Dateline Rice for May 22, 2014

FEATURED ITEM

Houston boasts strong growth but still outpaced by suburbs
Though Houston gained more residents last year than any other American city except New York, its growth is still slower than surrounding cities. Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This appeared on the front page.)
http://bit.ly/1oVIqLx
Fort Worth population gain ranks 13th in US
Star-Telegram
http://bit.ly/1jaqdSI

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

China’s global search for energy
Russia and China reached an agreement for Russia to supply China with about a quarter of its annual natural gas consumption over three decades starting in 2018. Three experts from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy share their insight on this news via quotes and blogs: Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute; Steven Lewis, the C.V. Starr Transnational China Fellow at the Baker Institute and professor in the practice and interim director of the Chao Center for Asian Studies; and Kenneth Medlock III, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and lecturer of economics.
New York Times (This article also appeared in ECF, Columbus Monthly and NDTV India.)
http://nyti.ms/1nukefw
Russia, China sign gas deal. Putin’s Asia pivot gets huge boost
Christian Science Monitor (This article also appeared in Yahoo! News.)
http://bit.ly/1k6ciSN
It’s a hard slog to cut down on energy subsidies
Gulf News
http://bit.ly/Snku6q
All signs point to economic disadvantages of fossil fuel subsidies
Business Day Live
http://bit.ly/1lWoEKY
Russia to China: A gas deal we all should have seen coming
Forbes
http://onforb.es/1hcvV6S
Massive Russia-China gas deal to shake up LNG markets
The Globe and Mail
http://bit.ly/1qY2AGD
Russia to China gas deal: a game of spigots?
Forbes
http://onforb.es/1tptfda
Putin pulls another ace from his sleeve in big gas deal with China
Forbes
http://onforb.es/1gTNhLa

Swansea University’s students chance to study in Texas
Students at Swansea University will have the opportunity to study in the United States, thanks to a new partnership with the University of Houston. Swansea University is already working with Rice.
BBC News
http://bbc.in/1qY13R8

HOUSTON/TEXAS

These are the most exclusive colleges by state
Rice is listed as the most selective college in Texas based on the number of applications received for the Class of 2017.
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in the Beaumont Enterprise.)
http://bit.ly/1lEZ0Jo
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1lWjL4x

Dewhurst border plan held up by Straus
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about the Mexico border security debate and the Texas primary runoff.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This appeared on the front of the City/State section.)
http://bit.ly/1gTbvFc
Nasty Texas GOP race gets nastier with brawl over psychiatric records
Fox News
http://fxn.ws/Rd8DGP
Texas gubernatorial candidates debate how many debates to hold
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1toZglF
Dan Patrick seen emerging stronger from medical disclosure
News 92 FM
http://bit.ly/1nuRJOF
Dan Patrick mental health detailed in court depositions
ABC 13
http://abc13.co/RdEwit
For group, a mayor’s probable departure may make job harder
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/RXliOI
Texas Tech: Sen. Robert Duncan brings El Paso experience to new job as chancellor
El Paso Times
http://bit.ly/1nv3STL
The Senate is likely to get stupider again
Off the Kuff
http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=60693
What do voters owe a contender of a certain age?
Creators.com
http://bit.ly/1lWmET5

Culture scene: May 22-28
The Axiom Quartet, comprising four musicians trained at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music, will perform at the University of St. Thomas and at Cave Without a Name.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1o9NoV1

Lee valedictorian, salutatorian aspire to be neurosurgeons
Lee High School salutatorian Palvasha Deme plans to attend Rice.
Midland Reporter-Telegram
http://bit.ly/1gneRQq

BROADCAST

Experts help reduce demolition debris in landfills
Nearly half of landfill space is occupied by construction and demolition waste. Richard Johnson, director of Rice’s Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management, is quoted.
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/RXbxjC

Rice U. students develop ‘smart seat’ for toddlers
A group of Rice engineering students created a device that alerts parents if they forget their child in the car. Baker College senior Margaret Dieudonne and Will Rice College senior Mengwei Ni are quoted.
My Fox Atlanta
http://bit.ly/1qXZ3Io

Experts: Privacy more endangered than ever
Private companies such as Google and Facebook have more data than the National Security Agency, thanks to the advancement of technology. Christopher Bronk, fellow in information technology policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about people leaving a trail of data that is easy accessible to big tech companies.
KTRH-AM (This article also appeared in KPRC-AM.)
http://bit.ly/1qY4VkS
http://bit.ly/1jXO20a

More Hispanics identify themselves as white
Between 2000 and 2010, 1.2 million Hispanics identified themselves as “White Hispanic.” Michael Cline, associate director of the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, is quoted. He is also quoted in an article about specific cultural groups growing in Texas.
KTRH-AM (This article also appeared in KPRC-AM.)
http://bit.ly/1sYGNdP
http://bit.ly/1oVYPzB
International markets offer flavor of home
Community Impact
http://bit.ly/1vMjiZs

50 years of LBJ’s great society
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted about critics’ arguments of what makes a great society.
KTRH-AM (This also appeared on KODA-FM.)
http://bit.ly/1n4Fkml
http://bit.ly/RX9dt5

The nature of things
Jesse Farrell ’09 performs an experiment to remove arsenic from contaminated ground water.
CBC Toronto
http://bit.ly/1lWjtLd

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Nanoparticles aid bone growth
Bioengineers and bioscientists at Rice and Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands, can grow denser bone tissue by sprinkling nanoparticles through a porous material used to pattern the bone. Antonios Mikos, the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is quoted.
Science Codex
http://bit.ly/1jazB8M

Rice scientist given first mid-infrared laser-based microscope for breast cancer research
Daylight Solutions Inc. delivered the world’s first commercially available laser-based infrared microscopy platform to Rebekah Drezek, professor of bioengineering and of electrical and computer engineering. Drezek will assist Daylight Solutions Inc. in leveraging the firm’s imaging technology and applying it to new methods for detecting cancer.
BioNews-Texas
http://bit.ly/1jaofll

Wal-Mart to require 3-digit security codes for in-store purchases
Christopher Bronk, fellow in information technology policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about Wal-Mart’s new checkout security measures.
Consumer Affairs
http://bit.ly/1qXVuSv

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Experiment designed to know more about St. Helens’ volcano
Scientists will set off a series of underground explosions across southwest Washington to map the plumbing system beneath Mount St. Helens. Alan Levander, the Carey Croneis Professor of Earth Science, is quoted.
Austrian Tribune
http://bit.ly/1i8ctbj

The best-illusion-of-the-year contest
Graduate student Kimberley Orsten and James Pomerantz, professor of psychology, took third place in the optical illusion contest with their image called “A Turn in the Road.”
Neatorama
http://bit.ly/1pgoBMf

6 ‘miracle’ materials that will change their industries
Rice’s development of a super-thin polyurethane material that can stop bullets is featured in a list of six “miracle” materials.
Arch Daily
http://bit.ly/1qVu7IX

Garry Winogrand’s lost negatives come to light
Street photographer Garry Winogrand’s exhibit at the National Gallery of Art includes a video of him answering questions from Rice students.
ArtNet News
http://bit.ly/RXe2SX

Crossing …
Vietnamese artist Dinh Q. Lê’s installation “Crossing the Farther Shore” is on display at the Rice Gallery through Aug. 28.
Fluid Radio (This appeared on the home page.)
http://bit.ly/RR5Gwj

3-D takes middle schools by storm
A new 3-D modeling program is allowing children to learn mathematics and basic engineering in the form of a fun computer program. Rice is mentioned.
Your Daily Journal (This article also appeared in the Cheraw Chronicle, Richmond County Daily Journal and Anson Record.)
http://bit.ly/Rd3r5H

Class of 2014 entrepreneurs creating their own jobs
This year’s college graduates are creating their own businesses instead of looking for jobs. Rice’s Business Plan Competition is mentioned.
Poughkeepsie Journal
http://pojonews.co/1ksnvww

LaSalle’s Willson says it was ‘pretty cool’ shaking Obama’s hand
Alumnus Luke Willson ’12 is featured.
The Windsor Star
http://bit.ly/1kqvzxP

SPORTS

Rice Owls defeat FIU in C-USA baseball tournament opener, 9-2
Rice baseball won against Florida International University 9-2 on the opening day of the annual Conference USA Baseball Tournament in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Boxscore
http://bit.ly/1jGtxL8
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/1nhoK56

Pitching perfection sets Fox apart from Rice’s family tree
Rice baseball player Blake Fox is featured.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1toVZml

Ottawa Fury Women add crop of local talent
Sophomore Lauren Hughes is featured.
Boxscore
http://bit.ly/1ojBmWC

NEWS RELEASE

Baker Institute experts available to comment on China-Russia gas deal
China and Russia Wednesday agreed to a major 30-year natural gas deal that would send gas from Siberia by pipeline to China. The announcement caps a decadelong negotiation and is being heralded as a coup for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
http://bit.ly/1lWiYk9