Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Amy Myers Jaffe Named One of Esquire's "Best and Brightest"

The Baker Institute’s Amy Myers Jaffe is on Esquire magazine’s 2005 “Best and Brightest” list, which appears in the December issue.

Jaffe, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies at the institute, and associate director of the Rice Energy Program, is one of 12 honorees in the contribution to society category. The magazine’s article about Jaffe calls her “a rarity among energy-policy experts … a voice of honest, nonpartisan reason.” The article includes her views on “Seven Ways to Fix the Oil Crisis.”

For more than a year, Esquire editors researched and interviewed scores of experts for its annual list showcasing the top minds in the worlds of science, culture, education, and the arts. “This issue is about hope,” Esquire Editor in Chief David Granger said. “The search in and of itself was inspiring, as it became clear that ours is a land of dreamers who become doers. And as amazing as our honorees are, they merely represent this country’s great potential.”

Jaffe was one of four honorees on the list invited by Esquire to speak in New York at its 2005 Best and Brightest Imagination Session.

The issue, which hit newsstands November 15, includes Jaffe’s strategy for a sensible U.S. oil policy. Her recommendations for fixing the oil crisis include: building a “safety net” of refined product and energy reserves to avoid Hurricane Katrina type emergencies; doubling the fuel efficiencies of American cars; and taxing gasoline “by dollars not cents” as is done in Europe.

Jaffe, a Princeton University graduate in Arabic studies, leads the Baker Institute Energy Forum, a multifaceted program that promotes original, forward-looking discussion and research on the energy-related challenges facing society in the 21st century. Her research focuses on the subject of oil geopolitics, strategic energy policy—including energy science policy—and energy economics. She joined the Baker Institute staff in 1997.

Saturday, November 5, 2005

Anne Holton Becomes First Lady-Elect of Virginia, as Husband Tim Kaine Wins Governorship

Family politics crosses party lines for our classmate Anne Holton. Anne, the daughter of former Virginia Republican Governor Linwood Holton, will become the First Lady of Virginia following the victory of her husband, Tim Kaine, a Democrat, in the gubernatorial race. Currently the Lieutenant Governor, Kaine defeated state Attorney General Jerry Kilgore. In addition to her new duties, Anne is a juvenile court judge.