News
“It’s Unacceptable”: BU Mathematician Tracks How Many Deaths May Result from USAID, Medicaid Cuts
The impact trackers update in real time based on the loss of international aid programs combating HIV and tuberculosis.
BU School of Social Work Makes a “Transformative” Hire for Childhood Equity
Nationally renowned researcher Dolores Acevedo-Garcia launches Institute for Equity in Child Opportunity & Healthy Development.
How BU Became a National Model and Destination for First-Generation Students
A generous gift and two impassioned leaders in Maria Erb and Anthony Jack helped give rise to Boston University’s Newbury Center. Students say it’s been life-changing.
BU’s New Director of Disability Services Says the Office Will Be More Visible, Transparent
Dawn Sousa-Hearn comes from a directorship position at the University of Texas at Tyler.
ED Investigations; Continuing Resolution; Policymakers
BU IN DC
Dean Scott Taylor and Kaija Schilde of the Pardee School of Global Studies attended an alumni and student reception hosted by Paul Nathanson (Pardee '85) on March 11th. Graduate students from the Pardee School spent the week in Washington, DC, learning about careers in the nation's capital.
Kurt Cavender and Leilani Muchai of the BU Center for the Humanitiesparticipated in Humanities Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill on March 11th.
Kevin Outterson of CARB-X discussed antimicrobial resistance with Congressional offices on March 12th.
Elizabeth Bettini of Wheelock College of Education & Human Developmentattended the Special Educator Workforce: A Research Collaborative (SPARC) Center event on March 11th.
TRANSITION UPDATES: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
On Monday, the Department of Education (ED) warned 60 colleges, including BU, they could face penalties due to pending investigations into antisemitic discrimination. ED's Office of Civil Rights had been investigating most of the schools on the list prior to the start of the Trump Administration; the Department announced it intends to resolve the current backlog of complaints. The Administration also announced the cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts at Columbia University "due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students."
ED announced a reduction in force (RIF) “impacting nearly 50% of the Department’s workforce” on Tuesday. In response, nearly two dozen Attorneys General sought a court order to stop the cuts. According to the Department's announcement, the agency will continue to implement “all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking.” However, a significant number of staff responsible for competitive grant awards at both the Institute of Education Sciences and the International and Foreign Language Education office were let go in the RIF.
BUZZ BITS...
- The Senate is expected to approve a continuing resolution that will fund federal agencies through September 30, 2025, late this evening. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill on Tuesday on a party-line vote. The measure includes cuts to research funding at the Department of Defense, maintains current levels of student aid funding, and upholds a prohibition on the executive branch making changes to facilities and administrative costs.
- Michael McDonald is the new Acting Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) after Shelley C. Lowe was asked to step down by President Donald J. Trump this week. Lowe was appointed to a four-year term as NEH Chair by President Joseph R. Biden in 2022. McDonald is the agency's general counsel.
- Dr. Stephen Miran (CAS '05) was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers on Wednesday. Miran earned a bachelor's degree in economics from BU.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
Are you looking to elevate your research and ensure it has an impact on policy? Interested in advocating for meaningful change or securing increased federal funding for your field? Join BU Federal Relations, the Office of Research, and Professors Mary Churchill (Wheelock College of Education & Human Development) and Muhammad Zaman (College of Engineering) for a dynamic conversation on how to effectively connect with federal lawmakers and influence policy decisions. The "Research Meets Policy: Engaging with Federal Lawmakers" webinar will take place on Monday, March 31st at 1:30 p.m.
Algae, Disease-Bearing Ticks, Erratic Snowfall, Tainted Oysters, Costly Insurance, Extreme Temperatures—Is Climate Change Ruining Our New England?
Boston University scholars in environment, public health, marine science, and more weigh in. “The scale of what we are signing ourselves up for is unprecedented,” one says.
Are We Ready for the Next Pandemic? Five Reasons to Feel Confident—and Five to Be Worried
Five years after COVID-19 lockdowns, BU experts find some glimmers of hope, but say new US policies could put the world at greater risk of a coronavirus-like outbreak.
NIH Nominee; Research Security; Science Communication
BU IN DC
The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee advanced the nomination of Stephen Miran (CAS ’05) to be Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors on March 6th.
TRANSITION UPDATES: NOMINEES AND ANTISEMITISM TASK FORCE
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing on Wednesday to consider the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Bhattacharya said he wants NIH to fund bolder research that makes "big advances" and to "vigorously regulate risky research that has the possibility of causing a pandemic." He did not state his position on the Administration's proposal to cut NIH funding for facilities and administrative costs, but said the public distrusts where the money goes because "trust in the public health establishment has collapsed in the pandemic." The Committee has scheduled a vote on his nomination next week.
- The Trump Administration's Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced it will visit ten college campuses that experienced "antisemitic incidents." The task force also announced its plans to review Columbia University's federal grants and contracts "to ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities."
- The U.S. Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education by a vote of 51-45 on Monday. Upon assuming office, McMahon stated, "Postsecondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs."
CONGRESS FOCUSES ON RESEARCH SECURITY, CAMPUS CIVIL RIGHTS, AND CITY OF BOSTON
Congressional committees held several hearings of interest to research universities this week and the Senate considered legislation related to college sports.
- The House Science Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing on "Assessing the Threat to U.S. Funded Research" on Wednesday. Chairman Rich McCormick (R-GA) shared his concerns that the "nation's premier research institutions have been all-you-can-eat buffets which our adversaries are using to consume untold numbers of innovative ideas." Dr. Maria Zuber of MIT testified about how universities approach research security and the value of international scientific collaboration.
- On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing entitled "Never To Be Silent: Stemming the Tide of Antisemitism in America." Several Republican senators advocated for rescinding federal funding from colleges that are found to have allowed civil rights violations. Meanwhile some Democratic senators and witnesses, including a Tufts University student, lamented the lack of sufficient funding for the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to conduct investigations into antisemitism.
- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu testified at "A Hearing with Sanctuary City Mayors" held by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday. Wu touted immigrants' contributions to the City of Boston; in her opening remarks she stated, "Of all the faculty at Boston University to have earned the Nobel Prize, all but one were immigrants."
- On Monday, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (S. 9), which sought to ban transgender athletes from competing on women's and girls' sports teams, did not pass a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar measure in January.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The College of Arts & Sciences is hosting a workshop featuring expert Sunshine Menezes on "Science Communication for Purpose and Impact: How to Move Forward" on Monday, March 24th at 4:30 pm in CAS 313. The event aims to catalyze discussions and inspire new ideas on how the BU research community can share knowledge and impact in today’s dynamic world. Space is limited for this in-person event and registration is required.