Dateline Rice for July 23, 2014

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

‘Home sweet home’ more elusive for African-Americans
Sociologists at Rice and Cornell University found that African-Americans are 45 percent more likely than whites to switch from owning their home to renting it. Gregory Sharp, a postdoctoral fellow in Rice’s Department of Sociology, is quoted.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/UnRxI1
US homeownership riskier for many African-Americans, says Rice study
World Property Channel
http://bit.ly/1kc59T7
Study: Blacks lose homes more today than in ’90s
Cornell Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1npcnSp
Study finds the dream of African-American homeownership remains unsteady
National Mortgage Professional (This article also appeared in Science 2.0, DailyNewsEn.com and BlackPoliticsontheWeb.com.)
http://bit.ly/1pFxSx7

Texas governor to deploy 1,000 National Guard troops to border
Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and director of the Baker Institute’s Mexico Center, is quoted about Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to send 1,000 National Guard troops to Texas’ southern border.
World Bulletin (This article also appeared in Tuoi Tre News and Jamestown Sun.)
http://bit.ly/1rBuW9i
Rick Perry on border troops: ‘The price of inaction is too high’
Hartford Courant (This article also appeared in WTIC-TV and OshKosh Northwestern.)
http://cour.at/1r8eMRm
Wave of migrant children threaten to swamp US courts
KICD-AM (Spencer, Iowa)
http://bit.ly/1lvQw82

College textbooks don’t need to break the bank: 10 tips to save you money
An article lists 10 tips for saving money on college textbooks. Rice is mentioned.
Huffington Post
http://huff.to/1rt9FNs

Mount St. Helens to become blast zone
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. He is the lead scientist for the experiment.
The Columbian (This article also appeared in Longview Daily News, The Daily News and MyFDL.)
http://bit.ly/1qzWdti

For the BRICS bank, a tough road ahead
Russell Green, the Will Clayton Fellow in International Economics at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and an adjunct assistant professor of economics, authored a blog post about BRICS bank’s decision to move away from Washington-style lending institutions.
The Hindu
http://bit.ly/1tz5Cie

Preventing looting of artifacts
Experts are advising that an awareness program be initiated to address the looting and smuggling of historical artifacts in Turkey. Rice is mentioned.
Daily Sabah
http://bit.ly/UnUYyx

Blazing a trail through Texas BBQ country
Alumnus Greg Gatlin ’03 is featured for his restaurant, Gatlin’s BBQ.
FOX News (This article also appeared in DailyNewsEn.com.)
http://fxn.ws/WCW1wp

Straight business students are crashing gay job fairs
Some heterosexual business school students have reportedly attended career fairs for lesbian, gay and bisexual students. Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations in Rice’s Office of Public Affairs, notes that the Jones Graduate School of Business advises students to learn about the organizations hosting the conference before making a decision to attend. Rice MBA students attend such conferences at their own expense.
Bloomberg Businessweek
http://buswk.co/1rEewuz
WBBR Bloomberg Radio
http://bit.ly/1oc7DQV
Straight business students crash gay job fairs
Inside Higher Ed (This article also appeared in EIN News and DailyNewsEn.com.)
http://bit.ly/1nUSnDk
Former NFL coach says he ‘wouldn’t have taken’ Michael Sam: Today in gay
New Now Next
http://logo.to/WDljtL

HOUSTON/TEXAS

CNN special looks at space race of the 1960s
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history and fellow in history at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, will appear on CNN’s “The Space Race (1960-1969).”
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1x1sGGz

‘Employers are off the hook’ if ACA appeal stands, local expert says
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of economics, is quoted about the impact of the Affordable Care Act potentially losing its legitimacy as an affordable option for health care.
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1uePAy0

Media consortium plans more exit polling in Texas
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 National Election Pool’s decision to conduct better exit polling in Texas.
Texas Tribune (This article also appeared in KTSM-TV.)
http://bit.ly/1ueVeA8

UT Austin ranked No. 29 in 2014 world universities list
Rice is ranked No. 108 on the Center for World Rankings’ list of the world’s top 1,000 universities for 2014.
KVUE-TV (Austin, Texas)
http://bit.ly/1pcDGPZ

BROADCAST

Houston’s city attorney will announce results of HERO petition
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted about Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1nUUwPc

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Stretched carbyne provides mechanical activation
Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and professor of chemistry, and his team found that stretching carbyne by 3 percent can change its properties, which may be useful for mechanically activated electronics and optics. Yakobson and postdoctoral researcher Vasilii Artyukhov are quoted. Graduate student Mingjie Liu is mentioned.
The Engineer
http://bit.ly/1rBd26M

Quantum Materials appoints advisory committee, directors
Michael Wong, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of chemistry, will serve as a member of Quantum Materials Corp.’s new scientific advisory board.
Photonics.com
http://bit.ly/1nfLwJh

Rice nanophotonics experts create powerful molecular sensor
Rice nanophotonics experts created a unique sensor that amplifies the optical signature of molecules by about 100 billion times. Naomi Halas, the Stanley C. Moore Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of Rice’s Laboratory for Nanophotonics and professor of physics and astronomy, is quoted.
ChemEurope.com
http://bit.ly/1A6kx85

Advanced robots ‘swarm’ NYC’s Museum of Math
James McLurkin, assistant professor of computer science, is featured for his insect-like robots exhibition called “Robot Swarm,” which will debut at Manhattan’s Museum of Mathematics in 2015.
Electronic Design
http://bit.ly/WD2Ded

New model predicts carbon components’ performance as electrodes
Rice and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory created a theoretical model that could benefit lithium-ion batteries. Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and professor of chemistry, and graduate student Yuanyue Liu are quoted.
Charged Electric Vehicles Magazine
http://bit.ly/1rBuvMj

New space race? US eyes asteroids as other nations shoot for the moon
John F. Kennedy’s speech given at Rice in 1962 is referenced.
Space.com
http://bit.ly/1x0VHSQ
Obama blocks press from Apollo 11 remembrance meeting
Daily Digest News
http://bit.ly/1mEjcLu
We’ve come a long way from moon landing
Tideland News
http://bit.ly/WDv2QZ

Einfacher chemischer Herstellungsprozess erhöht die Effizienz von Solarzellen
Rice scientists created a one-step process to etch nanoscale spikes into silicon to allow more than 99 percent of sunlight to reach cells’ active elements and produce electricity. Andrew Barron, the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Professor of Chemistry and professor of materials science, is mentioned.
Elektronik Informationen (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1nBNMvs

Las distracciones podrían parecer más problemáticas con la edad
Older adults are nearly twice as likely as younger people to have their memory and cognitive processes impaired by environmental distractions, according to a study funded by Rice’s Social Sciences Research Institute and the Gertrude Maurin Fund.
Health Day (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1ngcJLS

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Legacy of western imperialism
Ussama Makdisi, the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies and professor of history, is featured for his lecture on “The Historical Roots of the Current Sectarian Crisis in the Middle East” at Brac University in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The Daily Star
http://bit.ly/UnPQdN

Houston: As good as it gets
SKY Compact, which was created by alumni of Rice’s Education Entrepreneurship Program, is mentioned in an article about Houston’s education initiatives. Andrea Hodge, executive director of REEP, is mentioned.
Getting Smart
http://bit.ly/UnS9gP

6 tips to help you master the college essay
Tamara Siler ’86, senior associate director for admission and minority recruitment coordinator, is quoted in a list of tips for writing a college admission essay.
Carlsbad Patch (This article also appeared in Highland Park Patch and 13 other publications.)
http://bit.ly/UsYgAg

Local teacher studies with distinguished scholars
Allen Matusow, the William Gaines Twyman Professor of History and associate director of Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, attended “America in the 1960s,” a professional development institute sponsored by Humanities Texas and the University of Houston.
The Vindicator
http://bit.ly/1lvyann

Learning to love the Eastern Music Festival
Jon Kimura Parker, professor of piano, performed at the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina.
Triad City Beat
http://bit.ly/1qAfAm1

Spotlight on Sons of Serendip
Alumnus Mason Morton ’11 is quoted about his musical quartet, Sons of Serendip, and its audition for the NBC show “America’s Got Talent.”
BU Today
http://bit.ly/1rB1KQ3

SPORTS

4 Rice upperclassmen named to NABC Honors Court
Rice basketball student-athletes Bahrom Firozgary, Austin Ramljak, Seth Gearhart and Dan Peera were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court.
Sugar Land Sun
http://bit.ly/1kcag5J

New Waltrip head football coach promises plenty of excitement
Former Rice assistant football coach Todd Wright is the new head football coach at Waltrip High School.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1z2IJXv

Willis: Pumas new cross-country coach a running machine
Alumna Kim McConnell ’89 is the new cross-country coach at Peak to Peak Charter School.
Times-Call
http://bit.ly/1rtrvjm

The Brock Holt Story, Part 2: Inside the trade that sent him to the Boston Red Sox
Alumnus Brock Holt ’12 is featured.
MassLive.com
http://bit.ly/1A5UVIt
Wednesday links
FireBrandAL.com
http://bit.ly/WD3pYu

NEWS RELEASES

Baker Institute expert available to comment on Affordable Care Act ruling
A federal appeals court ruled that the federal government may not subsidize health insurance plans purchased by people in states that decided not to set up their own marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act. This move would be devastating to Obamacare, according to Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of economics.
http://bit.ly/1nBJlRb

South African beaders to assemble large-scale tapestries at Rice
As part of a collaboration with Houston-based artist Selven O’Keef Jarmon and Art League Houston (ALH), Rice Public Art will host highly skilled South African beaders through Aug. 29. The beaders will use X-Lab in Rice’s BioScience Research Collaborative as their studio to help assemble Jarmon’s temporary art installation, “360 Degrees Vanishing,” consisting of four large-scale beaded tapestries made of approximately 350,000 acrylic beads.
http://bit.ly/1nBJc04