Heather Smiley
RepublicanQ1 Scientific and technical expertise can inform decisions related to healthcare, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and emerging technologies. What role, if any, should scientific evidence and expert input play in your policymaking process, and how would you communicate scientific uncertainty or evolving evidence to the public?
“My career background in global engineering/manufacturing/logistics and data analytics regularly leveraged peer-reviewed research/science, empirical evidence, proactive outreach to industry experts, and self/team performed research and development leading to global, industry-leading innovation/insights. Scientific evidence combined with technical expert testimony is pivotal to making informed decisions, but I also recognize that data can be skewed to fit a biased narrative. I have a history of asking logic-based questions that reveal now/near/far benefits and risks, translating technical concepts into terms everyday people can understand, and recognize that tradeoffs often exist.”
KEYWORDS: Evidence-Driven, Pragmatist, Innovator
Q2 Government research funding supports universities, medical centers, and technology development across Michigan and the nation. What role, if any, should the federal government play in supporting scientific research and innovation, and what outcomes would you prioritize when evaluating those investments?
“Government funded research often occurs where private markets/entities underinvest, but there is also a place for Public-Private Partnerships to augment/accelerate progress where innovation urgency and/or critical gaps exist that adversely impact the country now/near/far. The free market can reward innovators with lucrative deals, patents, tax incentives/credits, etc., but it is also recognized that recruiting/retaining talented researchers can be difficult due to funding grants variability and outcome/deliverable timing/expectations. I am in favor of open competition grants rather than ‘picking winners’ and believe there needs to be a balanced approach to investment where some research has more immediate/obvious applied ROI, and other ‘building block’ research that may be hypothetical now but leads to extraordinary insights/solutions later.”
KEYWORDS: Pragmatic, Collaborative, Investment
Q3 Michigan farmers face challenges including shifting weather patterns, localized droughts, fluctuating input costs, and global market pressures. What policies or investments, if any, would you support to help farmers remain productive and economically competitive, and what role could scientific research and innovation play in those efforts?
“During the tenure of the current Michigan state administration, 500,000 acres of farmland are ‘gone’ due to solar fields and data centers. Recently passed legislation in the US House strengthens farm risk insurance, food security & safety, improves the cost of doing business, etc. Reciprocal global tariff policies will improve & expand/open export markets, but I incrementally support & advocate for an increase in Advancing Regenerative Agriculture and Strengthening American Farm Resilience to first improve domestic; soil/environmental health, product yield/quality, and resilience/profitability for which research will play a pivotal role. Abundant research opportunities include reduced reliance on pesticides, use of organic vs chemical treatments, non-GMO expansion, vertical farming, hydro/aero/aquaponics, operation automation/robotics/optimization, applied AI/ML/IoT, etc.”
KEYWORDS: Resilience, Viability, Innovation
Q4 Michigan communities continue to face challenges related to aging water infrastructure, contamination concerns such as PFAS, and long-term protection of the Great Lakes. What policies or investments, if any, would you support to improve drinking water safety and water infrastructure in Michigan?
“Ensure existing/future municipal water providers are accountable for making continued/ongoing infrastructure improvements/investments, safety/testing, and leak reductions. I believe that policies should focus on areas of greatest risk first i.e. lead pipes, contamination and invasive species prevention/mitigation, etc. Competitive bidding and Public-Private Partnerships with performance-based funding are needed to implement. I advocate for expanded research in areas such as use of IoT/biosensors, advanced oxidation processes, nanofiltration, bioremediation, irradiation/ultrasonic/acoustic treatments, runoff interception/mitigation strategies, etc.”
KEYWORDS: Accountability, Environment, Innovation
Q5 Many communities face shortages in healthcare providers and limited access to specialty care. What policies, if any, do you support to address this daily challenge and do you envision emerging technologies playing a role?
“Ongoing research, clinical trials, and implementation of biotech and life science research continues to deliver breakthrough advances in the delivery, treatment, care, and related biopharmaceuticals. I advocate for increased research in nutraceuticals, psychedelics, nano/targeted-drug delivery, microbiology analysis, remote care delivery, robotics, etc. for disease and ailment therapies/treatments and overall health optimization. Improving costs and patient outcomes through rigorous evidence-based medicine and technologies combined with predictive outcome analysis benefits the patients, healthcare staff/companies, and lowers overall costs for all. I also advocate for research into the expanded use of biomaterials to reduce medical waste.”
KEYWORDS: Evidence-Based, Health, Innovation
Q7 As electricity demand increases due to manufacturing, electrification, and data infrastructure, what role, if any, do you believe alternative energy sources, such as nuclear energy, wind, or solar, should play in America’s future energy mix? What policies, if any, would you support related to alternative energy development, regulation, and/or research, and why?
“Michigan is nationally ranked 50th (worst) for energy reliability and has an energy monopoly held by 2 companies. I believe that there is a place for all sources of energy, and that a pragmatic approach needs to be taken that considers demand/capacity, cost/affordability, and the weather/environment. The U.S. should be energy independent and needs to expand research, development, and implementation of nuclear Small Modular Reactors, natural gas/CNG, hydro, and geothermal as sources of complimentary, reliable energy sources for which permitting and regulatory reform is needed. Further research is needed to increase the diversity, reliability, safety, scalability, and interconnectedness of sources, dispatchable power technologies/strategies, and transmission/grid design and safety from load/outage surges, and hacking/espionage.”
KEYWORDS: Pragmatic, Energy, Reliability
Q9 Rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and large-scale data centers are increasing demand for energy and water infrastructure. What policies, if any, would you support to balance technological growth with infrastructure reliability and environmental sustainability?
“Data centers are needed to support next-generation technologies, but not at the unbalanced expense/detriment of people, infrastructure, and environment. The free-market combined with existing zoning and regulatory requirements should be instrumental in determining data center volume/density, location(s), and size. Incremental research is needed to condense the size of data storage units/centers and associated energy/resource consumption, make more efficient use of natural resources in the technologies/solutions used, perform cause/effect modeling that accurately reflects now/near/far benefits and risks, establish regulatory guidelines/requirements, and also reference my interdependent “Energy” questionnaire response. Data center strategies/plans should ideally include self-contained/sustaining power generation, grid-independent water sources/treatment/reclamation facilities, EMF transmission mitigation, and sound wave/noise abatements.”
KEYWORDS: Balanced, Sustainable, Growth