Dateline Rice for March 9, 2016

FEATURED ITEM

Why study says Dallas’ entrepreneurs are falling behind rest of US
Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are drastically underperforming in entrepreneurship compared with other major U.S. cities, according to a new report by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Edward Egan, fellow and director of the Baker Institute’s McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, is quoted.
The Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/1XaHTmy
KUT
http://bit.ly/1QLIVlo (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Paul Ryan’s House agenda upended by Trump, Cruz dominance
Paul Brace, the Clarence L. Carter Professor of Political Science, is quoted about House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Bloomberg Politics (This also appeared in Newsmax, TDS and La Repubblica.)
http://bloom.bg/1QEVMJm

Zika virus, ‘Ghostbusters’ and the strange new normal of tropical disease pandemics
Peter Hotez, a fellow in disease and poverty at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an op-ed about vector-borne tropical diseases.
Vice News
http://bit.ly/1QGULQU

Deadly superbug in L.A. sewage could end up in the ocean
Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency recently announced they had discovered a lethal superbug in California sewage plants. Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is quoted.
CBS News
http://cbsn.ws/1pemdvn
‘Superbug’ released from hospital sewers spills into ocean
Fox 11 LA (This also appeared in Fox 10 Phoenix, Fox 29, Fox 9, KTVU, Fox 5 NY, Fox 5 Atlanta, Fox 5 DC and Fox 26 Houston.)
http://bit.ly/1R4oYVX
Sewage plants aren’t killing lethal superbug released by SoCal hospitals, report says
NBC Los Angeles
http://bit.ly/1UbYgA5
Superbugs could pollute Pacific Ocean
Breitbart News
http://bit.ly/24P78Rh
Local sewage plants say they’re not putting ‘superbugs’ into the ocean, but they don’t really know
KPCC
http://bit.ly/1Szs9KX
Sewage plants are failing to kill lethal superbugs unleashed from hospitals
The State (This also appeared in the Sacramento Bee, the Charlotte Observer, the Wichita Eagle and the Sun Herald.)
http://bit.ly/1QDymCN
Superbugs from hospitals get stronger in sewers, may end up in Pacific
Society of Environmental Journalists
http://bit.ly/1TLnmaO

This election year, more than ever, we all need to ‘stand or fall’
President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Moon Speech” delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is discussed.
Daily Kos
http://bit.ly/1LRfv8s

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Growing dislike for Trump may outweigh his support
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 voter turnout and Donald Trump’s campaign. Jones is also listed as a source in the Fair Vote report.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1W8Jt8n
Texas near bottom among states in primary turnout this year
KGNS (This also appeared in Texomas, the Gilmer Mirror, the Seminole Sentinel, KEYE, the Killeen Daily Herald, the Waco Trib, the San Marcos Corridor News, My High Plains and the High Plains Pundit.)
http://bit.ly/1pegCoV
Figuring out why Texas voter turnout is still terrible
Dallas Observer
http://bit.ly/1p7R2kJ
Proportional representation in most robust democracies
Fair Vote
http://bit.ly/1LcRDw8
KTRH
http://bit.ly/24QHqvB (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

Spring Branch ISD volunteer promotes coding, computer science
An article mentions that a retired teacher in the Spring Branch school district secured a grant in partnership with Rice to teach teachers the connections among coding, art and math.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1RRh5Gw
http://bit.ly/1W8Jnh8

Pediatrician pens illustrated guide for parents
Alumnus Peter Jung ’95 is profiled.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/1RQkVQt
http://bit.ly/24P26nU

Come ‘Hell And High Water,’ how another hurricane could destroy Houston
An investigative report published by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune argues that Houston is not well-prepared for a major hurricane. Rice is mentioned.
Texas Standard
http://bit.ly/24QKYOo

Shepherd School Opera to present ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Rice’s Shepherd School of Music’s Opera Department and Chamber Orchestra will present “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” March 16, 18 and 20 at Rice’s Wortham Opera Theatre. Richard Bado, director of Rice’s Opera Studies Program, is quoted.
Your Fort Bend News (This also appeared in the Memorial Examiner, the Bellaire, River Oaks and West University Examiner and the Sugar Land Sun.)
http://bit.ly/1peifTJ

Lone Star College to host world-class book festival
The article mentions that a panel at the Lone Star Book Festival will include professors from Rice.
The Potpourri Tomball Edition (This also appeared in the Katy Rancher.)
http://bit.ly/1U2hrgW

BROADCAST

WOAI
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 marijuana policies in Texas.
http://bit.ly/1U3BoUs (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Cancer cells are what they eat, and it’s not glucose
Cancer cells are well-known as voracious energy consumers, but even researchers were surprised by their latest exploit. Experiments Rice lab show that some cancer cells get 30-60 percent of their fuel from eating their neighbors’ “words.” Deepak Nagrath, assistant professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering, and graduate student Hongyun Zhao are quoted. Graduate students Lifeng Yang, Joelle Baddour and Abhinav Achreja are also mentioned.
Gen News
http://bit.ly/1R4odfM
Cancer cells capable of using information packets as energy source
Target Global Health
http://bit.ly/1XcCZFJ
Cancer cells eat their neighbors’ ‘words’
eCancer News
http://bit.ly/1XcD38k

Electricity, heating most climate-friendly uses for natural gas
Rice researchers have determined a more effective way to use natural gas to reduce climate-warming emissions would be in the replacement of existing coal-fired power plants and fuel-oil furnaces rather than burning it in cars and buses. Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted and alumnus Shayak Sengupta ’15 is mentioned.
Phys Org (This also appeared in Science Codex, Science Daily, eScience News and Laboratory Equipment.)
http://bit.ly/21jSrRB
More effective way to use natural gas to reduce climate-warming emissions
AZO Cleantech
http://bit.ly/1U3A4Bg
Environmental energy: Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau to join forces on climate change; EDF turmoil exposes Britain’s reliance on Hinkley nuclear plan; highest ever annual rise in carbon dioxide levels recorded
John Lothian News
http://bit.ly/1TLjQwR
Rice study finds using natural gas for electricity and heating, not transportation, more effective in reducing GHGs
Green Car Congress
http://bit.ly/1TsPyyE

25 percent of Texans say they don’t understand basic health insurance terms
According to a new report, approximately 25 percent of Texans say they lack confidence in understanding some of the most basic terminology about health insurance plans. 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, are quoted. Ho is quoted in an article discussing uninsured Texans.
Science Codex (This also appeared in Medical Xpress.)
http://bit.ly/1pg7eRL
9.4 million fewer Americans struggle to pay medical bills
RevCycle Intelligence
http://bit.ly/1LbUa9M

Simple interactions cause micro-organisms to follow the crowd
Researchers from Rice and the University of California, San Diego have created a model of chemotaxis that explains how individual cells can work together to respond to a chemical-concentration gradient.
Physics World
http://bit.ly/1LbSXiP
Model simulates chemotaxis with clusters of eukaryotic cells
Phys Org
http://bit.ly/1TLcYj8

BP Capital Fund Advisors adds Olsen to investment team
Alumnus Brad Olsen ’06 has joined the BP Capital Fund Advisors as principal and portfolio manager of the TwinLine MLP Fund and the TwinLine Energy Fund.
Oil & Gas Financial Journal (This also appeared in Penn Energy.)
http://bit.ly/1R4rYlh

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

David Crane and the sound and fury of reinventing NRG
Charles Griffey, adjunct professor of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted in an article about NRG Energy.
E&E News
http://bit.ly/1nuxx4X

For embattled medical laboratory company Theranos, bad news keeps on coming after two federal inspections show problems in certain lab practices
Bioengineers at Rice University recently found that different drops from single fingerpricks on multiple subjects varied substantially on results for basic health measures like hemoglobin, white blood cell counts and platelet counts. Graduate student Meaghan Bond is mentioned.
Dark Daily
http://bit.ly/1R6LTzY

Post-colonial Poland
An article authored by Ewa Thompson, research professor of Slavic studies, is referenced.
First Things
http://bit.ly/1pg7PTt

Girls Elevated event to empower teens and tweens
Stacy Mosely, senior associate athletic director/senior women’s administrator, will give the keynote speech at Girls Elevated in Houston April 30.
Examiner
http://exm.nr/1SxKU1e

United announces new independent directors, CEO Oscar Munoz to return
Alumnus James Whitehurst ’89 has been appointed to the United Continental Holdings Board of Directors.
Post Online Media
http://bit.ly/1XcGTyt

Elwyn Simons, fossil expert and primate conservationist, dies at 85
Alumnus Elwyn Simons ’53 died March 6 in Arizona.
Duke Today
http://bit.ly/222J1Mt

Houston Grand Opera announces 2016-17 HGO studio artists
Alumnus Ben Edquist ’15 will be in “Prince of Players” March 5-13.
Broadway World (This also appeared in GCO New.)
http://bit.ly/1TLkPNF

Manning Wolfe — a love letter to Austin
Alumna Manning Wolfe ’80 discusses her love of Austin.
Jungle Red
http://bit.ly/1RzQxXW

Nanobot implants could give us ‘God-like’ intelligence, but machines won’t overtake us until they learn to love, scientist claims
Rice is mentioned.
Daily Mail (This also appeared in Capital Bay.)
http://dailym.ai/1R6GQzu

Gas naturale: elettricità e riscaldamento usi più green secondo studio
Rice is mentioned.
Green Style (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1U3AveK

SPORTS

Analyzing C-USA Tournament contenders, pretenders and dark horses
Rice men’s basketball will play the University of North Carolina at Charlotte March 9.
The News Star
http://tnsne.ws/1pw8aRT
C-USA basketball tournament 2016: Bracket, schedule and scores
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/1QBvPt1
NCAA Tournament outlook for every Texas school
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1nwjwn9
Sports calendar, March 9-10
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1UejuNL
Charlotte 49ers open C-USA Tournament looking to defeat Rice 3rd time this season
The Charlotte Observer
http://bit.ly/1p7Q1Jv
Charlotte versus Rice — March 9 C-USA Tournament pick, odds and prediction
Sports Chat Place
http://bit.ly/1p7RFem

Techsters open C-USA tourney versus Rice
Rice women’s basketball will play Louisiana Tech University March 9.
The Shreveport Times (This also appeared in The News Star.)
http://bit.ly/1R6HPQl
LA Tech women’s basketball opens C-USA Tournament Wednesday
LA Tech
http://bit.ly/1YwQL7l

National recognition for Rice baseball program
Rice baseball was ranked No. 5 in an overall evaluation of Division I baseball programs across the nation by USA Today-College Factual. Head coach Wayne Graham is mentioned.
C-USA
http://bit.ly/1R7uCwZ

Rice has a leader to follow in senior Max Guercy
Wiess College senior Max Guercy is profiled. Guercy, head coach Mike Rhoades and Brown College freshman Marcus Evans are quoted. Players Connor Cashaw, Egor Koulechov and Marquez Letcher-Ellis are also mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1U3xRFJ

UTEP’s Winn makes C-USA All-Freshman Team
Brown College freshman Marcus Evans has earned first-team All-Conference USA honors.
El Paso Herald-Post
http://bit.ly/1LbWzkW
C-USA names Tech’s Alex Hamilton to All-Defensive team
The Shreveport Times
http://bit.ly/1QBxfUd
Chesapeake’s Marcus Evans runaway pick for C-USA’s top freshman
The Virginian-Pilot
http://bit.ly/1Uc3jR2
C-USA announces player of the year awards
WBKO
http://bit.ly/1pepRp6
Freshman Evans represents Rice on C-USA first team
The Katy Rancher (This also appeared in Your Fort Bend News, the Bellaire, River Oaks and West University Examiner and the Sugar Land Sun.)
http://bit.ly/222GORc

Alumni corner: A weekly review of local athletes in college
Sid Richardson junior Andrew Drone is mentioned.
Daily Register
http://bit.ly/1RzKF0E

Rice baseball takes 2 of 3 from UCF
Rice baseball won two of the three games against the University of Central Florida. Players Ford Proctor, Grayson Lewis, Dane Myers, Jon Duplantier, Glenn Otto and Dayne Wunderlich are mentioned. Duplantier has also been named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 29 to Mar. 6. Rice basketball player Marcus Evans is also mentioned for being named first-team All-Conference USA.
Memorial Examiner (This also appeared in the Bellaire, River Oaks and West University Examiner.)
http://bit.ly/1TLbt4x
Katy ISD alumni Duplantier, McCollough earn weekly awards
The Katy Rancher
http://bit.ly/1LcPAbt

Owls versus Cards still on for now
The March 8 baseball against Lamar University was cancelled due to the threat of heavy rain.
PA News
http://bit.ly/1W6WfUO
Lamar baseball game versus Rice cancelled
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1LR7hgC
Southeast Texas weather related delays and closures
12 News Now
http://bit.ly/1YwHRGY

Princeton women’s tennis cleans up No. 42 Georgia State
Rice women’s tennis will play Princeton University March 19.
The Daily Princetonian
http://bit.ly/1QDoOrG

Is Nick Burdi the Twins’ next closer?
Alumni J.T. Chargois ’13 and Tyler Duffey ’13 are mentioned.
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/1QEXMkR

New coaching staff prepares St. Edward’s lacrosse team for spring competition
Rice men’s lacrosse will play St. Edward’s University April 3.
Hilltop Views
http://bit.ly/21jSFYT

College baseball: With Big Mo on its side, Texas State tries to keep it going against Baylor
Rice baseball is mentioned.
San Marcos Daily Record
http://bit.ly/1R4uurH
What’s up next for the Bobcats: Baseball
University Star
http://bit.ly/1USuTn7
Golden rule: Work ethic defines D-backs star
MLB News (This also appeared in Dbacks.com.)
http://atmlb.com/1LR8ZP4

C-USA spring preview: Turnover at top
An article discusses Rice football’s upcoming season. Wiess College seniors Tyler Stehling and Driphus Jackson are mentioned.
The News Star (This also appeared in the Shreveport Times.)
http://tnsne.ws/1SznOYb

UTRGV capsules: Green earns WAC freshman of the year honors
Rice men’s tennis will play the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley March 12.
The Brownsville Herald
http://bit.ly/1QGSzJl

NEWS RELEASES

‘Big data’ drills down into metabolic details
Rice University bioengineers have introduced a fast computational method to model tissue-specific metabolic pathways. Their algorithm may help researchers find new therapeutic targets for cancer and other diseases.
http://bit.ly/1USFnml

New report: 25 percent of Texans say they don’t understand basic health insurance terms
Approximately 25 percent of Texans say they lack confidence in understanding some of the most basic terminology about health insurance plans, according to a new report released by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. The report found uninsured, low-income and Hispanic Texans were least likely to understand health-plan terms like “premium,” “copayment” and “provider network.”
http://bit.ly/1pejz93