News
Video Mini Explainer: The Global Problem of Statelessness
Amid a refugee crisis, director of BU Center on Forced Displacement argues for a new approach to helping people not recognized by any country.
The Race to a Battery-Powered Future
Engineers at BU are figuring out how to make better, more sustainable batteries—a technology that is essential for clean energy.
Women Making History Today Give Voice to Past Trailblazers at Boston Women’s Memorial
BU’s Megan Sandberg-Zakian directs US Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Mass. Attorney General Andrea Campbell.
Seeking Campus of “Dignity, Fairness, and Respect,” President Freeman Addresses Israel-Hamas War
In letter to BU community, interim leader outlines steps being taken to ensure a safe and secure campus.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s Civic Summit Draws a Crowd to BU
Event at Howard Thurman Center brought together more than 200 residents, civic leaders, and nonprofit advocates from across Boston.
Why Is the US So Unprepared for Natural Disasters?
New BU School of Social Work researcher Darien Alexander Williams studies how climate change, disaster response, and urban planning intertwine with social justice and racism.
Antisemitism, School Discipline, Defense Bill
BU IN DC
School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea spoke with Congressional offices regarding a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on addressing adolescent mental health and social media use on December 13th. Galea chaired the report committee.
Jennifer Gómez of the School of Social Work was a discussant during a webinar unveiling a new National Academies Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education report on addressing the retaliation resulting from harassment on December 13th.
BUZZ BITS...
- On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the testimony of three university presidents delivered during a hearing on campus antisemitism by a 303-126 vote. The resolution asserted that the presidents of Harvard University and MIT should resign, as the president of the University of Pennsylvania has done. Six members of the Commonwealth's Congressional delegation voted against the resolution, while Massachusetts Reps. Bill Keating, Stephen Lynch, and Seth Moulton supported it.
- On Tuesday, the House Education and the Workforce Committee approved a bill that would pay for a new plan to allow low-income students to use Pell Grants for short-term career training programs by denying federal student loans to students attending colleges with substantial endowments. The American Council on Education led opposition to the endowment provision of the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act (H.R. 6585). Several members of the committee expressed concerns about the impact of denying students access to federal aid and urged fellow lawmakers to fix the bill as it advances.
- Also on Tuesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee passed the Advancing Research in Education Act (S. 3392), which reauthorizes the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education. The Committee adopted two amendments from Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) that would prohibit IES from funding educational institutions that promote antisemitism or receive funding from "nations of concern." Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) indicated he will work to clarify the antisemitism amendment, which he described as overly broad.
BACHER-HICKS EDUCATES MA CONGRESSIONAL STAFF ON SCHOOL DISCIPLINE
On December 8th, Dr. Andrew Bacher-Hicks of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development discussed his research on the school-to-prison pipeline during a Zoom discussion with staff for the Massachusetts Congressional delegation. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley's (D-MA) office served as the honorary host for the event, which was organized by BU Federal Relations. Bacher-Hicks shared data on the connection between school discipline policies and a student's interactions with law enforcement later in life and provided policy recommendations for lawmakers. The staff asked about where to find more data on school discipline policies and how to make the data accessible to the public.
CONGRESS SENDS DEFENSE POLICY BILL TO PRESIDENT
This week, Congress sent its annual defense policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2670), to the President for his signature. The measure guides the Department of Defense's (DOD) planned investments in microelectronics, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. Notably, lawmakers removed problematic provisions that had been included in the version of the bill passed earlier this year by the U.S. House of Representatives, such as banning DOD support for so-called "gain-of-function" research, prohibitive cost-sharing requirements for research contracts, and expanded research disclosure requirements for principal investigators. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law shortly.
A Note To Our Readers: Happy Holidays! Beltway BUzz will pause publication due to Intersession and the Congressional District Work Period. We will resume in 2024.
Wildlife Threats, Climate Assessment, Plumbing Champ
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
New Study Identifies the Greatest Threat to Wildlife Across North America and Canada: People
BU biology student Tara Miller studied more than 600,000 wildlife rehabilitation center records to look at the human impact on wild animals, from lead poisoning to window strikes to vehicle collisions. Her work is supported by the National Science Foundation.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
White House Welcomes Young BU Alum for Climate Change Talk
Cathy Chen (ENG'23) was invited to celebrate the release of the fifth National Climate Assessment.
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
BU’s Lead Plumber Is Best in the Country. And Tops at HVAC, Too
Craig Childress placed first in national plumbing and HVAC competitions.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
Join Raymond Fisman of the BU Global Development Policy Center for a hybrid discussion on how revolving door laws impact the political selection process in the U.S. on December 13th... Register today for a stakeholder conference on climate and health research hosted by the BU School of Public Health and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, with support from the National Institutes of Health... Manjari Chatterjee Miller of the Pardee School of Global Studies explains why formerly colonized countries don't usually request redress in The Conversation... Michelle Amazeen of the BU College of Communication discusses the greenwashing of the fossil fuel industry in The Nation...
And finally, Happy Holidays from BU Federal Relations!
School to Prison Pipeline
Dr. Andrew Bacher-Hicks of the BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development discussed how federal policymakers can address the school to prison pipeline with staff for the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation on December 8, 2023.
Antisemitism Hearing, Foreign Gifts, Heliophysics Director
BU IN DC
Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences Azer Bestavros discussed artificial intelligence research with staff for the House New Democrat Coalition and attended a meeting of the National Science Foundation Computer & Information Science & Engineering Advisory Committee, of which he is a member, on December 6th and 7th.
Emma Zheng of Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs attended a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine workshop on scientific leadership for responsible research on December 4th.
HOUSE COMMITTEE GRILLS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS ON ANTISEMITISM
House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) announced Thursday she plans to investigate Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about their response to antisemitism on campus after a contentious committee hearing on Wednesday featuring the presidents of the three institutions. The presidents spoke about keeping students safe and upholding free speech ideals, while Republican lawmakers grilled the leaders on their response to student protests, the lack of conservative students and employees on campus, and the influence of foreign donors. Committee Democrats also shared their concerns about antisemitism while advocating for increased funding for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to conduct investigations into shared heritage discrimination.
HOUSE PASSES HIGHER ED FOREIGN INFLUENCE BILL
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would require colleges to report foreign gifts of more than $50,000 to the U.S. Department of Education, significantly lower than the current $250,000 threshold. The Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act (H.R. 5933) would require the Department to approve any university partnerships with China and other countries determined to pose a national security risk. It would also require schools to post a public database detailing individual gifts to faculty and staff from entities abroad. The higher education community opposed the bill since it duplicates existing statutes and threatens the privacy of university employees. A companion bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate but is not currently scheduled for a vote.
BUZZ BITS...
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the selection of Dr. Joseph Westlake as NASA's next heliophysics division director within its Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Dr. Westlake, a researcher at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, succeeds Dr. Nicola Fox, who was tapped to lead SMD earlier this year. He begins his position in January.
- The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday that it would delay the release of its final Title IX gender equity in education rules until March 2024. While a proposed set of rules was issued in 2022, the Biden Administration has repeatedly delayed the release of final rules that would modify the Trump-era regulations currently governing how campuses adjudicate cases of sexual misconduct.
- The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee passed the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act (H.R. 6213) last week. The bill would make funding and policy recommendations for federal investments in quantum computing research, development, and workforce education.