Public Policy and Urban Development

Baker Institute for Public Policy

Baker Institute for Public Policy
One of the premier nonpartisan public policy think tanks in the country.

Center for Public Finance at the at the Baker Institute for Public Policy
Focuses on the effects of major U.S. fiscal policies.

Jorge Barro, Ph.D.
Fellow in Public Finance, Baker Institute for Public Policy
Research areas: development of dynamic macroeconomic models for fiscal policy evaluation

John Diamond, Ph.D.
Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance, Baker Institute for Public Policy
Research areas: economic effects of individual and corporate tax reform

Center for Health and Biosciences at the Baker Institute for Public Policy
Employs comprehensive research analysis to develop health policy recommendations that promote health and well-being in the United States and globally.

Vivian Ho, Ph.D.
James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics
Professor of Economics
Research areas: effects of economic incentives and regulations on the quality and costs of health care

Quianta Moore, M.D., J.D.
Fellow in Child Health Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy
Research areas: impact of COVID-19 on low-income women with children

Center for the United States and Mexico at the Baker Institute for Public Policy
Seeks to have a meaningful impact on the U.S.-Mexico relationship through original research, relevant solutions to binational policy issues, and the advancement of mutual understanding by convening leaders who can bridge the world of ideas and the world of action.

Tony Payan, Ph.D.
Francoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies, Baker Institute for Public Policy
Director, Center for the United States and Mexico
Research areas: Mexico and COVID-19: health delivery, the economy, and fractured politics

Center for Civic Leadership

Center for Civic Leadership
Fostering civic leadership through integrated curricular and experiential learning opportunities that enable students to understand the complexity of social issues, their roles as active members of society, and the mechanisms for achieving equitable and inclusive communities.

Elizabeth Vann, Ph.D.
Director of Programs and Partnerships, Center for Civic Leadership
Research areas: develop academically-grounded experiential learning opportunities and mutually-beneficial university-community partnerships; political advocacy

Kinder Institute for Urban Research

Kinder Institute for Urban Research
Builds better cities and improves people’s lives by bringing together data, research, engagement and action.

Houston Education Research Consortium
A research partnership between Rice University and 11 Greater Houston-area school districts to guide data-driven, equity-minded policy in support of more than 714,000 K-12 students.

Ruth Turley, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
Director, Houston Education Research Consortium
Research areas: educational inequality/equity, research-practice partnerships

Rice Architecture

Amelyn Ng
Wortham Fellow
Research areas: graphics, epistemology, and theories of information-richness in architecture

Spatial Studies Lab

Spatial Studies Lab
A cross-functional team of scholars, GIS specialists, designers, and developers working together to build online geospatial platforms.

Texas Policy Lab

Texas Policy Lab
Studies how to bring data-driven insights to the heart of public policy-making in Texas.

E. Susan Amirian, Ph.D., MSPH
Research Scientist/Public Health & Healthcare Lead, Texas Policy Lab
Research areas: disease etiology and prognosis, therapeutic efficacy, policy related to public health, associations between viral exposures and various health outcomes, COVID-19 molecular epidemiology and transmission mitigation

Flavio Cunha, Ph.D.
Ervin Kenneth Zingler Professor of Economics
Research areas: inequality and poverty, investments in cognitive and noncognitive skills

Ekim Cem Muyan, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Texas Policy Lab
Research areas: political economics, criminal justice