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.
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Previous Newsletters
- 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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