MPP Capstone Forum features student research and alumni inspiration
May 15, 2026 - Karessa Weir
Five graduates of the Master of Public Policy program presented their final research project at this Spring’s Capstone Forum, which also featured an inspiring speech by Michigan State Budget Director Jen Flood, herself an MSU MPP alumna.
“As a first generation, very shy college student, my path to this program and being the state’s budget director was unlikely,” Flood told a packed room in the MSU Union.
“I didn’t have a roadmap for what came next after graduation, but MSU gave me two things – a world-class education and access to opportunities that I could not have imagined. I’m forever grateful for the lessons that I learned here and the doors that opened for me because of my time at Michigan State.”
Flood holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master of Public Policy degree, both from MSU. She previously worked as a government policy advisor at Dykema and a communications specialist at Byrum Fisk Advocacy Communications, as a legislative assistant in the Michigan House and Senate, and a scheduler in the Executive Office of Gov. Jen Granholm.
Prior to serving as head of the State Budget Office, Flood served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. As State Budget Director, Flood is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the state’s budget.
“The classes I took at MSU gave me skills, yes. But I think more importantly than that, perspective,” Flood said. “How to think critically, how to challenge assumptions , and how to approach problems methodically. That mindset – rigorous, evidence-driven thinking – is what I carry with me every single day as the State Budget Director.”
Her favorite part of her job is the policy that she is able to advance. She told the students that while policy has to be based on data and evidence, it also must take into account the real-world effects and what else is affecting the residents of the state. She used the recent budget negotiations as an example.
The balanced bipartisan budget passed with nearly unanimous support and included a historic road funding package, Flood said.
“We don’t live in a world that lacks data. We live in a world that lacks shared trust in the data,” she said. “I know there’s a lot of people in this room focusing on making policy to improve our communities, state, country and world. I challenge everyone to take the data one step further.
“Your responsibility as a policy professional is bigger than being right. It’s making the right answer matter. Pair rigor with strategy and you won’t just design better policies, you’ll make them real.”
Flood shows the state and the country what can be accomplished with an MSU Master of Public Policy degree, said MPP Director, Assistant Professor Marty Jordan.
“She’s widely recognized for her pragmatic approach as well as her commitment to data-driven accountable budgeting. Her career spans nearly two decades now of public service across Michigan government and, her experience exemplifies the very impact-oriented policy leadership that we try to strive to cultivate in this program,” Dr. Jordan said. “And so we are so proud to call her an alumna of MSU as well as this program.”
