Pressley Wins Congressional Primary
BU IN DC
Brian Walsh of the College of Engineering highlighted research conducted by the BU Center for Space Physics and funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at a Capitol Hill exhibition on July 25.
Sarah Phillips of the College of Arts & Sciences spoke at a Congressional briefing on the history of American farm policy on August 20.
Michael Hasselmo of the College of Arts & Sciences met with Department of Defense officials to discuss neuroscience research on August 23 and 24.
Nahid Bhadelia of the School of Medicine addressed DARPA’s 60th anniversary symposium on September 6.
PRESSLEY WINS CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY
In a major upset, Boston City Council member Ayanna Pressley defeated 10-term incumbent Michael Capuano in the Democratic primary for for the 7th Congressional district of Massachusetts, where BU’s campuses are located. Pressley, who attended the College of General Studies, ran on a platform of generational change, highlighting her background as more representative of the Commonwealth’s only majority-minority district. The race gained national attention as a bellwether of the future of the Democratic Party. With no opponent for the general election, Pressley is the presumptive Congresswoman-elect and will assume office in January.
WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE ADVISER NEARS APPROVAL
On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee sent Kelvin Droegemeier’s nomination to be the next director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to the full Senate for a vote. President Donald J. Trump nominated Dr. Droegemeier in July, potentially ending the longest vacancy for the position since OSTP’s creation in 1976. Droegemeier is a meteorologist at the University of Oklahoma, where he also serves as its vice president for research. He served on the National Science Board under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and his nomination was met with support from both science advocates and key members of Congress.
NIH TO ADDRESS THREATS TO RESEARCH INTEGRITY
On August 23, National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Frances Collins announced a new advisory committee that will address attempts made by foreign entities to exert undue influence on the NIH and researchers funded by the agency. At a Congressional hearing, Collins said NIH is aware of attempts by foreign entities to inappropriately obtain intellectual property included in grant applications or produced by NIH-funded research; the sharing of confidential information on grant applications by peer reviewers with foreign entities; and the failure of some researchers at NIH-funded institutions to disclose affiliations with and funding from foreign governments. Collins has asked grantee institutions to ensure that NIH applications and progress reports include all sources of research support, affiliations, and financial interests, as consistent with the NIH Grants Policy Statement.