Kenneth Lowande studies American politics, with a focus on the presidency, bureaucratic agencies, and Congress. Before coming to Rice, Lowande taught at the University of Michigan, and was a research fellow at Princeton University. His book False Front: The Failed Promise of Presidential Power won the 2025 Neustadt Award for best book on the American presidency.

At Rice, he organizes a social science lab of earlier-career researchers to study the impact of executive orders by presidents and governors, and is always looking for smart, driven students to join the team.