Ford School Public Events

This year marks the 100th Anniversary of President Gerald R. Ford's birth. To honor President Ford's legacy, the Charge to the Class will be delivered by Paul H. O'Neill, 72nd U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and deputy director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget under President Ford.

From the speaker's bio

Paul H. O'Neill was the 72nd Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, serving from 2001-2002.

Prior to his tenure at the Department of Treasury, O'Neill was chairman and CEO of Alcoa from 1987 to 1999, and retired as chairman at the end of 2000. Prior to joining Alcoa, O'Neill was president of International Paper Company from 1985 to 1987, where he was vice president from 1977 to 1985.

He worked as a computer systems analyst with the U.S. Veterans Administration from 1961 to 1966 and served on the staff of the Budget Bureau from 1967 to 1977. During this period, the Nixon administration reorganized the Budget Bureau into the Office of Management of Budget. President Gerald R. Ford nominated O'Neill to serve as deputy director of OMB from 1974 to 1977.

He received a bachelor's degree in Economics from Fresno State College in
California, and a master's degree in Public Administration from Indiana University.

Many have argued that providing information early in students' high school years might build more expectations about college attendance. Eric Bettinger will present findings that test these and other theories on college attendance.

The Education Policy Initiative at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy welcomes Lesley Turner (MPP '05) to discuss the role of government in providing aid and financing education.

Free and Open to the Public

Mark Funkhouser, Director, Governing Institute, Former Mayor of Kansas City, MO

Sponsored by:
University of Michigan Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP)
University of Michigan Nonprofit and Public Management Center

The Ford School's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) will discuss findings from the Michigan Public Policy Survey, which asked leaders from 1,329 of Michigan's local governments to report on the future of public services in their jurisdictions in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Each spring, Ford School faculty and staff nominate dozens of outstanding student research and service projects for recognition at the Gramlich Showcase of Student Work. Established in 2008 to honor internationally renowned economist and former Ford School dean, Ned Gramlich, this event features exceptional student work on a broad range of local, national, and international policy challenges.

Rebecca Maynard is a leading expert in program evaluation, including the design and conduct of randomized controlled trials in the areas of education and social policy.

Helene D. Gayle is president and CEO of CARE USA. An expert on humanitarian issues, Dr. Gayle previously held senior positions with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dr. Gayle serves on several boards, including the Rockefeller Foundation, Colgate-Palmolive, ONE and the U.S. Department of State's Foreign Affairs Policy Board. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, chaired the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and currently serves on the President's Commission on White House Fellowships.

This Ford Policy Union event will feature a debate on the effectiveness of international agreements on cyber security. Professor John Steinbruner, a noted international security scholar, will argue that the U.S. interest in prohibiting destructive attack on critical infrastructure assets is evident and urgent, and that direct multilateral negotiations are necessary to pursue that objective. Dr. Steven Bucci, a former military officer and government official, will argue that only after the U.S. establishes how to best address cyber security from the standpoint of purely American interest, should the U.S. push for international agreements on cyber security.

Free and Open to the Public

Frank J. Thompson, Professor, School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University-Newark. Author of Medicaid Politics: Federalism, Policy Durability, and Health Reform

With Commentary provided by:
Scott L.Greer, Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy at the Univeristy of Michigan School of Public Health, and Senior Research Fellow at LSE Health, London School of Economics

Please join us as Kenneth Lieberthal returns to the University of Michigan for a lecture on current U.S-China relations under President Obama's new foreign policy team.

Join us for an interactive panel discussion featuring Rick Lord, President and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts; Michael Widmer, President of Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation; Thomas Buchmueller, Waldo O. Hildebrand Professor of Risk Management and Insurance, U-M Ross School of Business; and Helen Levy, Research Associate Professor, U-M Ford School of Public Policy

A conversation with Ted Truman, Marina v.N. Whitman, and Susan M. Collins as part of the Ford School's annual DC event/reception on Feb. 7. Alums, RSVP by Feb. 5.

Many American cities, especially those in the Northeast and Midwest, have lost jobs and population for decades. Nevertheless, most city leaders pursue growth whether through tax incentives or stadiums and casinos, and most neighborhood activists envision redeveloped and rebuilt communities. But do alternatives exist? The City after Abandonment tackles that issue by addressing three questions. What do cities become after abandonment? What institutions and policies make a difference in what such cities become? What should these cities become? The panelists will discuss the book's findings and what these suggest about the future for better, though smaller, cities.

The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Center for Public Policy in Diverse Societies will host a screening of the documentary titled Black and Blue: The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward, and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Football Game, followed by a panel discussion featuring former Senator Buzz Thomas (grandson of Willis Ward) and Steve Ford (son of President Gerald R. Ford) on Wednesday, January 23, 2013 in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Day events.

This Ford Policy Union, a public debate event, will feature Thea Lee and Alan Deardorff discussing the costs and benefits of free trade.

Please join us as Chairman Bernanke visits the University of Michigan for a conversation with Ford School Dean Susan M. Collins on monetary policy, recovery from the global financial crisis, and long-term challenges facing the U.S. economy.

Chairman Bernanke will also take questions from the audience and from Twitter.