Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy — 2020 Annual Report
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Rice University’s • 11/06/2020 DRAFT Baker Institute for Public Policy 2020 Annual Report AT A GLANCE 6 8 62 RESEARCH RESEARCH FELLOWS, SCHOLARS, CENTERS PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH STAFF 30 83 91 RICE FACULTY STUDENT EVENTS AND SCHOLARS INTERNS WEBINARS 205 300 310 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES CLASSES PUBLICATIONS REACHED ON THE WEB TAUGHT 13,890 43,107 2.48 M PODCAST MEDIA TWITTER DOWNLOADS CITATIONS IMPRESSIONS OUR MISSION Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank in Houston, Texas. The institute produces independent research on domestic and foreign policy issues with a focus on providing decision- makers in the public and private sectors with relevant and timely policy assessments and recommendations. By bringing statesmen, scholars, and students together, the institute broadens the content and reach of its policy assessments and recommendations, and provides an open forum for debate and discussion. The institute educates students on public policy issues and related subjects by offering courses at Rice University and sponsoring student intern and mentoring programs at home and abroad. Above “Part of our success lies with the fact Secretary Baker delivered introductory remarks at the that our fellows understand that a 2019 Presidential Elections Program conference. potential solution is really only as good as its ability to be implemented. With that in mind, the institute generates results-oriented policy research that is applicable to the real world in which we all live.” THE HONORABLE JAMES A. BAKER, III Honorary Chair 2 | Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE One of our responsibilities is to expand upon our mission “to address the most pressing policy issues of the day, through data-driven and nonpartisan research.” Another is to identify future challenges. In these respects, our fellows and scholars have been more rigorous than ever in their research and prolific in their outreach. Their dedicated motivation is in large part owed to the unprecedented following their events have garnered through the brave new world of webinars. Our experts’ areas of research — energy, health & biosciences, public finance, entrepreneurship and economic growth, presidential elections, drug policy, the Middle East, United States-Mexico relations, space policy, science & technology, and China — provide a sought-after source for decision-makers in the public and private sectors, locally, nationally, and globally. Their work generates frequent and important commentary and dissemination by the media. Ranked the second-best university-affiliated think tank in the world and its Center for Energy Studies first in its class, the Baker Institute has had a resounding impact but we must not rest on our laurels. The critical moment in which we find ourselves with the COVID-19 pandemic makes our efforts all the more relevant. While pursuing our work with prudence, I have tasked all centers and program directors to review their strategic vision statements to define fundamental new projects and what human and financial support are necessary to sustain our lead. In this respect, I also want to recognize the excellent supportive role our staff provides. In short, the institute’s commitment to produce high-quality research and offer a forum for informed dialogue and debate with top domestic and foreign leaders is unwavering. We are proud to be an integral part of Rice University. Many of our fellows teach undergraduate and graduate courses through our Master of Global Affairs and Master of Energy Economics programs, and we engage Rice students by offering dynamic student internships. I am particularly grateful to my Board of Advisors for their wise counsel and generosity. I also want to thank our donors and our loyal Roundtable and Roundtable Young Professionals members. From all of us at the Baker institute, thank you for supporting our mission. My gratitude likewise extends to the Rice administration, faculty, staff, and community for their steadfast support. EDWARD P. DJEREJIAN Director 2020 Annual Report | 3 RESEARCH HEALTH & BIOSCIENCES Almost a year ago, the world first Institute featured Hotez in three Ho published her first paper learned of a deadly virus that webinars this summer, where he this year from this collaborative. scientists had never seen before. provided a vaccine development She found that freestanding While COVID-19 cut a devastating update, discussed the conditions emergency departments tend to path around the globe, Center for for a safe return to school, and raise emergency care spending Health and Biosciences experts addressed the impact of the per capita in states where they analyzed the science behind the virus on global security. As flu open, rather than serving as pandemic and offered insights on season approached, he said that a substitutes for hospital emergency safely navigating the crisis. Today “reset” that reinforces the use of departments. Ho’s research is being the center continues its work, masks, contact tracing, and social used by federal policymakers to providing policy recommendations distancing must be our highest develop reimbursement policies for on issues from the safe distribution national priority. freestanding emergency department of a future vaccine to health Vivian Ho published a weekly care and by state regulators deciding care strategies for underserved blog summarizing the latest research whether these facilities should be populations. on the risk factors associated with allowed to proliferate. In recognition Peter Hotez is one of the nation’s severe cases of COVID-19, emerging of her years of leading scholarship most outspoken advocates for a treatments and vaccines, and policy in health care economics, Ho was fact-based COVID-19 response. In actions to control the pandemic. Her elected to the National Academy countless interviews with local, updates were also a weekly feature of Medicine — one of the highest national, and international media of “Houston Matters” on Houston honors in health and medicine. outlets, he has argued for a national Public Radio and she has been Quianta Moore, who leads strategy to contain the virus — quoted in The Wall Street Journal, the Child Health Policy Program, including enforcing quarantines the Washington Post, and CNN on produced numerous policy papers, and making testing more widely the economic impact of COVID-19 on issue briefs, and commentaries on available. Hotez, a leading expert the health care sector. the pandemic’s effects on vulnerable on infectious diseases and vaccine Before the pandemic took populations — such as immigrants, development at the Baylor College of hold in the U.S., Ho focused on the low-income mothers, and refugees Medicine, also lends an authoritative Domestic Health Policy Program’s — and recommended policies to voice to the controversy on the goal of controlling rising health care help them. She also co-authored a accelerated pace of vaccine costs. She was one of nine university commentary on the systemic racial development. “We’ve got good, researchers invited in 2016 to join and social disparities that have put safe, and effective vaccines coming the Blue Cross Blue Shield Research African Americans at increased down the pike,” he said. “I’m fairly Alliance, an organization formed risk of contracting the virus. Moore optimistic a significant percentage to identify smarter solutions continues to be a highly regarded of the American population will be for improving care quality and media commentator. vaccinated by spring.” The Baker affordability. 4 | Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Moore and experts from the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Hagop Kantarjian, a nonresident Child Health Policy Program published Women, Infants, and Children and fellow, also contributed multiple several reports from extensive found that the classes resulted in a blogs describing the nature of research in Houston’s historically lower risk of adverse outcomes for COVID-19 and its risks for spread. African American Third Ward and children of low-income women. Kantarjian presented a webinar that Sunnyside neighborhoods. Local As part of the program’s balanced the costs and benefits of government agencies, nonprofits, expanded focus on mental health, the initial U.S. lockdown against the and philanthropic organizations project manager Patrick Tennant value of lives saved, and concluded used the findings to improve published several papers this year. that the shutdown was justified. neighborhood conditions throughout Future program research will His proposals for widening access the city. In another study, Moore focus on the social and economic to health insurance are valuable evaluated the impact of parenting conditions that impact health in resources for policymakers who classes embedded in the federal low income populations. seek to improve health care in the wake of the pandemic. “We’ve got good, safe, and effective vaccines coming down the pike. I’m fairly optimistic that a significant percentage of the American population will be vaccinated by spring.” PETER HOTEZ, M.D. Fellow in Disease and Poverty 2020 Annual Report | 5 RESEARCH ENERGY STUDIES In early 2020, an oil price war research and expertise within the three new fellows — Mark Finley, and the COVID-19 pandemic U.S. and in 21 other countries. COVID- Steven Miles, and Ed Emmett — triggered unprecedented volatility 19 lockdowns have limited travel with experience in oil and gas in oil markets. Uncertainty about and face-to-face engagement, but markets and policy and logistics and energy markets will persist as not CES outreach. Since mid-March, transportation. CES Senior Director economies struggle to recover the center has held weekly webinars Ken Medlock is co-chairing the G20 and governments consider policy that are well-attended by U.S. and advisory T20 task force on energy, responses to address the virus and international audiences. and several CES fellows authored allay economic malaise. This has CES’ diverse team of experts briefs for the G20 communique significant implications for energy provides insights into (a) evolving published in Fall 2020.