News
University, RA Union Agree to 3-Year Contract, with Vote Pending
Includes $1,700 stipend per semester, free meals, and continued free housing.
Healthcare Costs
Professor Reni Conti from BU Questrom School of Business testifies before the Senate Finance Committee about prescription drug pricing on Tuesday, September 17, 2024.
Gilliam on the Hill; NIH Reform; Walz
BU IN DC
Anthony Jack from the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development held a discussion about his new book at Politics & Prose on August 16th.
Hadi Nia of the College of Engineering gave a keynote address at the National Cancer Institute Junior Investigator Annual Meeting on August 22nd.
Kevin Gallagher and Marilou Uy of the Global Development Policy Centeraddressed an International Monetary Fund technical workshop about debt sustainability, climate change, and development on August 23rd.
Deborah Carr of the Center for Innovation in Social Science and Jennifer Weuve of the School of Public Health participated in a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) workshop on social factors that may impact the risk for cognitive impairment on August 29th and 30th.
Yannis Paschalidis of the Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering attended a National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health co-led workshop on using artificial intelligence to understand menopause on September 4th and 5th.
GILLIAM MEETS WITH LAWMAKERS ON CAPITOL HILL
President Melissa L. Gilliam discussed her vision for the University, BU's efforts to support students this fall, and the importance of federally-funded research with Members of Congress on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Gilliam met with Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), whose Congressional district includes parts of the Charles River Campus, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL, CAS '70). Gilliam met this summer with Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, as well as Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), whose district includes BU's campuses.
BU COMMENTS ON NIH REFORM PROPOSALS
Vice President and Associate Provost for Research ad interim Thomas Bifano recently responded to two requests from Congress for input on the future of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In response to a proposal from Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) of the House Energy & Commerce Committee to merge NIH institutes and centers, restructure how NIH pays for research, and restrict gain-of-function research, BU's letter stressed the importance of an evidence-based decision-making process. Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Larry Bucshon (R-IN) sought input on ways to advance biomedical research further. In response, BU's comments emphasized the need for sustained funding over the long-term and investment in biopreparedness. While Congress is unlikely to move forward with legislation to alter the NIH this year, the Congressional proposals signal legislators' interests in the years ahead.
HARRIS SELECTS WALZ AS RUNNING MATE
Last month, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would be her running mate as she seeks the presidency on the Democratic ticket. Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard and was a high school social studies teacher prior to representing a rural Minnesota district in the U.S. House of Representatives. As Governor, he signed into law a bill to provide free college tuition for students attending public institutions. Governor Walz's wife, Gwen, was also a public school teacher and is an advocate for higher education opportunities for incarcerated individuals.
BU President Melissa L. Gilliam Visits Capitol Hill
President Gilliam met with Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Reps. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Lois Frankel (D-FL) in Washington, DC on Thursday, September 12, 2024.
E-Cigarette Brands Are Skirting the Rules about Health Warning Labels on Instagram, Study Finds
Using AI, BU researchers found that the vast majority of social media posts didn’t include health labels warning of the harms of flavored nicotine.
BU Sees Drop in Black Students Enrolled after Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling
Officials say they will focus on recruitment activities, finding new pipelines to attract Black students, and building a more inclusive environment.
A New Type of RNA Could Revolutionize Vaccines and Cancer Treatments
An accidental discovery turned into an unexpected success, when a team of interdisciplinary BU researchers created a new and improved COVID vaccine.
Senator Markey, Future of NIH, Space Race
BU IN DC
BU President Gilliam Meets with Senator Markey
President Melissa Gilliam and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA, Hon.’04) met at his Capitol Hill office in July for a wide-ranging conversation.
ADVOCACY RESOURCE
BU Responds to Congressional Requests for Input on the Future of the National Institutes of Health
The University urged lawmakers to prioritize investments in biomedical research, particularly the national infrastructure for biopreparedness, as Congress considers the future of the nation's premier life sciences agency.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
The Next Space Race
US Space Force General B. Chance Saltzman, a BU alum, is charged with securing our access to the stars and defending critical space infrastructure like GPS satellites from would-be assailants.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
NASA Science Mission Directorate leader Dr. Nicola Fox visited the BU Center for Space Physics... WCVB spotlights a BU program that has diverted over one thousand tons of residence hall items from landfills over the last 15 years... Research from the BU Institute for Global Sustainability shows how socioeconomic and demographic factors impact the electric vehicle market... Reuters highlights a BU Global Development Policy Center study showing that China significantly increased its lending to African nations last year... BU historian Anthony Petro explains how HIV/AIDS got its name amid the science and stigma of the 1980's in The Conversation.