From Left to Right: Michigan’s 4th District Rep. John Moolenaar, Dr. Iain Boyd, and Madeline Nykaza

Over fifty universities, including The University of Michigan and Wayne State University, form The Science Coalition – a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to sustaining the Federal Government’s investment in basic scientific research as a means to stimulate the economy, spur innovation and drive America’s global competitiveness. Michigan’s 4th District Representative John Moolenaar joined the Coalition at their July 11th, 2018 Headliner Breakfast in Washington D.C.

Rep. Moolenaar was introduced by Dr. Iain Boyd, the James E. Knott Professor of Engineering at U-M. Dr. Boyd expressed thanks to Rep. Moolenaar for all he does to support federal investments in scientific research.

Rep. Moolenaar is on the House Appropriations Committee, where he serves on the Subcommittee of Labor-HHS-Education. During the Headliner Breakfast he spoke about the importance of increasing funding for NIH to fight cancer, Alzheimer’s and the opioid crisis. Afterwards, he fielded questions from the attendees about how universities can best engage with Members of Congress to support their shared goals.

From left to right: Craig Lindwarm (APLU), Madeline Nykaza (UofM), Sen. Peters, Thomas Stephenson, Mollie Benz Flounlacker (AAU), and Jacob Courville (MSU).

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Thomas Stephenson, of Greenville, Michigan has a passion for politics. When Thomas was eight years old his grandmother took him to Washington, DC to meet with legislators from Michigan. That trip kindled his desire for a firsthand look at the political system. Thomas, who was diagnosed with a congenital cardiac condition, is now eighteen years old. On Tuesday, July 10th, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) partnered with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to fulfill Thomas’ wish to be U.S. Senator for a day. Thomas joined Senator Peters’ for a full day, and participated in the Senator’s weekly coffee with constituents, meetings with stakeholders, a floor speech, briefings, media interviews and more.

Thomas will be attending MSU in the fall and plans to study nursing while remaining actively engaged in the political process – the cost of college being one of his top policy concerns. For that reason, Sen. Peters invited U-M, MSU, APLU and AAU to his office to discuss what colleges are doing in Michigan and nationwide to make education more affordable and accessible. Madeline Nykaza from the U-M D.C. office attended the meeting and discussed programs on U-M’s campus aimed at achieving that goal, such as the Go Blue Guarantee and Wolverine Pathways.

It’s exciting to see young people like Tom who are interested in public service and want to learn more about our democratic process,
said Senator Peters.

Is There a Big Blue Wave Coming?

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Featured speaker:
Michael Traugott, Research Professor in the Center for Political Studies

Mackinac Room, 5th Floor Anderson House Office Bldg.
124 N. Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

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University of Michigan Alumni and friends who work in and around the State Capitol are welcome to participate in the Wolverine Caucus. Our mission is to provide diverse forums at which University of Michigan friends can meet one another, enjoy fellowship, exchange views, and learn from the world-class talents of the University of Michigan.

Returning by popular demand, Professor Michael Traugott will dissect the latest trends and data behind the various factors that will influence voter behavior during this year’s important midterm elections. Historically, the U.S. President’s party in influences outcomes in off-year elections – as does the strength of the economy. Is there any evidence that there are changing sentiments in our state and nation, and we ask if there might be significant change on the horizon. Professor Traugott will help us sort through the reality and the rhetoric.

Michael Traugott is a Research Professor in the Center for Political Studies at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Trained as a political scientist, his research interests include campaigns and elections, public opinion, and political communication. Dr. Traugott is the author or co-author of nine books and more than 75 journal articles and essays. He is the past president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR). He has a BA from Princeton University and an MA and PhD from the University of Michigan.

For more information or to receive announcements of upcoming programs, call the UM Lansing Service Center at (517) 372-7801 or email Dr. Veronica Wilkerson Johnson ([email protected]) or Angela J. McCullum ([email protected])