Alumnus appointed IU's new federal lobbyist

IU's new liaison between the University and the federal government, Doug Wasitis, wants to get the University's voice heard in Congress.\nWasitis, an IU alumnus, has been with Baker & Daniels Sagamore's education practice team for the past eight years and is the senior vice president of the company.\nWasitis also has been a part of the House Appropriations Committee and has extensive knowledge on the federal budget, including the aspect of education, according to an IU press release.\n"Doug has spent the last 17 years on 'the Hill,'" said Tom Healy, IU vice president for government relations. "He has been an aide for a congressman and is in his current position now for Baker & Daniels. Since he graduated from IU, he has a lot of understanding about what IU needs."\nThat understanding could be a factor in Wasitis' actions on Capitol Hill. Depending on what he does for the University, IU could receive funding for research, humanities and other opportunities that arise.\nWasitis hopes to keep in close contact with IU President Adam Herbert and keep up to date on what the school needs and what areas those needs are in.\n"I will work with President Herbert, the Vice Provost for Research and other IU officials to develop a federal agenda that enhances IU's strengths and creates new opportunities for the University at the federal level," Wasitis said.\nHealy said Wasitis' communication skills were part of the reason he was hired.\n"He has very high personal integrity, and his personal skills and his ability to get along with people were among the many reasons that we chose Doug," Healy said.\nWasitis is keeping a close watch on what the federal government does because it has proposed and passed many budget cuts in the education field. One of Wasitis' most important jobs will be to continue to push for IU to be at the top of the list in the funding area.\n"It is important to be strategic in our approach to both the Indiana congressional delegation and federal agencies which IU is currently involved with or with which we would like to be engaged," Wasitis said. "With this in mind, the first order of business related to the proposed federal budget reductions is to inventory their impact on IU's ability to serve its students."\nTo help curb the effects of the cuts, Wasitis has a starting point.\n"After we inventory those impacts, we will identify priorities so we can work with the delegation and federal officials on minimizing the impact of those proposed reductions," Wasitis said.\nWasitis graduated from IU in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Ryne \nShadday at rshadday@indiana.edu.