Experts in the News

With redrawn district lines, parts of the Rio Grande Valley's traditionally Democratic Hidalgo County could shift right, said political science fellow Mark Jones. "We're likely to see a lot of national money, a lot of ads and a lot of work by national Republicans and national Democrats."

The Texas Carbon Market, a carbon storage project led by the Center for Energy Studies, is a finalist in the first international Climate Challenge Cup competition! The innovative CES proposal, developed with United Kingdom partners Future Foods Solutions and Yorkshire Water, would help reduce local and regional carbon emissions with a goal of net zero.

Director Edward Djerejian reflected on "the opportunity to create something from the ground up" and other highlights during his tenure at the helm of the Baker Institute.

The UN Human Rights Council's decision to end investigations into abuses in Yemen means "any hopes for accountability from all sides for abuses will probably now fall by the wayside, at least from an international perspective," said Middle East fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen.

Congratulations to senior science and technology fellow Neal Lane, who will receive a Research!America Advocacy Award honoring his distinguished leadership and sustained commitment to public engagement and advocacy for research. The Herbert Pardes Family Award for National Leadership in Advocacy for Research is one of five 2022 Research!America awards recognizing individuals who show outstanding commitment to sustaining the nation’s world-class leadership in medical and health research.  Lane, who is also a professor of physics and astronomy (emeritus) and the Malcolm Gillis university professor (emeritus) at Rice, is the former director of the National Science Foundation and science advisor to President Clinton. Lane joins four other 2022 Research!America awardees, including Francis S. Collins, who has directed the National Institutes of Health since 2009, serving under three different presidents.  Read more about the awards here.