The following updates were shared in JMC's July 2026 alumni newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter online. Share an alumni-related update (including your own!) via Qualtrics:
Ciera Borden (PTCD '23) is a J.D. candidate at the University of Chicago Law School. This summer she was awarded an Equal Justice America fellowship, which funds law students and recent graduates working at civil legal aid organizations.
Abby Johnson (PTCD '12) was recently named Director of Student Retention Initiatives at MSU College of Social Science. She will provide strategic leadership for efforts that support students through the Academic Standing of Undergraduate Students (ASUS), reinstatement and readmission processes.
Jade McGuffey (IR & PTCD '26) recently joined Butzel Long as a Digital Support and Conflicts Coordinator.
Delaney McDermott (CCP '21) was selected as a recipient of the 2026 David A. Winston Health Policy Scholarship. McDermott is a Master of Public Health and Master of Public Policy candidate at the University of Michigan.
Alaina Murphy (IR '22) earned her Master’s in Public Administration with a specialization in Local Government Management from Northern Illinois University. Upon graduation, she was awarded the American Society of Public Administration’s 2026 Graduate Student Award, the Legacy Project’s Emerging Leader Award for piloting a mentorship program in partnership with the Illinois City/County Management Association. She also graduated top 1% of her class and was promoted to the Assistant to the Village Administrator for the village of New Lenox. She was also nominated as a board director for the Illinois Association of Municipal Management Assistants.
Patricia Petrowski (PE '96) was named the next Vice President and General Counsel of the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Petrowski was a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, a large law firm in Chicago, IL., where she worked from 2000 to 2014.
Ross Rogers (SRP '26) is participating in the Pitt Public Health Undergraduate Scholars program at the University of Pittsburgh this summer. This program is one of seven CDC-sponsored John Lewis Scholar programs which provide training in public health, health equity and professional development to undergrads and recent graduates.
Prayag Shankar (PTCD & Economics '26) joined the Michigan League of Conservation Voters as Lead Voting Rights Organizer.
Claire Smith (SRP '25) was accepted to the University of Michigan’s Master of Arts in Higher Education program and will begin the program in the fall as a dual degree with her Master of Public Policy. As a part of this program, she will complete an internship with the Marsal Family School of Education’s Office of Recruitment & Admissions.