This webinar brings together leaders from universities and government to examine how public and private investment in higher education research shapes economic growth, scientific discovery, and societal well-being. Panelists will discuss the shifting funding landscape, the tensions between institutional autonomy and public accountability, and how research outcomes can be made more accessible and beneficial to the communities that help sustain them.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Kelvin K. Droegemeier is professor of climate, meteorology, and atmospheric sciences and special advisor to the chancellor for science and policy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A nationally recognized leader in academic research and science policy, he previously served as vice president for research at the University of Oklahoma, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Science Advisor to the President, and acting director of the National Science Foundation. He has served on the National Science Board, including as vice chair, and held numerous leadership roles in research organizations. His work bridges higher education, research investment, and public policy. He is the author of Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise (MIT Press, 2023) and serves on the National Academies’ Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy.
Harriet Kung is deputy director for science programs in the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science, where she provides senior scientific and management leadership for the nation’s research portfolio spanning the physical, biological, and energy sciences. With more than twenty years of DOE service, she previously held senior leadership positions in basic energy sciences, helping shape national research priorities, advance interdisciplinary team science, and strengthen connections between fundamental research and national energy and technology missions. She has played a key role in strategic planning for the nation’s scientific enterprise and in positioning DOE as a leader in quantum science and technology. Previously, she was a technical staff member and project leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Kung holds MS and PhD degrees from Cornell University and is the recipient of Presidential Meritorious and Distinguished Executive Rank awards.
Kathryn A. “Kam” Moler is the Marvin Chodorow Professor of Applied Physics, Physics, and Energy Science and Engineering at Stanford University, where she serves as special advisor to the president. An accomplished physicist and academic leader, her research focuses on precision magnetic imaging of quantum materials and devices, alongside a longstanding interest in the research enterprise itself. She previously served as Stanford’s vice provost and dean of research (2018–2023), overseeing university-wide research strategy and administration, and as vice president for SLAC (2024–2026). Her leadership experience also includes directing Stanford’s Nano Shared Facilities and serving as senior associate dean for natural sciences. A member of the National Academy of Sciences and fellow of the American Physical Society, she has also cochaired the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee.
Moderator:
Brandice Canes-Wrone is the Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Wayne and Jodi Cooperman Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, and the founding director of the Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions. She is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Sciences and Letters.
