Dateline Rice for Sept. 23, 2015

FEATURED ITEM

‘Power couple’ makes history
Rice President David Leebron and University Representative Y. Ping Sun are profiled in a feature story.
China Daily
http://bit.ly/1L6ebhf

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein lymphoma diagnosis: When a CEO is sick, should the company always disclose the illness?
Goldman Sachs CEO and Chairman Lloyd Blankfein told investors that he has lymphoma, which created a discussion of whether CEOs are expected to share the details of their illness. Anthea Zhang, professor of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, thinks it is important for CEOs to be transparent when ill, since it is also an issue for shareholder wealth.
International Business Times (This article also appeared in Investing.com and My Informs.)
http://bit.ly/1KydeYL

Obama won’t rate colleges, so we did
NPR asked three higher-education experts to design a college rating system. Georgetown University economist Anthony Carnevale evaluated colleges by alumni income 10 years after they received their degrees, on-time graduation rates and net price. Rice is No. 30 in his rating.
National Public Radio
http://n.pr/1JkJXj9
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1JpV3TW

Groupon to cut 1,100 jobs worldwide
Daily-deal site Groupon plans to cut 1,100 jobs by September 2016. The article cites a Rice study on daily deal websites. Utpal Dholakia, professor of marketing at the Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted.
BBC (This article also appeared in Bidnessetc.com.)
http://bbc.in/1L5SDRQ

Heating season forecast: Average temperatures, low gas prices
Analysts predict that natural gas prices will stay low throughout this winter. Kenneth Medlock, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and lecturer of economics, said there could be a bump in prices in winter of 2016-17.
The Columbus Dispatch
http://bit.ly/1YBMCAs

La defensa ambiental, punto de fricción con los republicanos
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, is quoted about the lack of political effect he believes Pope Francis’ visit will have.
Ambito Financiero (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1iwQn9i

Commentary: Climate action demands new thinking from the left and right
President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Moon Speech” delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is mentioned.
Chicago Tribune
http://trib.in/1NMa1tX

Local looping violinist hits 2M views on YouTube, takes home music award
Alumnus Robert Landes ’12 is featured for his popular instrumental videos on YouTube.
KSL.com
http://bit.ly/1LO2LJy

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Fed needlessly turns rate hike into a saga
Russell Green, the Will Clayton Fellow in International Economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and an adjunct assistant professor of economics, is quoted in an article about the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee’s decision to not increase the federal funds above zero.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the Business section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Lwhltg

Jajoo hoping to make history in Sugar Land as city’s first South Asian mayor next year
Sugar Land City Council member Harish Jajoo is hoping to become the city’s first South Asian mayor. Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1OS1HcX
http://bit.ly/1gNY3mn

College Night packed with info
Rice will participate in the 21st annual districtwide College Night Oct. 7 at the Berry Center.
Houston Chronicle (This article appears halfway down the page. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1JpTplr
http://bit.ly/1iM8Pvo

Rice speakers to energy engineering firms: Partner up and expect more acquisitions
The Global Engineering & Construction Forum was held at Rice to discuss the suffering oil industry.
Fuel Fix (This article also appeared in San Antonio Express-News.)
http://bit.ly/1NScV1G

Houston to host annual conference to tackle urban issues
Next City’s annual gathering of the best and brightest young urban leaders will meet in Houston May 10-13, 2016, to tackle challenges in the nation’s fourth-largest city. The Vanguard program will be run by Next City in cooperation with a committee of local hosts led by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Bill Fulton, director of the Kinder Institute, is quoted.
Houston Business Journal (This article also appeared in My Informs.)
http://bit.ly/1FueLTw

New York Times names the best schools for low-income students
The U.S. Department of Education released data showing the average earnings of graduates of nearly every college and university in the country 10 years after they received their degrees. Rice is No. 1 in Texas and was cited as a good deal for low-income students.
San Antonio Express-News (This article also appeared in Beaumont Enterprise and SeattlePI.com.)
http://bit.ly/1YBPKwg

Rice announces $150 million in strategic research initiatives
Rice University is preparing to invest over $150 million in strategic initiatives aimed at increasing its research competitiveness across all departments, establishing a world-renowned program in data sciences and bolstering its position as one of the world’s leading centers for molecular nanotechnology research. Rice President David Leebron and Provost Marie Lynn Miranda are quoted.
Sugar Land Sun (This article also appeared in Fort Bend Sun.)
http://bit.ly/1OtRLXO

RUSMP hosts exciting Code.org workshop for Houston educators
The Rice University School of Mathematics Project hosted a Code.org workshop for local educators.
Village News (This article appears on page 8.)
http://bit.ly/1KA56cf

Inprint presents author Sandra Cisneros Oct. 12
Author Sandra Cisneros will speak at Rice’s Stude Concert Hall Oct. 12.
Hispanic Houston
http://bit.ly/1OuLRWt

BROADCAST

CNN
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, discusses Pope Francis’ meeting with President Barack Obama.
http://bit.ly/1YBOZ69

Experts: Low gas prices ‘mixed blessing’ for Houston
Bill Arnold, professor in the practice of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, explains that the drop in gas prices may be good for the economy, but many in Texas are experiencing layoffs as companies scale back investments and hiring.
KTRK-TV
http://abc13.co/1iwkzBz

Podcast: Border violence evolving into health issue
Tony Payan, the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the institute’s Mexico Center, discusses his findings concerning border violence as a health issue along the U.S. and Mexico. Payan is also quoted about the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen in Texas by a Mexican drug cartel in August.
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1MpTbiG
http://bit.ly/1jaQSGC
Kidnapping of US citizen in Texas seen as new front for Mexican cartels
KTKR-AM (San Antonio)
http://bit.ly/1KA7sG0

Apocalypse next week?
Patricia Reiff, professor of physics and astronomy, dispels rumors that an asteroid collision with earth will happen next week.
KTRH-AM (This also appeared on KODA-FM.)
http://bit.ly/1KBk9Bj

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Animal relationships surprisingly straight-laced
A review of dozens of key ecological studies has found very little evidence to support one of the field’s commonly held beliefs: Cheating is widespread among ‘mutualists,’ species that cooperate with one another for mutual benefit. Emily Jones, a Huxley Research Instructor in BioSciences, is quoted.
Discovery (This article also appeared in My Informs and Daily Me.)
http://bit.ly/1FfEqzG

System bits: Sept. 22
Rice researchers discovered that putting nanotube pillars between sheets of graphene could create hybrid structures with a unique balance of strength, toughness and ductility throughout all three dimensions. Rouzbeh Shahsavari, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted. Alumnus Navid Sakhavand ’15 is mentioned.
Semiengineering.com
http://bit.ly/1OuqynM

NJIT President Joel Bloom to be honored as Educator of the Year
Alumnus Robert Wilson ’57 was announced as a winner of a 2015 Edison Patent Award.
News Medical
http://bit.ly/1FuhvAi

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

‘Musically Speaking with Andrés’ concert to feature rare works of Schumann with Houston Symphony Chorus Oct. 1
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 Oct. 1.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/1MJ3Gkj

‘Magna Carta After 800 Years: Is It Still Relevant?’
Alumna Jane Scarborough ’64 will give a lecture at the Sandwich Public Library in Massachusetts.
CapeCodToday.com
http://bit.ly/1OS8JOF

SPORTS

Around sports: TCU’s Patterson defends 2 arrested players, takes jab at Baylor
Rice women’s volleyball postponed their Conference USA opener against University of Texas at San Antonio. The game will be rescheduled.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1V9uJtm

NEWS RELEASES

2 Rice alumni among AACSB’s 100 ‘Influential Leaders’
Rice alumni and former university trustees James “Jim” Turley and Subha Barry are among the first 100 “Influential Leaders” named by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. The association serves as the global accrediting body and membership organization for business schools.
http://bit.ly/1jaPUud

McNair Foundation funds new center for entrepreneurship at Rice University’s Baker Institute
The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation has provided an $8 million endowment to establish the McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
http://bit.ly/1iwOz0b