Images

Image
Posted on in Student Life

“Meet a Fordie” Student Spotlight: Sydney Thompson (MPP ’22)

Where are you from?
I grew up in Metro Detroit and went to the University of Michigan as an undergraduate.

What were you doing before you came to Ford?
I was previously working at the healthcare software company Epic on the population health team. On this team I managed software development for social determinants of health workflows that assessed patient social needs and connected them to community resources through community health workers, care managers, and social workers.

Why did you choose Ford?
I chose Ford because I loved the close-knit community. I feel like I am part of a group of incredibly talented and passionate people that work to raise each other up and help one another academically, professionally, and personally. Ford’s emphasis on interdisciplinary policy design also attracted me to the program.

What do you want to do with your Ford degree?
I want to work in the public sector at the local level. I have experience with and am passionate about food policy, sustainability, and process improvement (government accountability and performance). I plan to work as a program manager in one of these areas for a city.

Don’t miss out on our amazing student offers for Radio Formula products. Get your hands on these coupons coupons and start saving today!

Image
Posted on in Student Life, Student Profiles

Meet a Fordie: Conor L. Hicks (MPP ’22)

Hi! I’m Conor Hicks. I’m a first year MPP student here at the Ford School. This has been a year unlike any other, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the people I’ve met and the topics I’ve explored. 

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Redmond, Oregon, a small town about three hours southeast of Portland on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. My family has lived in Oregon for seven generations and first settled in the state after heading out west on the Oregon Trail in the early 1850s. 

What were you doing before you came to Ford?

I came to the Ford School straight from undergrad. Before moving to Ann Arbor, I received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. During my time as a BC student, I interned in the Capitol Hill office of Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley and worked in political communications for a summer with the National Democratic Training Committee in Chicago, Illinois. I was also a member of the College Democrats and sang tenor in the University Chorale of Boston College. 

Why did you choose Ford?

When I started looking into graduate school programs, I wanted a school that offered a good combination of theoretical and hands-on approaches to understanding public policy. At Ford, I’ve been able to learn from faculty at the top of their respective fields about contemporary debates, gain historical context for the policies of today, and engage with my peers in a virtual policymaking simulation on climate migration (Ford’s Integrated Policy Exercise). On top of this, Ford’s Social Policy program is the best in the country. As someone particularly interested in education and labor policy, Ford was the perfect fit for me. 

What do you want to do with your Ford degree?

Once I complete my time here at Ford, I hope to work for a nonprofit organization or with the state or federal government on education equity. I’ve always been fascinated by the legislative process and would jump at the opportunity to work on public policy in the office of an elected official. 

I’ve loved my time at Ford so far. Ann Arbor is a perfect setting for me to pursue my passion for public service and I can’t wait for the semesters ahead. If you’re thinking of applying to join us here, I’m looking forward to meeting you.

If you’re interested setting up a time to talk to a current student, visit our student ambassador page to connect with a Fordie today. And stay tuned for more posts in our “Meet a Fordie series!”

Image
Posted on in Programs & Courses

Ford students tackle trade policy in the Integrated Policy Exercise (IPE)

2019 is off to a busy start at the Ford School! We kicked off the Winter semester with the annual Integrated Policy Exercise (IPE). The IPE requirement is a three-day simulation requiring Ford students to collaborate, make decisions, and offer solutions to address a real world policy issue. This year’s policy topic was the ratification of the USMCA trade agreement, otherwise known as the “new NAFTA”.

On October 1, 2018, President Trump and heads of state from Mexico and Canada signed the USMCA agreement, which legislative bodies in each country must ratify a final version of the deal. IPE gave Ford students an opportunity to simulate the ratification process for the U.S, which Congress expected to debate implementing legislation for the final agreement early this year.

Back in December, IPE organizers brought Ford students together for a day long briefing  to receive their assigned roles and meet with experts on the topic. About 160 students were assigned roles as elected officials across the three countries, journalists, organized labor, industry associations, and environmental groups. The briefing also included a panel of experts including Bob King, former president of United Auto Workers (UAW), and former U.S Representative Sander Levin (MI-9th).

To aid in the simulation, Ford students utilized ViewPoint, which is a software developed at UM in collaboration with Ford professor, Elizabeth Gerber. The site’s organizational and communication tools enable IPE participants to form coalitions, lobby elected officials, schedule votes, and publicize policy positions. One popular feature among the students and faculty is the pseudo-twitter page, which was heavily utilized by IPE’s President Trump.

After two eventful days of congressional hearings, press conferences, and negotiations among the three principle countries. The simulation ended with U.S Congress voting to pass implementing legislation for the USMCA after pushing through an additional bill increasing job training and negotiating better enforcement for labor protections outlined in USMCA.

2nd year Masters student and IPE organizer, Jack Cumming, recapped the weekend, “Overall, I was very impressed by everyone who participated in this year’s integrated policy exercise. People took their roles very seriously which made the simulation even more dynamic than I had expected. With so many stakeholders and decision makers in one room, the participants demonstrated that legislative compromise at the federal level can be very complicated, especially on an issue like trade that impacts so many communities.”