Laurel Baker

Laurel Baker is a Research Intern at The Arctic Institute and contributes to the institute’s flagship weekly publication, The Arctic This Week (TATW), where she is in charge of the “Political Science” and “Map of the Month” sections.

Laurel holds an MA in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies from Stanford University. She wrote her thesis on how China and Russia separately employ “sharp power”––that which undermines faith in or the function of institutions––and focused on potential fragilities in the Arctic. Generally, she is interested in Arctic governance, the Sino-Russian relationship, the Indo-Pacific, and maritime and air security architectures in supranational spaces. In addition to her studies, she worked as a research assistant for the Hoover Institution’s “China’s Global Sharp Power” Project.

Previously, Laurel graduated from the University of Michigan with Highest Distinction, earning a BA in Russian (Highest Honors), a BMA in Vocal Performance, and minors in Linguistics and Translation Studies. Her thesis offered novel approaches to adult second language acquisition, and her other undergraduate research concerned Eurasian folk music and the visibility of Russia’s Arctic and Siberian Indigenous populations.