Afternoon, everyone.
Good afternoon.
I'm Jay Rothman, and I have the
privilege of serving as president of
the universities of Wisconsin.
And we thank you all for being with
us today.
Over the last 80 years, the United
States has created and and
funded the most robust,
most consequential university
research enterprise in the world.
And Europe. And universities in
Wisconsin have played a significant
role in that process.
Here in Wisconsin, the
research our universities conduct
is critical.
It advances knowledge,
improves lives,
and helps bolster economic
prosperity across our state.
But the way it touches most people's
lives is through the pursuit
of cures and treatments
for a range of debilitating diseases
and afflictions.
Anyone who has cared for a patient
with Alzheimer's or nursed
a child through cancer
or developed adult onset
diabetes.
Knows that
today we are standing in the Health
Science Learning Center,
next door to laboratories, engaged
in a range of exciting
and life changing research
that you'll hear more about from
Chancellor Manoogian and others.
Threatening to curtail federal
research. Funding for these vital
projects has real implications
for families and communities
counting us, counting on
us to find solutions
to our most pressing needs.
So it.
So today, together
with our one research universities
and other partners, I
am sharing a letter we presented
yesterday to our congressional
delegation.
It is signed by business leaders and
organizations across Wisconsin
urging these elected officials to
support continued research funding
in Wisconsin.
And to reverse the cuts proposed
by the federal government.
And it's not just our one.
Universities.
Universities across Wisconsin
receive research funding
from the federal government to work
to the betterment of our people
and our communities.
Taking a meat cleaver to
this funding is simply wrong,
shortsighted, and will cause
harm to people across the state
of Wisconsin and the country.
Our university research labs should
be a hub of activity,
humming to provide life saving
research that families
can count upon.
This impacts all of us.
Wisconsin should settle for nothing
less.
And now it is my pleasure to
introduce to you the Chancellor
of UW Madison, Jennifer Manoogian.
Counselor.
Thank you.
Thank you, President Rothman, for
your remarks and for your support
and leadership for our incredible
universities that educate and
serve Wisconsin and the world.
And thank you to our supporters and
partners who have joined us today
here in this building.
We're training future doctors,
scientists and other medical
providers.
Nearby campus researchers
are leading a major grant from the
National Institutes of Health to
unlock the mysteries surrounding
Alzheimer's disease
in a quest for better treatments
and ultimately, a cure.
That's just one critical example
of the tremendous research efforts
taking place all across this
campus.
Joining us today is Professor
Sterling Johnson, a clinical
neuropsychologist and leader
of a landmark study called the
Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's
Prevention, One of the world's
largest and longest running
studies of individuals
at risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Joining him is one of the 1700
individual volunteer
participants, Sigrid
Canty, who will also speak.
Thank you both for being here
and for your commitment to this
work.
This research, like so much
research on our campus, builds
on decades of critical innovation,
discovery and expertise.
UW Madison research has
translated into billions and
billions of dollars in economic
impact for our state
and many thousands of jobs,
including over 400
UW related startup companies
in Wisconsin that help to improve
lives.
These companies are tackling
everything from blindness to
improved survival rates for surgery
patients in fiscal
year 2023.
Every dollar of NIH
funding across the country
generated around $2.46
of economic activity.
This research fuels invention
and discovery and fuels
the economy here in Wisconsin
and across our country.
Indiscriminate reductions in
research funding, funding like
those we're facing right now
pose significant risk to our state
and our nation's future.
These cuts harm our ability to
make critical, lifesaving
discoveries and to train
our students to be global
leaders.
They will also damage our nation's
innovation economy and
our international competitiveness.
Let's work together to protect
and preserve the vital research
work around us that's poised
to make critical new discoveries
and save lives here
in Wisconsin and all across
the nation.
With that, I'm pleased to introduce
Professor Sterling Johnson to
discuss the Wisconsin Registry
for Alzheimer's Prevention study.
Thank you.
Good afternoon everybody.
I'm Sterling Johnson.
I'm in the Department of Medicine
here at the School of Medicine and
Public Health.
I'm one of the leaders in the
Alzheimer's program here.
In addition to running the Wisconsin
Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention.
I'm part of the Wisconsin
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center,
which is an NIH funded entity
that provides the glue for much of
the research that we do on
our campus.
Alzheimer's disease affects 7
million across our country here in
Wisconsin.
There's about 120,000 people
who were at the dementia phase of
Alzheimer's disease.
It's the seventh leading cause of
death. And it's certainly
one of the it
is the only disease in the top ten
causes of death that continues to
rise at an extraordinary
rate by 2040.
We anticipate the numbers that I
just mentioned will be 44%
higher.
And I wanted to give you
an idea of the way that UW
is having an impact on
this disease.
As I mentioned, the Alzheimer's
Center is providing a lot of the
glue. It's helping us train the next
generation of scientists
who will be facing
the future iterations of this
disease.
It's providing key infrastructure
for methodologies
and for know how, so that
our investigators can ask cutting
edge research questions
without having to be an expert in
every aspect of their
studies.
Alzheimer's disease is defined
biologically by two proteins
amyloid and tan.
These cause the plaques and
tangles that we think about
with Alzheimer's disease.
But what we often don't,
don't appreciate, and what we've
discovered here at UW is that
these these
protein ofthese, if you will develop
20 or more years
prior to the symptoms,
that gives us quite a range of time
to intervene.
The insights along
around this timing of events
has largely come from the University
of Wisconsin.
We're excited that we can
provide some precision on this
at a personal level, so that
cures and therapies can also
be done at the person level as we
translate this to the clinic.
The along these lines
also, the the UW is
participating in a number of
clinical trials to
prevent Alzheimer's disease and also
to to address it therapeutically
in its symptomatic phase.
We're also looking at a
number of other factors health
factors, lifestyle factors that
may slow this disease down.
The effect of exercise, the effect
of of medical management of blood
pressure and cholesterol, and those
things we know from research
done here that that
health and lifestyle optimization
won't necessarily stop plaques
and tangles from forming, but
they will slow down the symptoms
that that eventuate
from this disease.
The I want to mention two ways
that the Alzheimer centers and the
Alzheimer's programs
around the country are
collaborating.
One is a consortium of all
36 Alzheimer's centers across
the country. These are all NIH
funded entities that are
now working together as a consortium
to understand the
the impact of other etiologies,
besides Alzheimer's, on eventual
symptoms. It's called the consortium
for Clarity and Alzheimer's
Disease Research Through Imaging.
And it's a it's a testament
to to these NIH
funded entities willingness
to work together and
create solutions
faster so that
we can respond to the to the current
public need of this disease.
The other one I want to mention is a
down syndrome consortium
that the University of Wisconsin is,
is highly involved
with and leading many aspects of
this. At the Weissman Center across
the street, we are discovering
that although Down's syndrome is
a developmental
disease, there's also an aging
component to it that involves
Alzheimer's disease.
And in fact, if individuals live
long enough who have Down's
syndrome, nearly all of them
will develop the plaques and tangles
from Alzheimer's disease.
So this this kind of insight
would not be possible without
the incredible infrastructure
and imaging and biomarker
capabilities that the university
provides.
I wanted to
go back to the Wrap study
and and
let you know that this study has
been NIH funded since 2006.
The longitudinal data that
we are collecting is being
shared all across the world.
It's providing key insights, and
it's now speaking louder
than ever as a study and
as a as a data set,
because we have all of this
longitudinal data that we are
sharing across the world.
One of our participants is here, and
I want to introduce her.
Sigurd Kennedy is a
long time participant in the study.
She joined in 2005.
She. You may have also seen her
in the documentary on Rab called
determined. She's one of the
three women in that documentary
that that describe their story
and explain how this disease has
impacted them.
So proud of Sigrid for her long time
commitment to the study.
And I want to introduce her to you
now, Sigrid.
I was asked to speak about why
was in the study.
Well, I'm in the study because
I'm a woman, and therefore
I have a 50% chance
higher rate of having Alzheimer's
than a man.
I'm also in it because I'm a
daughter of someone who had
Alzheimer's, which increases
my risk.
Not only did my mother have
Alzheimer's, but her cousin
who was a first cousin twice because
brothers, married sisters so very
closely related
genetically.
Also died of Alzheimer's and
most likely their grandmother
because her death certificate
states hardening of the arteries,
and they described her as being
childish as she got older.
Over the last 20 years, I
participated in a number of NIH
funded studies.
I have had cognitive tests, MRI,
Pet scans, spinal taps,
and even an endurance test on
a treadmill.
I've also served on the first
advisory board where I
was. I had the opportunity
to actually see the research coming
together in a coherent
process and showing
a path to treatment
and to prevention.
I've also been inspired by these
studies and have adjusted my
lifestyle to pursue my
mental health, my brain health.
I exercise, I participate,
I eat the mind, the mind
study. I don't know if you're
familiar with that. It's very close
to the Mediterranean
diet, but it has a little, little
differences.
Anyway, I really feel like
I've been honored to be a part of
this. It's so big.
It's so important and
it's very hopeful.
I don't know if many of you have
seen or met or know anyone
who's been in the last stages of
Alzheimer's, but I will tell
you, it is not very pretty.
You don't just lose your memory.
Your brain is failing.
You can't walk.
You can't talk.
You can't swallow.
And the late stages of Alzheimer's
generally requires 24,
seven, 24 hours
a day, seven days a week care.
And usually not
one caregiver can deal with this
person. And it often
requires nursing home care, which is
extremely expensive.
It's average about $82,000
a year after taxes for a family.
Social security doesn't really cover
that, does it?
I want to share a story with you.
My son in law's aunt was
diagnosed with Alzheimer's
about ten years ago, and
her memory
was progressively she lost her
memory progressively.
Her husband was her only caregiver.
He was a college professor, retired
college professor, and
they had no children and no
grandchildren, so caring
for her was up to him.
Just a few weeks ago, in
mid-January, my
son in law received a text
from his uncle and
it was very simple.
It said, I cannot
do this any longer.
He shot his aunt,
he shot himself.
And that is how their 60 year
love story ended
violently.
It was not necessary.
He was unfortunate.
So I began by saying,
I'm in this study because I'm at
risk.
But clearly my family
has Alzheimer's
unit and for several generations.
So I'm a mother.
And I'm also a grandmother.
And I want Alzheimer's
to be.
I want to be the last person.
And I want this generation to.
And Alzheimer's.
And for that, I'm counting on
Stirling and the University of
Wisconsin to get it done.
I'm very proud of my university
and very proud of what's happening
here. Thank you.
Thank you. Cigarette?
I'd like to now turn this over to
Professor Karen Frick from
the University of Wisconsin,
Milwaukee, who is
professor of psychology and
chair in the neuroscience area.
Professor frick.
Good afternoon.
On behalf of Chancellor
Mark Monet, who was unable to be
here this afternoon.
I offer warm greetings from the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Hi, I'm Karen Frick.
I'm a distinguished professor in the
Department of Psychology, where
I direct a research laboratory
supported by funds from the
National Institutes of Health.
In this lab, I train and
supervise undergraduate research
assistants and scientists from
around the world who are pursuing
their PhDs or conducting
postgraduate research.
For much of the past 25 years.
My research has been driven
by the fact that, as you just heard,
women are at significantly greater
risk of developing Alzheimer's
disease than men, which
we think is related to estrogen
loss at menopause.
The NIH funded research conducted
in my lab is designed to understand
how estrogen to regulate memory
on a cellular and molecular level,
so that we can use this information
to develop new treatments
to reduce memory loss and the risk
of Alzheimer's in women
as well as men.
The NIH funds my lab has received
benefit UW, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin and the nation in several
important ways.
First, they provide our
undergraduate students with
unparalleled opportunities
to engage in research which
not only provides invaluable
hands on experiential learning
and skill development, but enhances
academic success and graduation
rates.
Moreover, undergraduate research
experience helps students accomplish
their career goals, as illustrated
by my lab's graduates who have gone
on to careers as physicians,
veterinarians, scientists,
mental health providers,
occupational therapists, and genetic
counselors.
Most of these graduates stay
here in Wisconsin, benefiting
our communities and our economy.
Second, NIH funds my lab
have received have been instrumental
in training the next generation of
scientists at the doctoral level.
These scientists have made important
and novel discoveries
about how the brain makes memories
that have laid the foundation for
the development of next generation
drug therapies, to reduce
the epidemic of memory dysfunction
and Alzheimer's disease in our
increasingly older population.
My own NIH funded research
has led to the development of new
therapies for reducing memory loss,
alleviating hot flashes,
and reducing the risk of Alzheimer's
disease, which we hope will reach
the clinic in the next 5 to
10 years.
If you remember one thing from my
remarks today, it's that federal
funding for basic and clinical
research is critical for
training the next generation of
scientists and health professionals
while developing new treatments for
Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's
disease, schizophrenia, addiction,
as well as conditions such as
cancer, heart disease, stroke
and diabetes, which are among the
leading causes of death in the
United States.
Simply put, these desperately
needed treatments would not be
possible without NIH funding.
Thank you.
I would like to next introduce Mr.
Tom still, president of the
Wisconsin Technology Council.
Thank you. Karen.
Well hello everyone.
I'm Tom Steele from the Wisconsin
Technology Council.
As Rothman, Chancellor Luke and
others, thank you for for being a
part of this today.
You know, it's interesting when you
talk about Alzheimer's.
I own family has been touched by
that.
And we you know, we've seen it in
some some fairly serious ways.
And so it's it's
more evidence of the kinds of things
that are going on here.
Why I think my role here today,
because of president of the Tech
Council, by the way, it was a little
bit late because it was a Capitol
hearing on economic
development today where I had to
to testify.
I did sneak in the NIH cuts
there. So more
the more audience, the better,
right?
You know, when you look at the
impact of NIH in
Wisconsin historically.
2023, about 654
million,
you divide that by our roughly 6
million people. You come up with
about $110 per year capital.
That's a pretty you know, that's a
pretty small investment when you
look at it in terms of what we're
getting out of that, not only in
this state, but in the research
that's done here.
And well beyond that extends beyond
our borders.
And in the meantime,
because of the sort of the ripple
effect of that kind of research.
You see it in construction jobs,
you see it in tech company jobs.
You see it in all kinds of things
that are adding to the economy.
So those NIH dollars
are contributing in ways that, you
know, even go beyond what's going on
here. A couple of stories
that I could talk about there that
I think are pertinent.
Let's look at GE Health Care
Waukesha.
They have been making MRI
machines for a long time.
They almost plateaued
in terms of the construction of
those kinds of jobs and the
need for those kinds of machines,
because their MRI
was limited to a few selective
uses.
But, you know, thanks to
the research done here
and in many other places,
all of a sudden there
the uses expanded
vascular system, stroke detection,
tumors, head trauma, chronic liver
diseases a lot more.
So that company
and the help that it
provides through having those
machines out in the world
is expanding 13,000
such MRI machines in the United
States today. I think about 50,000
globally.
An example of a company that
continues to thrive, continues to
innovate, and
continues to see the results
of the kind of research that in our
space for it.
Another another good example here in
town.
Third wave technologies
third wave is in some ways
is is the grandfather
of biotech in
in Madison.
I can point to Promega for the same
thing. And Promega is another
great example. With third wave
is a place where.
They produce molecular diagnostics
to to help in
reagents, to help in analyzing DNA
and RNA.
And so it became really
important as they moved along.
And by the way, you can go back in
time and you could look at some some
of the researchers here at the UW go
back to Howard Timman.
And so in his Nobel Prize winning
week or years ago,
what third wave?
It was quick
research on what they got in terms
of the NIH grants was about 1.6
million over time.
Not only was there the research that
led to the creation of that, but
then more beyond that.
Well, Third Way was eventually
acquired by a company called
Hologic.
And the story
just just grew.
I mean, $580 million.
Excellent on that.
In terms of Hologic purchase
led to the the rebirth.
Exactly.
Essentially of exact sciences.
You know, many of, you know, exact
sciences here in medicine
which which makes kits
for colon cancer detection.
Well, that was
that was Kevin Conroy
and Maneesh Aurora, who were a part
of that third wave
we had acquired, Exact Sciences
brought it back.
There have been probably
a dozen or so executives who
came out of third wave,
who have done other things in this
community, in this state, over time
to build on that economy.
So
obviously, the NIH cuts are going to
hit first in places like
here to, you know, the Madison, you
know, in Milwaukee, where Professor
Frick is.
The Mooresville clinic is
actually number five in the state in
terms of NIH dollars.
I'm on the board of directors there.
So I know that they're doing great
research.
And the Medical
College of Wisconsin, another great
example, Marquette.
So it's not just here
is statewide, and
it's embedded in years of excellent,
excellent research that have been
translated in so many ways.
So it's it's a great
story that kind of goes beyond
what's happening here to to
what's happening around the state.
And I see I see Dean
Golden's here from
medical school and he's he's
followed this intently and have done
so much to to build on this.
So thanks.
I know we'll all be around later for
questions, but I wanted to introduce
Nicholas Ferris by a forward.
He can talk.
He's on the board there.
He can talk more deeply.
I think about what it means
in the bio health industry
in general.
And I think also maybe specifically
the bio health tech hub that's
emerging in Wisconsin
and where we need to go from there.
So thank you all very much.
Thank you, Tom, for the great
introduction.
I'm Nicholas Perez, I'm chair
of bio for the Wisconsin,
the voice of bio.
Your health industry in Wisconsin
through its 250 members
and Unless to mention yes, we are
the governance body for the newly
created. Thank you
that your health industry in
Wisconsin,
it's a national leader
driving innovation and
economic growth, but also
contributing, of course, to health
outcomes. We have plenty of example
today.
It's a very wide ecosystem
with notably biomedical research and
testing, digital health,
drug and pharmaceuticals, medical
devices, and a lot of manufacturing
that goes with that distribution.
So it's a whole big ecosystem
and bio forward.
When we talk about during Wisconsin
space industry, we are talking
about a collaborative effort
between industry leaders,
research institution, of course, and
policy makers.
All states institution like UW
Madison, UW, UVU, Waukee Medical
College of Wisconsin
and all the others.
Play a critical role
in advancing groundbreaking medical
research.
Academic year
R&D in Wisconsin has grown faster
than the average youth.
Do you ever get sorry?
During the previous years and I had
funding here.
Permitting of GSP, as it's been
underlined, is I hear here in
Wisconsin than anywhere else
in the U.S..
So getting federal funding,
particularly an age grant,
would severely
impact not only our ability
to innovate, but also
our ability to improve lives
and grow our economy.
So Tom rightfully mentioned NIH
investment brought $654
million to Wisconsin
in 2023, and thousands
of direct jobs and generally
billions in in economic
activity for the state.
These funds from an age
don't just drive research.
Attract biotech companies, venture
capital.
They attract top scientists
and talents to the state.
They drive manufacturing, drive
services, and even more
so if there's no research.
There are no discoveries,
no treatments, nor
new or fast growing companies and no
ecosystem to support them.
So there's no doubt that reducing
NIH funding would be a
direct threat for us in
Wisconsin. But for the US in
general,
its position as a global
leader in favor with innovation
would be compromise.
At a time where China is
aggressively investing in research
and biotech, aiming to surpass the
U.S.
in life science innovation.
Now is not the time
for America to weaken its
competitive advantage.
And you were mentioning the tech
hub.
Yes, we are very proud of our
tech hub. But what I take up without
funding to innovate.
So the proposed 15% cap
on interim cost would make it,
of course, harder for Wisconsin
research institution to conduct
world class research.
It would be putting us at a serious,
serious disadvantage globally
and funding for the entire
ecosystem that turns academic
discoveries into life saving
treatments and thriving
businesses.
It is not only a research problem,
it is everyone's
problem.
So we must protect NIH funding
to keep Wisconsin at the forefront
of better health innovation.
Of course. Investment in medical
breakthroughs.
And together, we must defend
Wisconsin leadership in bail out
and ensure we continue building the
future of medicine.
Thank you.
My first thank you very much and
thank you to all of our presenters
today.
I think what you can take away from
this is that research has certainly
enormous economic impact,
but it has so much more than that.
It provides that opportunity
for current researchers
to do their work,
to grow the next generation
of researchers that will do great
things, but
most importantly, it provides
hope
and it provides the opportunity to
improve lives.
It is that simple.
So again, we thank you for being
here. We have a couple of minutes
for questions, and a number of
our presenters today will be able to
stay a little bit longer and answer
any other questions you may have.
So are there any questions
Kimberly.
So, you know, they're open to, you
know, these large indirect
possibilities.
But this is just a way to pay
overhead for university.
So where do indirect.
Cost Costco.
You know, 26%.
What does.
That mean? What does that mean?
I think there are a lot of things
where they indirectly go.
I view it as though you can have a
car, but if you don't have gasoline
in the car, the car's not going to
move. They are important to provide,
you know, the laboratory space that
is there. They are important to
provide regulatory compliance that
are important to provide.
The issues around patient safety
and funds, all of that.
But the way I would step back and
look at it is this is that there
have been what we want to cut
indirect costs,
but there is no evidence that that
money is going to be reinvested in
research.
And that, I think, is the real
serious issue here, because this
goes to who we are as
a society. Are we going to invest in
our future?
And I think that's the way we ought
to look at this. And I you know, if
the indirect costs are cut,
there has been no indication that
that's going back to be reinvested
in research. Are you our
universities?
I think universities across the
country. This is watched very
closely.
They invest that money wisely.
Yes.
A federal magistrate lot.
And I need some funding.
What do you make of that?
Do you think that's going to help
you guys? Are you optimistic about
that?
I think some of the judicial actions
that have been taken are temporary
pieces. I think the bigger issue is
when Congress deals with the
reconciliation budget process
going forward. And I think that's
where this will really come to a
head.
And I think that's why we are
particularly concerned about the
impact that these cuts could
have on research
funding.
But I would hope all of us would be
concerned about not
having those opportunities to have
that hope and have those cures
for ourselves, for our
children, for our families.
Question to your left, president.
Yes, sir.
This week, just to look.
At evidence and specific.
Steps that you have now taken
to prepare and respond challenge of
hunting cuts involves the changes.
What specific steps have the
university's response in a higher
level taken to address these
changes?
The area anticipating it?
We are certainly looking at a number
of things.
I have introduced a hiring
freeze, we have
restricted travel, and we are
looking at other contingency
planning relative to
how we would, as the universities
of Wisconsin administration, do
with that, because that just applies
to UW, USA, not to our universities,
but our universities are going
through a lot of contingency
planning. And I'll let the
Chancellor address how
the actions that that her
administration is doing at UW
Madison.
Thanks. President Rothman, I'd
actually like to come back to
Kimberly's question about indirect,
because I know the numbers can seem
big, but the thing to understand
is that indirect cost expenditures
are real costs.
They're not there.
For example, in
the Alzheimer's study, those big
pieces of medical Equipment that
we're using to study people
that community is getting tested
on. Those are Hendricks.
Those are those are absolutely
critical.
Yes. They're the gasoline.
There are a lot more than the
gasoline there.
All of the technology
infrastructure and the big
picture, big ticket items that
help support the doing of research.
They are also all of the compliance
costs that we have to do
what we're required to do in order
to do federal research and to do it
safely.
So I think it's it's
easy to sort of say, gee,
are they just overhead?
But they're actually very real
costs.
And so if you took those away, even
if you put them back into research,
it would reduce the research we
could do, because unless we could
find other ways we could pay for
those very real costs.
We couldn't do the research that
we're doing all around the university.
And so I think it's very important
to try to explain that
we are taking a variety of steps.
There's a lot of uncertainty right
now about where all this will land.
And so we're trying to be cautious
about about how we spend money
or trying to scenario plan for
a variety of futures.
And we're also trying to stay
focused on our core
missions of research,
teaching and service and what we
can do to protect those
parts of what we need
to keep doing for our students,
for the state.
For the Wisconsin idea.
Thanks.
Other questions?
Yes, sir.
What is the proposed cap
on NIH funding mean for
undergraduate students who are
looking to get their foot in the
door at some of these research labs?
We're looking to sort of gain that
experience. And could we see changes
for students that are already in
those positions if these.
Cats are replaced?
So
yeah.
That's a great question.
I think we'll both have opinions on
that. It's certainly going to impact
our ability to train the next
generation of scientists.
Undergrads come into our labs.
They gain crucial experience
that then serves as
the next stepping stone into
graduate school or other
professional opportunities.
If the labs aren't able to
to conduct that research, there'll
be no basis, no no projects
for them to come in and and learn
on. So it is a big concern for us.
I would just echo that as well.
So, you know, undergrads or
delay the lifeblood of our research
enterprise.
And without
NIH funding, those opportunities
for undergraduates simply won't be
there. And so they won't be able to
get that experience.
And for, you know,
students come to places like
UW Madison, UW Milwaukee
for that research experience that
they would really lose a valuable
aspect of their undergraduate
experience.
We can't we've got time for one more
question.
Yes.
Yeah. Can you talk about any changes
to the graduate admissions at UW
as well as a result?
I think that would also be a good
question for the Chancellor to
address.
A number of schools around the
country have frozen or
paused graduate admissions.
We've taken a somewhat
lighter touch to this, at
least so far, in part because
graduate research isn't just a start
and stop activity.
If we have to pause and really have
reductions, there'll be very long
term consequences.
We have asked departments and units
to look carefully at their
admissions and
to be cautious, but we haven't
had any university level
hard and fast rules about exactly
what that looks like.
Again, thank all of you for for
being here today. I know a few of
the presenters will be staying
around to answer any additional
questions you have, but again, thank
you very much.
Thanks.
We'll also be able to take folks on
a.