K O O B R A E Y BA N | SPRI V I L O V
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s I conclude my term as dean of the Ford School, I am proud to share this final message with you. In your time here, you’ve brought incredible passion and leadership to bear on the questions and issues you cherish most, and to our community itself. You continue to inspire me and, after a sabbatical, I look forward to returning to the Ford School as the Edward M. Gramlich Collegiate Professor of Public Policy. Until then, to all Fordies: thank you for your hard work and your commitment to making this world a better place. And to the class of 2017: my warmest congratulations and best wishes as you take your next steps forward” SUSAN M. COLLINS Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of Public Policy; Edward M. Gramlich Collegiate Professor of Public Policy
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nside the classroom, you’ve been an exceptional group. Your curiosity, intelligence, thoughtfulness and keen engagement enliven Weill Hall. Outside the classroom, you’re equally impressive as your passions for making the world a better place make a difference in our local community. I have been repeatedly impressed by the broad set of perspectives, experiences and ideas you all have brought to the Ford School, and I very much look forward to hearing news of your lives in the years ahead. Congratulations and best wishes!” SHARON MACCINI Director, Ford School BA program
@fordschool
Congratulations,
GRADUATES!
“Class of 2017: As we prepare to take on the world, I hope you will join me in continuing to embrace this faith in the potential of public policy. I can think of no better way to honor the incredible individuals in this Ford School community—this Ford Family of ours.” JOE SHEA (BA ’17) Delivering remarks on behalf of the undergraduate class of 2017
Graduating seniors Thomas Allen Joe Ambrose Alexa Marie Baglione Julie A. Barger Jessica Bethlahmy James Henry Blattner Eliza Jane Borish Laura Brodkin Neha Buch Maxwell Bultman Urandari Byambadalai Jennifer Chang Desiree Chew Dominic Clolinger Sara Dagher Gabriella Maria D’Agostini Max Roland Davidson Gabriel Dell
Robert Dickinson Zachary Dubin Erin Eusebi Matthew Fidel Genevieve Friedman Alexandra George Lauren Gold Adele Goldberg Marco Gutierrez Jakob Haber Mark Haidar Oliver Harfield Ian Hecker James Hendrickson Thomas Hislop Noah Holton-Raphael Hannah Louise Horobin Jonathan Hyman Meredith Joseph
Daniel Karr Julie Katsnelson Ruby Kirby Isaac Adlai Maycock Puja Nair Victoria Noble Heidi Payter Jacob Pearlman Daniel Rebhan Madeline Riley Madeleine Rose Connor Rubin Laura Seidman Swathi Shanmugasundaram Daniel Sharp Joseph Shea Carson Smith India Solomon
Graham A. Steffens Michael Sugerman Keerthana Sundar Maisy Sylvan Shahar Sztainer Ryan Tactac Claire Taigman Shana Toor Gregory Weinstock Alexander White Molly Williams Mary Katherine Winn Samantha Wintner Erin Woodruff Emily Grace Yerington Peiyu Yu Sarah Rose Zieve Emma Zorfass
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(L-R): Roland Davidson, Sara Dagher, Gabriella D’Agostini, Dominic Clolinger, Desiree Chew,
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Max Bultman | (all BA ‘17)
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PHOTO GRID (BOTTOM):
PHOTO BOOTH (RIGHT):
1: Oliver Harfield and Dean Collins; 2: Alexandra George, Matthew Fidel; 3: Eliza Borish, Laura Brodkin; 4: Michael Sugerman, Joe Shea; 5: Molly Williams; 6: Sam Wintner and mom; 7: Connor Rubin and family; 8: Claire Taigman and family; 9: Adele Goldberg and Neha Buch
10: Victoria Noble and Erin Eusebi;
11: Zachary Dubin and family; 12: Oliver Harfield and family; 13: Thomas Hislop; 14: Laura Brodkin and mom; 15: Daniel Sharp, Roland Davidson, Joe Shea, Shahar Sztainer; 16: Ruby Kirby and family; 17: Emily Yerington, Ruby Kirby, Laura Seidman, Julie Katsnelson
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he Ford School BA program provides for one of the most exciting, intensive and focused learning environments at the University of Michigan. It is a privilege to teach and learn with such intelligent, hardworking and committed young people. These passionate young leaders inspire me, give me hope and make the intrinsic student-teacher <—> teacher-student relationship real and tangible for me every semester. I am confident in their ability to engage, face and successfully manage many of the difficult social and political issues bedeviling our society.”
Final notes to our students...
YAZIER HENRY Lecturer in Public Policy
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o my Persuasive Policy Writers,
I cannot imagine a better bunch with whom to inaugurate the first undergraduate policywriting course offered at the Ford School. Not only did you reimagine and refine your own writing to dazzling heights of clarity, concision, and rhetorical force; you also brought your most incisive, kind-but-firm criticism to the work of your peers. Your hard work and good humor made us what I hoped we’d become: a community. Go forth now, with skill and passion, to persuade your way to a better world for us all. My Writing Center colleagues, Alex and David, and I will be on the lookout for your bylines.” BETH CHIMERA Lecturer and Writing Center Instructor
“The students are the best part of the Ford School community. At a time when our nation seems divided and fearful, it was energizing to get to know a group of young people who are so smart, optimistic, and committed to making the world a better place. I can’t wait to see what you do with your careers and your lives. Congratulations to the class of 2017!” JAMES KVAAL Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence, fall 2016; Former Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council in the Obama White House
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ongratulations, BA Fordies of 2017! It has been such a pleasure to get to know you. Whether talking about climate change, behavioral nudges, judgmental heuristics, or implicit biases, I was always impressed by your engagement with hard topics and your intellectual curiosity. I look forward to seeing the impact you all will make in the world!” KAITLIN RAIMI Assistant Professor of Public Policy
@fordschool
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“I was treated to another excellent group of students from the Ford School discussing oil, gas, energy, and climate change. Thanks for another great year!” DANIEL RAIMI Lecturer in Public Policy Research Specialist, U-M Energy Institute
eaching a 495 seminar on election reform during the tumultuous 2016 election season was a great experience. I will never forget our class meeting at 8:30 in the morning after Election Day, when we all processed the news of a new administration together. It was wonderful that students trusted each other enough to share their emotions and reactions. I really feel privileged to share this important historical event with our undergraduates!” ANN LIN Associate Professor of Public Policy
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ellow Utopians,
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ongratulations to the Ford BA class of 2017! The world will be in a better place with you at the helm; I am so impressed with your energy, your deep commitment to fairness, and your thoughtful approach to policy problems. I’d like to give a special shout-out to the seniors in my F16 PP475 class: Laura, Urandari, Marco, Jonathan, Tori, Dan, Ryan, Greg and Emma. It was a great privilege to get to know each of you!” KATHRYN DOMINGUEZ Professor of Public Policy and Economics
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his year I was lucky enough to teach two undergraduate classes and so I got to know a lot of you. What can I say? I think you’re great, I loved our class discussions and how you would challenge each other (and me) around issues related to poverty and social policy. Go out and make the world a better place - I have faith that you will! Congratulations and don’t forget to keep in touch!” NATASHA PILKAUSKAS Assistant Professor of Public Policy
lass of 2017, I’ve seen your mastery of theory and technique, your passion for issues that matter, and your willingness to engage others with open hearts and minds. Now it’s time to put these skills and values to work. I can’t wait to hear about the positive differences you’ll make!” STEPHANIE LEISER Lecturer in Public Policy
If I managed to teach you that Utopia, alas, might be impossible, you managed to teach me that there is nothing more utopian than collaborating in the classroom with such a fine group of students like yourselves. Le Corbusier said, “What gives our dreams their daring is that they can be realized.” I trust that you hear in these words the danger and the idealism, the folly and the bravado. I hope, in other words, that you set out into the world as skeptical visionaries—or starry-eyed cynics (you get to choose which). And if you find yourself committed some day to an incredibly ambitious project with no hope of success, by all means let me know—I’ll come visit.” DAVID MORSE Lecturer and Writing Center Instructor
BAs in the world JA M E S B . AN GELL SCH O L A R S Angell Scholars are undergraduate students who earn all A’s for two or more consecutive terms in a calendar year. Congratulations to: Alexa Baglione, Jessica Bethlahmy, Laura Brodkin, Desiree Chew, Sara Dagher, Roland Davidson, Matthew Fidel, Genevieve Friedman, Mark Haidar, Oliver Harfield, Julie Katsnelson, Ruby Kirby, Victoria Noble, Madeleine Rose, India Solomon, Maisy Sylvan, Shahar Sztainer, Claire Taigman, Alexander White, Molly Williams, Samantha Wintner, Erin Woodruff, Emily Yerington, Peiyu Yu, and Sarah Zieve.
PHI BE TA KAP PA INDUCT E ES
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ast semester, I went on a whirlwind study abroad trip to New York, Buenos Aires, Hanoi and Cape Town. The program theme was A Just City; we studied urban development and social justice issues, each set in unique political and cultural contexts. The best part was the homestays: living with local families for 2-4 weeks each time enabled me to develop an appreciation of and attachment to each place, beyond purely intellectual interest.” - Desiree Chew (BA ‘17)
worked in a think tank focused on Higher Ed policy last summer called Association for Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) in Washington D.C. Here’s a picture of me at the office... and a funny one from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.” - Emily Yerington (BA ‘17)
Emily Upton (Engineering), Ojaswi Adhikari (Public Health), Diana Holdorf, Connor Rubin (BA ‘17), and Reed McCalib (Law) represented U-M at the 22nd Conference of Parties (COP22) to the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) in Marakkech. Their focus? The implementation of the Paris accords and creation of mechanisms to help smaller countries adapt to climate change. Months later, President Trump would withdraw the U.S. from that agreement.
As members of the executive board of the Michigan Refugee Assistance Project (MRAP), Meredith Joseph (BA ‘17) and Gabe Dell (BA ‘17) attended UN Association Members’ Day. “At the UN we listened to various stakeholders discuss the fundamental nature of the refugee crisis and the underemphasized need for cooperation amongst nations,” said Dell. “We have the ‘global capacity’ to provide refuge for the millions that are fleeing,” he added, “but the lack of coordination leads most nations to defer responsibility.”
Phi Beta Kappa, founded in 1776, is the oldest scholastic honorary society in America. Congratulations to: Jessica Bethlahmy, James Blattner, Laura Brodkin, Jennifer Chang, Gabriella D’Agostini, Matthew Fidel, Thomas Hislop, Hannah Horobin, Daniel Karr, Isaac Maycock, Victoria Noble, Heidi Payter, India Solomon, Keerthana Sundar, Claire Taigman, Molly Williams, Samantha Wintner, and Peiyu Yu. ↓ Jill Rosenfeld and Coach Jim Harbaugh
@fordschool
Elections and protests To anyone who has been a policy student—or raised one— it is no surprise that many Fordies were engaged with last year’s elections. They campaigned, they listened to voters, they helped their peers understand the results of one of the most divisive elections in recent history, and they’ve remained civically engaged and more committed than ever to making a difference in the world we share.
MLK Spirit Award ceremony (Not pictured: Nadine Jawad)
ML K SPIRIT AWA R D The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Spirit Award recognizes students who best exemplify the leadership and extraordinary vision of the civil rights leader. Congratulations to: Robert Dickinson, Claire Taigman, and Nadine Jawad
T EACH FOR A M E R I CA SEL ECT EES Teach for America (TFA) is a national corps of leaders who commit to teaching in low-income schools and work to increase their students’ opportunities in life. Congratulations to: Joe Ambrose, Alexa Baglione, Shahar Sztainer, Erin Woodruff, and Emily Yerington
Rowan Conybeare (BA ‘18) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker
Stepanie Chang (MPP/MSW ‘14) and Chandani Wiersba (BA ‘18)
Charlie Callis (BA ‘18, Katie Jesaitis, Ron Owens, Patrick Mullan-Koufopoulos (BA ‘18) and Becca Jackson
Anushka Sarkar, Joe Shea (BA ‘17), and Nadine Jawad (BA ‘18) at the Ann Arbor Women’s March on January 21.
Joe Shea (BA ‘17) at Detroit Metro Airport in the wake of Trump’s Muslim travel ban
Patrick Mullan-Koufopoulos (BA ‘18) and Charlie Callis (BA ‘18).
Ashley Wilson (BA ‘18) prepares to address a crowd of thousands at the Ann Arbor Women’s March on January 21.
T RUMAN SCHO L A R Congratulations to Nadine Jawad on her selection as a 2017 Truman Scholar. Catch Nadine’s Snap Story at fordschool.umich.edu/video.
A group of undergraduates celebrates the end of the year at an annual student-organized bar crawl
Student life
STU D E N T L EAD ERS Alumni Board Oliver Harfield (BA ‘17), BA rep
Central Student Government Nadine Jawad (BA ‘18) elected as CSG Vice President for 2017-18
College Democrats Rowan Conybeare (BA ‘18), chairperson
Dean Search Committee Joe Shea (BA ’17)
Trivia winners at Charlie’s. Matt Fidel, Jakob Haber, Roland Davidson, Michael Sugerman, Samantha Wintner,
International Policy Student Association (IPSA)
Eliza Borish, Julie Barger, Meredith Joseph, and Greg Weinstock.
Clara Li (BA ‘18), board member Ali Al Momar (BA ‘18), board member Evan Charney (BA ‘18), board member
Peer Advisors (PICTURED BELOW) Sara Dagher (BA ’17) Oliver Harfield (BA ’17) Joe Shea (BA ’17)
Students of Color in Public Policy (SCPP) Gloriela Iguina-Colon (BA ‘18) Rhea Ninan (BA ‘18) Desiree Chew (BA ‘17)
Gramlich Showcase. 1: Jennifer Chang (BA ‘17); 2: Dean Collins, Daniel Sharp (BA ‘17); 3: Victoria Noble (BA ‘17); 4: Ryan Tactac (BA ‘17); 5: Keerthana Sundar (BA ‘17); 6: Carson Smith (BA ‘17)
Sara Dagher, Oliver Harfield, Joe Shea
Eliza Borish (BA ‘17) at the Ford School’s annual Holiday Party.
So Jung Kim (BA ‘18), Tiffany Chau (BA ‘18), Jill Rosenfeld (BA ‘18), Benjamin Keller (BA ‘18), Ali Al Momar (BA ‘18), and Areeba Haider (BA ‘18) at Cookie Day (the best day of the year).
Thomas Hislop (BA ‘17) takes the stage at MaizeFest.
Dinner with former Congressman Joe Schwarz. Jacob Pearlman (BA ‘17), Tom Allen (BA ‘17), Dr. Schwarz, Joe Ambrose (BA ‘17), Erin Eusebi (BA ‘17), Jake Haber (BA ‘17), and Joe Shea (BA ‘17).
↓ SCPP BA PIPELINE FIRST EVENT Panel of junior students speaking about their experiences and answering questions for prospective students
@fordschool
Events UN DERGRAD U AT E O R G S Diversity Student Coalition Undergraduate Council (UGC) Gamma Rho Phi
POL ICY SEM I NA R S Election Reform Ann Lin
Emma Zorfass (BA ‘17) takes the podium at a Policy Talks event on campus sexual assault.
Apology, Reconciliation, Reparations, and Public Policy Yazier Henry
Irrational Actors: Psychological Approaches to Decisionmaking Kaitlin Raimi Current Issues in Tax Policy Stephanie Leiser
US Social Policy Natasha Pilkauskas Joe Shea (BA ‘17), left, asks a questions of panelists at The Outlook for U.S. Education Policy in 2017 and Beyond.
Jennifer Chang (BA ‘17), right, asks a question of Justin Lin at The future of U.S-China economic relations.
Ibrahim Ijaz (BA ‘18) speaks with Janet Yellen, chairperson of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, at Policy Talks.
Utopianism David Morse
↓ Gabe Dell (BA ‘17) and Nadine Jawad (BA ‘18)
Avi Mendelson (BA ‘18), Dean Collins, So Jung Kim (BA ‘18), and Ross Jablon (BA ‘18) at the 2017 DC trip and reception.
Meredith Joseph (BA ‘17), Connor Rubin (BA ‘17), Michael Sugerman (BA ‘17), Erin Woodruff (BA ‘17), Oliver Harfield (BA ‘17), and Victoria Noble (BA ‘17) at Charity Auction.
50 Years of Civil Rights Leadership: A U-M Symposium in honor of the Reverend Jesse Jackson. 1: Reverend Jackson, Ibrahim Ijaz (BA ‘18); 2. Ibrahim Ijaz (BA ‘18), Chandani Wiersba (BA ‘18), Dean Collins, Tierra Christian (BA ‘18), Gloriela Iguina-Colon (BA ‘18); 3. Stephen Wallace (BA ‘18), Tierra Christian (BA ‘18), Gloriela Iguina-Colon (BA ‘18), Chandani Wiersba (BA ‘18).
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RSVP FOR A SPIRIT DAY NEAR YOU »
Worldwide Ford School Spirit Day J U LY 13, 2017 Ann Arbor, Boston, Chicago, DC, Denver, Detroit, Geneva, Lansing, London, LA, NYC, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, Tokyo Be a part of the bicentennial—U-M’s bicentennial, that is. Just as President Ford celebrated the red, white, and blue in ‘76, we’ll celebrate the maize and blue’s 200th birthday at this year’s Worldwide Ford School Spirit Day on Thursday, July 13. It’s a great opportunity to socialize and network with Ford School alumni, students, and friends who live and work in your region.
SAVE THE DATES!
All Spirit Day gatherings are free to attend; food and drinks are available for purchase. If your city isn’t on the list, contact Elisabeth Johnston, alumni relations manager (eajohnst@umich.edu or 734-6155760), to learn how you can organize a gathering near you.
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy University of Michigan Joan and Sanford Weill Hall 735 South State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3091 734 764 3490 fordschool.umich.edu
Homecoming 2017 Ford School Open House
Wolverines vs. Scarlet Knights
FRIDAY, OCT. 26 | 2-4 P.M. | 2110 WEILL HALL Afternoon showing of Black and Blue - The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech football game. Movie snacks included. RSVP at fordschool.umich.edu.
SATURDAY, OCT. 27 | MICHIGAN STADIUM Info for purchasing tickets in a Ford School section available at fordschool.umich.edu.
In 2016-2017, the Ford School offered 24 BA students scholarships for unpaid internship opportunities and 7 BA students need-based scholarships to defray the cost of attendance. Thank you to the students who gave to the 2017 Class Gift! The Class Gift Fund offers all Fordies extra assistance as needed, including help with unexpected financial hardship, internship funding, career development, and more. Fordies support the Ford School! We rely on your support to provide scholarships and meet student need. Make a gift online or call (734) 615-3892.