Dateline Rice for March 15, 2016

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Religious freedom was key to Muhammad’s ‘Muslim nation’
Prophet Muhammad believed that freedom of religion and civic rights were important components of a “Muslim nation,” according to a Rice analysis of the prophet’s covenants with Christians. Craig Considine, a lecturer in Rice’s Department of Sociology, is quoted.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/21t4mMT
Prophet Muhammad strongly supported religious freedom
Anadolu Agency (This also appeared in Turkish Weekly and Video News.)
http://bit.ly/1RLnW1L
Prophet Muhammad strongly supported freedom of religion, civic rights
Daily Sabah
http://bit.ly/1SPpa12
Freedom of religion, civic rights were important components of a ‘Muslim nation’
Phys Org (This also appeared in Science Codex, Science Newsline and eScience News.)
http://bit.ly/1S1Fc5E

‘Morning Joe’
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, is interviewed about his new book, “Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America.”
MSNBC
http://bit.ly/1P9VDs1

Political challenges to climate science at home and abroad
Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, authored an op-ed about political challenges to climate change. Cohan and alumnus Shayak Sengupta ’15 also determined a more effective way to use natural gas to reduce climate-warming emissions would be the replacement of existing coal-fired power plants and fuel-oil furnaces rather than burning it in cars and buses.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/1M4HstI
California seeks near-zero emissions in CNG trucks
Natural Gas Intel
http://bit.ly/1TL2ujF

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Health insurance terms confuse many
According to a report from Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, 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 also quoted about freestanding emergency rooms.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1M4vJuU
Freestanding ERs finding neighborhood niche
KSAT
http://bit.ly/21t4bBd
Many unfamiliar with health insurance lingo, study says
Medicine Plus
http://1.usa.gov/1Loj7Pr

Analysts say Trump spells doom for Houston-area Republicans
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science, fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and fellow at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted about the effects of Donald Trump on Harris County races, the Wilks brothers and the upcoming Republican primaries.
Fox 26
http://bit.ly/21t5hNj
KUOW
http://bit.ly/1pIK5XZ (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast. This also aired on Milwaukee Public Radio.)
KUT
http://bit.ly/1YVn93V (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

Texas could see major political shakeup
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted about what will happen if Sen. Ted Cruz wins the Republican nomination.
KTRH (This also appeared in Talk Radio 1190.)
http://bit.ly/22gVeRp

Sigwald checking out of Unger Memorial
Alumnus John Sigwald ’74 is mentioned.
My Plainview
http://bit.ly/1pIIeCE

Direct your attention to a Flaherty film seminar at Aurora Picture Show
The article mentions that Rice students can get discounted tickets to the “Robert Flaherty Documentary Film Seminar” at Aurora Picture Show March 19.
365 Things To Do in Houston
http://bit.ly/1YVq2l9

Free and cheap spring break activities and events in Houston
The article mentions that Rice students can receive free admission to the Houston Zoo with a valid student ID.
Click2Houston
http://bit.ly/1UdnsYj

Hooked by the horns
The University of Texas System will pay about $450 million over the next 30 years for 300 acres near the Texas Medical Center. Some Houston-area lawmakers are worried that a new campus in Houston could oversaturate the city’s higher education offerings. Rice is mentioned.
H Texas
http://bit.ly/1S1L7Ym

William N. Copley: The world according to CPLY
The article mentions that John and Dominique de Menil staged a solo show of William Copley’s works at Rice. A photo taken at Rice is included.
Glasstire
http://bit.ly/21tcf4V

Where in Houston? Rice University!
A photo of Rice is included.
BIG kid small CITY
http://bit.ly/1Rk2hxd

BROADCAST

Johnson & Johnson chooses Houston for next startup business accelerator
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 of the Baker Institute and director of the institute’s McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, is quoted.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1TL8ybK

New Houston hurricane plan stirs the pot
An investigative report published by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune argues that Houston is not well-prepared for a major hurricane. The Storm Surge Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center at Rice is mentioned.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1P9X75E

KTAB
According to Rice, the average American school’s college readiness is about 42 percent.
http://bit.ly/1Xsxh2C (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Brown University engineers design new type of lens for focusing terahertz radiation
Researchers from Brown University have developed a new type of lens for focusing terahertz radiation. Lovett College senior Yiqiu Wang is mentioned.
AZO Optics
http://bit.ly/1QUfGyU
Researchers develop new lens for terahertz radiation
RF Globalnet (This also appeared in Science Daily and the Brown Daily Herald.)
http://bit.ly/1XsrR7S

System Bits: March 15: Drilling into metabolic details with big data
Rice 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. Amina Qutub, assistant professor of bioengineering, is mentioned.
Semiconductor Engineering
http://bit.ly/1XsrIBa
‘Big data’ drills down into metabolic details
Technology Networks
http://bit.ly/21t9ErT

Inflammation and depression combine to form cycle
Chronic inflammation in the bloodstream can “fan the flames” of depression, much like throwing gasoline on a fire, according to a new paper from researchers at Rice University and Ohio State University. Christopher Fagundes, assistant professor of psychology, is quoted.
MD
http://bit.ly/1QUKYH5

Baylor, Princeton reconstruct neuronal connections to develop smarter technologies
An international team of scientists is hoping that the key to building smarter computers and AI may be locked inside a mouse’s brain, which they plan on mapping to ultimately allow machines to learn. Xaq Pitkow, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice and assistant professor of neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, is quoted.
Supercomputing Online
http://bit.ly/1YVps79

Scientists synthesize anti-cancer agent
A team led by K.C. Nicolaou, the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Chemistry, has developed a new process for the synthesis of a series of potent anti-cancer agents originally found in bacteria. Postdoctoral research associates Quan Cai, Shugao Zhu and Bo Qin and former visiting student Hongbao Sun are also mentioned.
Genomics (This also appeared in Technology Networks.)
http://bit.ly/1LokiOS

Featured engineer: Dr. Alan Cheville
Alumnus Richard Cheville ’86 is interviewed.
Electrical Engineering Community
http://bit.ly/1TL8s3Q

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Artificial intelligence is being monetized by these elite business schools
Moshe Vardi, director of Rice’s Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology, the Karen Ostrum George Distinguished Service Professor of Computational Engineering and professor of computer science, expects that within 30 years, machines will be capable of doing almost any job that a human can.
Business Because
http://bit.ly/1Udh1V9
IA: A third of developers feel threatened
The Siver Times
http://bit.ly/21t4sUO

Capital Innovators again ranked among nation’s top startup accelerators
The Seed Accelerator Rankings Project, compiled by researchers from Rice, MIT and the University of Richmond, were announced at South by Southwest (SXSW). Yael Hochberg, the Ralph S. O’Connor Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, is quoted in some of the articles.
St. Louis Business Journal (This also appeared in BizWomen.)
http://bit.ly/21t4DPY
L.A. accelerators receive top rankings
Los Angeles Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1RjUGyO
gener8tor ranked among best accelerators in country
Wis Business
http://bit.ly/21t64Ok
Report: Techstars among top 8 accelerators in US
Tech Rockies (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/22gWhRc
Amplify, MuckerLab, and Techstars among top accelerators, says report
SoCal Tech
http://bit.ly/1nLaEdz

Paul Ryan’s House agenda upended by Trump, Cruz
Paul Brace, the Clarence L. Carter Professor of Political Science, is quoted about House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Sentinel Source
http://bit.ly/1SPpsoq

Assessing the governor’s zero-textbook-cost proposal
Rice University-based publisher OpenStax is mentioned.
California Political Review
http://bit.ly/1Mka10T

Random thought No. 4.1: Chemicals, no options (apparently), and half-way up the space elevator cable over Liberland: 15th Annual Parametric Convention
University Professor Emeritus Robert Curl, the late Richard Smalley and their “buckyballs” discovery are mentioned.
Archinect
http://bit.ly/1YVuoJa

Energy Department announces Denver as next location for Solar Decathlon Competition in 2017
Rice is listed as one of the teams that will participate in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 competition.
Breaking Energy (This also appeared in Electric Energy.)
http://bit.ly/1M4FoSu

LIGHTFAIR International 2016 announces keynotes and impact speakers
Bjarke Ingels, who was a visiting professor at Rice, will be a keynote speaker at LIGHTFAIR International 2016.
Professional Lighting
http://bit.ly/1UdofbA

Michael Tilson Thomas to conduct San Francisco Symphony at Carnegie Hall March 13-14
Alumna Sasha Cooke ’04 will be a featured soloist at the San Francisco Symphony.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/1LodJMc

The ‘too hard to do’ syndrome
President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Moon Speech” delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is discussed.
Family Security Matters
http://bit.ly/1YVcOoB

Stress, not zen, may help you function better
Erik Dane, assistant professor of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted about his research on stress.
Stone Hearth News
http://bit.ly/1Wnmw1g
WIBC
http://bit.ly/1QUNfCf (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast. This broadcast also aired on KXNT and WDBO.)
Vergeet zen: Stress helpt je beter presteren
Een Vandaag (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1Xsv2MT

SPORTS

TCU visits Rice before opening Big 12 baseball season
Rice baseball will play Texas State University March 15.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/21t4U5m
Owls host No. 7 TCU Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
C-USA
http://bit.ly/22h4IvM

Rodon, Turner make their marks in the MLB
Rice baseball is mentioned.
Technician
http://bit.ly/21t3tUD
ECU baseball drops series at Rice
The East Carolinian
http://bit.ly/1XstmCR
Cards still searching for more pitching
The News
http://bit.ly/1UvOt8i

WSU opens outdoor season this week
The Shirley Crowe meet will be held at Rice March 15-16.
Wichita State Athletics
http://bit.ly/1QZZjyB
Rice to host Shirley Crowe Multi-Events Meet
C-USA
http://bit.ly/1Rk1Raa

Ragin’ Cajuns giving long one last shot in CIT
Former basketball coach Willis Wilson is mentioned.
KPEL
http://bit.ly/1nL3uGk
UL prepares for CIT opener against Southland opponent
The Advertiser
http://bit.ly/1Mk4ffS

Surveying where C-USA could hold its basketball tournaments in 2017
Rice men’s basketball is mentioned.
WBKO
http://bit.ly/1SPq3Xe

Men’s tennis faces UT-Rio Grande Valley, Incarnate Word in mid-week matches
Rice men’s tennis is mentioned.
New Orleans Privateers
http://bit.ly/21t58JV