News
Women’s Health, Independent View, Sustainability
FACULTY EXPERTS
Women’s Health Is Chronically Understudied, but These Engineers Are Charging Forward
Professors Catherine M. Klapperich and Joyce Y. Wong are pioneering research into reproductive health issues, from uterine fibroids to preeclampsia to hormone monitoring.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
An Independent’s View from Inside the Nation’s Partisan Storm
Matthew Felling, communications chief for Senator Angus King (I-ME), discusses the urgency of communicating bipartisan cooperation and the government’s positive impact.
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
BU Sustainability Milestones
Celebrate 16 years of success with BU sustainability initiatives, including the Center for Computing & Data Sciences building -- the largest carbon-neutral, fossil fuel-free building in the city of Boston; matching electricity demand with a wind farm in South Dakota; and a recycling and composting rate that has increased by more than 716%.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
BU President Melissa Gilliam talks about her plans for the University and optimistic leadership style with Boston Magazine... BU School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea hosted a conversation with Dr. Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy... BU School of Law Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig writes about the long and winding road from Shirley Chisholm to Kamala Harris in BU Today... Mohsan Saeed of the BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine researches mosquito-borne viruses at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories to prevent the spread of disease... Research on youth tobacco use conducted by BU College of Communication Professor Traci Hong was included in a new Surgeon General report on tobacco-related disparities.
McMahon; FAFSA Deadline; Clean Energy
BU IN DC
Mary Churchill of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development attended the American Educational Research Association - Consortium of University and Research Institutions Fall Policy meeting from November 17th through November 19th.
Vice President for Government & Community Affairs Jake Sullivan joined Massachusetts elected officials at the White House to celebrate the 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics on November 21st.
TRANSITION UPDATES: TRUMP PICKS LINDA MCMAHON FOR EDUCATION SECRETARY
This week, President-elect Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education. McMahon led the Small Business Administration in Trump's first term and was previously CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. McMahon's educational experience includes service on both the Connecticut State Board of Education and the board of Sacred Heart University, a private religious institution in Connecticut. Earlier this year, she wrote an op-ed in support of expanding Pell Grants to short-term, career-focused programs. McMahon's daughter, Stephanie McMahon (COM '98), received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Communication in 2013. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, McMahon would head an agency President-elect Trump pledged to eliminate.
BUZZ BITS...
- The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the FAFSA Deadline Act on Wednesday, sending the bill to the President. The legislation would change the statutory deadline for releasing the federal financial aid application used by college students from January 1st to October 1st. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure.
- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing with National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica Bertagnolli on Tuesday. Several subcommittee members expressed concerns about public trust in the agency and how NIH oversees grantee spending.
- On Monday, NASA announced Clayton P. Turner as the associate administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate. Turner has been acting head of the directorate since July; he previously led the NASA Langley Research Center. He has been with the agency for more than 30 years.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
Professors Cutler Cleveland and Emily Ryan will curate a Research on Tap event on Thursday, December 5th featuring BU researchers working on the problems of climate change and the energy system from multiple angles. Part of the popular series hosted by the BU Office of Research, the event will feature a series of microtalks from faculty who are studying how energy affects local air and water quality, the new technologies required to ensure affordable and efficient clean energy, the effects of climate change and the energy system on society, and the role that business can play in transitioning to clean energy. Following the event, BU scholars will have the opportunity to connect with potential research collaborators during a reception.
A Note to Our Readers: In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, Beltway BUzz will temporarily pause publication. We wish you a joyous holiday! Be sure to check our website and follow us on LinkedIn for updates.
An Independent’s View from Inside the Nation’s Partisan Storm
Matthew Felling (COM '95), communications chief for the independent Senator Angus King, discusses the urgency of communicating bipartisan cooperation and the government’s positive impact.
What Could Donald Trump’s Second Presidential Term Mean for Science, Scientists, and Research?
“Investments in science are not going away, period. The nation values the work of researchers,” says BU Federal Relations head.
Research That Matters: Insights from Community-Engaged Scholarship
On November 18, 2024, BU Wheelock professors discussed boosting the civic engagement of parents who have children with disabilities through legislative advocacy in special education during a webinar moderated by Jessica Wong, BU's Director for Federal Relations.
Alumnae Reelected, IMF, CTE
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Four Women with Ties to BU Win Reelection to House of Representatives
Congresswomen Lois Frankel (CAS ’70, D-FL), Jen Kiggans (PAR '93, R-VA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (CAS'11, PAR '11, D-NY), and Ayanna Pressley (CGS, Hon.'21, D-MA) won reelection and will continue to serve their constituents.
FACULTY EXPERT
Gallagher Shares Insights from New Report on International Monetary Fund Reform
BU Global Development Policy Center Director Kevin Gallagher shared insights from a new report on transforming the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to achieve climate and development goals. Gallagher is a member of the Task Force on Climate, Development and the IMF.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
CTE: How BU is Changing the Game
From families donating their loved ones’ brains for study, to scientists racing to achieve diagnosis during life, to researchers trying to make football and military service safer, Boston University’s CTE Center is a hub for world-leading, cutting-edge research into the devastating neurodegenerative disease.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
The BU Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases hosted a symposium on Global Equity in Access to Pandemic Response Tools with Loyce Pace, the Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services... Professor Dennis Jones of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine received the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Moonshot Scholar award… BU's Graduate Workers Union ratified a new contract… Political scientist Rachel Meade connects Robert F. Kennedy’s journey from left-aligned skepticism to Trumpism to a broader trend of contemporary left-to-right populist transformations in The Conversation... Ayse Coskun of the BU College of Engineering organized a National Academies workshop on the"Implications of Artificial Intelligence-Related Data Center Electricity Use and Emissions".
Women Have Been Shut Out of Computer and Data Science. BU Is Opening the Door
The University’s Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences has been uniquely successful in recruiting—and retaining—women in the field.
Can We Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias?
With help from a $29 million grant, a BU researcher is coleading a national project to determine whether addressing key lifestyle and risk factors could reduce dementia risk.
A Race to Study—and Preserve—Black American Sign Language
Franklin Jones, Jr., is interested in the history, linguistics, and significance of BASL. He’s on a mission to expand the language’s research before its native signers are gone.
Election Results: Impact on Higher Ed
BU IN DC
Bart Lipman, Raymond Fisman, Tarek Hassan, and Daniele Paserman of the College of Arts & Sciences hosted a conversation about immigration, debt issuance, and the dollar for Washington-area alumni on October 29th.
Diane Baldwin, Kate Mellouk, Rachelle Joseph, and Ryan Russell of the Office of Research attended the Council on Government Relations 2024 meeting on October 24th and 25th.
Gabe Bolio and Corinne Tramuta Moloney of Development & Alumni Relationshosted the 2nd annual Washington, DC Alumni Network event on October 24th.
Kevin Gallagher of the Global Development Policy Center hosted Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley for an event with the Brookings Institution and shared insights about a new report on reforming the International Monetary Fund on October 22nd.
David Gross of the Initiative on Cities attended MetroLab Network's annual summit on October 1st and 2nd.
TRUMP WINS ELECTION: TAKEAWAYS FOR HIGHER ED
Former President Donald J. Trump was elected as president on Tuesday, securing a second term in office. His previous tenure as president and his campaign rhetoric provide insights into his plans for higher education. Proposals may include:
- Higher Education: Utilizing accreditation as a tool to restrict diversity practices or promote ideological balance in faculty hiring; assertive investigations into campus antisemitism and admissions practices; narrowing the federal definition of campus sexual misconduct; and immigration and travel restrictions.
- Research: Focusing on artificial intelligence, microelectronics, the bioeconomy, and energy independence. Restrictions on pathogen research. Heightened attention to malign foreign influence and limitations on foreign collaborations.
- Arts and Humanities: Eliminating the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities.
While some proposals could be enacted unilaterally, many would require the approval of a closely divided Congress. For example, during his previous term, Congress routinely rejected his plans to eliminate the cultural agencies, yet embraced his focus on malign foreign influence.
Learn more
CLOSELY DIVIDED CONGRESS: TAKEAWAYS FOR HIGHER ED
After Tuesday's Congressional elections, Senate Republicans will hold at least 53 of the chamber's 100 seats, with two races not yet called. Control of the U.S. House of Representatives is still unclear, with ballots still being counted in more than two dozen House races. Early takeaways for higher education include:
- Senate: Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), a supporter of the National Institutes of Health, is expected to chair the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which determines federal agency budgets. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) will be the likely chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He has criticized NSF's support for diversity efforts.
- Legislative priorities: In 2025, Congress is expected to consider comprehensive tax legislation that could affect employee and student tax benefits, charitable giving, and the treatment of college endowments. Policymakers are also interested in bills that would require colleges to report more data on student outcomes and place restrictions on foreign collaborations.
- BU connections: Representatives Lois Frankel (CAS ‘70), Jen Kiggans (PAR ‘93), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (PAR ’11, CAS ‘11), and Ayanna Pressley (CGS, Hon. ‘21) were reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
Looking to elevate your research communication skills and make a lasting impact? Join the Office of Research and BU Public Relations | Social Media and the Office of Research for a virtual workshop on "Identifying and Effectively Conveying Your Core Messages" on Thursday, November 14th at 1 p.m. Participants will gain insights into core message building, making scientific information relatable, writing effective emails, and crafting successful media pitches. Speakers from the Throughline Group will help you discover the nuances of media relations, understand what reporters and editors find newsworthy, and develop strategies to handle challenging media encounters.