News

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.

Watch the hearing

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.

RSVP today

ARPA-H; Defense Workshop; Social Sciences and Humanities

BU IN DC

President Melissa Gilliam met with Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) on October 28th. She also attended the Association of American Universities (AAU) Fall Membership Meeting from October 26th to 28th.

Wheelock College of Education & Human Development Dean Penny Bishop joined the AAU Deans of Education Annual Meeting on October 27 and 28th.

Jennifer Gómez of the School of Social Work moderated a panel discussion at the National Academies Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education 2025 Public Summit on October 28th.

Tianyu Wang of the College of Engineering attended the Nvidia GTC conference on October 28 and 29th.

Jonathan Feingold of the School of Law addressed A History Teach-In on the National Mall on October 26th.

Diane Baldwin, Kathryn Mellouk, Renna Lilly, Rachelle Joseph, and Ryan Russell of the Office of Research attended the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) Membership Meeting on October 23 and 24th.

Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Dean Emeritus Karen Antman participated in the National Academy of Medicine Annual Meeting on October 19 and 20th.

BUZZ BITS...

On the 31st day of the federal government shutdown, pressure is building, but negotiators still remain far apart on resuming operations. Meanwhile:

• Dr. Alicia Jackson was sworn in as the new director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) last week. Jackson is a health technology entrepreneur who previously served at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
• Dr. Kyle Walsh is the new leader of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. Walsh was previously an associate professor in the field of neuroepidemiology at Duke University; he replaces Dr. Richard Woychik.
• The U.S. Department of Education issued a final rule on Thursday that alters the definition of eligible employers under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which allows individuals to have their federal education loans forgiven after working for a nonprofit or governmental organization. The new rule excludes employers who "participate in illegal activities," such as "aiding and abetting violations of Federal immigration laws [or] supporting terrorism or engaging in violence."

EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE

Interested in learning more about Department of Defense (DOD) research funding, but unsure where to begin? The Office of Research and Federal Relations will host a webinar on "Strategies for Pursuing Department of Defense Funding" on Thursday, November 6th at 1:00 p.m. Join Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, a Washington, DC based consulting firm, for an informative session that will offer an overview of key DOD funding opportunities, guidance on building relationships with DOD program managers, strategies for demonstrating your research’s relevance to national security, and practical steps to successfully pursue DOD funding. Faculty Alexander Green of the College of Engineering, Maria Kamenetska of the College of Arts & Sciences, and Jennifer Schlezinger of the School of Public Health will share insights learned from their experiences successfully securing DOD research grants.

RSVP today

GRANT NEWS YOU CAN USE

An updated "Overview of Federal Funding Opportunities for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities" is now available to the BU community on the Federal Relations website. The popular guide from Lewis-Burke Associates provides information on a wide range of federal agencies and programs, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, and many others. This year's update includes recent program changes, terminations, and deadlines. Investigators may use the document to identify relevant programs and develop proposals and strategies for engagement with funding agencies.

Learn more

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