Rice professors available to discuss census data

CONTACT: Jessica Stark
PHONE: 713-348-6777
EMAIL: stark@rice.edu

Rice professors available to discuss census data
Areas of expertise include reapportionment, population growth, racial distribution

Next week the U.S. Census Bureau will release more data from the 2010 census, including congressional apportionment numbers for each state that will show a decline in U.S. House members for some states and a gain in House of Representatives seats for Texas and other states. Rice University experts are available to discuss a variety of census topics, including the political impact of reapportionment, redistricting, population growth and decline, the rising numbers of Hispanics and the distribution of racial groups in a given area and how it has changed over time.

The 2010 census numbers will also be used to divvy up more than $430 billion per year or $4.3 trillion per decade in federal funds for health care, education, transportation, job training and other services.

Steve Murdock, Rice University sociologist and former director of the U.S. Census Bureau, can discuss census results, the census process, population growth and decline, redistricting, Texas population growth and history and other census topics.

Prior to serving as U.S. Census director during 2008-2009, Murdock was the first official state demographer of Texas and headed the Texas State Data Center and Texas Population Estimates and Projections programs for more than 25 years. He is now the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Professor in Sociology at Rice.

Mark Jones, professor and chair of political science, can discuss the reapportionment and its political implications. He can also talk about the increase of the Texas population compared to other states’, a new majority/minority and Hispanic impact on redistricting and seats. Jones’ research focuses on the effect of electoral laws and other political institutions on governance, representation and voting. Jones, Rice’s Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies and fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, can conduct interviews in English or Spanish.

Michael Emerson, co-director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research and professor of sociology, can discuss population growth and decline and changes in racial distribution and segregation. Emerson’s research focuses on urban sociology, residential segregation, race and religion and the role of race in shaping social action in the United States.

Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science at Rice, can discuss reapportionment, including what it means for political boundaries, and political implications of the population changes. His research focuses on urban politics and public policy.

To interview any of these Rice experts contact Jessica Stark at 713-348-6777 or stark@rice.edu.