Undergraduate Opportunities

STPP offers a number of academic and co-curricular opportunities for undergraduate students, both within and outside of the Ford School. We have highlighted some of these offerings below. Here is a comprehensive list of undergraduate courses throughout the university that may be of interest.

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Student Organizations

Leaders for Ethical AI Development Now (LEAD Now) mobilizes around the adverse social, economic, and geopolitical consequences of unregulated AI development. We explore potential policy regulations through article readings, speaker events, documentary screenings, and more. This group aims to build a coalition of individuals across the University of Michigan who are passionate about technology policy and are interested in advocating for a more equitable future. Participation is open to all students.

Interested in Joining? Please contact the LEAD Now Officers:
President: Audrey Melillo, [email protected]
Vice President: Yael Atzmon, [email protected]
Secretary: Sachin Sukumar, [email protected]

Networking and Events

Undergraduates are welcome and encouraged to attend any of STPP’s alumni networking events, which help students gain a better understanding of career options available in technology and science policy. Past speakers have included:

  • Brian Wesolowski (MPA ‘13), Microsoft’s Director of Public Affairs
  • Brad Weltman (BA ‘97, MPP ‘99), Director of Public Policy at Facebook
  • Vineet Shahani (BBA ‘00), General Counsel, Corporate Secretary & Head of People at Mill
  • Alex Kate Halvey (PhD ‘22), AAAS Science and Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy
Interested in learning more? Sign up for our Mailing List.

Student Research Corps

Undergraduates also play key roles in STPP’s applied research projects. Many are part of the Student Research Corps for our Community Partnerships Initiative, which supports local organizations who seek to participate in public and policy discourse related to technology and technology policy. Annabella Vidrio (Public Policy Minor ‘24) authored a memo on Tenant Screening Algorithms. Madison Cutler (BA ‘24) made considerable contributions as a co-author on the The Community Partnerships Playbook: How to Create Equitable Partnerships Between Technical and Community Experts. This resource, written in collaboration with three community-based non-profit organizations, helps guide researchers in supporting and lending authority to community organizations as they advocate for partnerships that benefit their constituencies. Terry Nguyen (BA ‘24) wrote a policy paper on Regulating Drone Surveillance in Michigan as part of a technologies in policing series.

Experiential Learning

STPP regularly offers experiential learning courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. In Fall 2023, STPP partnered with the Ford School’s Practical Community Learning Program (PCLP) in support of State Representative Dylan Wegela’s efforts to regulate AI and surveillance technology in the workplace. Three students, including two undergraduates, examined federal and state-level policy models, responded to questions posed by the Legislative Services Bureau in the draft legislation, and created one-pagers targeted at constituents and labor groups. After developing their policy proposal, the students toured the Representative’s district, knocking on doors and soliciting constituent feedback. The highlight of the experience was a trip to the Capitol in Lansing, where they met with elected officials to share their work. You can find more details of that trip here.

STPP students in Lansing

In Winter 2024, STPP partnered with the Ford School’s Office of Communication & Outreach to offer a one-credit Advocacy Training and Lansing Day course. Interdisciplinary groups of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students identified legislation related to STEM workforce, energy, and health policy. Students honed their policy advocacy skills over the semester, culminating in one-on-one meetings with individual elected officials and their legislative staff.

STPP is currently partnering with the City of Ann Arbor's Office of Sustainability and Innovation (OSI) to draft state-level legislation in support of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) and building code waivers. 

Advising

Are you interested in taking a deeper dive into science and technology policy? STPP is pleased to offer individual academic, co-curricular, and career advising. Please contact STPP Education Manager Julie Berson Grand for an appointment. We look forward to meeting you!

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