Dateline Rice for August 11, 2016

FEATURED ITEM

Rice University prepares to open Moody Center for the Arts
Rice’s new Moody Center for the Arts is a space for cross-disciplinary teaching and collaborations and a venue for exhibitions and performances. Designed by architect Michael Maltzan, the two-story center is scheduled to open to the public in February. Mona Hatoum has been selected as the Moody’s first artist-in-residence. Alison Weaver, executive director of Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts, and Rice President David Leebron are quoted. The article also mentions Anthony Brandt, associate professor of composition and theory at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music; David Eagleman ’93; Geoff Winningham, the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Humanities, professor of visual arts; Adrian Lenardic, professor of Earth science; and Kim Davenport, director of Rice Gallery.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the Aug. 11 print edition with a different headline, “New arts center displays Rice’s forward thinking.”)
http://bit.ly/2bh078H
Moody Center broadens Rice’s arts landscape
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2b8V36J
http://bit.ly/2aMmi83
Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University to open in Feb. 2017
Art Daily
http://bit.ly/2aMos1o

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Saudi oil output sets record despite global glut
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article about OPEC producers.
The Wall Street Journal
http://on.wsj.com/2aVnp2F
Saudi oil output hit all-time high in July
Saudi Gazette (This also appeared in Saudi Daily Record.)
http://bit.ly/2aVmteP
Saudi’s oil output hit all-time high in July despite global glut
Naija247News
http://bit.ly/2bibuej

Georgia higher ed chief Hank Huckaby will step down in Dec.
Rice University-based publisher OpenStax announced the top 10 schools that have saved their students the most money through adoption of OpenStax free college textbooks in the 2015-16 academic school year.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
http://bit.ly/2aE2ouv
Hank Huckaby announces plans to retire as University System head
UNG Newsroom
http://bit.ly/2aOGhyM
University System of Georgia Chancellor Huckaby retiring
Atlanta Business Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2aOGwdl

También Houston se inunda por negligencia de las autoridades
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, is quoted.
La Cronica de Chihuahua (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2b8G8s8

Movimento maker é debatido na inauguração do Idear
Matthew Wettergreen, a lecturer in Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering, is mentioned.
PUCRS (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2bififu

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Museum and gallery shows: Aug. 11-17
Michael De Feo’s exhibit “Crosstown Traffic” is open at Rice Gallery through Aug. 28.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2bh0AYq
http://bit.ly/2b6YnOt

Civil court at law
An editorial endorsing Clyde Leuchtag ’85 as judge for Harris County Civil Court at Law 1 mentions he graduated from Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2aVqzDz

Is Houston right for you? Website lets you compare life in other cities
Rice is the best university in Houston in a ranking by Teleport.org.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2bjFhoY
http://bit.ly/2aO8vhj
Best cities for quality of life
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2baAreH

As Houston evolved, so did its literary scene
Alumnus Larry McMurtry ’60 is featured.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2b8HJhN

Lawsuit alleges the way Texas elects judges to its highest courts is unfair to minorities
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 third parties and a lawsuit alleging the statewide election of judges to the Texas’ two highest courts discriminates against Latino voters.
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/2b8ySwc
Galveston Bay, electing judges and Monty Python: Wednesday’s show (Aug. 10)
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/2b1cEem
Is this the year a 3rd party could make progress at the polls?
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/2aMp5I9

From the ground up — young advocates recruited at beef short course
Rice is mentioned.
KBTX
http://bit.ly/2b802R3

Inside the box: The hidden agenda
A photo from a 2012 installation at the Rice Gallery is featured.
Free Press Houston
http://bit.ly/2bazS4k

The power of healing through art
An article mentions that Jennifer Mabus was an artist-in-residence at Rice.
Arts Hound
http://bit.ly/2aMpavo

Running toward big dreams
A swim program that meets at Rice is mentioned.
The Buzz Magazines
http://bit.ly/2aMq62J

UH Hobby School of Public Affairs gains official approval
An article mentions that Bill Hobby has served on boards at Rice.
University of Houston News
http://bit.ly/2aOaVwm

BROADCAST

‘Imus in the Morning’
Rice is mentioned.
WABC (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast. This also aired on 74 other stations.)
http://bit.ly/2b1qcqw

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Chemical engineers synthesize LGA
Chemical engineers and chemists from Rice and China’s Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics have made something so useful and unusual they aren’t yet sure how much it’s worth. In a new paper in the journal Green Chemistry, a team led by Michael Wong, professor and department chair of chemical and biomolecular engineering, of chemistry and of materials science and nanoengineering, describes a new process for making extremely pure levoglucosan, a naturally occurring organic compound that has been so rare and expensive that drugmakers and chemical engineers typically haven’t considered using it. Wong and graduate student Li Chen are quoted.
The Chemical Engineer
http://bit.ly/2aMnZME

Voids and particles sap energy from concrete cracks
What does one need to strengthen or toughen concrete? A lot of nothing. Or something. The “nothing” is in the form of microscopic voids and the “something” consists of particular particles embedded in the most common construction material on Earth. Rouzbeh Shahsavari, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted, and graduate student Ning Zhang is mentioned.
Engineers Australia
http://bit.ly/2bjJdqY

Rules would require more environmental risk disclosure in mining
A Rice study on mine records is mentioned.
State of the Planet
http://bit.ly/2aE2jXN

Diversity as a must-have feature of science
An article mentions a study by Michelle “Mikki” Hebl, the Martha and Henry Malcolm Lovett Chair of Psychology and professor of psychology and management.
Association for Psychological Science
http://bit.ly/2aZegna

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Research from Rice professor aims to reduce corporate fraud
An article discusses a paper by Robert Hoskisson, the George R. Brown Professor of Strategic Management, on the 2008 financial crisis.
Metro MBA
http://bit.ly/2b8HLGb

Glenn Close, Deepak Chopra and more transform political speeches on Ted Nash Big Band’s new album
The CD “Presidential Suite: Eight Variations On Freedom” will contain liner notes and a reading by Douglas Brinkley, professor of history.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/2bigqjj

Philanthropic program leadership at UK
Pamela Gray, director of gift planning, will join the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment on Sept. 1 as senior director of philanthropy.
Morning Ag Clips
http://bit.ly/2aVsmbF

Plastic bag tax pits Ariz. State Sen. versus City; Citizen’s Police Academy role-playing tragedy
Houston’s pension liability has doubled since 2008 to $3.9 billion and is likely to continue to increase if no action is taken, according to a new report from Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
Route Fifty
http://bit.ly/2baBCKW

SPORTS

Chargois packs more reliance on fastball in Twins return
Alumni J.T. Chargois ’13 and Tyler Duffey ’13 are mentioned.
Morris Sun Tribune (This also appeared in West Central Tribune.)
http://bit.ly/2b7SrlF
Minnesota Twins: J.T. Chargois determined to use his fastball this time
Twin Cities Pioneer Press
http://bit.ly/2aZdTIX

Inside the University of Houston’s political push to join the Big 12
Rice football is mentioned.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
http://bit.ly/2b1kVPJ
Former Texas A&M football coach Tom Wilson dies at 72
Aggie Sports
http://bit.ly/2bjCcFE
At Texas: An attention-getter for Notre Dame’s opener
Blue and Gold
http://rvls.co/2aNScOx
Texas S Kevin Vaccaro confirms Jerrod Heard’s move to WR
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/2b8H8fJ
Former Texas A&M head football coach Tom Wilson passes away
WTAW
http://bit.ly/2b1m49I
Former head football coach Tom Wilson dies
Aggie Sports
http://bit.ly/2aE1YV9
Heisman dark horses: There’s no shortage of them for 2016
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2aTc1o3

Girls basketball: Muskogee standout Trena Mims commits to North Texas
Rice women’s basketball is mentioned.
Tulsa World (This also appeared in OK Preps Extra.)
http://bit.ly/2aJpGup

CBs Gaines, Nelson among those vying to start for Chiefs
Former Rice football player Phillip Gaines is mentioned.
The Washington Post (This also appeared in The Monitor.)
http://wapo.st/2aOGCS9

UTEP soccer shows hopeful insight on media day
Rice soccer is mentioned.
The Prospector
http://bit.ly/2aVpawZ

NEWS RELEASES

Baker Institute paper: Mexico’s efforts to secure southern border falling short
Mexico launched the Comprehensive Plan for the Southern Border in 2014 in an attempt to manage increased migration flows from Central America. But two years after the plan’s implementation, it has yet to accomplish its goals of securing Mexico’s southern border, according to an issue brief from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
http://bit.ly/2aMtn24

Indiana mayoral offices shifting from Democrats to Republicans
Democrats have lost ground to Republicans and independents in the last two mayoral election cycles in Indiana. Democrats have decreased their share of mayoralties from 57 percent in 2003 and 2007 to roughly 45 percent in 2011 and 2015, according to a new report from the Center for Local Elections in American Politics, part of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
http://bit.ly/2aVxahv