This event considered the role that academic research plays in informing and impacting public policy. A panel of Maine lawmakers and policy advocates discussed how evidence-based public policy can address pressing contemporary issues. This event was done in collaboration with the Maine Scholars Strategy Network, an organization working to strengthen democracy and improve public policy by linking academic expertise with journalists, civic organizations, and policymakers.
Winifred Tate, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Colby moderated the panel that included Rep. Jessica Fay, serving House District 66 in the Maine House of Representatives, Rep. Charlotte Warren, serving House District 84 in the Maine House of Representatives, and Julie Ann Smith, Executive Director, Maine Farm Bureau.