News and updates

Even though the appropriations application process is completed, and the stimulus package is being implemented, the Office of Federal Relations continues to welcome university representatives who are in Washington DC for meetings or who want to speak with Capitol Hill staff and/or agency representatives concerning the projects that their college is involved in.

Norm Arkans, Associate Vice President for Media Relations and Communications, was in DC the end of March to attend a public affairs network meeting hosted by the Association of American Universities (AAU).

Dennis Lettenmaier, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was in DC to attend a meeting, and stopped by the Federal Relations office to speak to Jonathan Nurse about NASA and NOAA funding.

Provost Phyllis Wise, Provost, was in DC on business March 30 and 31, and visited the Federal Relations Office while she was here to meet with Director Christy Gullion.

President Mark Emmert returned to DC in April to attend a workforce meeting of the Association of American Universities.  After the meeting, he met with some of the Washington State legislators, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Dick Sprott, Director of the Ellison Medical Foundation, and was interviewed by Susan Kinzie at the Washington Post regarding the effect of the economic crisis on the university.  He thanked the Members for their support during the appropriations process and discussed the university’s economic situation.

Also in April  Bruce Bare, Dean of Forest Resources, Jerry Franklin, Professor, and Ivan Easin, Professor and Director of CINTRAFOR, arrived to discuss university forest resource projects.  In particular, they discusssed the Olympic Natural Resources Center, the Wind River Experimental Forest, and CINTRAFOR.  Visits included Capitol Hill staff, USDA, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee staffer, and the National Science Foundation.

Student Advocates for Graduate Education (SAGE), whose members number 10 public institutions of higher learning, was in DC April 28th and 29th.  The University of Washington was represented by Nicholas Nasrallah, Jake Faleschini, and Jean-Paul Willynck.  They spoke to staff in several Congressional offices to request support for changes in the federal loan repayment program and to request fellowship grants be treated as qualified scholarships for tax purposes.

Note:  Please contact the UW Office of Federal Relations for assistance in scheuling visits to the Washington state delegation offices (202-624-1420).