Washington Update: December 2025

Leslee Gilbert is a Vice President at Van Scoyoc Associates with an extensive background in higher education, research, technology development and politics. She has over 25 years hands-on experience in the Washington policy-making process, and over 30 years of experience working in and with institutions of higher education and innovation organizations.At VSA, Dr. Gilbert has developed a practice that focuses on research, development and competitiveness in fields such as aerospace, defense, healthcare, technology-based economic development, basic and applied science, environmental policy, and energy. 

Before joining VSA, she was Majority Staff Director and Counsel of the House of Representatives’ Science, Space, and Technology Committee, the primary committee for overseeing research and development in agencies such as NSF, NASA, NIST, NOAA, EPA, and the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, and Transportation. She played a central role in developing and implementing Federal science, technology, and civil space policy, including NASA reauthorization bills, the Energy Independence and Security Act, and America COMPETES. By virtue of her work on the Committee, Dr. Gilbert developed and still maintains strong bipartisan relationships across Congress with the Members and staff most involved in setting policy and providing funding for research and development.

Prior to coming to Washington, Dr. Gilbert was an Assistant Professor at St. Mary’s University in Minnesota, where she also served as a faculty officer. She has published a variety of articles for academic and general audiences. She holds a B.A. from Texas A&M University, an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky, and a J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University. She is a member of the Maryland Bar. When she is not working, she enjoys snow skiing, weightlifting, and flying her single-engine plane around the region.

Liz LaPolt Clark is vice president for policy and research at NACUBO and a member of the NACUBO executive leadership group. She has been widely quoted in the press and is a sought-after speaker on how Washington politics and federal policies impact higher education. Clark got her start on Capitol Hill opening Cornell University's first Washington, DC-based federal relations office. Also in her career, she has led federal affairs for the State University of New York (SUNY) System and for Oregon State University. At NACUBO, she heads the team responsible for analysis of federal regulatory and legislative actions, research, and communications.

Bryan Dickson is the director of student financial services and educational programs for NACUBO. As part of NACUBO’s leadership development team, he is responsible for supporting the advancement of an array of member programs and services, including educational programming for new chief business officers.

In addition, he is a staff liaison to NACUBO’s Student Financial Services Council, working on behalf of the NACUBO membership to assist bursars and student accounts staff on a national level through advocacy with federal agencies and members of Congress. Prior to joining NACUBO in 2007, Dickson was a member of the legal and compliance practice at CEB, Inc., a best practice insight and technology company in Washington, DC. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.