OSTP Leader; Stephen Miran; Social Policies

BU IN DC

Ayse Coskun of the College of Engineering attended a Council on Foreign Relations roundtable on energy, national security, and climate policy issues on January 17th.

TRANSITION UPDATES: TRUMP PICKS SCIENCE, AI LEADERS

Last month, President-elect Donald J. Trump announced his intention to nominate Michael J.K. Kratsios as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Kratsios served as a political appointee in the White House science office during the first Trump Administration, including two years as Chief Technology Officer. He has held several positions in Silicon Valley technology companies. The President-elect also announced that Dr. Lynne Parker, who oversaw artificial intelligence at OSTP during the previous Trump Administration, will serve as executive director of the President's Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCAST) and counselor to Kratsios. Parker is an associate vice chancellor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and leader of the AI Tennessee Initiative. Sriram Krishnan will be senior policy advisor for artificial intelligence at OSTP; he has been a venture capitalist and podcaster in Silicon Valley.

Learn more

BUZZ BITS...

• President-elect Donald Trump announced he plans to nominate BU alumnus Stephen Miran (CAS '05) as the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Miran received a bachelor's degree in economics from BU and a doctorate in economics from Harvard University. He served as an economic policy adviser in the Treasury Department during Trump's first term and currently works in investment management.
• On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would prohibit transgender women from participating in women's athletics at colleges, elementary schools, and secondary schools. The Protection of Women and Girls Act (H.R. 28) was passed by House Republicans on a largely party-line vote, with two Democrats supporting the bill and one Democrat voting present. The U.S. Senate has not indicated if it will consider the bill.
• In December, House Republicans released an Antisemitism Staff Reportfollowing a months-long investigation of colleges. The report contends that universities failed to stop antisemitism on their campuses, did not impose meaningful discipline for those who engaged in antisemitic conduct, and expressed hostility to Congressional oversight.

EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE

On January 19th at 4 p.m., the Office of Research will host "How Social Policies Shape Our Lives from Birth to Old Age," the latest event in its popular Research on Tap series. Across the globe, governments are grappling with how to design policies that meet the needs of diverse and aging populations, address widening inequalities, and promote overall societal well-being. This event, curated by Professors Deborah Carr, Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, and Loretta Lees, will showcase the research of BU faculty across schools and colleges who examine the impacts of social policies on children, individuals of working-age, and older adults, and suggest policy initiatives to further enhance well-being across the life course. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet potential research collaborators during a reception following the event.

RSVP today