Rice political science expert available to discuss Astrodome’s 50th

EXPERT ALERT

David Ruth
612-702-9473
david@rice.edu

Rice political science expert available to discuss Astrodome’s 50th

HOUSTON – (April 7, 2015) – Although the fate of the Houston Astrodome is still unresolved, the “Eighth Wonder of the World” will celebrate its 50th anniversary Thursday. Rice University political scientist Bob Stein, who has conducted polling on the Astrodome’s fate, is available to discuss the current state of the Astrodome and what its future may hold.

The question of what to do with the dome has been making headlines and debated for a number of years, including a failed 2013 Harris County voter referendum to secure a bond to convert the dome into a convention hall and exhibit space.

After nearly a decade, the public will be allowed to visit the iconic building Thursday for a free open house.

The following Flickr gallery images of the Astrodome are courtesy Rice University/Tommy LaVergne.

Stein is an expert on voting behavior, urban politics and public policy; his publications have appeared in a wide range of scholarly journals. Stein’s current research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and examines the impact of the federal aid system on the electoral trajectories of officeholders at both the subnational and congressional levels. Other research by Stein examines collective action among metropolitan area governments and voting behavior.

Rice University has a VideoLink ReadyCam TV interview studio. ReadyCam is capable of transmitting broadcast-quality standard-definition and high-definition video directly to all news media organizations around the world 24/7.

News media interested in interviewing Stein should contact David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

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