Dateline Rice for Dec. 14, 2016

FEATURED ITEMS

Rice’s Fred Higgs makes leaders
Fred Higgs, the John and Ann Doerr Professor in Mechanical Engineering and the faculty director of Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL), is profiled. Laura Schaefer, the Burton J. and Ann M. McMurtry Chair in Engineering, professor of mechanical engineering and department chair of mechanical engineering; Kaz Karwowski, executive director of RCEL; and graduate students Joshua and Jordan Wagner are quoted.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared in the Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2htqURA

What Rubi’s quince can teach the US about Latinos
Claudia Kolker, associate director of intellectual capital, marketing and communications at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, authored an article about a quinceañera invitation that went viral. Utpal Dholakia, the George R. Brown Professor of Marketing at the Jones School and a marketing and consumer behavior expert, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared in the Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2hwpJhT

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Are the dark rings around this star hiding planets?
Rice astronomers and their colleagues have for the first time mapped gases in three dark rings around a distant star. The rings mark spaces where planets are thought to have formed from dust and gas around the star. Andrea Isella, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, is quoted.
Futurity (This article appeared in the Dec. 13 issue of Futurity Today.)
http://bit.ly/2htt9Ez
Twin planet discovery is game changer in finding new worlds
Inverse
http://bit.ly/2htlu98
ALMA finds compelling evidence for pair of infant planets around young star
Space Daily
http://bit.ly/2hF1a5r

Evangelical views differ on climate and evolution
Evangelicals are more skeptical of evolution than of climate change, according to new research from Rice. The study examines the larger “anti-science” tendency that some see as related to membership in conservative religious groups such as evangelical Protestants. Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair and Professor of Sociology and director of the Religion and Public Life Program, is quoted. Graduate student Daniel Bolger is mentioned in the Phys Org article.
Futurity (This article appeared in the Dec. 14 issue of Futurity Today.)
http://bit.ly/2hNGVhY
Rice study: Evangelicals likely to believe in climate change, not evolution
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2htgj9u
http://bit.ly/2gL6T7X
Evangelicals are more skeptical of evolution than of climate change: study
Phys Org
http://bit.ly/2gLc8ok
Religion drives skepticism about evolution, but not climate change
Religion News Service
http://bit.ly/2gJUcfa
70 percent of US evangelicals don’t believe in evolution
Christian Today
http://bit.ly/2hmsioB

Selective colleges pledge to recruit more low-income students
Rice and 29 other prominent colleges and universities are part of a new initiative committed to making high-quality educational opportunities available to more students from lower-income families.
The Washington Post
http://wapo.st/2gAWiJF
Make colleges affordable to working-class students of all races
The Seattle Times
http://bit.ly/2hlBzxg
US colleges and universities unite to enroll and retain high-achieving, lower-income students
Disabled World
http://bit.ly/2gJ4JaM

5 ways the role of US secretary of state has changed
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, discusses the role of the U.S. secretary of state and how it has changed over the years.
Time
http://ti.me/2hlwAfY

The fall of Aleppo is a turning point. What’s next for Syria’s war?
Rice-based guests discuss the war in Syria.
PBS News Hour (This also appeared in Net Nebraska.)
http://to.pbs.org/2h0uGyA
National Public Radio
http://bit.ly/2hlRXhf (This also aired on KQED.)

Bill Gates believes Donald Trump could channel JFK by leading America ‘through innovation’
President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Moon Speech” delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is discussed.
Uproxx
http://uproxx.it/2hNF6kO

‘21st century cures’ leaves 1 group with empty promises
IBM Research and Rice University have collaborated to create the prototype IBM Multi-Purpose Eldercare Robot Assistant, a first-of-its-kind Watson-enabled application designed to aid the elderly and assist caregivers.
Fortune
http://for.tn/2gAxEc1

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Texas oil producers cheer Trumps secretary of state, energy secretary picks
Joe Barnes, the Bonner Means Baker Fellow at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front page of the Dec. 14 print edition with a different headline, “Trump Cabinet picks tied to Texas.”)
http://bit.ly/2hwnaMT
Texas oil producers cheer Trumps secretary of state, energy secretary picks
San Antonio Express-News
http://bit.ly/2hNvzdU

Kantarjian and Ho: Health care access in US, Texas not ‘best in the world’
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute and professor of economics, and Hagop Kantarjian, nonresident fellow in health policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, co-authored an op-ed about health care access.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2gADDxD

Houston ranks at No. 10 among large college cities
Rice is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/2hwsb87
http://bit.ly/2hwrR9f
Houston, College Station named among best college cities
KTRK
http://abc13.co/2hts13X

3rd provost candidate encourages diversity, growth at UTA
Alumnus Thomas Farris ’82 is featured.
The Shorthorn
http://bit.ly/2htsgf7

Houston art scene revs it up!
Tish Stringer, lecturer and film program manager in the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts, is mentioned.
Glasstire
http://bit.ly/2htyzPZ

BROADCAST

Rick Perry, top pick for Trump’s energy secretary, will oversee nuclear security
Peter Hartley, the George and Cynthia Mitchell Chair in Sustainable Development and faculty scholar of energy economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.
Texas Standard (This also aired on 24 other stations.) 
http://bit.ly/2hvJJAY

KTSA
Bill Arnold, professor in the practice of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted about President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.
http://bit.ly/2hto64o (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 
http://bit.ly/2htuX0u (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 

‘CBS News Radio’ 
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 President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.
WBBM (Similar broadcasts aired on 401 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2gJ00Wo (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 

KUT
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about oil prices.
http://bit.ly/2gJdT6X (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 
http://bit.ly/1ZXzJPQ (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Mexico’s energy reform calls for new water policy
As the Mexican government oversees the implementation of the country’s energy reform, it must consider how best to prioritize water use in accordance with the law and allocate supplies thoughtfully, according to a paper from the Mexico Center at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The paper is co-authored by Regina Buono, a nonresident scholar in the institute’s Center for Energy Studies.
Phys Org (This also appeared in Scienmag.)
http://bit.ly/2gIMT7r

MD Anderson Cancer Center’s losses grow
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute and professor of economics, is quoted about the effects of the Affordable Care Act on the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The Scientist
http://bit.ly/2gIN0jn

Terabit-per-second wireless network targets Houston launch
Rice wireless researchers are taking a page from radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi to create the first laser-free, wireless system capable of delivering 1 terabit of data per second. Aydin Babakhani, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Edward Knightly, department chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering and professor computer science, are quoted.
RCR Wireless News
http://bit.ly/2hlv0uF

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

New York Philharmonic presents ‘Beloved Friend — Tchaikovsky and His World’ Jan. 24-Feb. 11
Frank Huang, artist teacher of violin, is mentioned.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/2gAIIWo

Europe’s own satnav, Galileo, due to go live
Seventeen years and more than 10 billion euros later, Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system is set to go live on Thursday, promising to outperform U.S. and Russian rivals while boosting regional self-reliance. George Abbey, the Baker Botts Senior Fellow in Space Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Geo.tv
http://bit.ly/2gAEJJv

Local woman becomes scholarship semifinalist
A student who hopes to attend Rice is mentioned.
The Daily Tribune
http://bit.ly/2h0pJWB

College think tanks see decline in support, but is there more on the way?
Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy is cited as an example of a “successful high-profile think tank.”
Education Dive
http://bit.ly/2h0u63C

‘Programmable’ cement particles make for stronger concrete
Scientists at Rice have decoded the kinetic properties of cement and developed a way to “program” the microscopic, semicrystalline particles within. The process turns particles from disordered clumps into regimented cubes, spheres and other forms that combine to make the material less porous and more durable. Rouzbeh Shahsavari, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.
News Atlas
http://bit.ly/2hk1Mgt

1,200 historians and other scholars say they are alarmed by threats to civil liberties
James Sidbury, the Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Professor of Humanities and professor of history, and graduate student William Skidmore signed a petition.
History News Network
http://bit.ly/2gAQC26

SPORTS

West Brook’s Dan Moore flips college commitment
A Rice commit is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2hlps3l

Charlie Strong’s pay cut at South Florida offset by UT buyout
An article mentions that Tom Herman coached at Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2gIEfpO
Longhorns release full 2017 football schedule
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2hvA4KE

Game preview: Texas Southern Tigers versus No. 25 Cincinnati Bearcats
Rice men’s basketball is mentioned.
Down the Drive/SB Nation
http://bit.ly/2hvKiuB

Texas’ baseball team set for renovations at its home field
Rice baseball is mentioned.
Hook ’em
http://bit.ly/2hwJ2I0

Braxton, Stauber earn state’s top cross-country honors
Rice cross-country is mentioned.
LSU Sports
http://bit.ly/2hNPcSU

Gauchos set to host Pepperdine in home opener
Duncan College sophomore Erica Ogwumike is mentioned.
Daily Nexus
http://bit.ly/2f0QlYN

Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine welcomes new doctor to The Woodlands
Rice is mentioned.
Woodlands Online
http://bit.ly/2gIYMu4

NEWS RELEASES

Light provides pull for future nanocatalyst measurement
Rice University nanophotonics researcher Isabell Thomann uses lasers, light-activated materials and light-measuring nanoscale tips to push the boundaries of experimental nanoscience, but light is providing the pull in her latest study.
http://bit.ly/2hlKv5N

Baker Institute paper: Mexico’s energy reform calls for new water policy
As the Mexican government oversees the implementation of the country’s energy reform, it must consider how best to prioritize water use in accordance with the law and allocate supplies thoughtfully, according to a new paper from the Mexico Center at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
http://bit.ly/2gB2Ckn