Susan Ferrari Joins National Academies Committee

Susan Ferrari, associate vice president of corporate, foundation, and government relations, has been appointed to a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to support STEM research at emerging research institutions—including schools like Grinnell.  

Emerging research institutions (ERIs) are those with less than $50M in Federal research expenditures. ERIs serve a unique role in STEM research as they disproportionately provide opportunities for communities across the country to do groundbreaking science. The new NASEM committee will convene a summit on Reenvisioning the Future of STEM Research at ERIs to explore ways to engage with communities and coordinate research efforts as these integral institutions. 

“I'm really excited to be part of this National Academies committee. Emerging research institutions are an incredibly broad group of schools, including everything from highly research-active universities to community colleges. As the only committee representative from a baccalaureate college, I'm particularly interested in advocating for the contributions and needs of colleges like Grinnell. Programs designed to support undergraduate colleges are often designed by people who are less familiar with the strengths and challenges of these institutions, so I hope to share the perspectives I've learned from our faculty and students and from liberal arts colleagues across the country to inform the work of the committee,” says Ferrari.