Departments and Research Centers

Youth Policy Lab

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Showing 1 - 30 of 173 results

Stacey Brockman

Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Wayne State University
Stacey L. Brockman, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies at Wayne State University. Dr. Brockman spent a significant portion of her career as a high school teacher, teacher educator, and intervention…
Stacey Brockman

Megan Foster Friedman

Managing Director
[email protected]
Megan Foster Friedman is the Managing Director of the Youth Policy Lab. In this role, Megan provides global project oversight, manages YPL’s internal operations and systems, and provides day-to-day leadership and staff supervision. Megan joined YPL…
profile photo of megan foster friedman

Sara Heller

Assistant Professor of Economics, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Faculty Associate, Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research
[email protected]
Sara Heller is an assistant professor of economics at the University of Michigan and studies interventions to reduce crime and improve other life outcomes among disadvantaged youth. She uses large-scale experiments to isolate the causal effects of a…
Sarah Heller

Michael Ricks

Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Michael is an applied public economist working as an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. His research applies theory and econometrics to analyze the welfare implications of government programs, including…
Michael Ricks

Joseph P. Ryan

Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work and Faculty Associate, Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research
Joe Ryan's research and teaching build upon his direct practice experiences with child welfare and juvenile justice populations. Dr. Ryan is the Co-Director of the Child and Adolescent Data Lab an applied research center focused on using data to…
Joseph Ryan

Luke Shaefer

Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy; Director, Poverty Solutions; Professor of Social Work
H. Luke Shaefer, Ph.D. is the Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy and Professor of Public Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. At U-M, he is also the inaugural director…
Luke Shaefer

Jennifer Smith

Research Process Manager
Jennifer Smith is a research process manager with the Youth Policy Lab at the Survey Research Center at U-M. She has been in sponsored research administration at the University of Michigan for 24 years and serves as the key administrator and fiscal…
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Megan Tompkins-Stange

Associate Professor of Public Policy
Megan Tompkins-Stange is an associate professor of public policy at the Ford School. She is the author of Policy Patrons: Philanthropy, Education Reform, and the Politics of Influence (Harvard Education Press, 2016). She is a scholar of education…
Megan Tompkins-Stange profile photo
In the Media

Opinion | The case for thoughtful cellphone restrictions in schools

Mar 14, 2025 Bridge Michigan
As educators throughout the state design and implement rules regarding cellphone use in school, we urge them to think carefully about how they will know if their policies are working as intended. It is easy for anecdotes and perceptions to shape the...
profile photo of Brian Jacob and Justin Heinze
In the Media

Jacob questions efficiency in the use of tech in classrooms

Jan 22, 2025 The Wall Street Journal
The Ford School's Brian Jacob recently spoke with The Wall Street Journal regarding his 2023 research survey on the use of technology in classrooms. Jacob's survey was conducted among 1,000 educators and showed technology is used for completing...
Jacob questions efficiency in the use of tech in classrooms
In the Media

How did the pandemic change schooling?

Sep 4, 2024 American Enterprise Institute: The Report Card Podcast
On this episode of The Report Card, Nat Malkus speaks with Brian Jacob about the ways in which the pandemic changed the grammar of schooling. Nat and Brian discuss the pandemic’s effects on student technology use, parent-teacher communication, and...
Brian Jacob on The Report Card Podcast: How Did the Pandemic Change Schooling?
News

ASPIRE program bridges research and real-world impact

Aug 6, 2024
When Chaelee Farquarson learned about the Applied Social Policy Internship and Research Experience (ASPIRE), she applied out of curiosity. As a rising senior studying psychology at Spelman College, much of her research was theoretical.“I was drawn...
ASPIRE program bridges research and real-world impact
In the Media

How the Flint water crisis set schoolchildren back

Mar 13, 2024 The Washington Post
School-age children affected by the water crisis in Flint, Mich., nearly a decade ago suffered significant and lasting academic setbacks, according to a study released Wednesday, showing the disaster’s profound impact on a generation of children.The...
Flint residents voice their concerns at Flint City Hall water meeting. Photo credit: Sam Owens