Dateline Rice for June 1, 2016

FEATURED ITEM

As hurricane season begins, experts stress preparation
Jim Blackburn, professor in the practice of environmental law and co-director of the Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center, is quoted about the upcoming hurricane season in Houston.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front page of the June 1 print edition with a different headline, “Is Houston overdue for a hurricane?” The online version of this article appeared in Dateline May 31.)
http://bit.ly/1VspILA

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Uninsured numbers fall despite rising Obamacare premiums
The percentage of Texans without health insurance has dropped by 30 percent since the Affordable Care Act went into effect, cutting the state’s uninsured rate below 1999 levels. That’s one of the conclusions of a report released by Rice University’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.
Forbes
http://onforb.es/1Y2AsB1
Big drop in Texans without health insurance, but poor lag
CNBC
http://cnb.cx/1spTZ2h
Texas uninsured rate drops to 1990s level
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1ZcWwas
New evidence shows Affordable Care Act is working in Texas
Science Codex (This also appeared in Medical Xpress.)
http://bit.ly/22xE7ao
Affordable Care Act is working in Texas, new evidence shows
Science Daily
http://bit.ly/1Uh1rTv
More good news from the ACA: Big gains in the state with the most uninsured
Before It’s News
http://bit.ly/1TXIVlZ
KHOU
http://bit.ly/1t1iQtD (Similar broadcasts aired on KYTX and KJTV.)

Religion and the Middle East in US foreign policy
Kadir Yildirim, research scholar at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an op-ed focused on remarks Secretary of State John Kerry made during a speech at the Baker Institute.
HuffPost Religion
http://huff.to/1WwHcHE

The urbanization of the ‘burbs
Bill Fulton, director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, authored an op-ed about urbanism.
Governing
http://bit.ly/25ATd48

Best universities in the United States 2016
Rice is No. 40 on a list of the top universities in the U.S., based on the Times Higher Education international rankings for 2015-16 that were released last fall. Times Higher Education plans to launch a separate ranking of U.S. colleges in September.
Times Higher Education
http://bit.ly/1P5ohfr

HOUSTON/TEXAS

The trouble with living in a swamp: Houston floods explained
Phil Bedient, the Herman Brown Professor of Engineering and director of the Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center, and Ron Sass, the Harry C. and Olga Keith Wiess Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, are quoted in a story about the Houston floods.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1WwEuCc

‘Method Gun’ turns ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ acting style on its head
Joseph Campana, the Alan Dugald McKillop Chair in English and associate professor of English literature, authored reviews of “The Method Gun” and “The Cosmos: An HD Odyssey.”
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1WYvYvH
Kitsch doesn’t spoil symphony’s stellar show
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1O54Ecy

Will Texas ever fix the way it funds its schools?
Leah Binkovitz, staff writer for Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, authored an op-ed about school funding in Texas.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1sLt9kR

Let your geek flag fly: Comicpalooza returns to Houston
Rice’s OwlCon is mentioned.
OutSmart
http://bit.ly/1UenVoj

Old school versus new school: Can gay Generation Xers and millennials find common ground?
Rice is mentioned.
OutSmart
http://bit.ly/1spX16G

Texas A&M statistics to offer undergraduate degree in fall 2016
Rice is mentioned as a school in Texas that has an undergraduate program in statistics.
A&M News
http://bit.ly/1P5nISF

Gish at the movies
An article mentions a filmmaking camp offered at Rice.
Local Houston
http://bit.ly/1TQ3x2v

BROADCAST

WABC
Don Imus mentions that his son will attend Rice.
http://bit.ly/1O5hY0w (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

KRIV
A broadcast mentions that the Afro-Latin Festival will be held at Rice June 2-5.
http://bit.ly/1spWjWR

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Animadversions of a synthetic chemist
James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, authored an op-ed about prebiotic chemistry.
Inference-Review
http://bit.ly/1Zdb2yV

Nanocars taken for a rough ride
Rice University researchers who developed the first nanocars and colleagues at North Carolina State University found in recent tests that driving their vehicles in ambient conditions – exposed to open air, rather than a vacuum – got dicey after a time because the hydrophobic single-molecule cars stuck to the “road” and created what amounted to large speed bumps. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
Phys Org
http://bit.ly/20T67nq

Synthetic biology comes into its own
An article discusses research on synthetic biology by Matthew Bennett, assistant professor of biochemistry and cell biology.
The Scientist
http://bit.ly/1spTu8h

‘Aleppo Boil’ disfiguring disease surging in war-torn Syria
An article mentions that a paper on Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis included authors from Rice.
Laboratory Equipment
http://bit.ly/22xJVka

Microsoft Research project could bring quality VR to phones
An article mentions that Rice collaborated on a Microsoft Research paper.
Digital Trends
http://bit.ly/1RMYKrf

How important are transistors?
An image is credited to Rice.
Electronics 360
http://bit.ly/22xPOxC

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Exoplanet found hugging its star
In contradiction to the long-standing idea that larger planets take longer to form, U.S. astronomers announced the discovery of a giant planet in close orbit around a star so young that it still retains a disk of circumstellar gas and dust.
All Media NY
http://bit.ly/1WwKtXC

College of Arts and Science Dean Michael O’Brien to leave MU
Alumnus Michael O’Brien ’72 is featured.
Missourian
http://bit.ly/1UgX8Yc

Transitions: New ombuds and director of ceremonies
An article mentions that Whitney Smith was previously an events manager at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
UC Davis News
http://bit.ly/1TPYAa5

These IIM — IIT students are reshaping offline advertising in India
The Rice Business Plan Competition is mentioned.
BW Disrupt
http://bit.ly/1O56KsQ

Texas Baptist universities generally opt out of ‘campus carry’
Rice is mentioned for opting out of the Texas “campus carry” law.
The Baptist Standard
http://bit.ly/1Xgn9Os

The ‘Nobel Prize for water’ scientist
Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, is featured.
Confidencial
http://bit.ly/1Xgtdq7

Gasolina importada, sin inspección: ASF
Miriam Grunstein, contributing expert and scholar in the Mexico Center at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about gasoline quality in Mexico.
El Siglo (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1TJNPRo

SPORTS

NCAA baseball: 8 players represent Montgomery County in NCAA Tournament
Brown College junior Charlie Warren is featured.
The Courier of Montgomery County
http://bit.ly/25ykd0B

3 thoughts on LSU and yesterday’s baseball regional announcements
Rice baseball will participate in its 22nd consecutive NCAA regional.
The Hayride
http://bit.ly/1RN0uRd
Tournament time
My New Orleans
http://bit.ly/1Vwb2uI
Mississippi State hosts a tough regional field
The Clarion-Ledger
http://on.thec-l.com/1spWd1s
Eagles’ Robinson a fan favorite
The Clarion-Ledger
http://on.thec-l.com/1t1gWt6
WBRZ
http://bit.ly/1t1jibo
http://bit.ly/1TJQsT1
http://bit.ly/1Y2CmS8

Florida’s Kevin O’Sullivan could be top candidate to replace Augie Garrido at Texas
An article mentions that David Pierce coached at Rice. Head baseball coach Wayne Graham is also mentioned.
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/2834KrA

Report card: Grades for MTSU teams
Rice soccer is mentioned.
Daily News Journal
http://on.dnj.com/1spVz41

Handpicking a schedule for Notre Dame football
Rice football is mentioned.
Fansided
http://bit.ly/1PjQuo6
KLRT
http://bit.ly/1TQ22kV
http://bit.ly/2837V2v

Carlton: What to watch for at this week’s Big 12 meetings
A photo from the 2011 Rice-University of Texas football games is included.
Sports Day
http://bit.ly/25AT6pg

NEWS RELEASES

Baker Institute paper: New law governing public safety and internal security is long overdue in Mexico
A new law governing public safety and internal security is long overdue in Mexico, according to an issue brief from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. This is most apparent in the controversial role of the armed forces in the country’s public safety and internal security fields, the brief’s authors said.
http://bit.ly/1TXIkAD

Baker Institute Director Djerejian to speak in Israel
Ambassador Edward Djerejian, director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, will travel to Israel in mid-June to speak at the 16th annual Herzliya Conference and at a conference honoring former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir at Netanya Academic College.
http://bit.ly/1TXLRQS

Nanocars taken for a rough ride
Rice University researchers who developed the first nanocars and colleagues at North Carolina State University found in recent tests that driving their vehicles in ambient conditions – exposed to open air, rather than a vacuum – got dicey after a time because the hydrophobic single-molecule cars stuck to the “road” and created what amounted to large speed bumps.
http://bit.ly/1O5gC5R