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October 5, 2009

Chancellor Gray-Little goes to Washington

                                                                                 

Last week, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little traveled to Washington, DC for meetings with national leaders, and to get acquainted with the nearly 5,000 alumni living in and near our nation's capital.

Gray-Little's visit started Thursday with a meeting with Janet Murguia, former KU executive vice chancellor, who now serves as president of the National Council of La Raza. Murguia and the Chancellor spoke about KU's increasingly diverse student population, and the Murguia family's interest in supporting KU.

Chancellor Gray-Little then traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with the Kansas congressional delegation. On the House side, she met with Representatives Moran, Tiahrt, Jenkins, and Moore, with a highlight of the visit being when Congressman Dennis Moore took her to the House of Representatives for a House vote on an appropriations bill. Chancellor Gray-Little also enjoyed lunch with Representative Moore's wife Stephene.

Having visited with Kansas' House members, the Chancellor walked through the new Capitol Visitor Center on her way to Senator Sam Brownback's office for a meeting with him. Later that night, the Chancellor met with more than 100 KU alumni at a reception in Washington. She visited with KU alumni who have been active in government and the private sector, as well as briefly telling the group about her vision for KU.

On Friday, Gray-Little met with KU alum Jerry Seib, executive Washington editor of the Wall Street Journal. They discussed Kansas and KU, as well as the national political climate, with Seib pointing out the looming issues that states like Kansas face next year when their budget shortfalls will not be shored up by a stimulus bill. Gray-Little then visited with Senator Pat Roberts, making her six-for-six in visits with the delegation during the trip.

Finally on Friday, the Chancellor met with Kansas' senior statesman, former Senator Bob Dole. Dole warmly received the Chancellor and welcomed her to Kansas. They spoke at great length about the service the Dole Institute of Politics is providing to students and Kansas, as well as the work Dole is doing to push his former Senate colleagues to pass a viable health reform bill.