The Magazine of the

Gerald R. Ford School

of Public Policy
University of Michigan

&
Fa ll 2009

The Ford School at 95

From Our Corner to the Four Corners of the Globe

from the dean
State & Hill
Dean: Susan M. Collins
Associate Dean: Alan V. Deardorff
Director of Communications/Editor:
Laura K. Lee
Contributors: Megan Levad, Katie Talik,
Miao Qing, Amanda Grazioli, Tom Ivacko,
James F. Reisch, Geoffrey Ponte
Design: Savitski Design
Printer: University Lithoprinters
Printed on paper made from 100% post-
consumer waste using biogas energy.
Let us know what you think:
fspp-editor@umich.edu, or Editor,
State & Hill, Ford School,
University of Michigan,
735 S. State Street,
Ann Arbor MI 48109-3091
Regents of the University of Michigan
Julia Donovan Darlow, Ann Arbor
Laurence B. Deitch, Bingham Farms
Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms
Olivia P. Maynard, Goodrich
Andrea Fischer Newman, Ann Arbor
Andrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe Park
S. Martin Taylor, Grosse Pointe Farms
Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor
Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio)
W
ith this first issue of State & Hill, our new school magazine, we celebrate
the 95th anniversary of the Ford School and pay tribute to the efforts
of so many people whose creative energies have enabled us to thrive.
The scope of our research, teaching, and policy engagement has grown over the
decades, from an initial focus on city governments to an understanding that the
world has become a much smaller place and that most policy issues have global
dimensions.
The tools we use to explore public policy have evolved as well. During the late ’60s,
IPPS was at the forefront of a movement to apply rigorous social science techniques
to pressing policy issues — a revolutionary idea that has stood the test of time.
So what hasn’t changed since 1914? Certainly not our commitment to public service
and cutting-edge research, our belief in the value of sending well-trained and
dedicated public servants out to work on the issues that impact our communities,
or our collegial environment.
In addition to looking back, this issue of our magazine also enables us to share
recent accomplishments — the graduation of our first class of undergraduates,
the success of our innovative PhD programs, the launch of a new research center
charged with exploring issues of diversity and public policy, and the policy impacts
of our faculty and research centers.
With so many strengths to build on, we look with optimism to the future. We will
continue to strengthen our ties with the policy world, grow our faculty, recruit and
train the brightest and most dynamic students, and internationalize our educational
programs and research.
But the same economic pressures challenging our state confront us as well. Like
the University of Michigan, the Ford School has worked to contain costs without
sacrificing the quality of our educational and research programs. As we sharpen
our focus on student support, we will increasingly need to rely on your generous
commitment to our current and future students.
What are our hopes for State & Hill? We seek to deepen already strong ties with
our alumni, provide a window into the policy research and education we foster,
and show how our alumni and friends can continue to be a part of the Ford School
mission. Let us know how we’re doing – please send your comments and sugges-
tions about State & Hill to fspp-editor@umich.edu.
We hope to see many of you in Ann Arbor for the alumni reunion festivities in
September. But we’ll be celebrating our 95th anniversary all year, so please drop
by if you’re around the corner. I’d like to hear your memories — the part you
played in our history — along with your hopes for our future.
Susan M. Collins
Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of Public Policy
The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable
federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action, including Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The University of Michigan is committed
to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, color, religion,
creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
disability, or Vietnam-era veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity and Title IX/Section 504
Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-
1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.
 F all 2 0 0 9

Photo: Bentley Historical Library,

University of Michigan
&
95 Years of Service 2
A Look Back at the Evolution of the Ford School

Prepared to Make a Difference 6

Three Grads, Three Eras

Crossing Borders 10
Applied Policy Seminar Evolves with Student Interests

A River Runs Through It 12

Alums Tackle Municipal Land-use Debate

A Philanthropist for the Future 14

A Few Moments with Ranny Riecker

Public Policy for Difficult Days 16

Research that Makes a Difference

In Addition
Shot-Callers: Gubernatorial Campaign Joined by Students 8
Tight Times: Community Supports Fellowships and Internships 9
Visiting VIPs 13
First Public Policy BA Students Graduate 13
Greenhouse Governance 15
Center for Public Policy in Diverse Societies 19
PhD Program Flourishes 19

Departments
Guess who?
»

Recognize these two?

Faculty News & Awards 20
Send your best guesses to Class Notes 22
fspp-editor@umich.edu.
Correct responses will be The Last Word 24
entered into a drawing for a
Reunion Weekend, Calendar Highlights 25
Ford School souvenir. Bonus
gift for the most creative caption!
 2 S TAT E & H I L L
95 Years of Service
Cover St ory
This year, we celebrate the Ford School’s 95th anniversary. We’re proud of the school’s
contributions to public policy research and education – proud that through our program,
the University of Michigan has trained so many generations of committed public servants.
Here is our story.
The University of Michigan benefits
from an original
In 1913, Jesse S. Reeves, chairman of the
University of Michigan political science
department, proposed an academic program
dedicated to training future leaders in city
government.
In a letter to U-M President Hutchins, Reeves
wrote: “I believe that the University has a dis-
tinct opportunity, not only in offering a public
service to the people of the state…but in leading
the way in the training of municipal experts.”
A year later, the political science department
launched a program leading to a Master of Arts
in Municipal Administration — the nation’s first
systematic public service training program with
a municipality focus.
The program required coursework in economics,
law, civil engineering, and landscape design as
well as 3 months of fieldwork. It started small,
with just two students enrolled in each of its
first ten years. By the time Michigan Stadium
opened its doors in 1927, the fledgling program
set a record high of eight enrolled students.
1940s
1930s
Photo: Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan
Photo: Courtesy of Larry Collins
The IPA Era
Teaching was suspended temporarily by the
Great Depression and, later, by the scattering
of faculty and students during World War II.
But the program reached a key turning point
in 1945 as the end of the war brought new de-
mand for trained public servants. In September
1945, the Regents approved a plan to establish
the Institute of Public Administration (IPA),
officially launched in 1946.
Core IPA courses included fiscal administration,
public personnel, intergovernmental relations,
and techniques for research and reporting in
public administration. Michigan residents paid
$65 per term to attend.
Most IPA graduates entered into public service.
Between 1949 and 1963, just over a third went
to work for municipal governments, including
graduates who became the city managers of
Bloomington, Howell, and Jackson.
IPA-trained public service professionals were in
high demand. “During the whole period since
World War II, placement of our graduates has
been a minor problem at most,” recalled Ferrel
Heady, director of IPA from 1960 to 1967.

“Even as the number of graduates per year rises,
the number of available positions grows at a
fast rate,” he said at the IPA’s 50th anniversary
celebration.
The IPA era saw faculty research expand into
active engagement with state issues, including
constitutional topics, taxes, expenditures, state-
local fiscal relations, and information disclosure.
In 1954, the faculty-led Bureau of Government
published A Study Kit on Michigan Local
Government, a top seller with 15,000 copies
sold at 40 cents each.
Bringing social science to bear
The scope and nature of the school’s mission
continued to expand. In the late 1960s, Pat
Crecine, a young, newly tenured associate pro-
fessor, wrote an influential article for the Policy
Science Journal, calling for a new, interdisciplinary
way of bringing the analytic tools of contempo-
rary social science to bear on social problems.
Crecine’s approach marked a revolutionary
milestone in the development of today’s
Ford School and in the broader field of public
service training. Under Crecine’s leadership,
the Institute of Public Policy Studies (IPPS)
was established in 1968 to award a new degree,
the Master of Public Policy. Similar programs
sprang up at Carnegie Mellon, Harvard,
Berkeley, Texas, and Duke, eventually joined
by dozens more around the country.
The new IPPS curriculum was designed to pro-
vide students the analytical skills to deal with
challenging problems in an increasingly com-
plex environment. First-year MPP core courses
built basic knowledge in economics, the political
environment, operations research, and quanti-
tative methods. Students then applied their new
skills to a summer internship and spent most of
their second year developing a specialty.
Photo: Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan
S TAT E & H I L L 3
Faculty research interests broadened as well.
Nearly all IPPS faculty were jointly appointed
with other top-rated schools and departments
at the U-M, fostering an interdisciplinary ap-
proach that enriched research and teaching.
Jack Walker, IPPS director from 1974 to 1979,
studied political and administrative decision
processes around the U.S. Defense Department
budget and evaluated the effects of the 1967
Detroit riots. Other research projects investi-
gated relations between market power and
racial discrimination, the diffusion of innova-
tions among American states, and theories of
organizational behavior.
Ned Gramlich became the director of IPPS in
1979 and for the next two decades he, Paul
Courant, Edie Goldenberg, and John Chamberlin
each served one or more terms as director. The
remarkably smooth transitions among them
reflected IPPS’s collegial culture, as well as the
leadership abilities of the directors. Courant
went on to serve as Provost and recently, Dean
of Libraries for the University. Goldenberg later
had a very successful 9-year run as Dean of the
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. And
Chamberlin became founding director of both the
school’s groundbreaking undergraduate program
and the U-M Center for Ethics in Public Life.
From the late 1970s through the early 1990s,
IPPS saw a steady expansion and diversification
of the student body. The class size was 33 in
1974, with just 7 women. By 1994, it had dou-
bled and over half were women. The percentage
of minorities more than doubled, from 10% in
1974 to 24% in 1984.
As in the past, many graduates went to work in
local and state government, but increasingly,
IPPS alumni found excellent matches for their
skills within the federal government. IPPS engaged
with the Presidential Management Internship
(now called the Presidential Management Fellows)
1960s
 An Early Global Reach In 1949, IPA director John W. Lederle struck a deal with
4 S TAT E & H I L L
the State Department to offer public administration education to various groups of
international students. The initiative started with several German visitors to Ann Arbor.
Later, the IPA sent faculty members abroad, helping the University of the Philippines
establish an Institute of Public Administration in 1952 and in the 1960s, helping create
the Taiwan Center for Public and Business Administration in the Republic of China.
Photo: Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan
from the program’s start in 1977, affording
graduates opportunities with agencies such
as the Office of Management and Budget,
Department of Energy, and NASA.
Paul Courant led the IPPS move to the 4th floor
of Lorch Hall in 1985. The program’s entire fac-
ulty and staff were under one roof for the first
time since the early years, a happy circumstance
despite some aesthetic quibbles (student David
Baruch, quoted in the May ’86 IPPS News: “The
furniture clashes with the carpeting. Hold it —
the furniture clashes with the furniture.”)
The school formally began to offer international
coursework in 1978, including International
Economic Policy, World Politics, and International
Security Affairs. By 1988, Goldenberg reported
to alumni that fully 40 percent of incoming
classes were interested in the international
program.
Named for a president
Led by the tireless efforts of Ned Gramlich and
others, in 1995 IPPS became an independent
school within the University of Michigan, the
School of Public Policy (SPP).
Gramlich left Ann Arbor in 1997 to serve on the
Federal Reserve Board of Governors. In 1999,
Rebecca M. Blank, a professor at Northwestern
and a Member of the President’s Council of
Economic Advisers, took the reins, with a clear
mandate to grow the program and raise its vis-
ibility as one of the country’s top policy schools.
1970s
Photo: Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan
In 1999, the U-M renamed the school to honor
President Gerald R. Ford — a 1935 graduate
of the University of Michigan. First proposed
back in 1977 by then-director Jack Walker, the
naming of the school for President Ford was an
excellent fit given his Michigan ties and his life-
long commitment to public service.
“The school represents so many of the exem-
plary qualities by which my father aspired to
live his life: professional excellence, integrity,
moral purpose, and service for the greater good
of humanity,” notes President Ford’s son, Mike.
“Gerald Ford loved his alma mater, the University
of Michigan, and he was deeply honored and
humbled to have the School of Public Policy
bear his name.”
New space for new programs
The school had again outgrown its space.
In 2002, the University approved its ambitious
goal: construction of a new building on the
corner of State and Hill, the southern gateway
to central campus.
Between the naming ceremony in 2000 and
December 2008, friends, donors, alumni, and
foundations contributed a total of $51.4 million.
Those generous gifts and grants funded con-
struction of the new building and continue to
provide support for students, faculty research,
and programming.
In 2006, the school moved into its new home,
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall. The beautiful,
1980s
 “In eighty-one years, the mission of training people 5

to be thoughtful and effective public servants has

not changed. We continue to educate students for
careers that make a difference. ”— Ned Gramlich, 1995

state-of-the-art space has enhanced the school’s
role as a central venue for public policy discus-
sion and helped attract top students and faculty.
Under Blank’s leadership, the school established
two new degree programs. In 2001, it launched
an innovative joint PhD program with the de-
partments of economics, sociology, and political
science. And since 2007, a new BA program
allows some of the best U-M students to pursue
a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy in their junior
and senior years. The school also founded three
vital, engaged research centers: the Center for
Local, State, and Urban Policy; the National
Poverty Center; and the International Policy
Center.
The four corners of the globe
Blank stepped down in 2006 and was later
appointed Undersecretary of Economic Affairs
in the Commerce Department. In 2007, the
University appointed international economist
Susan M. Collins from Georgetown University
and Brookings as dean. With her leadership, the
school will enhance its international activities
— continuing to expand student opportunities to
study and work abroad and in the U.S. on inter-
national issues and integrating cross-national
issues more fully into the curriculum and the
research programs. The newly-launched center
on policy in diverse societies will also have
international dimensions.
“We will continue to build on strengths that
have distinguished the school for decades — ”
Collins notes, “a commitment to the importance
of analytic and quantitative social science to
improve policy, a top-notch multi-disciplinary
faculty, high-quality and diverse students, the
ability to leverage connections throughout the
world-class University of Michigan, demonstrat-
ed success as teachers and mentors, and our
community’s collegial and cohesive spirit.”
During this anniversary year, the Ford School
looks back with pride at the program’s growth
and impact: a 95-year history of training effec-
tive, committed policy leaders and breaking new
intellectual ground. From the program’s early
focus on local government, the decades brought
a widened lens and increasing engagement with
state, regional, national, and international policy
issues.
We look forward to the next century of service,
from our corner to the four corners of the globe.

2000s
1990s
 6 S TAT E & H I L L
At Wo rk i n t he Wo rld

Prepared to
Make a Difference
A lot has changed over 95 years…the program’s name, core curriculum, size, physical
location, the student body nickname (anyone else miss ‘IPPSters’?), and more. But our
graduates share a commitment to public service and a belief that first-rate quantitative
and political analysis can and should help solve public policy challenges. Here three
alums – representing three eras from our history – reflect on their Ford School education,
their careers, and their continuing connections with the school.

’61
Hughes ’90
McMillen ’04 siva

S
peaking with Ford School alumni, one
quickly learns that policy professionals
in the local, national, and international
realms deal with many of the same challenges—
challenges for which the school helped prepare
them. By gaining an understanding of the influ-
ence of the political environment and the value
of quantitative analysis in policymaking, Ford
School students gain the skills necessary to
apply theory to real-world problems, balance
stakeholder needs, and implement successful
initiatives.
When Rich Hughes (MPA ’61) was in graduate
school, about a third of the class was headed
for careers in municipal government. Even the
students who arrived in Ann Arbor from abroad
tended toward an interest in local or state
issues. “Several of my classmates were interna-
tional students, mostly from India,” Hughes
recalls, but “they all had a state or local focus.”
More recent graduates have had a wider range
of faculty interests, coursework, and internship
opportunities to engage with while in school.
But even those who have gone on to careers
with international organizations have found
common threads with earlier eras, including
the importance of well-run, accountable local
governments.
When Dileepan Siva (MPP ’04) traveled to India
as an undergraduate studying public health, he
was frequently asked, “What are the challenges
in your community?” Siva notes that “While the
context may have been different, the actual
problems were almost identical.”
After graduating from the Ford School,
Siva spent several years with the National
Democratic Institute for International Affairs
(NDI). He explained that the political consulting
and poll watching he did for NDI in Zimbabwe
was about connecting people to their local and
provincial governments. It’s the same challenge
he saw earlier in his career, when Los Angeles
Unified was working on public high school
reform. The underlying problem in both places
was constituent access and the ability to hold
state and local government accountable to
deliver services.
“…when it gets down to it, it’s the political environment
that moves policy.” — Cheryl McMillen
S TAT E & H I L L 7
Hughes has witnessed similar challenges.
A consultant for municipal governments, he
says the core question is how to sell program
analysis and establish relationships while taking
into account the political environment. When
Hughes worked with San Diego, deciding how
many police officers were required to provide
the services needed was not about the city’s
crime or emergency statistics. “The numbers
didn’t make a difference—it was about who
supported the police more.”
IPPS-era graduate Cheryl McMillen (MPP ’90)
agrees. “You absolutely have to do analysis, but
when it gets down to it, it’s the political environ-
ment that moves policy.”
She should know. As the Director of Health
Benefits and Income Support for the Department
of Health and Human Services, McMillen is
constantly negotiating the political environment.
For example, when the Secretary and the
Attorney General announced plans for HHS
to intensify its focus on health care fraud and
abuse, many in HHS had numbers at the ready
to show how effective fraud prevention measures
could be implemented.
Politically, however, the department needs to
find a balance between prevention and prosecu-
tion. “Arresting people gets attention, it’s an
action. Prevention is hard to prove and not
very sexy,” McMillen says.
Still a part of the core curriculum today, Political
Environment of Policymaking was a formative
MPP course for McMillen. “We read an Ibsen
play, Enemy of the People,” she remembers.
In the play, a town’s doctor discovers that their
water source is poisoned—but the mayor refuses
to do anything. “The town’s new baths, a major
source of income, are in danger of shutting
down if the water pollution is acknowledged,”
McMillen explains. “The play illustrates the
need to find a balance between evidence and
policy [creation]. That message is still very
relevant.”
Siva’s current work at Synergos has taken him
into new policy territory, centered on partner-
ships among the nonprofit, corporate, and
public sectors. Siva views social enterprise as
 8 S TAT E & H I L L

“The Ford School attracts and educates people who believe in

At Wo rk i n t he Wo rld

service and are out to make a difference.” — RICH hughes

the next big thing, the “fourth sector,” and he
is enthusiastic about the possibilities created
by an increased emphasis on corporate social
responsibility.
Corporations, with their immense reach, exper-
tise, and ability to draw on capital, are especially
well positioned to work on environmental and
social issues. “In a partnership, government
and business can hold each other accountable,”
Siva says. “For example, the water shortage
problem in the Himalayan Basin won’t be
solved by the governments of China or India.
But because they rely on the business of both
countries, it’s in the best interest of corpora-
tions to work on this issue.”
Though his interests have long been around
addressing poverty and social injustice in devel-
oping countries through NGOs, he found that
the Ford School’s emphasis on quantitative
analysis and the political environment prepared
him well for his current work on multi-sector
partnerships.
Hughes echoes Siva’s sentiment about the last-
ing impact of his graduate education and adds,
“The Ford School attracts and educates people
who believe in service and are out to make a
difference.” An Alumni Board member, he is
also excited about new developments in the
Ford School’s curriculum, noting that “what
hasn’t changed are the values of the faculty
and the inquisitiveness and motivation of the
students.”
After all, while the curriculum and internship
opportunities at the Ford School have expanded
over time, what makes policy effective and what
gets it implemented has not changed.
Emphasizing the importance of both quantita-
tive analysis and the political environment,
of public accountability at all levels, the Ford
School continues to turn out lifelong learners
with the skills, commitment, and curiosity to
generate real policy impact.

Shot-Callers
Gubernatorial campaign joined by
Ford School students
What are the odds of a former U.S. Army Captain and Michigan
basketball’s co-captain embarking on the same statewide political
campaign?

Despite their diverse backgrounds, Jeffrey S. Barnes (Simon

Photo: U-M Athletic Media Relations
Fellow, Bromage Intern, MPP ’09) , who served stateside and
overseas on active duty for nine years, and C.J. Lee (MPP ’10),
point guard for the Wolverines, share an interest in state and local
politics. It’s no surprise that they joined Republican Rick Snyder
(BA ’77, MBA ’79, JD ’82), a native Michigander and the founder,
chairman, and CEO of Ardesta on his 2010 gubernatorial bid.

“I wanted to get out of my national security niche, and politics at a

Jeffrey Barnes, Rick Snyder, C.J. Lee
state and local level has always been a source of interest to me,”
said Barnes, who works as Policy Director for the campaign. Lee,
completing his summer internship requirement, joined the team
as Rick Snyder’s personal assistant. When asked about people’s
reactions on the campaign trail, Lee concedes with a smile:
“People often recognize me and it sometimes throws them off
because they are used to seeing me running on the court!”
In Tight Times, We’re Tight Knit
Ford School community supports student fellowships and internships

W
ith its long history as a small, collegial program,
it’s no wonder Ford School students still feel
strong connections to fellow students, faculty,
staff, and alumni.
Even as the student body has doubled in the past decade, those
connections remain strong because members of the Ford School
community invest in the students. They give time, energy,
knowledge, and most tangibly, philanthropic support for student
fellowships and internship funding.
previous summer, at the Clinton Foundation. The Faculty and
Senior Staff Internship allowed a student to spend the summer
at Innovations for Poverty Action in Lilongwe, Malawi.
The fact that every Annual Fund dollar is committed to student
support sends a unique and powerful message. Ford School
alumni continue to be the largest group of donors to the Annual
Fund, providing fellowships for top-notch incoming students as
well as the internship support that helps students hone skills and
clarify career goals.

The need for such support is clear. Trey Williams, director of the
school’s Office of Student and Academic Services, notes that
“While we are extremely grateful for the support we have
received, we have not been able to keep up with the increase in
fellowship support offered by key competitors or the combination
of increases in the cost of tuition and the flat levels of federal
need-based support.”
95% of the school’s incoming graduate students are out-of-state
residents, for whom the estimated two-year cost of attendance
is $104,458 ($70,366 in tuition alone). And as Williams points out,
need-based aid has not increased in at least five years.
Alumni, faculty, and staff have all pitched in. For the past two
years, the Alumni Board has provided support to enable student
internships at the Asia Foundation in Manila, Philippines, and, the
But perhaps the most inspiring donors are the students
themselves. For the past three years graduating students have
provided future students with opportunities like those they
themselves had. Abby Newcomer (MPP ’09), recipient of a
Gramlich Fellowship, co-chaired the 2009 Master’s Class Gift
Committee. “I contributed to the class gift program for two
reasons,” she says. “First, I wanted to express my appreciation
for the school’s supportive community. And second, I was
committed to supporting internship opportunities for future
students.”
This year, the school’s first BAs enthusiastically joined their
graduate counterparts in making a class gift. The need is clear,
and Ford School community members—even the newest
members—are responding.

Support the Ford School in its 95th year

Ford School Annual Fund

The Ford School is a leader in professional
education, research, and public service.
Be a leader, support the Annual Fund.
To find out more about the Annual Fund and
other giving opportunities, please contact
the Development Office.
734-615-3892 or visit
www.fordschool.umich.edu/giving
 10 S TAT E & H I L L
An In t e grat e d approac h
Crossing
Borders
Applied Policy Seminar
Evolves with Student Interests
I
n the shadow of the Detroit-Windsor
Ambassador Bridge, Mexicantown’s
authentic restaurants and bakeries delight
tourists and locals. Every year, millions of
Midwesterners drive through the Detroit-
Windsor tunnel and head to the Caesars
Windsor casino for gambling and entertain-
ment. But the Ambassador Bridge and the
Detroit-Windsor tunnel are more than landmarks
for the two communities. They represent the
busiest international border crossing in North
America.
According to a recent Brookings Institution report,
the Ambassador Bridge, which is privately owned
and operated by the Detroit International Bridge
Company, “carries more trade between the United
States and Canada each year than flows between
the United States and all of Europe and Japan
combined.” Billions of dollars and hundreds of
thousands of jobs depend on the infrastructure
that connects Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
It’s a major border crossing between two powerful
nations, and as a result, has important implica-
tions for many policy issues such as trade, immi-
gration, and national security.
As the Ford School’s field of vision has expand-
ed over time, so too have the interests of the
students. Some students still envision their
careers following either a domestic track or an
international one, but increasingly, faculty find
that students recognize the need to explore policy
issues through a more integrated lens. These
factors make the Detroit-Windsor border cross-
ings an ideal focus of study for today’s Ford
School students. The border invites consider-
ation of a wide range of both domestic and
international policy issues. For example, it
very naturally places issues of local economic
development in a global policy perspective,
and frames international security issues within
a regional context.
These opportunities in part led Professor Liz
Gerber to select the Detroit-Windsor border
crossing as the topic for the Applied Policy
Seminar she taught in the Winter 2009 term.
Gerber, herself a political scientist with exper-
tise in domestic issues such as land use, trans-
portation, and economic development policy,
was attracted by the wide range of issues that
can be viewed through the lens of the border
crossing.
Gerber secured the Detroit Regional Chamber
of Commerce as the project’s client and collabo-
rated with Ford School alum and instructor,
Steve Tobocman (MPP ’97), to develop the basic
framework for the course. Given the client’s
broad interests in border crossing issues, the
Chamber was happy to allow the students a
great deal of discretion is choosing the specific
focus of the project.

So when the class convened at the beginning of
the Winter semester, students were given the
initial task of defining the scope of the project
and deciding which particular issues would be
part of the project’s focus. The students chose
a structure that would let them learn about local
economic development and workforce issues,
as well as a number of policy areas traditionally
labeled as international, such as national secu-
rity, immigration, and international trade.
When Gerber contacted the Detroit Regional
Chamber of Commerce to discuss the proposed
project scope, the clients “were initially most
interested in trade and local development, they
were less interested in other global issues such
as security or immigration,” she notes, “but
they were not resistant to the idea of broaden-
ing the focus.”
The resulting project, “U.S. Border Crossing
Analysis: A Case for Detroit-Windsor,” was di-
vided into two parts. The first phase involved
data collection on all major border crossings in
both the north and south of the U.S., including
indicators such as trade, infrastructure, traffic
volume, security measures, employment and
immigration, and the characteristics of local
communities. The second phase broke students
“…more and more students want an education that
integrates domestic and international policy.” — Liz Gerber
into groups that worked
on case studies of the
five largest U.S. border
crossings: Detroit-
Windsor, Buffalo-Niagara,
San Diego-Tijuana,
Laredo-Nuevo Laredo,
and El Paso-Juarez.
Student Suzanne Gill
(Bromage Intern, MPP
’09) explains, “The ulti-
mate goal of this project was to highlight the
unique qualities and characteristics of Detroit,
as well as to make recommendations on what
could be improved based on the study of other
border crossing cities’ best practices.”
The students presented their findings to a di-
verse group of stakeholders from Detroit and
Windsor. “We gave some practical recommen-
dations based on our case studies,” Gill said.
“For instance, we studied the Buffalo-Niagara
region where there is a bridge used solely by
Nexus cardholders. The Nexus pass is a pre-
authorized custom card that makes cross-
border commuting easier and reduces traffic
congestion. This type of initiative is unique
S TAT E & H I L L 11
along the U.S.-Canadian border and could be
replicated in Detroit.”
The opportunity to gain public sector consulting
experience has made the Applied Policy Seminar
a popular elective for a number of years. Past
clients have included county governments,
school districts, and city administrators. The
complexity and methodology of each project
is established collaboratively by the client, the
students, and the faculty director. Students con-
duct research, analyze data, review best prac-
tices, meet with stakeholders, interview actors,
produce briefs and reports, and present their
results to clients.
Jeff S. Barnes (MPP ’09), who took this year’s
course, highlights the importance of the practi-
cal, consulting dimension to him. “I did not
have any consulting experience, so that’s what
drove me to this class. The ability to work with
local actors was a great opportunity for me,
and I also learned a great deal about the
Detroit metropolitan area.” The instructor’s
role, Gerber explains, is to “help with the
design and the management of the project,
and act as an interface between the local
clients and the students.”
Gerber has taught the Applied Policy Seminar
several times, always with a domestic focus.
She thinks that the broad scope of this year’s
course was a positive development, and credits
the changing nature of the MPP students who
come to the school. “There was definitely even
more interest in international issues than I had
thought,” Gerber notes, “More and more students
want an education that integrates domestic and
international policy.” Barnes is just such a stu-
dent. He says, “I had taken many courses fo-
cused on international security and I thought
that it would be an interesting opportunity to
approach this issue from a local standpoint.”
When asked about the next iteration of the
course, Gerber says she’s already looking for
more clients like the Detroit Regional Chamber
of Commerce, clients who see the value of an
integrated approach to public policy. “I hope we
can continue to find opportunities to satisfy the
broad range of interests our students bring with
them to the Ford School, while at the same time
having a positive impact on our local
communities.”
 12 S TAT E & H I L L
A River Runs Through It
Lo c al t i e s
Ford School graduates tackle cost/benefit analysis
of repairs to Ann Arbor’s Argo Dam
A
nn Arborites live for summer’s long days, ripe
cherries, and sunny afternoons at the Huron River.
The river is a quiet place for locals to “get out of
the city” without going anywhere, and the waterway and
bordering parks provide opportunities for hiking, running,
cycling, kayaking, canoeing, and more.
The Argo Dam, originally built in 1820 to power flour
mills and rebuilt by Detroit Edison in 1913, was
decommissioned for hydropower generation decades
ago but remains a key component of Ann Arbor’s
recreation landscape. The 3,200 meters of rowable
water created by the Argo Dam makes the Huron River
the venue of choice for local rowing groups. High school
and collegiate rowing teams and the Ann Arbor Rowing
Club make more than 50,000 trips each year through
the pond created by the dam.
But the lifespan of dams is limited, and the regular
need for extensive repairs has begun to raise questions
about the future of the dam. A heated municipal land
use debate has ensued: should the dam be removed,
returning the riverbed to a more natural state,
reducing noise pollution, and enhancing public
recreation opportunities—but limiting options for
rowers? Or should the dam be repaired?
Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
gave the City of Ann Arbor until July 2009 to make
a decision. Two Ford School graduates have been
instrumental in collecting the data and performing
the analysis necessary for the City’s decision.
Kasina presents his work at the
2nd Annual Gramlich Showcase
Bhavani Prathap Kasina (Wege Foundation Intern,
MPP ’09) worked for seven months this year under
the supervision of Matthew Naud (MPP ‘89), the city’s
Environmental Coordinator. “Prathap did terrific work,”
Naud said. “He provided the city with some excellent
economic analysis of the monetary costs and benefits
of the various options.”
If the City chooses to keep the dam, costs such as
construction and maintenance must be considered, but
the restoration of hydropower generators could eventually
offer revenue (although not for an estimated 50 years).
Removing the dam would incur removal costs and
possibly require dredging sediment, and offer no direct
monetary benefits.
But the Argo Dam debate provides plenty of evidence for
the importance of non-monetized costs and benefits in
public decision-making, as Kasina saw first-hand during
a series of public meetings about the future of the dam.
Environmental groups presented as passionate a case
for removing the dam as did the rowers (many of whom
consider themselves environmentalists) for saving the
pond. “The issue generated considerable interest in
the city and among local groups and communities,”
Kasina says. “I gained a better understanding of local
communities’ issues and I was able to see how political
and social factors, as well as economic analyses, weigh
in to the policy-making process. The cost-benefit analysis
itself is just one piece of the final decision.”
As of this writing, the analysis and debate go on. Taking
into consideration fervent public input (some voiced on
yard signs), conflicting recommendations from the two
city committees with jurisdiction, and the solutions other
communities have found to similar challenges, Ann Arbor
Mayor and Ford School faculty member John Hieftje and
the City Council requested a nine-month extension from
the DEQ to gather additional information about the city’s
options for the dam.
Photo: John Baird
 S TAT E & H I L L 13

First Public Policy Visiting VIPs

BA Students Graduate

F
ifty-four new graduates walked across the Rackham Auditorium stage
in May 2009 and took their place in history as the inaugural class of
undergraduates to receive degrees from the Ford School. The first
group of BAs are outstanding students with broad-ranging interests in policy
at home and abroad. They combined their accomplishments in the classroom
with significant engagement with campus and community life.

Among the accomplishments of the Class of 2009: four members of Phi Beta
Kappa, the winner of a Hopwood writing award, the editor-in-chief of the
Michigan Daily, two varsity athletes, the leaders of a dozen student organiza-
tions, and the organizer behind the first new party in a decade to achieve
a strong showing in the Michigan Student Assembly elections (who says he Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president
learned how to do this in Rusty Hills’s course on campaigns). In addition to of the Children’s Defense Fund, delivers 2009
staying busy in Ann Arbor, about 40% of the class spent a term in study- Citigroup Foundation Lecture in January.
abroad or in the Michigan in Washington program.

As the Class of 2009 moves on to the next stages of their lives, we are learning
the answers to one of our most frequently asked questions: What can someone
do with a BA in public policy? So far, the answers include: go to law school,
pursue a graduate degree in public health or higher education, join the Peace
Corps or AmeriCorps or Teach for America, teach English abroad (in one case
with the support of a Fulbright), join the Air Force, be a legislative aide in
Lansing or DC, and get an internship with the New York Yankees.

This extraordinary group of students set the bar high academically, person-
ally, and professionally for the undergraduate classes that will follow them
into the Ford School. We look forward to continuing to work with the Class
of 2009 as alumni of the School and watching the contributions they will
undoubtedly make in this new role.

Joshua Bolten, former White House Chief of Staff,

speaks to a packed room of Ford School students,
faculty, and staff in April in a session titled, “Running
the White House: Advice I Gave My Successor.”

The BA Class of ’09

 14 S TAT E & H I L L

Ranny Riecker
In t e rv i e w

A Philanthropist for the Future

M
argaret Ann (Ranny) Riecker (HLLD
’05) is the Ford School’s single most
generous supporter of students. Her
philanthropy through the Herbert H. and Grace
A. Dow Foundation (where she is president), the
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation
(where she is chair), and her personal giving
with her late husband, John Riecker (AB ’52,
JD ’54) has already funded the education of 16
public policy students, and more than 400 stu-
dents campus-wide.
Ranny Riecker : The economy keeps me up late.
I think President Obama is extremely charismatic
and quite successful at promoting his policies.
But I also think his proposals leave open some
important questions. I’m an advocate for elec-
tronic medical records, for example. But we
haven’t even started to assess the cost of digitiz-
ing everything. Just our health care system here
in Midland alone would have to pay close to $30
million to make it happen. How can we achieve
this goal in a way that we can afford?

Here at the Ford School, Riecker and her family S&H : In the face of these economic challenges,
have also: what tools does Michigan have to turn things
around?
» helped support the construction of
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, leading RR : Our higher education system is one of our
to the naming of the Margaret Dow greatest assets. It’s very hard for people in
Towsley Reading Room in honor of Michigan to stop thinking about everything in
Ranny’s late mother; relation to automobiles. But the U-M and our
other research universities around the state
» endowed the Towsley Foundation
have so much talent that they can devote to
Policymaker-in-Residence program;
incubating new industries like alternative
and
energy and health sciences.
» significantly advanced the Science,
S&H : Where is the Ford School’s role in this
Technology and Public Policy program
process?
through funding for postdoctoral
students. RR : I’ll be honest again: Michigan’s legislators
and governor don’t understand the assets they
President and Mrs. Ford with She also chaired the School’s highly-
have here. There are so many times when they
Riecker in 2000 successful fundraising campaign and
wouldn’t need to hire outside experts because
serves on its advisory committee.
they could go to U-M or any of our other univer-
A former Republican National Committee sities for more and better advice.
member, Ranny Riecker is a frank advocate for
Of course the School is doing some very inter-
a Michigan characterized by a diverse economic
esting things with local communities—with the
base, effective health care, informed policy,
bridge in Detroit, for example. It’s not an ivory
civility in public life and respect for the value
tower. But it can be very hard to get people to
of education. She recently shared her thoughts
change the way they look at universities.
about current events and her reasons for sup-
porting the Ford School. S&H : You and your late husband, John, have
been the School’s largest supporters of students.
State & Hill :
Let’s start with some big ques-
What inspired you to give for student aid?
tions: What do you think about the state of our
world? What are the issues that keep you up
at night?

“WE’RE BALANCING OUR STATE
BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF THE
FUTURE BY CUTTING EDUCATION.”
RR : The thing that really frightens me is that
we’re balancing our state budget on the backs
of the future by cutting education. For example,
much of my support now is for science policy
because we don’t raise scientists anymore. If
we’re going to have a foreign policy that allows
people into the U.S. on education visas and then
forces them to get a green card or go home,
we’re going to have to start cultivating our
own talent.
S&H : If we were to look back 50 or 100 years
from now, what would you want to see as your
legacy?
RR : Positive change in the quality of life for citi-
zens in the communities we’ve touched. And
some civility in our public policy, in our dealings
with people we disagree with…or even those we
agree with.
S&H :What are the things that make you happy
or proud or excited to live in Michigan?
RR :I love this state: the variety, the lakes…And
the people. Even with all our problems, there are
so many positive people. Michigan has historically
been a breeding ground for entrepreneurs, people
who make positive improvements. We love our
history, but we don’t rest on our laurels.
 For more information about the
Riecker Fellows at the Ford School, go to
www.fordschool.umich.edu/alumni/riecker-
fellows.
S TAT E & H I L L 15
Rabe
Greenhouse Governance
The federal government has been grappling with the issues
surrounding climate change for nearly thirty years and new scientific
evidence strongly supports the idea that a viable governance strategy
needs to be developed. According to a recent survey, while a
majority of Americans believe the earth is warming and government
should be responsible for addressing climate change, they are not
willing to directly support climate change policies. Where does that
leave policymakers?
A group of the nation’s leading researchers and policy-influencers
gathered at a recent national conference to discuss the complex
issues surrounding climate policy. The conference proceedings,
edited by Barry Rabe, will appear in a forthcoming book from the
Brookings Institution Press called Greenhouse Governance:
Addressing Climate Change in America.
Barry Rabe is a professor at the Ford School of Public Policy,
a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and
organizer of the 2008 National Conference on Climate Governance
at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs.
Internship offers
full-circle experience
Frank Szollosi (Annenberg Intern) came to the Ford School
to ‘sharpen his policy chops.’ He joined the MPP class of 2010
with experience as a congressional press secretary, a political
consultant, and a seven-year member of the Toledo City Council.
Szollosi’s interest in climate change, cities, and a post-Kyoto
international climate agreement led him to an internship with the
U.S. State Department’s Office of Global Change (EGC). While with
the EGC, Szollosi was able to attend a round of negotiations of the
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn,
Germany. The UNFCCC was full-circle experience for Szollosi.
“Negotiations are all just a matter of scale,” he said. “Whether it’s
a small city or the UN, you try to find common interests, agreed
upon goals, and communicate with each other.”
 16 S TAT E & H I L L

Rules of the Game are

Pub li c Po li c y fo r Di ffi cult Days

Changing for Michigan

CLOSUP to Survey Local Government Leaders

F
or much of the 20th century, Michigan
was an economic powerhouse fueled by
a growing industrial economy. Times,
of course, have changed.
Michigan’s near decade-long economic decline,
worsened recently by the national recession,
has hit communities throughout the state with
severe problems. And now, due to falling tax
revenue and state cuts to general revenue shar-
ing, Michigan’s rising unemployment and social
service needs are coupled with declining state
and local government fiscal capacity.
As the demand for public services has increased,
the ability to deliver them has fallen.
Complicating things further, the state is under-
going a large-scale economic transformation.
Michigan’s former industrial economy is giving
way to what many hope will be a 21st century
knowledge economy—so what worked in the
past will not work in the future.
Whatever Michigan’s future economy looks like,
it is clear that the rules of the game are rapidly
changing. New strategies for economic and
workforce development are required to return
prosperity to the state.
The Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and
Urban Policy (CLOSUP) has launched an innova-
tive program of survey research to help Michigan
communities deal with these critical issues.
The Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) is
unique: it is the only ongoing survey research
program in the country that targets every unit
of general purpose local government across an
entire state.
The intended respondents are the chief elected
and appointed officials in every county, city,
township, and village in Michigan. Twice per
year, the surveys will gather factual data on
local government operations, as well as opinion
data on today’s most pressing policy issues.
While the 2009 surveys will focus on economic
and workforce development, the ultimate goal
of the MPPS is to foster improved quality of life
in Michigan communities through better
policymaking.
CLOSUP planned and implemented the MPPS in
partnership with the Michigan Association of
Counties, Michigan Municipal League, and
Michigan Townships Association. The
launch of the MPPS and implementa-
tion of the first two survey waves
will be funded by the W. K.
Kellogg Foundation.
 Learn more:
www.closup.umich.
edu.

These Surveys Will:

Provide local public officials with a better
understanding of the views and priorities of their
peers across the state, as well as of the programs
similar communities are developing to meet
today’s challenges.
Give state-level policymakers a clear and
comprehensive view of the priorities and
challenges of communities across Michigan,
highlighting commonalities and differences across
regions and community types.

Identify best practices for fiscal management
and for economic and workforce development,
given the economic transformation underway.
Enhance opportunities for intergovernmental/
regional cooperation and coordination.
Make possible analyses of convergence and
divergence in the attitudes and priorities of
Michigan’s local political leaders, citizens, and
business leaders on issues of fiscal policy, service
provision, and economic development in their
communities.

The Right Place at the
Right Time, Unfortunately
National Poverty Center surveying effects of recession and
federal stimulus on Southeast Michigan workers and families
L
ong affected by the loss of well-paid manu-
facturing jobs, workers and families in
Southeast Michigan have been hit espe-
cially hard by the current economic crisis.
Michigan has among the highest rates in the
nation for foreclosures, unemployment, and
personal bankruptcy filings.
The federal government has poured stimulus
funds into the region under the American
Reinvestment and Recovery Act, providing
direct aid to the disadvantaged and unemployed
and significant additional funding to the automo-
bile industry.
This confluence of economic suffering and the
rapid influx of government funds make Southeast
Michigan the right place at the right time to
explore the impacts of economic and public
policy changes.
Poverty researchers at the Ford School
have designed an ambitious new panel
survey that will help policymakers and
researchers better understand the
effects of the severe recession,
the housing crisis, and the
federal stimulus funding
on workers and fami-
lies in the region.
Sheldon Danziger
and Kristin
Seefeldt lead
the re-
search
team,
which also
includes Ford
School faculty
Robert Schoeni
and Sandra Danziger,
as well as Institute for
Social Research health
economist Helen Levy and
U-M sociologist Sarah Burgard.
The study will explore the influence
of the recession and the collapse of stock
and housing prices on the economic and
The State Capital rotunda, Lansing
Photo: Mike Savitski
S TAT E & H I L L 17
non-economic well-being of workers and fami-
lies, and will assess the extent to which social
welfare programs and federal stimulus spending
offset some of the negative effects of the econom-
ic crisis. It will also investigate the effects of
”It could be that we’re about to see health and emotional
problems increase dramatically.”— Sheldon Danziger
changes in exposure to economic hardships
and in the use of social programs on health
and socio-economic disparities between African
Americans and non-Hispanic whites.
Danziger says, “Past research on job loss links
layoffs with significant increases in health prob-
lems, in part due to increased stress. However,
none of that research has been conducted under
economic conditions like we have now. It could
be that we’re about to see health and emotional
problems increase dramatically.”
On the other hand, Seefeldt points out that many
in the media report that recession adversity is
bringing families together. “But stories like these
are anecdotal,” she says. “We need solid evi-
dence about how families are managing and
what types of public policies work best to miti-
gate hardships.”
A stratified random sample of 1,000 households
in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties will be
surveyed. The survey instrument covers a com-
prehensive set of issues: demographics, employ-
ment and the labor market, income and assets
(including net housing worth), material hard-
ships, credit and debt, health and mental health,
and public program use. Researchers will field
the first survey wave this fall, with subsequent
waves planned for 2010-2012.
The surveys that will be conducted this fall
are supported by generous grants from the Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and
Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, the Ford Foundation, and the
Office of the Vice President for Research at the
University of Michigan.
 Learn more: www.npc.umich.edu.
 18 S TAT E & H I L L
Opening Doors to
Pub li c Po li c y fo r Di ffi cult Days
Higher Education
The Obama Administration implements Susan Dynarski’s research on financial aid
S
tretched family incomes, fewer
private sources of credit, and
rising tuition costs—while still
a key predictor of lifetime earnings,
a college education has become harder
than ever to afford. Ford School
economist Susan Dynarski’s research
has focused on ways to close the
racial and socioeconomic gaps in
college entry, particularly around one
key factor: federal financial aid. Now
Dynarski’s work is in the hands of the
policymakers who can put her recom-
mendations into practice.
The Obama Administration sees access
to higher education as both an equity
issue and a means of building a
skilled workforce prepared for the
economy’s rebound. In June, U.S.
Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan
announced significant changes to the
form college students use to apply
for federal financial aid, the much-
maligned Free Application for
Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
The results? A shorter, simpler online
application form; proposed legislation
to remove more than half of the
financial questions; the ability for
some families to re-use financial data
Susan Dynarski accepting Golden Quill Award from NASFAA
already submitted to the IRS; and
ultimately, one fewer barrier to a
college education.
Secretary Duncan’s announcement
was the culmination of a long process
of policy engagement by Dynarski
and other academic researchers. In
2006, Dynarski and her co-author,
Judith Scott-Clayton, set out to con-
duct high-quality, nonpartisan re-
search on the costs and benefits of
the complex process of applying for
federal financial aid. The researchers
concluded that with very little loss
of accuracy, the application process
could be reduced to a simple check-
box on tax returns, indicating the
desire to apply for financial aid.
Information already collected by
the IRS could then be used by the
Department of Education to evaluate
eligibility.
Reduced complexity would also help
families by enabling the Department
to communicate financial aid deci-
sions earlier in the process, when the
information could more meaningfully
help students make the decision to
apply to college. Dynarski and Scott-
Clayton asserted that this
set of reforms would “improve the
effectiveness of the billions already
committed to higher education, al-
lowing aid to serve its intended goal:
opening college doors to those with
the ability but not the means to pur-
sue higher education.”
In 2007, the Brookings-based
Hamilton Project commissioned a
nontechnical, policy-oriented version
of the original research papers. The
resulting publication, “College Aid on
a Postcard,” was widely picked up by
the mainstream press and specialty
publications such as The Chronicle of
Higher Education. Dynarski testified
before Congress, participated in
countless conference calls with policy-
makers, and met with financial aid
administrators from around the
country. Several presidential hopefuls
— Republicans as well as Democrats
— incorporated the ideas into their
platforms. Dynarski was invited to
join the Rethinking Student Aid Study
Group, sponsored by the College
Board, and they included her recom-
mendations in an influential publica-
tion last fall.
Co-chaired by Sandy Baum, a senior
policy analyst for the College Board
and professor of economics at
Skidmore College, the Study Group
assembled some of the most promi-
nent experts on higher education
finance in the country. Baum praised
Dynarski’s contributions, noting that
in its deliberations, “the group relied
heavily on Susan’s research and her
expertise, especially on the issue of
simplifying the application process
for student aid. The respect with
which the report has been received
has been significantly enhanced by
Professor Dynarski’s reputation and
her role.”

Welcoming Vets
Back to School
The University of Michigan and the Ford
School are pleased to announce a new
partnership with the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs called the Yellow Ribbon
GI Education Enhancement Program.
The Yellow Ribbon Program—as it’s more
commonly known—will benefit military
veterans by providing funds to help
students cover tuition expenses above
those included in the original post 9/11 GI
Bill. The program is just one element of a
larger set of services the U-M provides to
help veterans transition successfully from
active duty to the academic community.
Learn more by contacting the Student
Services office at 734-764-0453.
The Department’s FAFSA proposals
fall short of the wholesale simplifica-
tions recommended by Dynarski and
Scott-Clayton. But Dynarski believes
that the Administration is laying the
groundwork for more sweeping
changes while government agencies
resolve daunting implementation and
technical issues. She continues to
consult with House staff as the legis-
lation enabling the initial simplifica-
tions makes its way through
Congress.
For her body of work on student
financial aid, Dynarski received the
prestigious 2009 Robert P. Huff
Golden Quill Award from the National
Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators (NASFAA). The award
was presented in August at the orga-
nization’s annual conference in San
Antonio, Texas.
The NASFAA reward is gratifying, but
the greater satisfaction for Dynarski
was in seeing her work change public
policy. “I’m in this profession because
I believe that good academic research
can and should influence policy.
Complexity in student aid dispropor-
tionately hurts the very groups the
loans are meant to support. Our re-
search pointed toward some clear
solutions to that problem, and it’s a
terrific feeling to see those solutions
move toward implementation.”
S TAT E & H I L L 19
Center for Public Policy
in Diverse Societies
T
he Ford School will launch a new research center this fall, a first-
of-its kind initiative designed to shed light on how public policy can
most effectively navigate the opportunities and challenges posed by
societies that are becoming increasingly diverse locally, nationally, and
internationally.
International migration and differential rates of birth and mortality con-
tinue to drive complex changes in the composition of communities, high-
lighting the need to confront their diversity in terms of culture, religion,
race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status. Academic researchers
have tackled the resulting issues from a variety of perspectives, including
the social sciences, education, business, and law. But with the opening of
the Center for Public Policy in Diverse Societies, the Ford School will be
home to the first university-based effort focused specifically on the public
policy issues associated with diversity.
The new center will build on intellectual resources from around the
University as well as those already present at the Ford School. The center
will initially be funded by the U-M Provost’s office, the U-M’s National
Center for Institutional Diversity, and the Ford School. We will be seeking
funding support from foundations and donors to sustain and expand the
work of the center.
Early joint PhD graduate
Jordan Matsudaira, now
Assistant Professor at
Cornell (2005)
PhD Program Flourishes
The Ford School has highly selective joint PhD programs with
Economics, Political Science, and Sociology.
76 students have entered the program since it began in fall 2001.
We’ve graduated 6 joint Economics PhD students, 6 joint Sociology PhD
students, and 7 joint Political Science PhD students.
Career destinations have included tenure-track positions at universities such
as Princeton, Rutgers, Cornell, West Point, Claremont McKenna College, City
College of New York (CUNY), Colgate University, and Penn State; research
roles with think tanks such as Mathematica; and government positions with
the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department.
Nearly 80% of the active students have been awarded full- or multi-year
competitive fellowships and many have received prestigious national awards.
10 students are expected to complete their degrees within the next year.
20 S TAT E & H I L L
Faculty News
Fac ult y
& Awards
Bob Axelrod is part of a project inter-
viewing senior Israeli and Palestinian
leaders to improve understanding about
what is really most important to each
side in resolving conflict in the Middle
East. Among other issues, the group ex-
plored the potential impact of a joint wa-
ter project between Israel and Jordan to
connect the Red Sea with the Dead Sea.
The group’s leader, Lord John Alderdice
of Northern Ireland, presented the
results of the work directly to George
Mitchell, President Obama’s special
envoy for the Middle East.
Dr. Ken Pienta – co-author with Axelrod
and David E. Axelrod of the 2006
National Academy of Sciences publica-
tion, “Evolution of Cooperation Among
Tumor Cells” – has developed a drug in-
spired by their work together. The drug
will soon start Phase II trials with human
subjects.
Sandra Danziger has a paper forth-
coming in the Annual Review of
Sociology (36), “Decline of welfare and
implications for poverty.” Sandra has
begun a 3-year, McGregor Foundation-
funded project to evaluate the Family
Success Program of Starfish Family
Services in Inkster, MI. The program
provides support to economically dis-
tressed families with young children.
The Rockefeller Foundation selected
Sheldon Danziger for a month-long
scholarly residency at its Bellagio Center
in Italy, where he presented a seminar,
“Four Decades of Antipoverty Policies.”
With Maria Cancian, Sheldon is the edi-
tor of a new book from the Russell Sage
Foundation, Changing Poverty, Changing
Policies.
Axelrod Danziger Goldenberg
Associate Dean Alan Deardorff
gave a plenary address, “Dangers and
Opportunities for Developing Countries in
the Current World Trading System,” at
the 12th Annual Conference on Global
Economic Analysis, UN-ECLAC, Santiago,
Chile in June. The Ford School and the
Economics Department will celebrate
Alan’s 65th birthday this year with a
Festschrift: a two day conference called
“Comparative Advantage, Economic
Growth, and the Gains from Trade and
Globalization.” Paul Krugman will be the
keynote speaker on Friday, October 2,
2009. Learn more and register: www.
fordschool.umich.edu.
John Dinardo has accepted a joint
appointment at the U-M Law School as
the school’s chief statistics consultant.
The Law School has asked him to assist
faculty with “projects that require statis-
tical analysis, and help those who may
feel ‘statistically challenged’ to learn how
to survive in an increasingly quantitative
world of scholarship.”
James J. Duderstadt received honor-
ary degrees this spring at McGill
University and Dartmouth. In addition
to many other national and international
leadership activities, he is the co-chair,
with Jeff Sachs, of the National Science
Foundation’s Roundtable on Global
Sustainability.
Edie Goldenberg and co-author John
Cross have a new book out from MIT
Press, Off-Track Profs: Nontenured
Teachers in Higher Education.
Brian Jacob was chosen by his alma
mater, the University of Chicago’s Harris
School, as their distinguished alumni
speaker for the U of C’s 500th
Convocation, to be celebrated in October.
Mel Levitsky accepted an invitation
to become a member of the Operating
Committee of the U-M Substance Abuse
Research Center (UMSARC).
In May 2009, the American Civil
Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in the U.S.
Court of Appeals challenging the patent-
ability of genes linked to breast and
ovarian cancer susceptibility. Shobita
Parthasarathy , who wrote a book
comparing the development of genetic
testing for breast cancer in the U.S. and
Britain in 2007 (entitled Building Genetic
Medicine), has been asked to file a decla-
ration in support of the ACLU’s case.
The International Monetary Fund’s
Independent Evaluation Office commis-
sioned a paper from Bob Stern titled
“Trade in Financial Services: Has the
IMF Been Involved Constructively?”
Jan Svejnar has accepted an invitation
to join the Editorial Board of the
European Economic Review. He was
co-organizer of the World Bank’s Annual
Bank Conference on Development
Economics. The conference, titled
“Lessons from East Asia and the Global
Financial Crisis,” was held in Seoul,
South Korea in June. Jan is co-editor of
a new book from Routledge titled, Labor
Markets and Economic Development.
The book is comprised of papers first
presented at the Ford School’s
International Policy Center in May 2007.
Katherine Terrell and co-author
Michael Troilo won the IJGE/WAIB 1st
Annual Emerging Scholar Award in
Women’s Entrepreneurship in June for
their paper “Culture, Values and Female
Entrepreneurship.” Katherine has forth-
coming publications in Labour Economics,
Economics of Transition, and World
Development. She and a team of re-
searchers are consulting with policymakers
from three Central American countries
on the impact of minimum wages on
poverty. The results will be presented in
February 2010.

Parthasarathy Yang Ciorciari Potter Chen
David Thacher published “The
Cognitive Foundations of Humanistic
Governance,” in vol. 12, no. 2 of the
International Public Management
Journal. He also contributed a paper
called “Community Policing Without the
Police? The Limits of Order Maintenance
by the Community,” to a comparative
volume called Community Policing and
Peacekeeping (London: Taylor and
Francis, 2009).
Maris Vinovskis published “From a
Nation at Risk to No Child Left Behind:
National Education Goals and the
Creation of Federal Education Policy”
(New York: Teachers College Press,
2009). He was inducted as an American
Education Research Fellow in 2008.
Amnesty International USA’s member-
ship elected Susan Waltz to a 3-year
term on the organization’s governing
board.
Congratulations to Dean C. Yang , who
was promoted this fall to Associate
Professor of Public Policy, with tenure.
Two other faculty received promotions
this year as well: congratulations to
Sharon Maccini (Lecturer IV) and
Kristin S. Seefeldt (Assistant Research
Scientist). Kristin’s book, Working after
Welfare, was published this year by the
W.E. Upjohn Institute.
S TAT E & H I L L 21
Two Political Scientists High Praise for New Book
Join the Faculty Associate Professor Anthony S. Chen ’s
new book, The Fifth Freedom: Jobs, Politics,
John D. Ciorciari is an Assistant
and Civil Rights in the United States, 1941-
Professor of Public Policy. His interests
1972 (Princeton University Press, 2009),
include public international law, the theory
has garnered tremendous reviews for its
and practice of international relations, and
groundbreaking exploration and analysis
international finance. His current research
of the history of affirmative action.
projects focus primarily on Asia and
examine foreign policy strategies, human While the book was in press, the Social
rights, and the reform of international Science History Association named it the
economic institutions in that region. Since 2008 President’s Book Award winner, an
1999, he has been a legal advisor to the award given each year to mark a meritorious
Documentation Center of Cambodia, first work by a scholar.
which promotes historical memory and
justice for the atrocities of the Pol Pot The Fifth Freedom, an expansion on Tony’s
regime. He holds an AB and JD from doctoral dissertation, connects the advent
Harvard and an M.Phil. and D.Phil. from of affirmative action with
battles over fair
Oxford, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.
employment practices
Philip B. K. Potter is an Assistant legislation from the
Professor of Public Policy. His primary 1940s to the 1970s.
research interests are in international
security, political economy, and methods.
His current research explores the
relationship between interdependence
and international conflict, the impact of
media on foreign policy, and the role of
networks in transnational terrorism.
Philip holds a BA from McGill University,
a PhD from the University of California,
Los Angeles and has been a fellow at
Harvard University and the University
of Pennsylvania.
22 S TAT E & H I L L
Class Notes
Alumn i
Jong-Hae Yoo , MPA ’65, received
the Higashikuninomiya Cultural Award
from the Japanese Imperial House for
Japan and Korean Cultural Exchange.
He served as a Professor of Public
Administration at Yonsei University from
1971-1996 and later as President of the
Korean Society for Public Administration.
Michael (Mike) Winn , MPP ’71, looks
forward to attending the 95th re-
union. Mike works in DC and lives
with wife, Elizabeth, in Annapolis,
MD. Mike is taking the summer off to
enjoy Sherwood Forest, where they live.  nizations with managing constituent re-
Scott Elliff , MPP ’78, recently
retired after a career in the Office of
Management and Budget, Executive
Office of the President, and later in pri-
vate sector business consulting. Now
Scott owns and operates DuCard
Vineyards (www.ducardvineyards.com)
and is involved with non-profit boards,
including the Piedmont Environmental
Council and the Center for Nonprofit
Excellence.
Sue Poppink , MPP ‘83, earned tenure
at Western Michigan University,
Department of Educational Leadership in
June 2008. Her research interests are in
teaching practices and their relationship
with federal and state policy, particularly
the Elementary and Secondary Schools
Act of 1965 and its reauthorizations.
David Norquist , MPP ’89, is a partner
with Kearney and Company. He worked
for the federal government for 19 years
in various positions, most recently as
Chief Financial Officer of the Department
of Homeland Security. He is married and
has three children who dress themselves
in maize and blue on football Saturdays
despite living in Virginia.
Class of 20??
Pictured from left to right are: Charlotte,
Scott, and Ross Anderson; Camille and
Julienne Conger; Eve Skrocki; Daniel and
Elliot Stowe; Sofia and Lucas Sossa;
Winn grandchildren; Grigori Zolikoff
Yoo Norquist Brown
Daniel Polsky , MPP ’89, welcomed his
second child, Issac Davis Polsky, to the
family on October 11, 2008. During the
2007-2008 academic year, he served as
a Senior Economist for the President’s
Council of Economic Advisors, and in
June 2009, was promoted to full profes-
sor of Medicine and Health Care
Management at the University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine and
the Wharton School.
Peter Gross , MPP ’93, started Dot Org
Consulting, which assists nonprofit orga-
lationships, in November 2007. He and
wife Shelly adopted their second child
from China in December, a fantastic boy
named Wade (4.5 yrs), brother to Clara
June (6 yrs). Peter would love to hear
from his fellow ’93 grads at peter@do-
torgconsulting.net.
Susan McLaughlin , MPP ’93, was pro-
moted to Senior Vice President at the NY
Fed last December.
Gary Brown , MPA ‘95, recently com-
pleted a 2.5 year tour with the U.S.
Agency for International Development
in Afghanistan and is returning to Ann
Arbor in the fall to obtain an MSW, with
an emphasis in individual practice and
mental health.
Dylan Conger , MPP ’95, and her
husband Michael Smith-Welch brought
home their youngest daughter, Julienne
Ejigayehu Conger (born June 29,
2008) from Ethiopia in March 2009.
Julienne is healthy, happy, and beautiful
and adores her big sister, Camille. 
Holly Donnelly , MPP ’96 and Bob
Donnelly , MPP ’95, are moving back to
the DC area. Holly spent the last few
years at home with children, Helena (6
yrs) and Robby (4 yrs), and recently ac-
cepted a job with the General Services
Administration. Bob is the Senior Director
of Health Policy at Johnson & Johnson.
Evangeline Sophia Drossos , MPP
‘97, was promoted to Co-head of Global
Foreign Exchange Strategy at Morgan
Stanley. She and husband, Gabriel,
welcomed a son, Zachary Alexander
Ovanessian, in December.
Holly B. Anderson , MPP ‘98, and hus-
band Scott celebrated the birth of daugh-
ter Charlotte Jane Anderson on August 8,
2008. The family, including son Ross (7
yrs), is absolutely in love with their new-
est member.
Craig Garthwaite , MPP ‘01, finished
his PhD in Economics at the University
of Maryland and has accepted a tenure
track position at the Kellogg School of
Management at Northwestern.
Ben Sossa , MPP ‘01, and Genene
Fisher Sossa , MPP ‘01, live in Raleigh,
NC with their children, Lucas (3 yrs),
and, Sofia (1 yr). After earning his MBA
at Duke, Ben recently returned to Duke
as Director of the Executive MBA
Programs. Genene continues to work on
science policy issues at the American
Meteorological Society and is an adjunct
professor at North Carolina State
University.
Stephen Stowe , MPP ‘01, and Lisa
(Berry) Stowe , MPP ‘00, welcomed
Elliot Michael Stowe on April 15,
2009. He joins big brother Daniel (3 yrs),
who is thrilled with his little brother.
Steve is a research analyst at Samson
Capital Advisors and Lisa is a business
analyst in the Markets Group at the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Walter Braunohler , MPP ’02, and
his wife, Loren, are moving back to
Washington, DC where Walter will be
working at the U.S. Department of State
in Foggy Bottom after two years as the
spokesman at the American Embassy in
Khartoum, Sudan.

Braunohler Holmes, Dosanjh, Gupta
Bulbul Gupta , MPP ’04, Sukhi
Dosanjh , MPP ’01, and Stephanie
Holmes , MPP ’05, met in New Delhi,
India in March. Bulbul was in the city to
work and visit family while Sukhi and
Stephanie were in New Delhi working for
USAID and the U.S. Embassy, respectively.
Stephanie Schmidt , MPP ’05, married
Scott Leiser (who recently finished his
PhD in cellular and molecular biology at
U-M) in May. They are moving to the
Seattle area for positions at the
University of Washington: Stephanie in
the PhD program at the Evans School of
Public Affairs and Scott as a postdoctoral
fellow.
Aaron Skrocki , MPP ’05, is back in
Ann Arbor where he completed his first
year of MBA studies in the Ross School
of Business. Aaron previously worked in
international development with Catholic
Relief Services and the UN World Food
Programme. On February 11, 2009, he
and his wife welcomed a daughter, Eve
Elisabeth Skrocki.
Mikhail Zolikoff , MPP ‘05, and wife,
Deborah, welcomed their new son,
Grigori Mikhailovich Zolikoff, into the
world on March 1, 2009. They don’t
know what they would do without him!
Chris Dorle , MPP ‘07, recently
deployed to Afghanistan where he is
serving with USAID as a Development
Advisor to NATO/ISAF Headquarters.
Geoff Young , MPP ’07, was the recipi-
ent of Crain’s Detroit Business “20 in
their 20s” award for his work on the
Detroit Region Aerotropolis Project.
Dina Ufberg , BA ’09, is completing a
Fulbright in Hong Kong where she will
conduct research and serve as an English
Teaching Assistant.
In Memoriam
Howard Vaughn Gary , MPP ’72,
passed away February 15, 2009. Howard
broke ground as the first black City
Manager of Miami, serving from 1981-
1984. Howard was born Jan. 13, 1947,
in New York City. In addition to his IPPS
MPP, he earned under-
graduate degrees in po-
litical science and
business administration
from Morehouse College.
After IPPS, Howard
served as the budget director of Newark,
NJ, and then as Miami’s budget director
in 1976 before moving on to become City
Manager of Miami in 1981 at the age of
35. Howard’s administration was instru-
mental in efforts to build modern down-
town Miami. After his career with the
city, Howard went into the private sector
as a bond manager. He died after a five-
year battle with cancer.
Deil Wright , MPA ’54, passed away
after a brief illness on June 30, 2009. He
was a native of Michigan with BA, MPA,
and PhD degrees from the U-M. Deil was
an Alumni Distinguished Professor at the
University of North Carolina. He joined
the UNC Political Science Department in
1967 after teaching at Wayne State
University, the University of Iowa, and
the University of California at Berkeley.
He is the author or co-author of numer-
ous books, articles, and papers, including
three editions of Understanding
Intergovernmental Relations. He was
director of the MPA Program at the
University of North Carolina from 1973-
1979, and in 1975 he was elected to
membership in the National Academy of
Public Administration. Deil is survived by
his wife, Pat, and three children.
Bev Godwin
S TAT E & H I L L 23
From State Street to
Pennsylvania Avenue
In June, Annie Maxwell (MPP ‘02) was
one of 15 named as 2009–2010 White House
Fellows. Selection as a White House Fellow is
highly competitive and based on a record of
remarkable professional achievement early in
one’s career, evidence of leadership potential,
a proven commitment to public service, and
the knowledge and skills necessary to
contribute successfully at the highest levels
of the Federal government.
Annie is the Chief Operating Officer of Direct
Relief International, a nonprofit that through
humanitarian assistance improves the quality
of life for people affected by poverty or
disasters in 59 countries including the U.S.
Annie served as chair and vice chair of the
Ford School’s Alumni Board. In addition to her
MPP from the University of Michigan, Annie
received a BA in English and Political Science,
Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude. She
attended the U-M on a full athletic scholarship
and was captain of the volleyball team.
Bev Godwin , MPP ’82, is working in the
White House as Director of Online Resources
and Interagency Development at the Office
of New Media @ The White House. This new
office manages all the online media for the
President and Administration, including
WhiteHouse.gov and online citizen
engagement initiatives such as Open for
Questions, live chats, video, photos,
Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.
Bev was also recently honored with the
President’s Award from the National Capital
Area Chapter of the American Society for
Public Administration, and she has been
nominated to be a Fellow at the National
Academy of Public Administration.
24 S TAT E & H I L L

International
The Last Wo rd

Opportunities Jennifer Niggemeier

Alumni and financial support key to international internship growth

International internships for MPP students have increased
significantly in the last decade—but not without deliberate
planning on the part of the Ford School.
Alumni connections and increased financial support have been
essential to the growth in international internships. Jennifer
Niggemeier, Director of Graduate Career Services, explains
more in this interview with Geoffroy Ponte (MPP ’09).
Jennifer Niggemeier: One of the goals of the program over the
past ten years was definitely to expand the school’s international
offerings. Part of that deliberate goal was to create more
opportunities for students to secure internships overseas, and
also to find internship opportunities that were within the U.S.
but focused on international issues.
So, over the past ten years, we have seen significant growth in
both those areas, moving from a place where less than 5%
percent of the students were going overseas for internships to,
in recent years, 20 to 25 percent of the class (nearly twice the
size it was 10 years ago) interning abroad, with an additional 20
percent doing international work within the U.S. That’s more than
a four-fold increase, from just 8 internationally-focused
internships in 1997 to 34 last summer.
Geoffroy Ponte: How did the school achieve such results?
JN: Around the time that IPPS became the School of Public
Policy, a significant investment was made in expanding the
Career Services department. With a commitment of additional
resources, we were (and are) able to not only develop
relationships with more employers, but also provide more
students with funding support. Funding was critical to making
international internships a reality; we had to reduce the financial
obstacles which often prevent students from accepting the
internship that best suits their career goals.
We continue to work to create new opportunities. One
successful strategy has been the development of internship
‘partnerships’: that is, relationships between the Ford School
and key organizations in the U.S. or abroad that specifically
agree to host a Ford School intern.
GP: What role did our alumni play in this evolution?
JN: Our alumni have always been the greatest resource in terms
of connecting us with what’s really happening in the policy world:
what are the hot policy issues? Who are the employers doing
cutting-edge work? Where are the opportunities? Our alumni
have been absolutely critical in helping us to find those answers
and connect our students with incredible opportunities.
GP: What are the prospects for future students regarding
internships and jobs?
JN: There are always new opportunities and new organizations,
and finding ways for students to connect with these organizations
is part of what our office is about. We do that in a number of
ways, from active employer outreach—we actually go to different
countries and meet with key employers—to working with alumni
who can point us in those directions.
For example, a new internship partnership developed this
summer with The Asia Foundation (TAF) in the Philippines was
not a result of me going to the Philippines, but of an employer
outreach visit to San Francisco, where I met with an alum
working for TAF. She was instrumental in opening that door and
setting up the opportunity. Building more opportunities like that
is what we seek.
Geoffroy Ponte, a citizen of France, completed his internship
(with funding support from the Ford School) working in DC for
Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA), where he was assigned to her
Foreign Affairs & Military and Veterans Affairs Department.

50%
International Internships within U.S.
Internships Abroad
40%

30%

20%

10%
1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

0
 S TAT E & H I L L 25

Calendar Highlights
September 25-26, 2009 November 2, 2009
95th Anniversary and Douglas A. Brook (MPA ’67), former Acting
Alumni Weekend Under Secretary of Defense/Chief Financial
Officer
October 2, 2009
A Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation
Paul Krugman, Princeton University
Policymaker in Residence Lecture
and The New York Times
A Citigroup Foundation Lecture November 5, 2009
Alumni Reception at APPAM Conference in
October 2-3, 2009
Washington, DC
Comparative Advantage, Economic Growth,
and the Gains from Trade and Globalization: December 10, 2009
A Festschrift in Honor of Alan V. Deardorff Lt. Governor John Cherry, keynote lecturer for
conference: The Future of Higher Education in
October 7, 2009
Michigan.
Senator Chuck Hagel, Georgetown
Hosted by CLOSUP
University and the University of Nebraska
at Omaha
A Citigroup Foundation Lecture

Can’t make it back to Ann Arbor? Visit our website for details, video, and audio. www.fordschool.umich.edu

Are you coming to the 95th
Anniversary and Alumni Weekend?
Alums: mention this note at registration
and receive a free Ford School gift.
For a full list of activities, visit:
Friday, September 25
Campus bus tour
University-wide lecture series
Coffee Talk with Dean Susan M. Collins
Faculty panel discussion
Alumni reception: presentation of the Neil Staebler
Alumni Service Award to Dr. Douglas A. Brook (MPA ’67)
Dinner with Ford School student organizations

www.fordschool.umich.edu/alumni-weekend. Saturday, September 26

All-school tailgate
If you can’t make it, look for event highlights online, Homecoming football game: U-M vs. Indiana
in the feed and in the next edition of State & Hill.
More: 734-615-3892 or fspp-alum@umich.edu
 Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
735 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3091

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