5 Developments That Marked 2025

At the Harris School of Public Policy, 2025 was a year of strategic innovation—new degrees, expanded pathways for student career development, fellowship opportunities, and signature student competitions that deepen practice and impact.

Here are five major Harris developments announced in 2025:

Launch of the MS in Climate and Energy Policy (MSCEP)

In 2025, Harris and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth announced a new one-year master’s degree designed to prepare future leaders to tackle the complex intersection of climate risk and energy systems. The MS in Climate and Energy Policy (MSCEP) blends rigorous policy analysis with deep training in climate science, energy economics, and sustainable growth strategies—equipping students to balance environmental priorities with economic realities around energy access and resilience. The first cohort will enter in Summer 2026. 

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Harris Social Impact Fellowship

Supported by a transformative gift from philanthropists Ben Appen and Leslie Chang,  Harris announced the launch of the Harris Social Impact Fellowship, a new 11-month training and applied learning program for early-career leaders with strong quantitative and STEM skills. Starting in July 2026, the fellowship will immerse participants in data analysis, policy design, and real-world impact projects—equipping them to support nonprofits, research centers, and civic partners across education, gun violence, climate action, and urban governance. 

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New “Careers In” Courses

In a push to connect academic learning with career outcomes, Harris introduced “Careers In” non-credit, on-transcript courses for first-year policy students. These courses help students explore industry-specific career pathways—such as international development, municipal finance, or think tank research—while building applied skills and professional networks. Early results show students securing internships with organizations like the World Bank, OECD, and United Nations early in their graduate careers. 

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Third Annual Harris Policy Innovation Challenge

Harris’ pioneering Careers in Municipal Finance draws the academic and career experiences closer while offering valuable networking to students and professionals. Andrew Kim, MPP, 2009, Public Finance Director at PMA Securities, LLC, underscored and elaborated on public finance career opportunities across a range of industries and governments. 

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Third Annual Harris Policy Innovation Challenge

The annual Harris Policy Innovation Challenge (HPIC) continues in 2026, this time with a focus on cities’ role in supporting sports facilities and local economic development. This signature interdisciplinary challenge asks teams of students to design evidence-based solutions to complex civic problems—and then pitch them in a competitive Shark Tank-style event. The HPIC is a hallmark of Harris’s emphasis on practical, team-based policy design experience. 

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Harris Faculty Honored with Named Professorships

Harris celebrated major faculty achievements in 2025 with the announcement that Professors Anthony Fowler and Ryan Kellogg were awarded distinguished named professorships. These honors recognize their exceptional contributions to research and teaching: Fowler for his work on political behavior and institutions, and Kellogg for his leadership in energy and environmental economics. Fowler is now the Sydney A. Stein Jr. Professor, and Kellogg is the Ralph and Mary Otis Isham Professor. 

In December, Dan Black was similarly honored with a new named professorship, and is now the Steans Professor in Educational Policy. His research consistently pairs rigorous econometric methods with questions of deep social importance. In recognition of his standing in the field, he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Labor Economists in 2019.

It was also announced that Provost Katherine Baicker, formerly dean at Harris, was named the Emmett Dedmon Distinguished Service Professor. A leading scholar in the economic analysis of health care policy, Baicker has focused her research on the effectiveness of public and private health insurance, including the effect of reforms on the distribution and quality of care. Her large-scale research projects include the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, a randomized evaluation of the effects of Medicaid coverage. Her research has been published in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Nature, Health Affairs, JAMA, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics.

This is part of a new series highlighting the ways the Harris School of Public Policy has helped lead—and elevate—public conversations about policy in 2025. Through Q&As, events, research, and commentary, Harris faculty and experts consistently bring evidence, clarity, and real-world perspective to some of the most consequential debates of our time.