President Brown Meets with Lawmakers
BU IN DC
College of Engineering Dean Kenneth R. Lutchen participated in the National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering Advisory Committee meeting on April 17 and 18. He is a member of the committee.
Jeffrey Samet of the School of Medicine and School of Public Health attended a press conference announcing the research sites for the Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on April 18.
Daniel Segrè of the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Engineering participated in a meeting of the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Energy, of which he is a member, on April 25 and 26.
PRESIDENT BROWN MEETS WITH LAWMAKERS
President Robert A. Brown discussed the University’s support for low-income students and the importance of federally-funded research with several Members of Congress on Wednesday. Brown met with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), who represents BU in Congress, and Reps. Lois Frankel (D-FL, CAS ’70), Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and Lori Trahan (D-MA). On Tuesday evening, Brown and Provost Jean Morrison hosted a Capitol Hill reception for alumni, friends, and policymakers. Frankel joined the group, as did College of General Studies Dean Natalie McKnight, Associate Provost and Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, Vice President and Associate Provost for Enrollment & Student Administration Christine McGuire, Vice President for Alumni Relations Steve Hall, Vice President for Government & Community Affairs Jake Sullivan, Assistant Vice President and BU Today Executive Editor Doug Most, Assistant Vice President for External Relations Anita Stasiowski, Alumni Relations Executive Director Susan Richardson, Director of BU Washington Programs Walter Montaño, and Daniel Solworth, Chief of Staff and Director of Operations for the Dean of Students.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS OFFER NIH, STUDENT AID BOOSTS
Kicking off the fiscal year 2020 budget process, a subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives approved a spending bill on Tuesday which would increase funding for the National Institutes of Health budget and bolster student aid funding. The measure passed by the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee would provide NIH $2 billion more than its current level, increase the maximum Pell Grant award for low-income students to $6,345, and add $304 million to the Federal Work-Study program. Notably, the measure also includes $50 million for “firearm injury and mortality prevention research” at NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the CDC hasn’t funded the topic in more than twenty years. House Democrats offered the legislation in the absence of an agreed upon budget level, so the bill represents the first step in a long series of negotiations between the House, the U.S. Senate, and the White House.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
Are you looking to showcase your research on social media, but don’t know where to start? BU Research and BU Public Relations are here to help. Whether you are looking to increase your following or build visibility for your department, center, or initiative, a panel discussion with acclaimed science writer and social communicator Karen Weintraub is now available online. The video will guide you through the do’s and don’ts of using social media, how to set goals and measure success, and how to take advantage of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.