Sudduth to represent University in D.C. as Associate V.P. for Federal Relations

In order to be more actively engaged with federal legislation and developments affecting research and higher education, the University has appointed A. Scott Sudduth, one of the nation’s leading higher education representatives in Washington, D.C., to be its Associate Vice President for Federal Relations.

Sudduth, who has led federal relations efforts for the University of California system since 1998, will begin Sunday, June 1. He will work primarily in Washington, where he will represent the University’s perspective on higher education and research policy to Congress and the Executive Branch. He also will address the two Department of Energy national laboratories the University helps operate, Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory.

“Scott brings outstanding experience and skill, as well as credibility on Capitol Hill and beyond,” said President Zimmer. “He has been a leader and spokesperson on a variety of issues impacting higher education, from tax to medical education financing to the integral relationship of research universities to our nation’s innovation agenda.

As head of federal relations for the University of California, Sudduth represented the university before Congress and the Executive Branch on issues of concern to a system that receives more than $6 billion annually from the federal government in support of research, student financial aid, academic medical centers and three national laboratories.”

Zimmer said the appointment “reflects the need for the University to participate more actively and visibly in Washington, D.C., as the federal funding, regulatory, compliance and research environment in which we operate grows increasingly complex and as we face new challenges relative to federal support for Argonne and Fermilab.”

Sudduth said he is honored to join the University. “This is a world-class institution that has valuable resources to offer Washington policymakers as they develop research, education and health care policies that will shape this country for decades to come. I also believe that Argonne and Fermilab are national treasures, and I look forward to helping the University of Chicago and the State of Illinois make the case for sustained national investments in these incomparable research labs.”

The Associate Vice President for Federal Relations also will enhance Chicago’s participation on national issues connected to universities, Zimmer said. “This appointment should enable us to have a more direct role in higher education and science policy via interactions with the government and participation in organizations with interests that parallel those of the University.”

Chicago is one of the nation’s leading research institutions. In the fiscal year 2007, the University was awarded more than $407 million in sponsored funding, about half of which came from the Department of Health and Human Services (primarily from the National Institutes of Health) and another 12.5 percent from the National Science Foundation.

Argonne National Laboratory has an annual budget of more than $500 million and employs 2,600 people. Argonne is managed through UChicago Argonne, LLC. The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has a $300 million annual budget and 2,000 employees. Fermilab is managed through Fermi Research Alliance, LLC, a partnership between the University of Chicago and Universities Research Association, Inc.

Sudduth led federal relations efforts for 10 campuses and three national laboratories in the University of California system, which also includes some of the nation’s leading research institutions.

Before joining the University of California, Sudduth was Assistant Vice Chancellor in the Office of Government Relations for the University of Texas system. He established the office of federal relations for the 16-campus system in 1993 and led its federal efforts until 1998.

Prior to his appointment at the University of Texas, Sudduth was Chief of Staff for U.S. Rep. Pete Geren (D-Texas), who currently serves as Secretary of the U.S. Army. Sudduth also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for vice-presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen during the 1988 presidential campaign after serving as Bentsen’s legislative aide.

He received a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982 and a J.D. from Catholic University of America in 1989.