Former Energy Secretary Chu, former Lockheed Martin CEO Augustine to speak at Rice’s Baker Institute April 30

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

Former Energy Secretary Chu, former Lockheed Martin CEO Augustine to speak at Rice’s Baker Institute April 30

HOUSTON – (April 23, 2015) – Former Lockheed Martin chairman and CEO Norman Augustine and former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu will explore and discuss ways to recapture U.S. leadership in scientific research and preserve the American dream at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy April 30.

This Baker Institute Civic Scientist Lecture Series is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Earlier in the day, Augustine and Chu will meet with Houston-area high school students to discuss the importance of scientific discovery and purpose and careers in science (see below for details).

Who: Steven Chu, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Physics and Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University, former secretary of energy and co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Norman Augustine, retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin.

What: “Civic Scientist Lecture Series — Restoring the Foundation: Reviving the U.S. Science, Engineering and Technology Enterprise.”

When: 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30.

Where: Rice University, James A. Baker III Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

Scientific and technological advancements are essential for securing quality of life, economic well-being and a sustainable future, according to event organizers. In recent years, the U.S. has dropped in worldwide rankings for investment in research and development as a percentage of gross domestic product. The federal government blames budgetary pressures for the decline in funding for basic research, which is the precursor to every innovation brought to market, from medical devices to defense technology.

In response to these concerns, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences assembled a committee of distinguished leaders in science, engineering and technology to recommend policies to restore the United States’ competitive edge in research and innovation and ensure that the American people receive the maximum benefit from the investments. Augustine and Neal Lane, Rice’s Malcolm Gillis University Professor Emeritus, senior fellow in science and technology policy at the Baker Institute and professor emeritus of physics and astronomy, served as co-chairs and Chu was a member of the committee. Baker Institute Fellow in Science and Technology Policy Kirstin Matthews was staff adviser for the study.

The event, which is part of the Shell Distinguished Lecture Series, is co-hosted by the Baker Institute’s Science and Technology Policy Program and Center for Energy Studies in conjunction with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering, Wiess School of Natural Sciences and Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The public must register to attend this event at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/register/1700/?submit=RSVP. A live webcast will be available at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/1700.

Chu will meet with students from Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy, part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Baker Institute. The discussion will be open to other interested students via a live webcast at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/cs-foundation and questions may be submitted via Twitter to @stpolicy and using the hashtag #cschu. Augustine will travel separately to Energy Institute High School, also part of HISD, to meet with students there.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

Members of the news media who want to attend must RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 10 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.