Connecting the Golden Dome With the Capitol Dome | April 2023

ND students had a busy and rewarding week full of policy meetings, networking events, and site-seeing in our nation’s capital. The ND in DC team did our best to keep up with them and helped set up more than 30 meetings with our incredible alumni and friends in DC. Students heard from professionals in the fields of education, healthcare, environmental policy, and global affairs about how their passion for these issues influenced their career paths in Washington. Special thanks to everyone who took the time to speak with our students - this week wouldn’t have been a success without you.

In March, ND was proud to support two faculty members called on by Congress to give witness testimony in their respective fields of expertise. 

ND’s Director of Research Advancement, Dr. Jill Pentimonti, spoke to lawmakers about LEO’s work with the Goodwill Excel Center to develop evidence-based adult education programs in the state of Indiana. Pentimonti highlighted how states are using evidence from this innovative education program to change policy and replicate this effective approach in new areas. Read about this important study here.

ND and SpectrumX will host an official National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) listening session on the National Spectrum Strategy later this month. SpectrumX will convene stakeholders from beyond DC to discuss the impact of spectrum policy on industry, government, and civil society. Events like this highlight ND’s unique leadership on spectrum issues and we encourage you to tune in here on April 11.

ND’s Lab for Economic Opportunity (LEO) is celebrating 10 years of rigorous evidence-building to identify the innovative, effective, and scalable programs and policies that help people move permanently out of poverty. As part of this celebration, they are hosting a two-day convening on campus, bringing together service providers, policymakers, and researchers from across the country. Join us April 13 & 14 or learn more here.

Meanwhile, check out a recent podcast episode featuring a conversation between LEO Co-founder James Sullivan, ND Professor of Economics, with Roger Zakheim, Director at the Reagan Institute. Listen as they discuss government policy towards poverty in America and the mistruths and misunderstandings surrounding poverty and being poor in our nation, today. 

The robust ND network in DC is eager to assist the next generation of servant leaders in Washington. On March 1st, Ali Nepola and Erin Lenssen from the ND-DC team joined a “DC & Beyond” Panel featuring alumni from different career stages to speak directly to students about their paths to service. By bringing a taste of the DC network to ND, we were able to offer students honest insights on breaking into the unique DC job market while building a meaningful, values-driven career. Special thanks to the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development for hosting this great event on campus.  

ND’s Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society is collaborating with campus, community, and industry partners to develop a data-driven holistic approach to addressing health disparities through its Health Equity Data Lab. With support from Accenture, the Lucy Institute recently organized a forum focused on addressing health equity gaps. Participants in the forum committed to active involvement and data sharing in this effort to advance health equity in their organizations and communities. Read about the Accenture partnership here.

Epidemics of emerging and exotic nature are becoming more frequent and diverse worldwide. The U.S. military invests millions of dollars annually attempting to combat this challenge and ensure the health and well-being of warfighters, their families, and partner communities worldwide. However, proactive surveillance efforts are often challenged by serious delays in sample processing and/or timely data release. To address these issues, the Remote Emerging Disease Intelligence-NETwork (REDI-NET) team at ND aims to effectively detect, predict, and contain emergent pathogens and improve the ‘data-to decision’ pipeline for U.S. leaders.

In March, members of the REDI-NET research team briefed U.S. Representative Pat Fallon (TX-04) about their critical work. As an ND alum, Air Force veteran, and member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Fallon appreciated the operational implications for our military servicemembers and was pleased to see the work of a REDI-NET student researcher first-hand. Visit their website here.

Please forward this email to other alumni and friends of ND who might be interested in our updates moving forward.

We invite you to connect with our partners at:

Alumni Club of DC | Washington Program | Keough School Washington Office

ND Research | ND News