Wicker Welcomes Mississippi State Provost to Testify at Senate Hearing
Mississippi State’s Dr. Shaw Promotes Equitable Distribution of Research Support
October 22, 2019
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today participated in a hearing to consider the role of research and innovation in maintaining America’s global economic leadership. Wicker invited Dr. David Shaw of Mississippi State University to testify at the hearing.
Click here to watch Sen. Wicker’s opening remarks.
“Everywhere we look, research and innovation is shaping the future of our lives. Support for research and innovation is critical to maintaining our country’s global competitiveness,” Wicker said.
Dr. Shaw shared with the committee how America’s universities have supported economic development and strategic leadership throughout the world. He pointed to the success of several programs at Mississippi State that have provided billions of dollars in economic impact, including the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), which was used to lure top automakers to the state, and the Thad Cochran Research, Technology, and Economic Development Park, which has become home to several leading technology startups.
“I urge you to see federal investment of research funding in just those terms: investment. These investments are critical if we are to ensure our future as an economic and strategic global leader,” Shaw said.
Click here to watch Dr. Shaw’s opening remarks.
Wicker’s questions to the panel focused on the success of federal support for research and development. Wicker asked Dr. Shaw to explain the impact of the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which was created to help address geographic disparities in federal research funding between rural and urban states. Several universities in Mississippi have been beneficiaries of this program.
“If we as a nation intentionally set out to fully reach our potential, every young person must be given every opportunity to reach that potential,” Shaw said. “These programs are… fine examples of how to ensure every student has a place at the table.”
