STPP | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Core faculty

Shobita Parthasarathy

Professor of Public Policy; Director, Science, Technology, and Public Policy program

Parthasarathy studies the governance of emerging science and technology and the politics of evidence and expertise in policy in comparative and international perspective. Her current research focuses on equity in innovation and innovation policy. She co-hosts The Received Wisdom podcast.

In the Media

State governments are experimenting with AI introduction - Kleinman

May 22, 2026 Michigan Advance

STPP Managing Director Molly Kleinman says state governments don't have clear guidelines on using AI.

Publication

Parthasarathy proposes people-first technology regulation

May 21, 2026

Shobita Parthasarathy publishes her third column in Science, “'Sacrifice subjects' and a proposal for people-first technology regulation."

State & Hill

STPP: STEM-ming the gap

May 7, 2026

The Science, Technology and Public Policy Programs' post-graduate fellowship connects technical experts with Michigan lawmakers to provide access to research and analysis for rapidly evolving topics such as AI regulation, biotech, and energy developm...

News

Kleinman shares expertise and concerns regarding facial recognition in schools

Apr 29, 2026 Michigan Public

STPP Managing Director Molly Kleinman was recently interviewed on Michigan Radio regarding the use of facial recognition in schools to identify and verify visitors. Kleinman advised schools should instead focus on investing in larger-scale, social- a...

News

U-M experts explore benefits, harms of AI for people with developmental disabilities

Apr 20, 2026

STPP's new project will explore the potential benefits and harms of AI in supporting people with developmental disabilities, their families, and direct-care workers.

News

Green shares data center concerns with Michigan lawmakers

Feb 15, 2026

The Ford School's Ben Green testified before members of Michigan's House Subcommittee on Oversight regarding the anticipated impacts data centers will have on Michiganders. Various networks have covered Green's expertise on this issue.

Policy Matters

STPP’s Experiential Learning opportunity spotlights how science and technology policies can uplift the Michigan consumer

Feb 13, 2026

Students Henry Smith (BA '27) and Aanvi Arora (BA '27) discuss their experiences working with State Representative Jason Morgan's office through STPP's Experiential Learning opportunity

News

Shobita Parthasarathy on how to repair trust in science

Jan 26, 2026

In her second column for Science Magazine, Ford School Professor Shobita Parthasarathy argues that rather than treating the growing crisis of public trust as an information and communication problem, we should treat it as an innovation and expertise ...

A person gesturing while speaking at a podium in front of a blackboard, in a lecture hall.

News

Legislative science and tech policy fellowship program announces inaugural advisory council members

Jan 20, 2026

The Michigan Science, Technology, and Public Policy (MiST) fellowship program announced its inaugural advisory council members today.

Michigan State Capitol is the legislative government of Michigan State, at 100 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, Michigan MI, USA.

In the Media

Kleinman comments on DPD use of ShotSpotter

Dec 16, 2025 Michigan Advance

Molly Kleinman comments on the Detroit Police Department use of ShotSpotter

In the Media

Green addresses data center forum

Dec 4, 2025 Michigan Advance

Ford School professor Ben Green addressed citizen concerns about data centers at a forum in Howell, Michigan

In the Media

Kleinman outlines potential effects of data centers

Dec 3, 2025 Michigan Advance

Molly Kleinman, managing director of the Science, Technology, and Public policy program, outlines the potential harmful environmental effects of data centers.

News

Green discusses local impacts of data centers

Nov 30, 2025

Ford School professor Ben Green's research on the impacts of data centers recently caught the eye of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, which asked him to deliver a presentation on the topic to its Citizens Advisory Council on Nov...

Policy Matters

Karen Hao inspires community empowerment in the face of the AI empire

Nov 21, 2025

Lakshay Sood reflects on the opportunity to meet Karen Hao, author of the bestselling book Empire of AI, who came to the Ford School for a special conversation with students in October.

In the Media

Green comments on community push-back on data centers

Oct 29, 2025 Gizmodo

“I don’t think that the case is super compelling for what these data centers are bringing to the table,” Ben Green, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Information, told Gizmodo. “And I think that is borne out by just how...

News

Discussing "Competing energy futures" at the Ford School

Oct 26, 2025

Decarbonization initiatives and renewable energy investments are compatible with the massive new energy requirements of the data center age, according to a panel of experts who spoke at the Ford School. What is needed is government policy that can gu...

News

Hassan’s summer fieldwork explores politics and practice of AI development in Africa

Oct 17, 2025

Building on his long-term research on technology and decolonialization, Yousif Hassan's summer fieldwork examined the politics of AI and international development in Africa, with a focus on local agency, imagination, and innovation.

News

MiST fellowship brings science research to the Statehouse

Oct 10, 2025

The new Michigan Science, Technology, and Public Policy (MiST) fellowship program will provide lawmakers and state agencies with dedicated, in-house science advice to support evidence-based policy starting in summer 2026.

News

Hassan co-organizes workshop at University of Nairobi to chart Africa’s data future

Aug 6, 2025

Yousif Hassan co-organized and facilitated the “Empowering Africa Through Data Governance” workshop at the University of Nairobi this July.

Publication

Growth of data centers requires new policies to mitigate local community impacts

Jul 17, 2025

The rapid growth of data centers, with their enormous energy and water demands, requires targeted policy interventions to mitigate environmental impacts and protect local communities. A new report by the University of Michigan’s Science, Technology, ...

News

Kleinman shares AI expertise with local policymakers

Jul 7, 2025

Molly Kleinman provided the Ypsilanti City Council with an overview of the common types of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in use today, how it can be useful to local governments, and common concerns about its use. She also offered to be a resource as t...

News

Podcast: U-M experts explore AI and the responsibility of its creators in building, guiding it toward best uses

May 30, 2025

Artificial intelligence is often debated in terms of being a cure-all or chaos agent, as if independent of its human creators. Neither is the case, nor should we forget who makes it and why, and how it should serve humanity. Shobita Parthasarathy dis...

News

State-level AI legislation can guide fair housing practices

May 20, 2025

As the number of artificial intelligence (AI)-related measures introduced in U.S. state and territorial legislatures continues to grow, policymakers, advocates and consumers can seize the moment to assure that the technology is promoting fair housing...

State & Hill

A pile of parts: Ethical STEM training prepares students for the big picture

May 8, 2025

Have you ever disassembled a broken coffee maker or a sink, convinced you could fix it, only to end up with a jumble of parts? As a child, Terry Nguyen’s (BA ’25) curiosity about how things worked led to a broken fan, a pile of parts, and no idea how...

News

Shobita Parthasarathy selected as an Institute for Advanced Study Scholar

Apr 7, 2025

In an era of rapid technological advancement, ensuring that innovation benefits everyone is urgent. Shobita Parthasarathy, professor and director of the Ford School’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy program, studies how technological innovatio...

Publication

U-M study highlights urgent need to train students about the ethical, social, and policy dimensions of STEM

Apr 2, 2025

Advances in fields like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and data science are rapidly shaping society and raising significant ethical and policy questions. The dizzying pace of development also highlights the need for academic programs that pr...

News

Hassan to examine social dimensions of Africa's data infrastructure and data economy

Mar 26, 2025

Yousif Hassan, assistant professor at the Ford School of Public Policy and the School of Information, has been awarded funding from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) for a new project Defining and Measuring the Sustain...

News

DOGE Plan to Push AI Across the US Federal Government is Wildly Dangerous - Green

Mar 6, 2025

Ford School assistant professor (by courtesy) Ben Green, wrote an essay for Tech Policy on Elon Musk's new “AI-first strategy” for the federal government, and commented, "unleashing AI to revolutionize the federal government is a recipe for disaster....

News

Parthasarathy speaks at AAAS Annual meeting about Asilomar’s legacy

Feb 27, 2025

Shobita Parthasarathy spoke at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in a session titled, “Revisiting Asilomar Fifty Years Later: Who is in the room when we talk about AI?” While Asilomar is often praised for d...