The acquisition by FAS brings together MetroLab’s expansive coalition of 82 local governments and more than 120 universities with FAS’ policy, science and technology talent. Kate Garman Burns, executive director of MetroLab and now a director at FAS, said the integration was a natural fit in a recent statement.
“We work with universities and local governments to bring innovative policy solutions to communities — and that work complements what FAS has been doing at the federal level,” she said in a statement.
FAS CEO Daniel Correa noted that their organization was created a decade ago to help move technical expertise and innovations from research labs into communities where they could make a meaningful difference. The company, he said, is now expanding that capability.
“We are teaming up to realize a shared vision, matching the deep science and tech expertise at FAS with MetroLab’s leadership, expertise and expansive network across civic and university actors,” he said in a statement.
Jonathan Wilson, FAS associate director of communications, said the union had been in the works for months.
“Our teams spent significant time getting to know each other — discussing the impact our organizations are trying to have in the world and the talents each of our individuals and our communities can bring to our shared work,” he said. “Kate and the FAS team worked closely to map our strategy, networks and impact to identify where our shared work is complementary.”
That growing demand for MetroLab’s work, Wilson said, prompted internal discussions about how to scale more effectively — conversations that ultimately led then-Executive Director Kate Burns to explore a potential merger with FAS.
“Kate spoke to her board chair about opportunities to grow faster — demand for their work was greater than the smaller team could reasonably handle and brought the idea to be a part of FAS to take advantage of a larger organization’s expertise and operations,” Wilson said. “This will allow for federal endeavors, such as national centers for AI and projects resulting from the CHIPS and Science Act, to better reach local communities, and vice versa.”
FAS plans to use its existing platform, resources and communication infrastructure to expand MetroLab’s community engagement and deepen relationships with its broad coalition of local governments and universities.
Universities will play a central role in MetroLab’s programs, serving as vital partners in research, innovation and talent development, Wilson emphasized.
“In this new structure, universities will continue to be regularly involved with programs and MetroLab’s community of practice. Specifically, this includes the Mobility Center of Excellence, led by UCLA, and the local government R&D agenda.”
Beyond continuing programs, the new relationship opens the door to collaborations that were previously out of reach, he said.
“MetroLab joining FAS enables our team to source policy for incoming governors and mayors, create state-level science fellowships and push for more effective use of federal investment into local communities on policies we care jointly most about.”
