Virginia Capitol Connections Winter 2019

Update for VCU Wilder School

Three new state laws that went into effect on July 1 share more than being related to equity—their chief patrons drew on the expertise of VCU Wilder School Translational Research Fellows. The program, housed in the Wilder School’s Center for Public Policy, bridges the gap between academia and policy by connecting researchers with lawmakers. Shelly Smith, DNP, an expert on training nurse practitioners, and Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Ph.D., an expert on equity in education, shared their expertise with members of the Virginia General Assembly to inform legislation. [See sidebar] Smith provided critical insights to Del. Roxann Robinson of Chesterfield County in shaping HB 793. “Shelly is a leading expert in her field,” Robinson said. “Her knowledge of the issue and her close involvement in the everyday medical field were extremely beneficial as we worked to tackle an issue facing nurse practitioners on a daily basis.” Each year, up to 10 additional faculty members from across VCU

are selected to be Translational Research Fellows. Their research areas vary, and include topics such as oral health disparities, solar energy policy and planning, artificial intelligence, the use of research involving animals, and juvenile justice policy. “Part of the Wilder School’s mission is to advance research that informs public policy with a goal of improving our communities,” said Susan Gooden, Ph.D., interim dean of the Wilder School. “The Fellows program allows us to build critical bridges between the university and the policy world.” Virginia’s part-time lawmakers considered around 3,000 bills in less than 60 days of the 2018 legislative session, said Grant Rissler, Ph.D., assistant director of the Center for Public Policy’s outreach programs. “So there’s precious little time during session to seek out new sources of credible information. The Fellows program makes getting started from either end of the bridge easier.” VCU Wilder School Translational Research Fellows helped inform these bills from the 2018 session, which went into effect on July 1: • HB 1600 established a new 45-day maximum limit (previously 364 days) on the length of long-term school suspensions intended to mitigate the “school to prison pipeline” that disproportionately impacts minority students (Delegate Jeffrey M. Bourne (D-71) chief patron). • SB 170 prohibits suspending students in pre-K through third grade for more than three days. (Senator William M. Stanley, Jr. (R-20) chief patron) • HB 793 creates a pathway for nurse practitioners with at least five years of experience to practice without physician oversight, allowing nurse practitioners to provide direct patient care, particularly in medically underserved communities (Delegate Roxann L. Robinson (R-27) chief patron).

Smith called the program “a transformative experience.” Meeting faculty from across the university who share similar research interests is another benefit of the program, and can potentially lead to future cross-discipline collaborations among researchers. “This unique experience is also an innovative approach to removing academic silos,” Smith said. For a new cohort, initial training highlights the rhythms, systems, and key players in the legislature as well as best practices in communicating with policymakers. Following the training, Fellows prepare a policy brief in their area of expertise, getting feedback and design help from program coordinators. The challenge of summarizing insights that would fill a 30- page academic paper into two pages is another part of the learning experience. Once briefs are ready, the program sets up three meetings for Fellows with interested policymakers to talk about their area of expertise. “Once a Fellow is seen as a credible expert by a legislator, the ongoing conversations often continue into other related policy areas,” said Robyn McDougle, Ph.D., director of the Center for Public Policy. “When Shelly met with Del. Robinson the first time, they had a good connection. So her office was in touch numerous times over the course of the next session, drawing on Shelly as sounding board as amendments were considered.” Siegel-Hawley—who met with state Sen. Bill Stanley of Franklin County and Del. Jeff Bourne of Richmond, the chief patrons of the two school discipline bills—also noted the importance of building trust in being seen as a credible expert. “The program helped establish relationships between research and policymakers,” she said. “These relationships nurture trust, which is a key element in bridging the research-policy gap.” Any legislative or executive branch office interested in scheduling a conversation with one of the Fellows (see box) should contact the Wilder School’s Center for Public Policy outreach office at oppo@ vcu.edu or (804) 827-2603.

V irginia C apitol C onnections , W inter 2019

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