Meet a Fordie: Miguel Lopez

Where are you from?

I am originally from Indio, CA, but I grew up in the City of San Joaquin, CA and later resided in Merced, CA.

What were you doing before you came to Ford?

I was working as a project manager for the Office of Community and Economic Development at Fresno State trying to advance different policy areas to uplift rural communities in the San Joaquin Valley.  I was also serving as a school board member on the Merced City School District’s Board of Trustees.    

Why did you choose Ford?

I chose Ford not only because of the excellence of the program, but because of its sense of community.  I felt it whenever I spoke to Fordies and staff when I was considering graduate school programs.  The Ford community made me feel at ease and at home here at U of M.

What do you want to do with your Ford degree?

I hope to combine the skills from my MPP with that of my MBA that I am pursuing at Ross to work in economic development and business policy back in California.

Meet a Fordie: Kate Randall

Where are you from?

I grew up in Loveland, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. Now, I call Michigan home!

What were you doing before you came to Ford?

Before Ford, I worked as a tax preparer in rural Michigan and Appalachia. I was also a swim coach!

Why did you choose Ford?

I chose Ford because of the flexibility in building my degree. Though the MPP is a generalist degree, I am able to choose my classes to fill my skill gaps and learn all the things I actually want to learn. I was also drawn to the community here. With COVID, it has looked a bit different, but I am in awe of how the students and faculty have been able to support each other. 

What do you want to do with your Ford degree?

After Ford, I hope to work in economic development and gender equity policy. Specifically, I want to work with small businesses and entrepreneurs. Though I am not sure where it will take me, I would like to live outside of the US in the future!

Meet a Fordie: Darian Burns

Where are you from?

I was born in Detroit, MI and lived in Southfield until I was 7 years old. My family moved to Atlanta, GA which is where I was raised and graduated high school and what I consider my permanent home.

What were you doing before you came to Ford?

Before I came to Ford, I was attending Seattle Pacific University where I studied Urban Studies and Social Justice and Cultural Studies and competed collegiately on their Division II gymnastics team. I graduated in June 2020 and started at Ford later that fall.

Why did you choose Ford?

I had the privilege to participate in the Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) here at the Ford School from June-July 2019, the summer leading into my senior year of undergrad. This was my first formal introduction to public policy along with a cohort of incredible, policy-oriented students from across the country. I was introduced to Ford’s MPP curriculum and had the opportunity to learn from some incredible Ford School professors and faculty. From then on I knew I’d be coming back to Ford. Covid-19 had a hand in making that happen sooner than originally anticipated, but I’m happy to be here.

What do you want to do with your Ford degree?

I would love to experience work full time and have steady income after being a student for 18 years straight, lol. I’m interested in Education Policy so I hope to join that field after I graduate doing work on initiatives for equitable access to higher education for first-generation, minority, and low-income students.

GRE requirement for 2022-2023 application cycle

GRE scores are optional for applicants seeking admission to the MPP program for the 2022-2023 academic year.

GRE scores are typically required of MPP applicants, as we have found them to be useful indicators of academic preparation for our core curriculum. However, in light of ongoing disruptions caused by COVID-19 to people’s ability to prepare for and take the GRE, the Ford School is extending our policy on optional GRE scores from the 2021-2022 application cycle into the 2022-2023 application cycle.

All masters’ applicants will be required to answer a supplemental question on the application about their quantitative and qualitative skills in lieu of submitting GRE scores. Applications without GRE scores will not be disadvantaged in our holistic application review process. If you choose to submit GRE scores, test scores dated before August 2016 are no longer valid. GRE scores are due the same day your completed application is due (January 15, 2022). Our institution code is 1839.

Students who are applying for a joint degree with another program at the University of Michigan should check with that program about their standardized test requirements. 

Applicants to the Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program: The submission of GRE scores is not required.

As you begin preparing your application, remember to check our master’s application checklist to ensure that you have all the necessary materials and email fspp-admissions@umich.edu if you have any questions.

Announcing new professors and promotions

The end of May was an exciting time for the Ford School, as several of our current faculty members were approved for new positions or received promotions, and a new faculty member joined our Ford School community.

National security expert and current Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence at the Ford School, Javed Ali, was appointed to an associate professor of practice on the faculty of the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Both undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to take courses with Ali in fall 2021 as he will be teaching a Ford School course called “Domestic Violence Extremism: Policies, Threats, and New Approaches” and co-teaching an Engineering/Policy course, “Cybersecurity for Future Leaders.”

On May 20, the University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the appointment of Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Jean E. Fairfax Collegiate Professor of Public Policy; professor of sociology; and a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, as the associate dean for academic affairs at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Dr. Watkins-Hayes appointment will serve a three-year term beginning August 1, 2021. We are looking forward to Dr. Watkins-Hayes’ leadership over the next three years and we thank her predecessor, Dr. Paula Lantz, for her service and incredible leadership over the past five years.

Finally, we are excited to announce that both Natasha Pilkauskas and Kaitlin Raimi have been promoted to associate professor, with tenure, at the Ford School. Read more about Dr. Pilkauskas’s work on her Ford School profile, and more about Dr. Raimi’s work in the Ford School directory. Undergraduate students will have the opportunity to take a course with Dr. Pilkauskas in fall 2021 as she will be teaching a Ford School course called “Evaluating Public Policies.”

If you talk to Professor Ali, Dr. Watkins-Hayes, Dr. Pilkauskas, or Dr. Raimi be sure to congratulate them on their new positions and promotions!

Meet a Fordie: Yoni Siden

Where are you from?
I grew up in Ann Arbor, but lived in Chicago and New York for about 10 years before returning for medical school.

What were you doing before you came to Ford?
I started my career as a social worker, primarily working on teen leadership development. My work included sexual health education, community dialogue on race, and much more. I then decided to change careers and pursue medicine, so am currently an MD/MPP student. I am about to enter my fourth year of medical school and will be applying for residency in ob/gyn. My clinical and advocacy interests are in maternal health, with a focus on health disparities.

Why did you choose Ford?
The COVID pandemic really highlighted the intersections between health and every sector of society, from our transportation system to social insurance. Ford has given me the opportunity to build both knowledge and skills to better understand these connections. I have really appreciated the opportunity to build strong quantitative skills in economics, and then apply those to coursework on social policy. Even though I already have a degree in social work, I’ve been able to understand social programs completely differently because of Ford. There is also a focus on practical skills, including our incredible writing center. I feel much more comfortable structuring policy arguments and presenting complex data now. Ford has given me opportunities to put these skills into action in really exciting ways. For example, I completed an independent study with retired Representative Sandy Levin on the intersections between unemployment insurance and health.

What do you want to do with your Ford degree?
There is growing momentum in medicine to think about the ways systems outside of healthcare can better promote health and well-being. My hope is to help structure social policies that provide my patients with the scaffolding to live healthier lives. Yes, Medicaid is important, but so is labor, childcare, and housing policy! I imagine my career will mix clinical practice in ob/gyn with advocacy, but the specific path is still being built.

End of the Year Wrap-Up – 2021

With the end of the semester just a day away, it’s time to wrap up another year here at the Ford School. Of course, it goes without saying this year was different than most. Our incredible students, faculty, and staff demonstrated their resilience, creativity, and compassion throughout an academic year conducted in an almost entirely remote capacity.

With more and more people in Michigan and across the U.S. receiving vaccinations, we’re looking forward to next semester when we can once again be together in Weill Hall. 

Despite the many challenges this year posed for our school, city, state, and country, the Ford community remained steadfast in its commitment to the public good and public service. Our research centers continued to produce rigorous, in-depth analyses of our most pressing problems, our faculty continued their field-leading research on a wide array of policy topics, our staff maintained an exceptional level of service for current and prospective students, and Fordies themselves responded to every challenge with positivity and grit.

We’re exceptionally proud of everything Fordies have accomplished in the 2020-2021 academic year. We can’t wait to meet our new cohort in the Fall and welcome everybody back to campus after an exciting summer of policy internships. 

Finally, congratulations to the Ford School graduates of the Class of 2021. Your final year at Ford may have looked different than any of us had hoped, but you finished strong. We know you’ll put the skills and lessons you’ve learned to good use.

Thanks for following us here on “Inside the Ford School.” Stay safe and have a wonderful summer.

Research Center Spotlight: Center on Finance, Law, and Policy

We’re drawing ever closer to the end of the school year here at Ford. With one full week left in the semester, we’re highlighting another one of the research centers found here at the Ford School. This time around, we’re taking a closer look at the Center on Finance, Law, and Policy (CFLP). 

Technically speaking, this center isn’t just a Ford School endeavor. CFLP is an interdisciplinary research center composed of faculty and students from over a dozen different schools and colleges at the University of Michigan, including Michigan Law School, Michigan Ross School of Business, and Michigan College of Engineering. 

At CFLP, researchers conduct “a broad range of research projects focused on creating a financial system that is safer, fairer, and better harnessed to the real economy.” 

In addition to their research, CFLP established the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project in 2016. The program works with small business owners in Detroit and connects them with law, design, and business students ready to assist with legal and business needs. 

That’s all for this installment of our research center spotlight, but be on the lookout for more content throughout the summer!

Meet a Fordie: Javi Piñeiro (MPP ’22)

Where are you from?

  • Hormigueros, Puerto Rico

What were you doing before you came to Ford?

  • Zoning and Economic Development work at Chicago City Council; part-time Public Policy student at the University of Chicago; and Project Management consultant for an Environmental Protection NGO in Puerto Rico, called Para La Naturaleza.

Why did you choose Ford?

  • I experienced the rigor and quality of the Ford School through the PPIA Junior Summer Institute and ever since decided this is the ideal place to pursue my graduate education. I knew my identities and my experiences in community organizing and social entrepreneurship would be valued at the Ford School. One relevant aspect of the Ford school experience is that we are allowed and encouraged to develop interdisciplinary career paths and have access to a wide range of courses in other programs within U-M. This was significant for me when making the choice because I wanted to develop expertise in other areas of interest such as sustainability, urban planning and law. I am glad I made this choice, as being here allows me to turn my passions into academic work and prepares me to improve people’s livelihoods through leadership in public service.

What do you want to do with your Ford degree?

  • At the Ford School, I have developed a passion for international human rights, economic development and climate adaptation. I am grateful that the MPP curriculum fits my career goals and is preparing me to become a well-rounded policymaker. While I am still exploring career paths, I know that I want to join the public sector. The MPP will serve me to contribute to policy frameworks at the nexus of civil – political rights, climate adaptation and sustainable economic development. Personally, I aspire to implement progressive policies as a public servant, in hopes that I can carry long-term change that advances justice for underserved populations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Research Center Spotlight: Youth Policy Lab (YPL)

As we’ve discussed in previous posts, the Ford School is home to fifteen research centers where students and faculty engage in in-depth research on our most daunting challenges and potential solutions to social issues. The proposals generated at Ford are data-driven and innovative. 

This time around, we’re highlighting the work of the Youth Policy Lab (YPL). The Lab uses data analysis to identify challenges facing communities in Michigan and develop creative solutions to address them. AT YPL, the aim is to use data for the public good.

In YPL’s own words, their vision is clear: “the University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab helps community and government agencies make better decisions by measuring what really works. We’re data experts who believe that government can and must do better for the people of Michigan.” The projects being carried out at YPL present exciting and desperately-needed answers to complex issues while emphasizing quality, equity, empowerment, partnership, and outcomes. 

From COVID-19 and its impacts on Michigan communities to the diverse needs of students and families in our state, YPL is dedicated to using the knowledge and skills of Ford faculty, fellows, and students to make the Great Lakes State an even better place to live. 

Learn more about the projects being pursued at YPL here. Stay tuned for further updates on the incredible work of Ford’s research centers!