Rice experts available to discuss new federal oversight of advanced AI systems
Rice experts are available to discuss the executive order’s implications for AI governance, national security and health care innovation.
Texas universities show sharp differences in health insurance premiums, Baker Institute report finds
Annual health insurance premiums for faculty and staff vary by more than $5,000 per employee across Texas universities, according to a new report from Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. For PPO (or POS plans) — the only plan type offered at every institution in the sample — the report finds that the total annual cost of individual coverage, combining employer and employee contributions, ranges from $8,095 for Texas universities belonging to Employees Retirement System of Texas (such as the University of Houston) to $15,742 at Trinity University.
Redrawing Houston: Event explores flood risk, growth and future of region
In a city infamous for its flooding, something as innocuous as rain can prove to be disastrous or even deadly. Small increases in the amount of rainfall over time can have significant consequences today, said Ed Emmett, fellow in energy and transportation policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and former Harris County Judge, as he led the daylong conference “Redrawing Risk: What FEMA’s New Flood Maps Mean for Greater Houston.”
Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and Kinder Institute for Urban Research will host “Redrawing Risk,” a one-day public conference May 21 examining the real-world implications of FEMA’s updated flood maps for Houston.
The Institute of Global Politics at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice announced the creation of a new task force focused on assessing the strategic rationale for U.S. foreign assistance, reframing policy objectives and developing actionable recommendations for a new era of global competition.
Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy welcomed the President of Guyana Irfaan Ali May 4 for a discussion on Guyana’s rapid emergence as one of the world’s fastest-growing energy producers and its long-term development strategy. The program convened policymakers, academics and industry leaders to examine the country’s role at the intersection of energy security, shifting global dynamics and economic transformation.
Science communication as feedback loop explored at annual ethics symposium
The annual Ethics and Compliance Symposium brought renowned vaccinologist Peter Hotez, senior fellow in disease and humanity at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, to share his research and discuss the ethics of academic public engagement.
The Claudio X. González Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy convened its second annual U.S. Policy Outlook conference in Mexico City at a moment of heightened political and economic significance for the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
Partnerships and perspectives showcased at annual Sustainability Summit
The Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy hosted its annual Sustainability Summit, emphasizing the importance of systems thinking in addressing complex sustainability challenges.
Global conflicts see increase of health care worker harm
Attacks on health care in conflict zones are occurring at unprecedented levels, according to Safeguarding Health Care in Conflict Coalition and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy on April X hosted global leaders in the field and frontline medical professionals to discuss the erosion of protections for health care in conflict zones and explore solutions to ensure these critical rules are respected.
Former members of Congress visit Rice to discuss politics, public service and civil dialogue
Students at Rice had the opportunity to engage directly with former members of Congress from different political parties during a two-day campus visit that emphasized civil dialogue, public service and the role of politics in everyday life.
Rice experts spotlight energy solutions shaping a lower-carbon future at CERAWeek
Rice researchers presented at the recent CERAWeek conference, focusing on alternative energy sources that pointed toward a world less dependent on oil and gas and more conscious of its carbon consumption and impacts.
New hemp rules in Texas raise safety concerns, drug policy expert says
New consumable hemp rules from the Texas Department of State Health Services are officially in effect, and the biggest change comes down to how THC is measured, according to an expert from Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
New Rice, UH partnership aims to address real-world solutions for plastics recycling
The Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the University of Houston Energy Transition Institute are launching a strategic partnership to advance scalable, real-world solutions for plastics circularity by integrating policy, economics, science and engineering.
Geopolitics experts see Iran conflict as long-term, systemic shock to global energy, trade networks
Energy security has become central to how global leaders are weighing policy responses and considering the risks of further escalation regarding the conflict surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, according to the experts on the latest episode of “Baker Briefing,” the foreign and domestic policy podcast from Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.