Staff

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Tyler Baird, Editor-in-Chief

Tyler is a third-year dual-degree candidate with the Ford School (MPP) and the School for Environment and Sustainability (MS). He is particularly interested in climate adaptation and resilience policy at the state level, focusing on urban/rural politics and agricultural sustainability. Prior to coming to Ann Arbor with his partner and two young daughters, Tyler served over 10 years in the U.S. Air Force as an airborne cryptologic language analyst. He is a two-time graduate of the Defense Language Institute and holds a B.S. in environmental science from American Military University.

Annie Henseler, Managing Editor

Annie is a second-year MPP student at the Ford School focused education and disability policy with a concentration in public policy analysis methods. Presently Annie works in the LSA DEI office to offer accommodation services to staff and faculty, offering education on accessibility in higher-ed, and overseeing the creation of accessible events within the largest college on campus.  Before joining the Ford School, Annie received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education with a focus on English and TESOL at Michigan State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude and serving as a Newman Civic Fellow.

Major Stevens, Web Editor

Major is a first-year dual-degree candidate with the Ford School (MPP) and the School for Environment and Sustainability (MS). He is particularly interested in climate change and energy policy at the state and national level, labor policy, and other social policy issues in the United States. Prior to coming to Ford, he received his Bachelor’s of Science at the University of Michigan with a double major in Astrophysics and Political Science.

EDITORS

Sam Lynch

Sam, a first-year dual-degree candidate with the Ford School of Public Policy (MPP) and Ross School of Business (MBA), is a senior editor at the MJPA. He is interested in health policy, especially with place-based strategies that create sustainable and resilient community solutions. Prior to the University of Michigan, Sam worked at a youth development non-profit that improves health and eduction outcomes in the immigrant community of the Bronx, New York. He holds a B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Michael Fuller

Michael (he/him) is a third-year dual degree student pursuing an MPP at the Ford School of Public Policy and an MBA at the Ross School of Business. Prior to graduate school, Michael worked as an educator – first as a GED tutor in Rhode Island’s Maximum Security Prison and then as an 8th grade math teacher in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. He is passionate about building strong public institutions and advancing economic justice for all. He holds a B.A. in Public Policy from Brown University.

Amaya Fox

Amaya is a first-year MPP student at the Ford School and is interested in environmental policy and voting rights work. Prior to graduate school, she worked in public radio and led the fundraising team for a State Senate campaign in her hometown of Tacoma, WA. Amaya graduated summa cum laude from the University of San Francisco, earning a B.A. in Political Science and Journalism.

 

Nicholas Birdsong

Nicholas Birdsong is a PhD candidate, joint between Public Policy and Political Science (American Politics). His research focuses on political trust and the measurement of elite preferences. He holds an M.P.P. with a concentration in methods from the Ford School (’22), A Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law (’15), and a B.A. in Political Science from Washburn University (’12). A more detailed professional bio is available at nicholasbirdsong.com.

Milena Saakyan

Milena Saakyan is a first-year MPP student and Weill Scholar at the Ford School of Public Policy, and a senior editor on the Michigan Journal of Public Affairs. Prior to graduate school, Milena worked at the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab evaluating the impact of college access and success programs across the city. She is passionate about using research to expand pathways to college access and economic mobility, particularly for first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color. Milena holds a B.S. in Applied Economics and Management and a minor in Public Policy from Cornell University.

Sergio Lozano

Sergio is a first-year student at the Ford School (MPP). He is particularly interested in research topics on labor productivity and the role that productivity plays in economic growth. Before joining Ford, he developed a career in the local government of the city of Monterrey, Mexico, where he supported the consolidation of small and medium-sized companies by introducing these companies to global supply chains and evaluated the social impact that various infrastructure projects had on the population. He also has experience in the consulting sector, advising national companies with export plans. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.

Charlotte Hovey

Charlotte is a second-year Master of Public Policy student at the Ford school. She is committed to improving socioeconomic equity in the U.S. through social infrastructure, criminal justice, and environmental justice. Before pursuing her Master’s, Charlotte conducted research and wrote reports about the supply chain as a Communication Coordinator for Carrollco Marketing. Born and raised in the California Bay Area, Charlotte graduated summa cum laude from UC Santa Barbara, with a B.A. in Sociology and Communication. There, she worked for nonprofits Environment California and Students Against Sexual Assault.

Aiswarya Padmanabhan

Aiswarya is a second-year Master of Public Policy student at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. She is passionate about international economic development, gender policy, and environmental policy and is looking to pursue a career in the nexus of the three areas. Having grown up in the United Arab Emirates, Aiswarya graduated magna cum laude from the American University of Sharjah, with a B.A. in International Studies, with minors in Economics and Environmental Policy. She has previously interned with the IOM Office of the Directory General and worked as a Communications Volunteer with the World Food Program.

Danielle Levy

Danielle is a second-year dual-degree candidate at the Ford School (MPP) and the School for Environment and Sustainability (MS). She is interested in post-growth and wellbeing economies, community wealth building, and urban sustainability. Before returning to school, Danielle spent six years producing documentaries, news specials, and podcasts for CBS News. She graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism.

Francisco Brady

Francisco Brady is a second-year master’s student at the Ford School of Public Policy. Most recently, he was a Summer Fellow in the Office of the Mayor of Chicago. Prior to Ford, he was a senior research analyst at the University of Chicago’s Inclusive Economy Lab, working on basic income trials and housing stability projects. Francisco graduated from Howard University with a degree in Economics in 2017.

Beth Hartsog

Beth is a first-year MPP student and a senior editor at the MJPA. Prior to coming to the Ford school, she worked as a research associate at an urban economic consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her primary policy interests relate to housing, infrastructure, and community development. She holds a bachelors degree in economics, with a minor in philosophy, from San Jose State University.

 

Kate Lyons

Kate Lyons grew up in Round Rock, Texas and received her B.A. in Public Policy Studies and Psychology from Duke University in 2015. Prior to returning to the Ford School to pursue an MPP degree, she worked in a variety of nonprofit organizations focusing on child and family policy, and U.S. K-12 education systems and policy. Kate is interested in the components of successful policies and programs that support child well-being, particularly at the state and local levels, as well as how these can be scaled, evaluated and sustained. In her free time, she enjoys doing puzzles, hanging out in coffeehouses with friends or books, and spending time outdoors.

Zakaria Bulus

Zakaria is currently a Wieser Diplomacy Fellow at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy with over 10 years of development and humanitarian experience, providing technical support and capacity building to government officials and local partners in northeast Nigeria. Following his education in Nigeria, he obtained a BSc with a double major in Political Science and Peace Studies from Manchester University in Indiana and a master’s in international development from Ohio University. His work was featured in the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Country Insights Series on Localization.

Cara Clay

Cara is a first-year MPP student at the Ford School of Public Policy and is primarily interested in environmental policy, international policy, and social policy. Prior to graduate school, she worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Birmingham Land Bank Authority where she wrote reports and carried out tasks related to community development & revitalizing Birmingham’s 99 neighborhoods. Subsequently, she worked as a legal assistant in the Office of the City Attorney at the City of Birmingham where she worked jointly with city attorneys, the Clerk’s Office, and the Mayor’s Office. Cara holds a B.A. in Economics, a B.S. in Geography, and a minor in French from the University of Alabama.

Alina DeVoogd

Alina DeVoogd is a first-year dual M.P.P. student at the Ford School and M.S. student at the
School for Environment and Sustainability. Before coming to the University of Michigan Alina
was a Green Corps organizer, working on campaigns to fight oil drilling in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge, protect crucial marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine, and promote clean
energy legislation in New Jersey. She is passionate about learning and education, the
environment, and women’s rights. Alina is a tutor and loves to teach, her goal is to get a Ph.D.
and teach at a university. In her free time, she likes reading, traveling, and spending time with
family.

Archana Kamath

Archana is a first-year MPP student from India. She completed her Bachelor’s in Economics and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations, Security & Strategy. During the course of her Master’s program, she analysed contemporary geopolitical issues and the innumerable factors that shape them, from a security standpoint. Archana is now eager to build on her background in economics and international affairs, and apply it to the realm of policymaking. In her recent past, as an international table tennis athlete, she has travelled extensively to represent India in multiple sporting competitions worldwide, including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. As she makes her transition to becoming a full-time student at the Ford School, she is excited to work towards her ultimate goal of contributing and giving back to society.

J’Mauri Jackson

J’Mauri Jackson (she/her) is a second-year Ph.D. student in Public Policy and Sociology and a Graduate Research Fellow at the Center for Racial Justice at the Ford School. Her work primarily focuses on the relationship between systemic racism and health. Through her affiliation with the Carceral State Project at U-M, she is currently working on projects examining health, healthcare, and rights mobilization in Michigan prisons.

Aklesia Maereg

Aklesia is a first-year dual degree student pursuing an MPP at the Ford School and an MSI at the School of Information. Prior to graduate school, Aklesia worked as a 6th grade math teacher in Greensboro, NC. They are most interested in affordable housing policy, K-12 education, and the expansion of social services. They received their B.A. in Public Policy and Political Science from the University of North Carolina-Chape Hill.

Gautham Sharma

Gautham (he/him/his) is currently a first-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) student at the Ford School, concentrating in social policy. Originally from Princeton, NJ, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics and Public Policy Analysis from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Prior to Ford, he worked as a management consultant at RSM US LLP in Chicago, focusing on private equity and M&A transactions. He is interested in using his Ford education to build on his prior experience and education in economics to work toward the economic empowerment of the LGBTQ+ community. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, photography and listening to music.

Drew Bluethmann

Drew Bluethmann is a Master of Public Policy candidate at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, set to graduate in 2026. He earned a BA in Political Science from Wabash College, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2022. Drew has diverse experience in policy analysis, having worked on projects related to criminal justice, digital equity, and public health funding. He is passionate about data-driven solutions for public policy and is particularly focused on National Defense Spending policy.

Jose Pelaez

Jose (he/him) is a first-year graduate student at the Ford School of Public Policy, where he serves as an Associate Editor for the Michigan Journal of Public Affairs (MJPA). He is interested in social policy. Prior to the University of Michigan, Jose worked at the University of Chicago’s Crime & Education Labs. He holds a B.A. in History and Anthropology/Sociology from Denison University.