In the News | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Fracking brings economic boost, but risks raise concerns

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Most Michigan and Pennsylvania residents say fracking is good for the economy, but have concerns about chemicals used and other environmental risks, according to a University of Michigan survey.

The results come from the National Surveys on Energy and Environment, a joint effort of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) at U-M's Ford School of Public Policy and the Muhlenberg Institute of Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa.

[More]

Matthew Davis quoted in Wall Street Journal about children's medicine

Monday, May 13, 2013

Matthew Davis, MD was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article about warnings on the use of cold and cough medicine for children.

[More]

Education Policy Initiative dialogues with community college partners about how their students fare in the labor market

Monday, May 13, 2013

As part of "Educational Pathways and Employment Outcomes of Community College Students," a major research project led by Peter Bahr, Susan M. Dynarski and Brian A. Jacob, the Education Policy Initiative (EPI) held a dialogue on Wednesday, May 7, at the Ford School with administrators, research analysts, and student service professionals from five Michigan community colleges.

[More]

Alum Kristen Schultz (MPP/MBA '13) profiled in Washington Post story about college graduates in DC

Friday, May 10, 2013

Recent Ford School grad Kristen Schultz (MPP/MBA '13) was profiled in a Washington Post story about college graduates and the choice to live in the Washington, DC region.

[More]

Inflation rate hovers at half of target, Wolfers weighs in on Fed's next move

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The current inflation rate is at half of its 2 percent target, Reuters reports, which is a "major test" for the Federal Reserve. The article also reports that the inflation rate is likely to remain short of target for several years.

[More]

Susan Waltz reflects on United Nations General Assembly international Arms Trade Treaty

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

This April, the United Nations General Assembly finalized the text of an international Arms Trade Treaty designed to staunch the flow of weapons to countries where they're likely to fuel human rights abuses. Ford School Professor Susan Waltz, who has been deeply engaged in efforts to develop an Arms Trade Treaty for the past 16 years, reflects on the treaty's origins and what will be required before it's recognized as international law.

[More]

Megan Tompkins-Stange's research on charter school funding cited in Education Week

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

A study by Megan Tompkins-Stange about the influence of grant giving foundations on charter schools was described in an Education Week article, "Ed. Funders Giving More to Same Few, Studies Show."

[More]

U-M ranks seventh for Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

U-M ranks No. 7 in the nation as a Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows university in the 2013 rankings of top Peace Corps Master's International and Coverdell Fellows graduate schools.

U-M has 20 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers currently enrolled in the Coverdell Fellows graduate program.

The Coverdell Fellows Program provides returned volunteers with scholarships, academic credit, and stipends to earn an advanced degree after they complete their Peace Corps service along with professional internships helping underserved American communities. The Peace Corps Master's International program allows students to earn their graduate degree while serving in the Peace Corps. U-M offers both Peace Corps Fellows and Master's International programs.

[More]

Inaugural Wallenberg Fellow to study conservation practice in Kenya

Saturday, May 4, 2013

The first-ever $25,000 Raoul Wallenberg Fellowship will be awarded to Zachary Petroni, a senior graduating from Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, for his plan to study conservation governance in Kenya.

President Mary Sue Coleman announced the award, among the largest for a graduating senior, at 2013 Spring Commencement ceremonies Saturday.

"Because he best exemplifies the commitment to human rights embodied by Raoul Wallenberg, Zach is the inaugural recipient of the University of Michigan's new Wallenberg Fellowship," Coleman said. "He wants to better understand the connections between human rights and environmental conservation, and the university is going to help him with his goals."

[More]

Justin Wolfers in New York Times article examining unemployment rates for college graduates

Friday, May 3, 2013

Justin Wolfers was quoted in a New York Times article, "College Graduates Fare Well in Jobs Market, Even Through Recession," which discusses data from a recent U.S. Department of Labor report.

[More]

Open House photo booth images online

Friday, May 3, 2013

Visit the Ford School's Flickr page to view and download photos from Friday's 2013 Graduation Open House. Directions for downloading will be in the album description field. Enjoy!

[More]

Ford School names incoming MPP/MBA students Brian Garcia and Brian McMillan as 2014 Bohnett Public Service Fellows

Friday, May 3, 2013

Incoming MPP/MBA candidates Brian Garcia and Brian McMillan have been selected to receive the prestigious David Bohnett Foundation Leadership and Public Service Fellowship. The foundation will pay full tuition for two years for both Garcia and McMillan and will provide a $6,000 summer internship stipend. Both Garcia and McMillan commit to completing a ten-week, full-time summer internship with the City of Detroit Mayor's Office.

[More]

Matthew Davis quoted in Ann Arbor Journal about National Voices Project

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Matthew Davis was quoted in an Ann Arbor Journal article about the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's National Voices Project, which he directs. The National Voices Project is a five-year study designed to determine the health care opportunities available to children and teens as measured by the perceptions of adults who work and volunteer with these kids.

[More]

David K. Cohen elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

David Cohen, the John Dewey Professor of Education and professor of education policy and public policy at the Ford School, has been named a fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS). The academy also elected Phil Hanlon, U-M provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, to the 2013 class of 198 fellows.

[More]

NAS publication features report on aging co-authored by Susan M. Collins

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

A report co-authored by Susan M. Collins will be featured in a new publication celebrating National Academy of Sciences (NAS) 150th anniversary.

[More]

New research by Stevenson and Wolfers counters conventional wisdom, shows you can never have too much money

Monday, April 29, 2013

According to the Easterlin Paradox, posited by Richard Easterlin in 1974, greater average well being does not correlate with higher average income, that is, more money doesn't necessarily make one happier. Indeed, some version of the credo "money can't buy happiness" has become conventional wisdom. But a new paper by Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers, published by the Brookings Institution, shows a strong link between higher income and well-being among both the rich and the poor.

[More]

Assuming Success: Grant Erwin (MPP '09)

Monday, April 29, 2013

For seven days in September 2012, thousands of Chicago public school teachers walked off their jobs when contract negotiations with the city ground to a halt. Represented by the Chicago Teacher's Union (CTU), the striking teachers were the first in more than twenty-five years to stage a work stoppage, and their strike affected more than 350,000 school children in America's third largest public school system.

[More]

Yu Xie named 2013 Henry and Bryna David Endowment recipient

Monday, April 29, 2013

Yu Xie has been named the 2013 recipient of the Henry and Bryna David Endowment by the National Research Council's Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. The award is given annually to individuals performing innovative research in the behavioral and social sciences.

[More]

Ford School APS students reimagine GM Powertrain Plant Facility and Willow Run Airport

Friday, April 26, 2013

Ford School master's students Patrick Leonard, Tyler Sawher, Dan Trubman, and Eboni Wells presented proposals to local officials, community leaders, and residents that would repurpose the GM Powertrain Plant Facility and the Willow Run Airport as a waste management facility, or "Energyopolis," and "Willow Network," a research hub. The presentation served as the culmination of the students' final project for the Applied Policy Seminar (APS). The four students were part of a research group that also included students from the U-M's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the School of Public Health, and the College of Engineering.

[More]

Ford School community participates in run to honor victims of Boston Marathon bombing

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Members of the Ford School community participated in a three-mile solidarity run through Ann Arbor on Saturday to honor victims of the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing. The event, organized by Ford School graduate student James (Jimmy) Schneidewind (MPP '14) and co-sponsored by the Ford School, the City of Ann Arbor, and local organizations and businesses, was planned as a way for the Ann Arbor and University of Michigan communities to show support for victims of the bombing.

[More]