Under the Dome

Spring 2025

On Jan. 14, 2025, the Texas Legislature began its 89th session at the state Capitol, and Rice’s scholars are sharing their research expertise on issues from brain health policy and energy to water infrastructure and public education spending.

“Our goal is to position the university and our research institutes and centers as trusted resources and called-upon experts to inform state elected officials, the Texas Legislature and state agencies,” says Joel Resendez, Rice’s state government relations director.

Resendez provided the following updates midway into the 89th session.

Brain Health
In November, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced a new major legislative initiative for the Texas Senate, the Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas. Harris Eyre, the Harry Z. Yan and Weiman Gao Senior Fellow in Brain Health at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, shared expertise with state leaders on risk factors associated with dementia to help policymakers draft a bill proposal. Senate Bill 5, establishing DPRIT, was filed in February. Eyre also shared statistics with the lieutenant governor’s office and other state leaders on expected economic development growth related to neurodegenerative and mental health therapies.  

Energy and Environment
A new report commissioned by Texas 2036 and written by Gabriel Collins, the Baker Botts Fellow in Energy and Environmental Regulatory Affairs at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, explores the opportunities for new investment in water infrastructure in the state. Texas Senator Charles Perry will propose Senate Bill 7 to increase the state’s investments in our water supply.  

Thriving Urban Communities
Ruth López Turley, director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, released a study last year correlating public education achievement gaps with public education spending. López Turley began meeting with legislative offices and education stakeholders — including five legislative offices and the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency — to share and discuss research findings. 

Innovation
In Austin, Rice President Reginald DesRoches has met with several key Texas legislative leaders, the executive director of the Texas Space Commission, and the CEO of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to share our state legislative priorities and to discuss the university’s new 10-year strategic plan and our state’s leadership in research, innovation and education. 

Synthetic Biology
Shalini Yadav, executive director of the Rice Synthetic Biology Institute, met with legislative staff in Austin to discuss the role synthetic biology plays in advancing research and development priorities in Texas. Yadav worked with the Greater Houston Partnership and other synthetic biology stakeholders to offer expert insight on the synthetic biology sector. Yadav is helping monitor legislative proposals that would be potentially disruptive for synthetic biology and research advancements.