Lewis-Burke developed and executed a strategic plan for a university client to highlight and fully leverage a new experimental capability, raise the university’s national profile in national security and materials research, and increase research funding.
The first phase involved briefing key congressional delegations and staff on the project and the benefits of this new capability. This resulted in inclusion of report language in one of the Senate appropriations bills highlighting the project as a model to emulate, and increased funding in a House appropriations bill for an academic alliance program which funds the research and facility operations of the university.
The next phase involved Lewis-Burke organizing a dedication ceremony to make other agencies aware of the unique capabilities, increasing research funding and users and raising the university’s profile.
Lewis-Burke also worked with the communications teams of federal agencies and science writers from a few science publications to publish press releases and articles in the media the day of the event. The results of this event included new and increased collaboration with federal agencies on future research projects, raised its congressional profile, and increased federal funding.