MADISON, Wis.—Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman today announced his appointment of public policy scholar Michael Ford as leader of the Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue.
Ford most recently was the EAA C.R. Meyer Endowed Professor of Public Administration at UW-Oshkosh and director of the Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research based at UWO.
“Michael Ford is a well-respected public policy and administration scholar and a great fit to lead the Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue,” Rothman said. “As a scholar with real-world experience in government, Michael understands why active citizenry, civil dialogue, free expression, and democratic principles are so important.”
“The Universities of Wisconsin must be a robust marketplace of ideas that collectively move our state forward,” Ford said. “I look forward to advancing the core values of viewpoint diversity, freedom of expression, academic freedom, civil dialogue, and civic participation throughout the Universities of Wisconsin and the communities we serve.”
In addition to his scholarship, Ford has served as a member of the Oshkosh Common Council, a member of the Oshkosh Plan Commission, and the board of Clarity Care Inc, a private, nonprofit personal care agency. He is interim president of the Midwest Public Affairs Conference.
Prior to entering academia, Ford was research associate and vice president for operations for School Choice Wisconsin and research director for the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. He has an undergraduate degree in political science from Marquette University, a master’s in political science from UW-Milwaukee, and a Ph.D. in urban studies from UW-Milwaukee.
Ford will take a leave of absence from his appointment as a faculty member at UWO and be based on the Oshkosh campus.
WICCD, a part of the Universities of Wisconsin, provides resources, opportunities, and support for teaching, learning, and practicing viewpoint diversity, freedom of expression, academic freedom, civil dialogue, and civic participation within UW universities and Wisconsin communities. It seeks to enhance democracy through civil dialogue in a robust marketplace of ideas.
The Universities of Wisconsin serve approximately 164,400 students. Awarding nearly 36,000 degrees annually, these 13 public universities are Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state Universities of Wisconsin graduates stay in the state five years after earning a degree. The universities provide a 23:1 return on state investment. The Universities of Wisconsin also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy. Learn more at wisconsin.edu.