Barry Rabe, Director

Barry Rabe is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Environmental Policy; J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy; Professor of the Environment, College of Literature, Science and the Arts; Professor of Environmental Policy, School of Natural Resources and the Environment; and Professor of Political Science, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Professor Rabe's research interests include the environment, health, nonprofits and civil society, politics, institutions and processes at the state, national, and international levels, and issues of science and technology.

See Barry's Ford School faculty page.

Michael Crawford, Research Area Specialist

Michael joined CLOSUP in May 2011. He received his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the University of Michigan in 2005 and his Master's in Public Policy from Michigan State University in 2011. Prior to joining the Ford School, he worked on several research projects examining state and local government policies in Michigan. In addition to his focus on Michigan issues, Michael has an interest in intelligence policy and criminal justice.

Scott Greer, Visiting Scholar

Scott L. Greer, Ph.D., a political scientist, does research on the consequences for health policy and the welfare state of federalism, decentralization, and European integration. He has done research on health politics and policy in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, France, Germany and Spain as well as EU politics and policy. Before coming to Michigan, he taught at the University of London. He currently directs a two-year project on the consequences for health services and political participation of elections to health boards in Scotland, is editing two books (on decentralization in health care with Joan Costa I Font of the LSE and on EU public health policy, with Paulette Kurzer of the University of Arizona), and is writing a book with Margitta Maetzke of Johannes Kepler University Linz on the role of the state in English, German and American health care.

See Scott's faculty page.

Debra Horner, Project Manager

Debra joined CLOSUP in September 2008 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to help design, launch, and manage the Michigan Public Policy Survey. Following her fellowship, Debra became a regular member of the CLOSUP staff in September 2011, as the MPPS Project Manager. She received her doctorate in Political Science from the University of Michigan and has experience with survey research projects both in academia and the private sector. Her primary areas of research center on political attitudes and political participation with her dissertation research focusing on the concept of political interest and the different ways we can think about individuals' engagement in political processes. Debra is also Voter Service Chair for the League of Women Voters Oakland Area and an active volunteer at her three children's schools.

Thomas Ivacko, Administrator & Program Manager

Tom joined CLOSUP at its founding in the fall of 2001 and serves as the Center manager and administrator. He also oversees the Michigan Public Policy Survey program. He previously served as study manager, program manager and administrator for 11 years with the National Election Studies at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. Outside of work Tom has coached youth sports, and he serves as a board member and past president of a nature area non-profit organization that focuses on stewardship and elementary school environmental educational opportunities in Ann Arbor, MI. He has a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's in public administration, both from the University of Michigan.

Bonnie Roberts, Project Coordinator

Bonnie joined CLOSUP in August 2008. She is responsible for coordinating various events and projects, as well as office and grant administration. She has a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Michigan University. Before joining CLOSUP, Bonnie was the Program Administrator for the Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) Program, and Program Administrator and Events Manager for the UM Labor Studies Center at the Institute for Labor and Industrial Relations.

Valerie Benka

I graduated from Middlebury College in 2004 and subsequently moved to DC for four-ish years (first working as an AmeriCorps*VISTA, then as a grant writer with a nonprofit). Last summer I headed back up north to my hometown of Boston for a one-year M.S. program in Animals and Public Policy at Tufts University's School of Veterinary Medicine. I am interested in the emerging field of conservation medicine, or 'one medicine,' which basically looks at the health of animals, humans, and the environment as being inextricably linked. I'll be doing a joint degree between the Ford School and the School of Natural Resources and Environment, and I look forward to focusing on environmental and public health policy-related courses.

Valerie is currently working with CLOSUP on public opinion research focused on Great Lakes environmental issues.

Andrew Bracken

Andrew earned his Master in Public Policy from the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in May 2013. From 2008 to 2011 he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cape Verde and Mozambique where he worked in water and sanitation and food security with Luxembourg Development and USAID. In 2008 he graduated from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration. His research interests include African affairs, environmental issues, and food security.

Andrew is currently working with CLOSUP on background research for the Michigan Public Policy Survey.

Erica Brown

Erica is currently completing her Master of Public Policy degree at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. She joined CLOSUP in 2013 as a Research Assistant. Her research focuses on the public opinion on hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania and the way experience and partisanship influence public perception of risks and benefits. She received her bachelor's degree in English from New York University in 2005. Prior to starting graduate school at the Ford School, she worked as an environmental planner permitting utility-scale energy projects in California.

Christina Hajj

I graduated from the University of Miami with a BA in International Studies and English Creative Writing. After graduation, I worked for the State of Florida House of Representatives as a District Aide, and, in 2009, I joined the Peace Corps. I was a TEFL Education Volunteer in Southwestern China and completed my service in July 2011.

Christina is currently working with CLOSUP on various research projects, and assisting with CLOSUP's lecture series and events.

Kristine Hartman

Kristy is currently completing her Master of Public Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. She joined CLOSUP in 2013 as a Research Assistant examining public opinion on hydraulic fracturing in Michigan and Pennsylvania and the role state and local governments play in taxing and regulating the industry. Kristy's previous experience includes serving as a congressional affairs liaison for National Nuclear Security Administration where she researched and analyzed legislation with potential impacts to nuclear weapons security and as a program analyst for the U.S. Department of Energy where she managed congressional affairs and appropriations issues for the Department. Kristy is interested in ways energy development and sustainability relate to national security issues.

Jacob Ignatoski

Jacob is currently completing a Master of Public Policy at the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. In his studies he is focusing on state and local policy issues, including community development and public budgeting. He joined CLOSUP in May 2013, and will be assisting with the Michigan Public Policy Survey.

Graduating from Grand Valley State University in 2008, Jacob earned a BBA and BS with majors of finance, business economics, and political science. Before coming to the Ford School to pursue his graduate degree, he worked at Habitat for Humanity of Kent County in Grand Rapids, MI as grant and financial analyst. He has also completed completed a year of service in the AmeriCorps program.

Ruth Tabak

Until June 2010, I worked on Capitol Hill for the Health Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways & Means. During health reform, I developed Medicare policies for the Affordable Care Act. Prior to health reform, I worked for a health care consulting company in DC, primarily assisting clients with Medicare policy. I graduated with an A.B. in Public Policy and American Institutions from Brown University in 2006. At the University of Michigan, I am pursuing a joint Master degree in Public Policy and Public Health.

Emily VanDusen

Emily is currently assisting with data collection for CLOSUP's biannual Michigan Public Policy Survey. She is an undergraduate student at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy (Class of 2014), and has interned at the United States Department of Education and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. She is also signed on to intern for Representative John Dingell's Ypsilanti office during the summer of 2013. Along with Michigan politics, Emily is especially interested in civil rights law and policy.