Public Engagement News

Professor Luke Shaefer has been appointed special counselor to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on anti-poverty and economic mobility initiatives. His role is advising and facilitating discussion on anti-poverty policy. 

Clinical Associate Professor Beth Sherman is a member of the Standards Development Committee for the Michigan Department of Education. She worked on new recommendations for school social workers. Her efforts have resulted in two new standards encompassing diversity, inclusion, human rights and social justice. “These standards build on the School of Social Work’s commitment to DEI. Teaching and researching in this environment have taught me to be a strong advocate for social justice and informed my work on this committee.”

Clinical Assistant Professor Justin Hodge was elected to the board of directors for the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP). CRISP is committed to expanding the participation of social workers in federal legislative and policy processes and acts as a bridge between social work researchers and federal policymakers.

Associate Professor Terri Friedline was appointed by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathleen L. Kraninger to the Academic Research Council. Friedline’s important research on fair banking and financial practices will impact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the nation.

“The Bureau is able to protect consumers in the financial marketplace better when it receives input from a wide range of experts and stakeholders,” said Kraninger. “I am confident these groups will be able to hit the ground running in their efforts to provide meaningful feedback on Bureau policy and regulations.”

"I am honored to receive this appointment and to serve and protect consumers by advising the Bureau's research agenda. I look forward to working alongside the Director and fellow council members," Friedline said.

Professor Emerita Edie Kieffer’s latest research “Diagnosis and Care of Chronic Health Conditions Among Medicaid Expansion Enrollees: A Mixed-Methods Observational Study, was included in a front page Washington Post story. The study finds people with chronic conditions are significantly more likely to report improved physical and mental health since enrolling in the Healthy Michigan Plan, the state’s expanded Medicaid program. Ann-Marie Rosland, now an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, is the first author of the study. Originally published in published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the research has also inspired an article on U-M’s Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation (IHPI) website. Kieffer has been a member of IHPI’s Healthy Michigan Plan evaluation team since its beginning in 2014.

Kieffer led the qualitative interview component of the evaluation and is also survey team member. “This was a mixed methods study, which uses both survey and interview data, and integrates the results” she explains. She was responsible for analyzing the interview data and integrating key interview themes and quotations with the survey results in the manuscript. 

“Why do we include interview data?  It is used as part of the evaluation because personal stories are important,” says Kieffer. “Policymakers are often most moved by the stories – these bring the numbers alive.  The interviewees told truly important stories about the impact of having the Healthy Michigan Plan on getting diagnosed, getting needed care to help them to manage their conditions, and on the functional impact on their lives.”   

Professor Joseph Ryan will receive the President’s Award for Public Impact. The award honors individuals who have offered their academic research and expertise in tangible service of a major public-sector challenge.