Staff Highlights

Megan McKeown, Director of Government Relations at APLU, spoke on a panel last month in the U.S. Capitol on the value of university-driven tech transfer and IP licensing. The panel, titled Industry-University Spotlight: How IP Licensing is Essential to Academia Spin-Outs was part of the Licensing Executives Society’s IP Forum. McKeown spoke on challenges facing university tech transfer and why supporting federal policies that strengthen IP rights are important for U.S. innovation and competitiveness.

Doug Steele, Senior Vice President for Food, Agriculture, & Natural Resources at APLU, delivered a keynote address about the importance of Cooperative Extension in supporting communities during times of change at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference.

Craig Lindwarm, APLU’s Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs, provided a federal policy update at the Coalition of State University Aid Administrators Annual Conference in San Antonio, sharing the association’s engagement to protect Pell Grants amidst a budget shortfall, status of Department of Education interagency agreements, and state of play in implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, among other key issues.

Jennifer Keup, Vice President for Urban Initiatives at APLU and Executive Director of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, will present on designing and implementing high-impact practices for modern learners at urban universities at the AAC&U Conference on Learning and Student Success in mid-April.

Kim Scotto, a Manager in APLU’s Office Food, Agriculture & Natural Resources, spoke at the National Extension and Research Administrative Officers Conference about the National Land-grant Impacts Database (NIDB) and the critical role that impact reporting plays across the land-grant system.

Alvaro J. Muñiz, Director of International, Community, & Economic Engagement at APLU, moderated a panel on how university partnerships around talent, innovation, and place drive economic growth at QS Global Skills Week.

Jennifer Keup, Vice President for Urban Initiatives at APLU and Executive Director of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, spoke on a panel about first-year experiences across different institutional contexts at the National Resource Center’s Annual Conference in Seattle, WA on February 16.

Wendy Fink, Executive Director, Academic Programs Section and Associate Vice President, Food, Agriculture & Natural Resources at APLU, spoke about the need to increase the number of students studying food, agriculture, and natural resources at the State Ag and Rural Leaders Conference in New Orleans on January 4.

Debbie Altenburg, APLU’s Vice President for Research Policy and Advocacy, delivered a keynote address in December on the state of funding for U.S. higher education, science, and technology at the Coalition for Networked Information’s Fall Membership Meeting. 

APLU’s Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs Craig Lindwarm spoke on a panel at the University System of Maryland Board of Regents retreat earlier this month, discussing political turmoil and best practices for governmental relations.