Dateline Rice for Sept. 1, 2015

FEATURED ITEM

$3 billion floodgate proposed for Galveston Bay
Rice University’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center has proposed a mid-bay gate as a third alternative for storm-surge protection from a hurricane for the heavily populated communities on the west side of Galveston Bay as well as for the industrial complex along the Houston Ship Channel. Phil Bedient, the Herman Brown Professor of Engineering, and Jim Blackburn, professor in the practice of environmental law, are quoted.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the City & State section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1JzI0my
Group pitches $2.8 billion hurricane protection plan
The Texas Tribune (This appeared on the home page.)
http://bit.ly/1NV5Z2B
The brief: School finance challenge lands at Supreme Court
The Texas Tribune
http://bit.ly/1Upt7Gm
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1UpIXAV
KRIV-TV
http://bit.ly/1FgKTof
Report analyzes new option for hurricane protection
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1L0zhYs

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Modified bacteria work together in a living circuit
Rice scientists made a living circuit from multiple types of bacteria that prompt cooperation to change protein expression. Matthew Bennett, assistant professor of biochemistry and cell biology, is quoted. Graduate students Ye Chen and Andrew Hirning are lead and co-authors of the study, respectively.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/1NKMxXp
Modified bacteria become a multicellular circuit
Health Canal (This article also appeared in Health News.)
http://bit.ly/1N0kIsk

How managers should judge psychology experiments
Utpal Dholakia, professor of marketing, authored an op-ed about steps managers can take to evaluate behavioral economics and social psychology reports.
Harvard Business Review
http://bit.ly/1N7u5rG

Ted Cruz sells himself as antiestablishment candidate
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, comments on presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz’s success over former Gov. Rick Perry.
The Boston Globe
http://bit.ly/1UjUyGI

Academics criticize euphoria over Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley
Elora Shehabuddin, associate professor of humanities and political science, signed a letter warning tech giants about the danger of doing business with the Indian government.
News India Times
http://bit.ly/1LIk1lY

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Oil surges as global glut appears to diminish somewhat
OPEC is discussing restraining production to stabilize prices in Saudi Arabia. Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1NKCt0l

Student blog: Broadcasting change on college campuses
A blog features an essay by Martel College sophomore Elisabeth Kalomeris. The essay was a winning entry in a contest associated with an upcoming conference on neglected tropical diseases in the U.S. and Mexico at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1JzSbHF

As Near Northside booms, group pushes affordable housing
Avenue Terraces, an affordable living community in Houston’s Near Northside, is almost completed. The article cites an op-ed by Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research about affordable housing near downtown Houston.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the Business section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1EznlAb

New bills going into effect bring broad changes
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science and fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, comments on the possibility of revisions needed for new laws that went into effect today. Jones also comments on Texas’ struggling horse racing industry.
Times Record News (This article also appeared in Abilene Reporter-News.)
http://bit.ly/1VtgjkB
Texas racetracks close amid budget squabbles — for now
Star-Telegram
http://bit.ly/1N77mw6

New report shows uninsured Texans are twice as likely to delay seeking primary care, mental health care
Texans without health insurance are twice as likely to skip seeking primary and mental health care because of cost. That’s one of the findings of a new survey by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. Elena Marks, president and CEO of the foundation and a nonresident health policy fellow at the Baker Institute, and Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute and professor of economics, are quoted.
Texas Medical Center News
http://bit.ly/1FgEtFE

Rice, UTHealth offer health scholars program
Rice University and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health have introduced a Health Scholars Program that will allow Rice undergraduates in any discipline to earn a master’s degree in public health one year after completing their undergraduate degrees. Nicholas Iammarino, professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology, and Kirsten Ostherr, professor of English, are quoted.
Texas Medical Center News
http://bit.ly/1N7GtIv

Best of international Houston: Vietnam
Judy Le, former director of Leadership Rice, is quoted about Houston’s Vietnamese community’s gradual move from Chinatown to Bellaire.
Houstonia
http://bit.ly/1Ukm86P

Fall arts preview 2015: Classical music
Rice’s Dover Quartet will perform at Chamber Music Houston Dec. 8.
Houstonia
http://bit.ly/1PJct2U

US News corrects list: UTEP is No. 2
Rice is No. 30 on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of the colleges and universities ranked by enrollment of Hispanic students.
El Paso Inc.
http://bit.ly/1Q6sz7O

BROADCAST

New Texas state laws go into effect today
Starting today, the Rice University Police Department is required to make all records “related solely to law enforcement activities” available to the public upon written request, subject to applicable statutory exceptions.
KPRC-TV
http://bit.ly/1MZTQZu
Public given access to private school police records
Baylor Lariat
http://bit.ly/1NKC3Hm

YNN-TV (Austin, Texas)
Confusion over Texas’ voter photo identification requirement potentially discouraged as many as 9 percent of registered voters from going to the polls in the November 2014 elections in the Latino-majority U.S. Congressional District 23, according to a new study by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the University of Houston Hobby Center for Public Policy.
http://bit.ly/1LRy8bn

Radio Survivor podcast No. 13: Why the battle over the Pacifica Network remains relevant
KUHA 91.7-FM will move to an HD radio and digital format. The station manager would like to sell the station’s frequency and transmitter, which the University of Houston purchased from Rice University for $9.5 million.
Radio Survivor
http://bit.ly/1Kphcc5

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Group calls for transparency overhaul in scientific research to combat corporate fraud in GMO, vaccine and pharmaceutical studies
Rick Wilson, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair of Political Science and professor of statistics and psychology, is leading an initiative to promote “transparency, openness and reproducibility” in scientific research. Wilson is quoted.
Natural News
http://bit.ly/1hujvNR

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Houston underground: The Bayou City’s new DIY ‘Golden Age’
Houston’s “DIY” culture is growing, with new small venues opening almost every week to support its music scene. Rice is cited for its study on Houston’s diverse demographics.
Vice
http://bit.ly/1Jy0lAz

Students, food insecurity, OER
OpenStax is mentioned as a service offering free online textbooks and low-priced printed versions.
InfoJustice.org
http://bit.ly/1IEqeuB

Natchez native, priest to lead Catholic Charities
Alumnus Rev. Ricardo Phipps ’96 was named the new director of Catholic Charities for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson.
NatchezDemocrat.com
http://bit.ly/1FgmIX4

SPORTS

Rice continues to unveil improvements and enhancements for athletic events
Tanner Gardner, senior associate athletic director and chief revenue officer, released the upgrades made to Rice Stadium, which includes an improved sound system, new concessions and a new family area in addition to the Rice Owls Kids Zone.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1NKNrTv
Enhanced Rice Stadium experience awaits fans in 2015
Bellaire Examiner
http://bit.ly/1hvdQr5

Rice isn’t looking past Wagner
Rice football will play its opening game against Wagner College at Rice Stadium Sept. 5. Head football coach David Bailiff is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1IEBTJE
Colleges: Briles sees normalcy returning to Baylor
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1LRxqeb
10 things to know about the Rice Owls ahead of Wagner opener
Silive.com
http://bit.ly/1N7aVCi

A seismic shift: What is the future of the Big 12?
Rice is mentioned in an article about the Big 12 conference.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/1N7s6DP

Duffey pitching well after nervous Twins debut
Former baseball standout Tyler Duffey is featured.
Star Tribune
http://strib.mn/1JJpCZG

NEWS RELEASES

Rice report analyzes new option for hurricane protection
In a new report, Rice’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center describes how a mid-bay gate could provide storm-surge protection from a hurricane for the heavily populated communities on the west side of Galveston Bay as well as for the industrial complex along the Houston Ship Channel.
http://bit.ly/1UpuaG9

Baker Institute event to explore legacy of Plaza Accord Oct. 1
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary James A. Baker III and other key players involved in the 1985 Plaza Accord, as well as top scholars and financial market experts, will gather at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Oct. 1 to evaluate the accord’s lasting legacy.
http://bit.ly/1Q6tVzt

Rice’s Kinder Institute identifies challenges facing Rice Village
Although many patrons of Rice Village might say that parking is a persistent problem in the popular shopping area, a new report from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research finds that Rice Village actually has ample parking, but more can be done to improve the use of available spaces.
http://bit.ly/1O5Vh7v

Rice, UTHealth offer Health Scholars Program
Rice University and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) offer a program that allows students to earn an undergraduate degree and a master’s in public health in five years.
http://bit.ly/1NKNdfd