Dateline Rice for May 8, 2015

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Netanyahu coalition seen keeping US-Israel relations frosty
Edward Djerejian, the founding director of Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, comments on the United States’ complicated relationship with Israel.
Bloomberg Politics
http://bloom.bg/1EnVM60

Coursera CEO: Colleges will survive the online education revolution
In an interview with Coursera CEO Rick Levin about the success of the platform, Levin mentions that the number of people who have completed Rice courses on Coursera exceeds the total number of graduates in Rice’s history.
Fortune
http://for.tn/1F3XjTv
Coursera CEO: Reports of mass disruption to higher ed greatly exaggerated
Poets & Quants
http://bit.ly/1JTVNGL

The best illusions of 2014
Graduate student Kimberley Orsten and James Pomerantz, professor of psychology, are included in a list of the best optical illusions of 2014 with their image called “A Turn in the Road.”
Scientific American
http://bit.ly/1H6qZlb

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Black-tie crowd goes bonkers over Huey Lewis while raising $1.57 million for Houston Symphony
Rice President David Leebron and University Representative Y. Ping Sun attended the Houston Symphony Ball.
CultureMap Houston
http://bit.ly/1EXyGYJ

The past and future of I-45
Postdoctoral research fellow Kyle Shelton of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research authored an op-ed about the Texas Department of Transportation’s renovation plan for I-45 and the future of Houston’s highways.
Houston Chronicle (This article appeared in the Houston Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine and was featured on the front of the Extra section and appeared in the April 16 issue of Dateline. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1FPC1tw
http://bit.ly/1P0o8OR

National real estate conference invites visitors to discover Houston
Houston is hosting the national real estate conference this weekend. Rice’s women’s rowing team is pictured practicing on Buffalo Bayou in a slideshow of Houston attractions.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1QsGeX3

John Daugherty, Realtors’ team participates in Avon 39
Avon’s Walk to End Breast Cancer participants ended their first day of the walk at Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1IoBOxU

Tax cut spat threatens to engulf Legislature’s session
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, comments on the Legislature’s tax cut debate.
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/1RkoKNY

Welch: Obama defamation league at it again
The percentage of Texans without health insurance dropped 31 percent since enrollment began in the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace, according to a new report released April 30 by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation.
The Lufkin News
http://bit.ly/1P65Dsq

Houston Hillel’s clothing swap
Rice students participated in the Houston Hillel’s fifth annual Clothing Swap.
Jewish Herald-Voice
http://bit.ly/1EhSwtL

The 5 best things to do in Houston this weekend: And take mom along
The 2015 Houston Palestine Film Festival will air several screenings at Rice through May 23.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/1FTHX4O

CFISD names new principal for Bane Elementary School
Willbern Elementary School principal Carrie Marz has been named the new principal at Bane Elementary School. Marz graduated from Rice’s Educational Entrepreneurship and Leadership Program.
Cypress Creek Mirror
http://bit.ly/1bDavmu

BROADCAST

Garcia’s gamble: Sheriff stepping down to run for mayor
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted about Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia’s odds in his run for mayor of Houston.
KHOU.com
http://bit.ly/1H6gRch

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Zoologger: Necrophiliac spider mite prefers its mate dead
Norwegian researchers were surprised to learn that male twospotted spider mites preferred to mate with immobile female spiders infected by a pathogenic fungus. Kelly Weinersmith, the Huxley Research Instructor, is quoted.
New Scientist (This article also appeared in Frontier Post.)
http://bit.ly/1GTzcDR

How the human brain separates the ability to talk and write
While the human ability to write evolved from the ability to speak, writing and speaking are supported by entirely different parts of the brain, according to new research from Rice University, Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University. Simon Fischer-Baum, assistant professor of psychology, is quoted.
HealthCanal (This article also appeared in Bellaire Examiner and Sugar Land Sun.)
http://bit.ly/1zJIAwo

Tuned ‘nano-vibrations’ could yield communications advances
Research in this week’s Nature Communications could open doors for new applications of photonics ranging from molecular sensing to wireless communications. Stephan Link, associate professor of chemistry and of electrical and computer engineering, and research scientist Wei-Shun Chang are quoted. Naomi Halas, director of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the Rice Quantum Institute and the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a professor of chemistry, bioengineering, physics and astronomy, and materials science and nanoengineering, and graduate students Fangfang Wen and Man-Nung Su are mentioned.
The Engineer
http://bit.ly/1EhIl8A
Light used to probe acoustic tuning in gold nanodisks
Controlled Environments (This article also appeared in Science Daily, BioPortfolio, e! Science News, BrightSurf and ScienceNewsline.)
http://bit.ly/1cvphwQ

Saver rate ends today: Houston 2035, the innovative city of the future
Naomi Halas, director of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the Rice Quantum Institute and the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a professor of chemistry, bioengineering, physics and astronomy, and materials science and nanoengineering, will speak at Houston 2035.
Xconomy
http://bit.ly/1KRzP4J

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Grammy award-winning violinist James Ehnes returns to Houston this weekend
Colombian violinist and conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Houston Symphony will perform his English commentary series, “Musically Speaking with Andrés,” at Rice’s Stude Concert Hall.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/1QtgycW

Matthew Jensen’s 1st exhibition at Yancey Richardson Gallery opens in New York
Alumnus Matthew Jensen ’02 will present “Feels Like Real,” his first exhibition at Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York.
Art Daily
http://bit.ly/1GTDriQ

NEWS RELEASES

Strategic management expert available to discuss Alibaba leadership change
Anthea Zhang is available to discuss Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s new CEO, Daniel Zhang.
http://bit.ly/1QtiWjO

How the human brain separates the ability to talk and write
While the human ability to write evolved from the ability to speak, writing and speaking are supported by entirely different parts of the brain, according to new research from Rice University, Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University.
http://bit.ly/1dSxuf9