Lawmakers seek out U-M faculty for expertise on various topics

December 1, 2021

Federal lawmakers continue to seek out University of Michigan faculty members to lend their expertise and knowledge to help inform federal policy.

In the last year, 13 U-M faculty members and researchers testified at 14 congressional hearings spanning an array of policy issues.

Testifying in front of congressional committees is just one of the ways faculty members engage with the federal legislative process. They also serve on federal advisory committees, hold leadership positions in their professional associations and societies, draft opinion editorials and more.

President Mark Schlissel launched a public engagement and impact focus area in 2017 to further encourage U-M faculty to share their knowledge with the state, the nation and the world. 

“Great public universities always strive to share the knowledge produced by world-class research with the people they serve,” Schlissel said. “The Michigan faculty have tremendous expertise in matters that are essential to American progress.

“When U-M scholars testify before federal leaders, it puts information that has been tested through academic rigor into the hands of decision-makers, informs better public policy and emphasizes the outstanding value we provide to communities across our nation.”

U-M faculty and researchers who are invited to testify are encouraged to reach out to the U-M Office of Federal Relations who can help provide support. Email [email protected].

In 2021, the below faculty participated in congressional hearings. Links to the hearings online are in parentheses.

February

March

May

June

July

  • Mary Gallagher, Amy and Alan Lowenstein Professor of Democracy, Democratization, and Human Rights, professor of political science, and director of the International Institute in LSA; and research associate professor at the Center for Political Studies, Institute for Social Research, testified before the Senate Finance Committee, Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth at a hearing on investing in U.S. competitiveness.
  • Parthasarathy testified before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy at a hearing focused on fostering equity in energy innovation.

September

October

November

This story was written by Madeline Nykaza, originally published by The University Record, and updated by the Ford School to include Betsey Stevenson's October testimony.

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