Baker Institute Update

The "Baker Institute Update" is the email newsletter of Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, providing a snapshot of institute news, research and upcoming events. Links to published issues are below.

• Click here to subscribe to the "Baker Institute Update" as well as newsletters from the Center for Health and Biosciences, Center for the United States and Mexico, and Science and Technology Policy Program. 

Previous Newsletters

• May 5, 2021 — What will it take to win the tech race with China?
• April 21, 2021 — What's in store for Mexico's troubled economy?
• April 8, 2021 — Baker Institute and Carter Center launch U.S. election reform event series
• Mar. 24, 2021 — The 24-Hour Annual Fund Challenge starts tomorrow: Your opportunity to support the Baker Institute
• Mar. 10, 2021 — Q&A: Will the $1.9 trillion stimulus plan work?
• Feb. 24, 2021 — The Texas Blackout: Fail to prepare? Prepare to fail
• Feb. 11, 2021 — Tune into our podcasts!
• Jan. 28, 2021 — Rice’s Baker Institute and its Center for Energy Studies at top of global think tank rankings
• Jan. 14, 2021 — Baker Institute releases recommendations for the new administration
• Dec. 16, 2020 — Season's Greetings and Best Wishes for 2021
• Dec. 2, 2020 — Election 2020: Looking back — and ahead
• Nov. 18, 2020 — NATO and emerging foreign policy threats: A conversation with the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison
• Nov. 5, 2020 — Analysis: Texas election results
• Oct. 21, 2020 — 2020 election webinar series
• Oct. 8, 2020 — A conversation with James A. Baker, III, Peter Baker and Susan Glasser
• Sept. 24, 2020 — 2020 election series: challenges in U.S. Middle East policy
• Sept. 11, 2020 — America in the world: A history of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy
• Aug. 27, 2020 — Assessing the Lebanese crisis and its consequences
• Aug. 13, 2020 — Election 2020: Kamala Harris is Joe Biden’s choice for VP. How will the next 90 days unfold?
• July 31, 2020 — A conversation on policing, racial justice and policy reform
• July 15, 2020 — A conversation with Bun B on race and racism in America 
• July 2, 2020 — USMCA’s entry into force: Prospects and challenges for North American trade
• June 17, 2020 — Fixing American policing also requires an end to the War on Drugs
• June 4, 2020 — Covid-19: Update on vaccine development
• May 21, 2020 — A Message from the Director
• May 7, 2020 — How can the pandemic help the U.S. improve health, not just health care?
• April 23, 2020 — The 2020 Elections and Covid-19
• April 9, 2020   —  Pandemic, Price War and the World Petroleum Market
• Mar. 26, 2020 — Covid-19: Statistics warn of a worsening trend if risks not managed
• Mar. 12, 2020 — Baker Institute cancels March and April events
• Feb. 26, 2020 — How is China responding to the coronavirus? 
• Feb. 14, 2020 — Should scientists create 'designer' babies?
• Jan. 30, 2020 — Baker Institute at top of global think tank rankings
• Jan. 16, 2020 — The elusive fate of Russian democracy
• Dec. 13, 2019 — Season's greetings from the Baker Institute
• Nov. 26, 2019 — A peaceful resolution for Hong Kong?
• Nov. 14, 2019 — Looking ahead to the 2020 elections
• Oct. 30, 2019 — Safe third country agreements and asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border
• Oct. 16, 2019 — The energy transition: Legacy, scale and technology
• Oct. 2, 2019 — Students explore policy challenges, solutions at the Baker Institute
• July 24, 2019 — “13 Minutes to the Moon”: BBC records finale at Baker Institute
• June 6, 2019 — Interactive map: Summer research travels
• May 16, 2019 — Institute hosts annual Roundtable dinner
• May 1, 2019 - PM Mulroney awarded 2019 Baker Prize
• April 10, 2019 - Vice President Mike Pence on U.S. policy toward Venezuela
• April 2, 2019 - Anita Hill on Ending Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
• March 13, 2019 - George Abbey: The Astronaut Maker
• Feb. 22, 2019 - Trump's national emergency: "A constitutionally dubious gambit"
• Feb. 8, 2019 - Baker Institute again ranked a top global think tank
• Jan. 23, 2019 - Key issues to watch in the 2019 Texas legislative session
• Nov. 30, 2018 - Obama, Baker discuss need for bipartisanship at institute's 25th anniversary gala
• Nov. 2, 2018 - Election Day: What to Expect in Texas and Beyond
• Oct. 23, 2018 - Revolutions in Energy: The Roles of Markets, Technology and Policy
• Oct. 3, 2018 - CBS News’ Major Garrett on Trump’s time in office
• Sept. 12, 2018 - Obama, Romney headline fall 25th anniversary events
• July 26, 2018 - Changes ahead in U.S.-Mexico relations
• June 28, 2018 - Baker institute fellows, scholars plan summer research travel
• June 1, 2018 - A Conversation with Secretary James A. Baker, III
• May 3, 2018 - Barack Obama to be guest of honor at anniversary gala
• April 9, 2018 - Axelrod and Rove discuss winning, losing strategies in 2016 election
• March 14, 2018 - Axelrod, Rove to host Presidential Elections Program conference
• March 2, 2018 - The Future of DACA; Young professionals Q&A
• Feb. 8, 2018 - Baker Institute, Center for Energy Studies rise in global think tank rankings
• Jan. 26, 2018 - Center for the Middle East hosts workshops in the MENA
• Nov. 29, 2017 - Baker Institute releases 2016-2017 annual report
• Nov. 8, 2017 - Baker Institute launches new "Policy Matters" podcast
• Oct. 20, 2017 - Tax reform; Hurricane Harvey; fall reception
• Oct. 2, 2017 - Water treatment after extreme storms and flooding
• July 13, 2017 - Five questions on the Texas special legislative session
• June 12, 2017 - Baker Institute fellows and experts use summertime for research travel
• May 22, 2017 - First master of global affairs class graduates
• May 5, 2017 - Institute hosts Roundtable Annual Dinner
• April 17, 2017 - Leadership and Compassion: A Discussion with Marguerite Barankitse
• April 12, 2017 - Amb. Itamar Rabinovich on the legacy of Yitzhak Rabin; RYP at the MFAH
• March 20, 2017 - Baker Institute receives $3.2M to study U.S. tax and spending policies
• Feb. 27, 2017 - The Trump Administration's First 30 Days
• Feb. 10, 2017 - Baker Institute Again Ranked a Top Five University-Affiliated Think Tank
• Jan. 19, 2017 - Policy recommendations for the President-elect
• Dec. 21, 2016 - Year in Review
• Dec. 7, 2016 - Rising populist nationalism in the U.S. and Europe
• Nov. 28, 2016 - Middle East policy in a Trump administration
• Nov. 3, 2016 - Special Election 2016 Edition
• Oct. 26, 2016 - Protecting the Gulf Coast from hurricane damage; Veterans and Viewpoints
• Oct. 11, 2016 - Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia visits; 5 Questions on U.S.-Cuba relations
• Sept. 22, 2016 - Vice President Joe Biden Outlines 'Moonshot' for a Cancer Cure
• Sept. 6, 2016 - McNair offers career advice to enterprising Rice students, young professionals
• Aug. 11, 2016 - The State of Play of the 2016 Elections With Three Months to Go
• July 27, 2016 - Baker Institute summer interns sharpen research skills, explore careers in D.C.
• July 13, 2016 - Former White House staffers look ahead to the 2017 presidential transition
• June 30, 2016 - Astronauts discuss Apollo 13, NASA's future
• June 15, 2016 - How might Obamacare change in 2017?
• June 2, 2016 - Baker Institute fellows and experts use summertime for research travel
• May 19, 2016 - Secretary Baker discusses policy, election with Roundtable Emerging Leaders
• May 4, 2016 - Secretary of State John Kerry speaks on the role of religion in foreign policy
• April 21, 2016 - Cuban ambassador speaks at institute; Inside the Iran nuclear deal
• April 7, 2016 - Is Texas prepared for a public health crisis?
• March 24, 2016 - Spring break in Dubai: Rice students study policy in the UAE
• March 9, 2016 - Four questions on the presidential primary races
• Feb. 25, 2016 - Center for Energy Studies tackles the water-energy nexus
• Feb. 12, 2016 - Baker Institute's global rankings rise
• Jan. 29, 2016 - Campaign 2016: Analyzing Where the Candidates Stand
• Jan. 13, 2016 - Five questions about the Iran-Saudi conflict
• Dec. 7, 2015 - Best wishes for 2016
• Dec. 3, 2015 - Cross-examining history with James A. Baker, III
• Nov. 20, 2015 - A Strategy Toward Defeating ISIS
• Nov. 5, 2015 - Fast Five with a Fellow; Election results
• Oct. 21, 2015 - Telemedicine in schools; Saudi Arabia's oil strategy
• Oct. 7, 2015 - Fall Reception; Roundtable Dialogue
• Sept. 23, 2015 - McNair Entrepreneurship Center launched
• Aug. 20, 2015 - Paid student internships; fall events
• June 17, 2015 - International Space Medicine Summit 2015
• May 4, 2015 - Civic scientists inspire local high school students; Q&A: Roundtable Emerging Leaders
• April 20, 2015 - Gala honors Simmonses, launches Center for Health & Biosciences; Stem cell policy, women's rights in the Middle East explored at Roundtable Dialogues
• March 23, 2015 - PBS documentary on James A. Baker, III; When celebrity culture and science clash; Effects of lifting U.S. crude export ban
• March 13, 2015 - The politics of identity post-Arab Spring
• Feb. 26, 2015 - Raising awareness of neglected tropical diseases; Fears and facts about marijuana reform
• Feb. 11, 2015 - The Middle East Cauldron and U.S. Policy; Join the Roundtable young professionals
• Jan. 23, 2015 - Baker Institute among top 10 university-based think tanks; Institute fellows take to the road
• Dec. 15, 2014 - Best wishes for 2015
• Dec. 3, 2014 - Policy matters. Raise your voice.
• Nov. 21, 2014 - Five Questions: Iran nuclear deal; Roundtable Dialogue with Tony Payan
• Nov. 6, 2014 - The 2014 elections; Roundtable members gather at fall open house
• Oct. 24, 2014 - The Miracle of Leipzig; Roundtable dialogue with Vivian Ho
• Oct. 9, 2014 - Five Questions: Hong Kong's "umbrella revolution"; Sponsor a Roundtable Emerging Leader
• Sept. 25, 2014 - How Gandhi discovered nonviolence; Baker Institute fellow Mark P. Jones on the 2014 elections
• Sept. 12, 2014 - The inaugural Founding Director's Lecture: The Middle East in Turmoil; Q&A: Roundtable Emerging Leaders
• Aug. 25, 2014 - Five questions: What you should know about the Ebola outbreak; a new master's program in global affairs; Roundtable Emerging Leaders Q&A
• July 2, 2014 - Burwell v. Hobby Lobby and Obamacare; young professionals Q&A
• June 11, 2014 - Marijuana use by military veterans with PTSD; Bakers endow new Djerejian fellow; membership survey
• May 28, 2014 - Interactive map; India's new PM; young professionals Q&A
• May 14, 2014 - Interns gain valuable experience, hone future goals; Five questions: Islamists and illiberal democracy in the Middle East
• April 30, 2014 - Five Questions: The Heartbleed bug and the future of cybersecurity; Women's rights after the Arab Spring
• April 17, 2014 - Ukraine crisis has far-reaching impact
• April 3, 2014 - Introducing the Mexico Center; Obamacare and millennials; hemp and the U.S. economy
• March 20, 2014 - Two new Baker Institute membership levels for young professionals
• Feb. 27, 2014 - Women's economic empowerment in the developing world
• Feb. 13, 2014 - Ambassador Djerejian on learning and leadership
• Jan. 30, 2014 - Institute Continues to Rise in Global Rankings
• Jan. 10, 2014 - After the Arab Spring
• Dec. 18, 2013 - Best wishes for 2014
• Oct. 30, 2013 - Step inside Club Berlin; Baker Institute 20-year timeline
• Oct. 18, 2013 - Baker Institute unveils new website
• Oct. 4, 2013 - Student Forum's policy competition goes national; fall Roundtable reception
• Sept. 19, 2013 - How will the Syrian crisis end? Expert panel discusses the conflict with Rice students
• Sept. 11, 2013 - Political party: An Associate Roundtable happy hour
• Aug. 28, 2013 - Baker Institute celebrates 20th anniversary with galas, special events
• Aug. 12, 2013 - An invitation to talk immigration reform
• June 26, 2013 - Associate Roundtable event series kicks off at Saint Arnold
• May 29, 2013 - The fall of Iran in Arab public opinion; Tony Blair speaks at the institute
• May 15, 2013 - Fellows and scholars take to the road this summer; interns awarded prestigious scholarships and fellowships
• May 1, 2013 - Cybercrime: A different approach to a growing problem
• April 17, 2013 - A new Baker Institute class in public policy; NBC's Robert Bazell named new nonresident science fellow
• April 3, 2013 - Immigration reform — Is the time finally right?
• March 20, 2013 - U.S. Engagement on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and the crisis in Syria
• March 6, 2013 - Why Texas should expand Medicaid; Syria: Then and now
• Feb. 20, 2013 - The Arab Awakening and Gender — Challenges and Opportunities for Women
• Feb. 6, 2013 - The Baker Institute at 20 — A year of celebration
• Jan. 25, 2013 - Baker Institute ranked among world's top 25 think tanks
• Dec. 20, 2012 - Best wishes for the new year
• Nov. 28, 2012 - Ambassador Djerejian on Gaza, Egypt and the changing nature of U.S. diplomacy; Associate Roundtable opportunities
• Nov. 14, 2012 - Policy and Pizza: The Baker Institute Student Forum
• Oct. 31, 2012 - Exploring the issues behind the 2012 campaign
• Oct. 17, 2012 - Baker Institute expands its energy program with a new Center for Energy Studies
• Sept. 27, 2012 - Why a small island chain is causing big problems for China and Japan; a new fellow in disease and poverty named
• Sept. 11, 2012 - Election 2012: Baker Institute experts focus on policy, not politics
• August 22, 2012 - Oil, policy and an occasional moose: Energy Forum interns travel to Alaska
• July 30, 2012 - Dewhurst v. Cruz: Voter turnout will be key
• June 28, 2012 - The U.S. Supreme Court upholds health care reform: Now what?
• May 30, 2012 - Ensuring safe travels to Mars and beyond
• May 16, 2012 - Baker Institute fellows and scholars travel around the world for summer research; Ambassador Djerejian participates in Council on Foreign Relations report on U.S. Turkey relations
• May 2, 2012 - Baker Institute interns win Fulbright, Marshall and other awards; James A. Baker IV and Gerald D. Hines join the Board of Advisers
• April 18, 2012 - Civic Scientist Lecture 2012 with Nobel laureate David Baltimore and Alice Huang
• April 4, 2012 - Baker Institute partners with Brazil's premier think tank; The Honorable James A. Baker, III, guests on Charlie Rose
• March 21, 2012 - Arab Spring: A message from the founding director
• March 7, 2012 - Should the U.S. legalize drugs? Stem cell conference in Qatar
• Feb. 22, 2012 - Will the Greece bailout work?; Middle East policy recommendations
• Feb. 8, 2012 - Spring break in Qatar; crisis in Syria
• Jan. 25, 2012 - Baker Institute named among top 25 U.S. think tanks
• Jan. 11, 2012 - Baker Institute names new international economics fellow
• Dec. 19, 2011 - Best wishes for 2012
• Dec. 7, 2011 - Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, discusses science and society; the Energy Forum holds a conference on China and energy
• Nov. 23, 2011 - Joanne King Herring discusses her recently published memoir; U.S. senators quiz energy fellow Ken Medlock on natural gas
• Nov. 9, 2011 - Navigating health care reform and the jobs crisis; Condoleezza Rice; James A. Baker, III, on Mideast peace
• Oct. 27, 2011 - The Madrid Peace Conference: 20 years later
• Oct. 12, 2011 - Students lunch with The Honorable James A. Baker, III
• Sept. 28, 2011 - Former Gov. Bill Richardson joins the Baker Institute; annual Roundtable reception draws more than 100 guests
• Sept. 22, 2011 - Special feature: The Palestinian bid for statehood and ramifications for U.S. policy
• Sept. 14, 2011 - The rise and fall of America's space program
• August 31, 2011 - Students get real-world work experience in D.C.; Brookings and the Baker Institute collaborate
• August 17, 2011 - Public policy and Houston's red light cameras; the Americas' rise on the world energy stage
• July 6, 2011 - Dr. John Mendelsohn, president of MD Anderson, to join the Baker Institute as the L.E. and Virginia Simmons Senior Fellow in Health and Technology Policy
• June 22, 2011 - View our interactive map to find out where, and what, Baker Institute fellows and scholars are studying this summer; Ambassador Djerejian speaks to the media about Syria
• June 8, 2011 - Texas Gov. Rick Perry considers a 2012 run for president
• May 25, 2011 - What lies ahead for the Middle East?; Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian is invited to join the CFR independent task force on Turkey
• May 11, 2011 - What's next for graduating interns? Energy Forum fellow Ken Medlock is recognized with an economics award
• April 27, 2011 - Rice University professor Robert M. Stein, Ph.D., is the institute's new fellow in urban politics; Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian is named to the Academy of Arts and Sciences
• April 13, 2011 - What Rice students think about the job market; Japan follow-up
• March 30, 2011 - Learn what's next for Japan at a Baker Institute panel discussion; the institute provides timely analysis of the turmoil in the Middle East
• March 16, 2011 - How to keep tabs on your state representative
• March 2, 2011 - Find out why Baker Institute internships are one of the best deals on campus for learning on the job.
• Feb. 16, 2011 - The institute's Associate Roundtable hosts a program featuring journalist David Axe; our coverage of unrest in the Middle East continues
• Feb. 2, 2011 - Egypt in crisis; a top-20 ranking for the institute
• Jan. 19, 2011 - A new drug policy fellow; Jamail dedication; Sharp Foundation pledges $500,000
• Jan. 5, 2011 - Scholarly sneak preview; new charitable IRA opportunity
• Dec. 1, 2010 - The institute hosts a panel discussion on DNA mapping; Ambassador Djerejian weighs in on WikiLeaks in Foreign Policy magazine; Rice senior and institute intern Jingyuan Luo is awarded a Marshall Scholarship
• Nov. 22, 2010 - The Baker Institute publishes its 2010 annual report
• Nov. 10, 2010 - Should the war on drugs go up in smoke?
• Oct. 28, 2010 - Policy and Pinot: The 2010 Roundtable reception
• Oct. 13, 2010 - China's subway culture; a new fellow in political science
• Sept. 29, 2010 - Nobel laureates to speak; Starr Foundation gives $2.5 million
• Sept. 15, 2010 - Will computerized medical records make you healthier?
• Sept. 1, 2010 - Institute fellows reach out to students in the classroom; senior development director named
• Aug. 18, 2010 - Helping Houstonians beat the heat
• Aug. 4, 2010 - Baker Institute interns awarded Fulbright scholarships
• July 21, 2010 - Understanding the harms of drug use and drug policy
• July 7, 2010 - Summer in Shanghai, anyone?
• June 23, 2010 - Internships offer a world of opportunity
• June 9, 2010 - Roundtable dinner focuses on Middle East policy
• May 26, 2010 - A new chapter for NASA
• May 12, 2010 - Happy Birthday, Mr. Baker
• April 28, 2010 - Engaging the next generation of policymakers
• April 14, 2010 - Middle East loan experiment targets the poor
• March 31, 2010 - What scientists really think about religion
• March 17, 2010 - Understanding the recession; combating childhood obesity
• March 3, 2010 - Why "Washington" matters in the Texas governor's race
• Feb. 17, 2010 - Baker Institute fellows focus on health care with an event on comparative effectiveness research and an op-ed on uninsured children; Ambassador Djerejian's "smart essay" is cited in The New York Times
• Feb. 3, 2010 - The Baker Institute publishes a report that offers recommendations on the territorial component of an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement; Robert Mosbacher mourned; Baker Institute again named among the top 50 think tanks in the United States
• Jan. 20, 2010 - Roman Popadiuk discusses his new book and provides an insider's view of the presidency of George H.W. Bush; Hasib Sabbagh remembered; Baker Institute blogs on Haiti; Baker fellows most quoted at Rice
• Jan. 6, 2010 - Baker Institute fellows Mahmoud El-Gamal and Amy Myers Jaffe on their new book; Ambassador Djerejian's Wall Street Journal commentary
• Dec. 16, 2009 - Launch of the newsletter, blog, Twitter and Facebook pages; upcoming events, current research and more
• Dec. 2, 2009 - Diplomats debate Iraq; Christene Kimmel named associate director of development

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