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Office of the Vice President for Research

  • The USC representatives from the Lewis-Burke Associates pose in front of a window overlooking Columbia.

Lewis-Burke Associates LLC

The University of South Carolina is proud to partner with Lewis-Burke Associates, a leading full-service government relations firm that specializes in advocating for the public policy interests of higher education research enterprises like ours. The Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to share news and resources from Lewis-Burke Associates with researchers across USC’s system.

The University of South Carolina has retained the services of Lewis-Burke Associates, a leading full-service government relations firm that specializes in advocating for the public policy interests of higher education research enterprises like ours. Our new partners at Lewis-Burke Associates will help the university build and make the most of relationships in Washington, D.C., providing the support our research enterprise needs to reach the next level. The agency offers a variety of services like helping to match faculty with federal funding opportunities, with a broad portfolio ranging from STEM and health sciences to the liberal arts and humanities.

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Lewis-Burke will provide such services to the university as:

  • Strategies for current projects to succeed in a challenging and changing political environment
  • Intelligence on new and emerging federal priorities from across agencies, including in-depth analysis of new funding opportunities and reports from federal advisory committees
  • Facilitation of relationships with federal scientists and program officials
  • Support for early career faculty and professional development
  • Advice on research portfolio diversification
  • High-level surveys of federal funding trends to better understand agency priorities and the political landscape, including webinars and
  • Analysis and guidance on new regulations and policies affecting research and higher education

 

Lewis-Burke Newsletters

View the archive and sign up for the Defense Policy Newsletter from Lewis-Burke Associates.

View the archive and sign up for the Earth and Environmental Sciences Newsletter from Lewis-Burke Associates.

View the archive and sign up for the Education and Workforce Policy Newsletter from Lewis-Burke Associates.

View the archive and sign up for the Health Highlights Newsletter from Lewis-Burke Associates.

View the archive and sign up for the International Policy Newsletter from Lewis-Burke Associates.

 

Meet the Team

Headshot of Eve from the Lewis-Burke Associates

Eve Granatosky, Ph.D.

Eve Granatosky, Ph.D. is a Principal at Lewis-Burke and serves as the Team Lead for USC. She specializes in advising clients on interdisciplinary priorities, especially for those at the intersection of life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. Eve’s primary expertise is in biomedical research and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as other agencies focused on health and life science research. Her issue expertise incudes biotechnology, biomanufacturing, graduate STEM education, and environmental health. Prior to joining Lewis-Burke, Eve worked as a science policy fellow at the National Human Genome Research Institute and the American Society of Human Genetics. She also served as a Legislative Fellow in the United States Senate. Originally from Groton, CT, Eve earned her undergraduate degree at Stonehill College and her doctorate degree in biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame. 

Headshot of Bill from the Lewis-Burke Associates

Bill Ruch

Bill Ruch is a Principal at Lewis-Burke and Chair of the Technology-Based Economic Development Practice Group, which assists clients as they seek to commercialize research from lab to market, forge public-private partnerships, and pursue regional economic development strategies. Bill’s diverse portfolio also covers federal interests across the research and development spectrum. He also serves as one of the firm’s top experts in the social and behavioral sciences and domestic security spaces. Prior to working at the federal level, Bill accrued valuable state and local government experience at the Michigan House of Representatives. Bill attended Michigan State University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law. 

Headshot of Sierra from the Lewis-Burke Associates

Sierra C. Cato, J.D.

Sierra C. Cato, J.D. is a Principal at Lewis-Burke and member of the Energy Policy Practice Group. As a trusted advisor and strategist, Sierra helps clients advance legislative priorities in Congress, secure federal funding, navigate challenges in the political landscape and raise their profile in Washington, DC. Prior to joining the firm, Sierra served as the Acting Staff Secretary for Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette at the U.S. Department of Energy, Senior Advisor to the Director of Executive Secretariat as well as the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. Sierra’s background also includes serving in both the United States Senate as law clerk for Senator Thom Tillis and the United States Committee on Science, Commerce, and Transportation under Senator John Thune’s leadership. She served as a Staff Assistant for Senator David Vitter and Intern for Majority Leader Steve Scalise. 

Amber Cassady Headshot

Amber Cassady

Amber Cassady, a Principal at Lewis-Burke, leads the firm’s national security practice and spearheads both client-specific and firm-wide efforts in defense appropriations, defense authorization, and engagement with the Department of Defense (DOD) and Military Services. Amber is especially involved in the national security R&D ecosystem related to manufacturing, microelectronics, and emerging technologies. She also leads the firm’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) portfolio, most recently keeping a pulse on “CHIPS”-specific opportunities and funding from the landmark CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Amber earned her B.A. in Global Studies, B.A. in Contemporary European Studies, and M.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Lewis-Burke Associates Team

In addition to these representatives, the University of South Carolina has access to the services of the entire Lewis-Burke team with specializations to support researchers from all fields.

 


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