Sarah Mathias, assistant vice president for federal government relations at the University of Florida, was recently awarded the Betty Colden Memorial Lectureship Award by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Council on Governmental Affairs. The honor recognizes Mathias’ outstanding contributions to the association and the overall field of congressional and governmental relations in higher education. Mathias accepted the award and delivered the annual lecture during the council’s summer meeting in July.
Mathias first joined the University of Florida in 2018 as director of federal government relations, and was promoted to her current position one year later. In her role, she established the university’s Washington, D.C., office, where she is currently based. There, she leads the university’s federal lobbying team and is the institution’s primary liaison with Washington-based stakeholders.
Previously, Mathias worked for the University of California System as a budget analyst and director of the federal relations program. Earlier in her career, she has held positions with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, and the U.S. Senate.
Mathias holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.