SPARC has appointed Katie Steen as Manager of Public Policy and Advocacy, effective February 1, 2021. In the newly established position, Katie will be responsible for enhancing SPARC’s policy and coalition activities to advance SPARC’s commitment to making open the default for research and education.
Katie comes to SPARC from the Association of American Universities (AAU), where she has been serving as federal relations officer. She led the organisation’s advocacy on policy issues ranging from humanities funding to agriculture research, and was active in AAU’s effort to accelerate public access to research data. She brings a solid grounding in both Congressional and Executive branch advocacy, as well as a deep familiarity with the higher education environment to the new role.
Katie also has a long connection with SPARC, beginning with her participation in OpenCon in 2014. In 2017, she became a full-time consultant for SPARC as an open education policy manager and helped secure the first appropriation for an Open Textbook Pilot Grant Program in the US Department of Education.
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