Joe Biden to visit campus next week

By Yasna Haghdoost and Drew Keller 9/6/16 11:28pm

Vice President of the United States Joe Biden will visit Rice University next week, Rice’s Office of Public Affairs confirmed. The exact time and location of the event have not been finalized.

Biden will participate in an event on the national Cancer Moonshot initiative he leads to accelerate cancer research, according to an anonymous source familiar with the plans. The source also said the event will be jointly hosted by the Baker Institute and MD Anderson.

In 2015, Biden had called for the creation of the Moonshot initative in order to increase resources dedicated to cancer and to bring together disparate cancer researchers. President Barack Obama announced the creation of the initiative in his 2016 State of the Union Address, and placed Biden at the helm. Biden convened a Cancer Moonshot Taskforce in February, bringing together federal agencies and allocating over $1 billion to the effort.

Biden’s expected visit marks the second high-level member of the Obama administration this year. Last April, Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the role of religion in world politics and diplomacy at the Stude Concert Hall. This event was also hosted by the Baker Institute.