Dateline Rice for Jan. 8, 2016

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

EPA called fracking safe, but now its scientists disagree
Members of the Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board are requesting clarification on their conclusion that fracking does not impact drinking water. Katherine Ensor, professor of statistics, is quoted.
Bloomberg Business (This article also appeared in the Chicago Tribune and 18 other media outlets.)
http://bloom.bg/1mHUySt

Michael Medved: ‘Trump and Ted’ bromance falls apart
Sen. Ted Cruz’s mother, alumna Eleanor Darragh ’56, is mentioned.
USA Today (This appeared in more than 50 other media outlets.)
http://usat.ly/1RdjNIK
KFYI-AM (Phoenix)
http://bit.ly/1K2w76R

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Major risks for America in 2016
Richard Stoll, the Albert Thomas Chair in Political Science and scholar at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, discusses the top worldwide risks America may face this year.
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1Za9G6F
http://bit.ly/1RdwnYB

Brownsville building with violent past appears headed for demolition
Stephen Fox, lecturer of architecture, comments on the Rubio house building, which will be demolished.
San Antonio Express-News
http://bit.ly/1OfbrKO

High-up Heights bar, music venue to open this month
Troy Schaum, assistant professor in architecture, is quoted about a new retail center underway in the Heights.
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/22PmcNz

Rice ranks among Niche’s top colleges in the US
Rice is No. 5 on Niche’s list of the best colleges in the U.S. The list is based on academics, cost, student surveys, diversity, student life and safety, among other criteria, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Beaumont Enterprise
http://bit.ly/1ORDcih

BROADCAST

‘To the Point’ Public Radio International
Bill Fulton, director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, discusses the American Dream Miami, a massive shopping theme park planned for Northwest Miami-Dade.
http://bit.ly/1RdznEj (This also aired on Milwaukee Public Radio and more than 50 other media outlets.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

New report shows fewer Texans have problems paying medical bills
Fewer Texans said they have problems paying their medical bills in 2015 compared with 2013, according to a new report released Jan. 7 by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute and professor of economics, and Elena Marks, a nonresident health policy fellow at the Baker Institute and president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, are quoted.
Medical Xpress (This article also appeared in Science Codex, Live Insurance News and Medical News Today.)
http://bit.ly/1UBM6yk

Bacteria attack lignin with enzymatic tag team
A study from Rice University, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Joint BioEnergy Institute at Emeryville, Calif., shows how bacterial enzymes team up to attack lignin. The findings could lead to more efficient processes for creating biofuels from wood, grass and agricultural waste. George Phillips, the Ralph and Dorothy Looney Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, is quoted.
Science Daily
http://bit.ly/1UBMJIm
Researchers discover how 2 bacterial enzymes work together to break lignin
Biofuels Digest
http://bit.ly/1TJhvin

Cube-shaped buildings help big cities maintain energy efficiency
Andrew Keatts, content editor for Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, authored an op-ed about the Santa Fe Institute’s study on the most energy-efficient building size and design.
GovTech.com
http://bit.ly/1PSwszC

Veteran business owners invited to battle for startup funds
Jan. 31 is the deadline to submit an application to participate in the Entrepreneurs’ Organization-Houston Veterans Business Battle, which is taking place at Rice Feb. 27.
Business Administration Information
http://bit.ly/1RdkC4a

Aluminum nanoparticles contribute to better electronic displays
Researchers developed a method using aluminum nanostructure pixels to make the blue end of the color spectrum more vibrant. Rice helped fund the research.
Controlled Environments (This article also appeared in Nanotechnology Now.)
http://bit.ly/1RxyEw9

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Baylor’s Angelaki set to deliver next Flexner Discovery Lecture
Dora Angelaki, adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering and adjunct professor of psychology, will speak at Vanderbilt’s Flexner Discovery Lecture Jan. 14.
Vanderbilt University News
http://bit.ly/1RdlSnX

Officials rededicate courthouse on 106th anniversary
President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Moon Speech” delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is mentioned.
Manning Live
http://bit.ly/1TJeCOw

Jeffrey Roberts to lead HFF IT Operations
Jeffrey Roberts, who earned an executive leadership certification at Rice, was named chief information officer at HFF IT in Houston.
Commercial Property Executive
http://bit.ly/1kRUDkz

Uiw fashion scholarship
Calhoun High School valedictorian Miranda Wang plans to attend Rice.
Style Positive
http://bit.ly/1PiPaM7

SPORTS

Around sports: Wyatt joins UH staff as receivers coach
Rice football will play against Louisiana State University at Tiger Stadium in 2018.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1MX0PhC
LSU to host Louisiana Tech, Southeastern and Rice on gridiron in 2018
SportsNOLA.com (Similar articles appeared in more than 75 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1mHApMo
LSU announces 2018 nonconference slate
LSUSports.net
http://bit.ly/1Ofdxuh
LSU rounds out 2018 nonconference football schedule
KPLCTV.com
http://bit.ly/1SDQ2QJ
LSU football’s 2018 nonconference schedule includes LA Tech, SLU
WAFB.com
http://bit.ly/1OEaY8G

NEWS RELEASE

New report shows fewer Texans have problems paying medical bills
Fewer Texans said they have problems paying their medical bills in 2015 compared with 2013, according to a new report released Jan. 7 by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation.
http://bit.ly/1MX0BHi