Fellowship, for their commitment to public service and focus on promot...

Publication

Axinn and colleagues examine COVID-19 behaviors in Nepal

Jan 5, 2022

Examining the worries and behaviors of families in Nepal, Ford School courtesy professor William Axinn and colleagues from the Institute of Social Research and its Program in Society, Population, and Environment were able to tap in to an ongoing 25-y...

In the Media

El-Sayed on Pfizer's announcement on the efficacy of its booster to fight omicron variant

Dec 8, 2021 NPR Here and Now

In an announcement this week, Pfizer announced its booster provides increased protection against the omicron COVID-19 variant. Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence and epidemiologist Abdul El-Sayed weighed in on NPR's Here and Now about the qu...

News

Watkins-Hayes on the transformative power of HIV/AIDS activism

Dec 2, 2021

On World Aids Day, Celeste Watkins-Hayes participated in a discussion at The City Club of Cleveland, on the importance of activism and community leadership to confront the inequalities perpetuated by HIV/AIDS and useful lessons that can apply to many...

News

Stevenson reflects on the repercussions of COVID-19

Nov 4, 2021

Betsy Stevenson observed key economic indicators and the continuing effects of COVID-19 this week. At Wednesday’s CNBC Workforce Executive Council Summit, she said, “People seem to be fed up and leaving work...There are a lot of different things...