NASA Leader; College Costs; Thought Leadership
BU IN DC
School of Public Health (SPH) Dean Adnan Hyder and members of the SPH community attended the 2025 American Public Health Association Meeting & Expo between November 2nd and 5th. Dean Hyder also hosted an Alumni & Friends reception on November 3rd.
Senior Vice President and General Counsel Erika Geetter participated in the Association of American Universities General Counsels Annual Meeting between November 2nd and 4th.
BUZZ BITS…
On Wednesday, the federal government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history. In other news:
- On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump announced that he intends to re-nominate investor Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator. In May, Trump withdrew Isaacman’s previous nomination and placed Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in charge of the agency. Isaacman has proposed a significant reorganization of NASA and aims to “get some of that $1 trillion in university endowments into the fight, alongside NASA, to further science and discovery.” The U.S. Senate will need to approve his nomination before he can assume the role.
- The Navy confirmed that Dr. Rachel Riley is the new leader of the Office of Naval Research, replacing Rear Admiral Kurt Rothenhaus. Riley previously worked on cost-cutting initiatives at the Department of Health and Human Services through her role with the Department of Government Efficiency.
- The Department of Education (ED) concluded the second and final negotiated rulemaking session focused on implementing the federal graduate student lending changes enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law this summer. Participants coalesced around a narrow definition of “professional degree” that would exclude many programs of study from qualifying for a new $50,000 annual student loan limit. ED plans to solicit stakeholder feedback on a proposed rule and issue final regulations in time for the new loan limits to take effect in 2026.
SENATE HOLDS HEARING ON FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY IN HIGHER ED
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing titled “Reforming Financial Transparency in Higher Education” on Thursday. Lawmakers and witnesses called for reforms to help families more easily compare college costs, including improvements to financial aid offer letters and net price calculators offered by colleges, as well as updates to the federal government’s College Scorecard website. Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) touted his College Transparency Act, coauthored with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Cassidy had previously requested public feedback on improving transparency around college cost and value.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Office of Research and Public Relations are hosting “Strategic Communications: Crafting Impactful Thought Leadership” on Thursday, November 13th at 1 p.m. Join Kevin Anselmo from Experiential Communications for this 90-minute Zoom workshop that focuses on helping participants translate their messaging strategy into compelling written content that drives influence and visibility. This session will help you discover how to use the power of thought leadership and learn how you might be able to leverage digital platforms like Substack, LinkedIn, The Conversation or other online blogs.