The Briefing

Dear friends,We are days away from a momentous U.S. election, and members of the Ford School community are actively engaging with key issues, thereby embodying our democratic values. Many in our community are volunteering their time to boost voter...

Dear friends,The campus is buzzing with excitement at the start of a new academic year. I’m thrilled to be welcoming (and welcoming back) an extraordinary group of students and faculty.We had a very successful year for faculty recruiting, and I am...

Dear friends,We’ve reached the end of another academic year. At the beginning of May, we honored and celebrated our 186 graduates with great pride at the beautiful Hill Auditorium. Our video of the Commencement Ceremony is posted here. If you missed...

Dear friends,A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting with many of our alumni and students at our annual DC career exploration reception–held in person for the first time since early 2020. I was delighted to see a room packed full of Fordies...

Dear friends, Bringing in diverse voices on a variety of policy issues is an important way to deepen our understanding and expertise. Over the past two weeks alone, we’ve hosted former NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio about smart cities and artificial...

Dear friends, Our talented faculty and students continue to land awards and recognition for their accomplishments! In March, Earl Lewis, the Thomas C. Holt Distinguished University Professor of History, Afroamerican and African Studies, and...

Dear friends,  Happy New Year from the Ford School!  We are incredibly proud of our alumni, and the impact they have on the public good. I am so happy to announce that our Alumni Board has named the recipient of the 2023 Neil Staebler...

Dear friends,  It’s been a wonderful, lively semester at the Ford School. So many of you have offered encouragement and support as I’ve had the honor of serving as interim dean. I’m so grateful! My faculty and staff colleagues have worked hard...

Dear friends, Best wishes to you as we start 2022 with great hopes for the coming year, but also with significant uncertainty—a global pandemic, a growing awareness of the urgent need to defend our democracy, and our imperative struggle for...

Dear friends, It’s been a challenging academic year, and I’m so proud of how hard our students, faculty, and staff have worked, and the support they’ve given each other.  The year has drawn to a close with a number of very exciting...

Dear friends, It has been an historic start to 2021. For all of the pain, fear, and division in our national political climate, we also see so much hope: the inauguration of President Joe Biden, a man of great decency, and Vice President Kamala...

Dear friends,  As the year comes to a close, we often reflect on challenges and successes. This year has been fraught with significant challenges, and for many in our community and around the world, devastating losses from the global pandemic....

    Dear friends: The start of this semester has certainly been like no other. We're in stressful and difficult times. Many of us are deeply worried about health and safety, about racial justice and policing, about care for our children and...