Dateline Rice for Dec. 23, 2016

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Bathroom law battles loom in more states after North Carolina controversy
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 “bathroom laws” and the Republican party.
Reuters
http://reut.rs/2hjTuWt
In Trump’s America, GOP states proceed with caution
Governing
http://bit.ly/2i0f8Mu
13 issues for states to watch in 2017
Governing
http://bit.ly/2ikHoMQ

A year after the ban, US oil exports nibble at Asian market share
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article about oil exports.
Nasdaq (This also appeared in Investor’s Business Daily.)
http://bit.ly/2hgeiwh

The latest hardship in Venezuela: A shortage of cash
Francisco Monaldi, a fellow in Latin American energy policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about the cash shortage in Venezuela.
Los Angeles Times (This also appeared in Daily Inter Lake.)
http://lat.ms/2i04F3r

Facebook partners with 17 top high-tech universities, including University of Waterloo
Rice is one of 17 universities that Facebook announced it will partner with for swifter collaboration on technology research projects.
CBC News
http://bit.ly/2i2lE7O
ASU partners with Facebook for targeted innovation research
ASU Now
http://bit.ly/2hgdmZ2
U of I among 17 universities partnering with Facebook to ‘streamline research’
Smile Politely
http://bit.ly/2i07fXg

The colleges that produced the most billionaires
Rice is featured on a list of colleges that produce the most billionaires. Venture capitalist and alumnus John Doerr ’73 is mentioned.
MSN Money
http://bit.ly/2i9Qskp

We’re frogs and automation is boiling water
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, authored an op-ed about the impact of automation.
Inverse
http://bit.ly/2ikzx1K

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Houston woman gets prestigious Carnegie Medal for civilian heroism
Genevera Allen ’06, the Dobelman Family Junior Chair and assistant professor of statistics, and Richard Tapia, University Professor, the Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering and a professor of computational and applied mathematics, are featured in a slideshow of “Houston’s most fascinating of 2016.”
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2i2nSEl
http://bit.ly/2inwFNx

Wes Anderson’s ‘Dogs’ in the works for 2018
A slideshow mentions that Texas Anderson, mother of filmmaker Wes Anderson, attended Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2inIwv9
http://bit.ly/2hgdGHa

Houston’s spookiest abandoned spots
A photo from the Rice Design Alliance of the former Magic Island building taken by Paul Hester, lecturer of visual and dramatic arts, is included in a slideshow.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2hyI5Ow
http://bit.ly/2i091rH

Will NASA go back to the moon?
President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Moon Speech” delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is discussed.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/2i2dbS0

Not so a-Lone Star State: Why Texas adds almost 1,200 residents per day
Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, discusses population growth in Texas.
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/2inGfAd
Champion Dallas Cowboys, Fort Worth protests, Texas child support: Your Friday morning news roundup
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/2ikEJ5A

Year Ahead: 10 books on leadership to read in 2017
“Stretch,” by Scott Sonenshein, the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is featured on a list of leadership books to read in 2017.
Fort Worth Business Press
http://bit.ly/2i9OIHT

Despite gains, air quality lags behind federal standards
Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted about the Environmental Protection Agency.
Galveston County Daily News
http://bit.ly/2i0csOZ

BROADCAST

Labor Department cracks down on wage theft in greater Houston
Larry Stuart, a lecturer of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, discusses the problem of wage theft.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2i2mxgU

Can Houston sustain all these new performance venues?
A broadcast mentions that Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music plans to break ground on a new music and opera building in September 2017.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2h9mf35

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Rice, Baylor team sets new mark for ‘deep learning’
Neuroscience and artificial intelligence experts from Rice and Baylor College of Medicine have taken inspiration from the human brain in creating a new “deep learning” method that enables computers to learn about the visual world largely on their own, much as human babies do. Ankit Patel, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is quoted.
Communications of the ACM
http://bit.ly/2i0beD9

Researchers take super-resolution microscopy to the next level
Christy Landes, associate professor of chemistry and of electrical and computer engineering, is quoted about a new super-resolution method called MINFLUX.
C&EN
http://bit.ly/2h9BjOc

Heart valves strive to get oxygen one way or another
As the valves in a heart stretch with each beat, their cells take in life-giving oxygen. But if the supply is cut off, aortic and mitral valves use different strategies to compensate, according to Rice scientists. Jane Grande-Allen, professor of bioengineering; research assistant Matthew Sapp; postdoctoral fellow Varun Krishnamurthy; alumni Daniel Puperi ’16 and Gabrielle Fatora ’16; and McMurtry College senior Saheba Bhatnagar are mentioned.
Medical Xpress
http://bit.ly/2i9Ulpf
Mitral versus aortic valves: Here’s another reason they’re different
Medical Design & Outsourcing
http://bit.ly/2hQ2nWQ

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

MSU police chief announces retirement
An article mentions that Robert Putzke, the Montana State University police chief, worked at Rice.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2i9PQei

Christian America is in decline — Here’s why it impacts everyone
Anthony Pinn, the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and professor of religion and fellow at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, co-authored an op-ed about the decline of Christianity in America.
Washington Monthly
http://bit.ly/2inNEPK

290: Audition winner Caleb Quillen
Alumnus Caleb Quillen ’16 is featured.
Contrabass Conversations
http://bit.ly/2h9y5dp

Teoria care răstoarnă cunoştinţele de până acum despre formarea Pământului
Cin-Ty Lee, professor of Earth science, is quoted about the formation of Earth’s continents.
Descopera (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2i9ONez

SPORTS

UH football coach Major Applewhite announces 5 hires for staff
Rice alumnus James Casey ’11 has been promoted to tight ends coach at the University of Houston.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2i01lWo
Major Applewhite hires UH football assistants
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2hjSdi6
http://bit.ly/2hjPKnM
University of Houston adds 3 to new football coaching staff
KTRK
http://abc13.co/2i097PX

Hey Santa: Here are a few Houston sports gift ideas, if it’s not too late
Rice men’s basketball is mentioned.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/2hyMW28
OSU men’s basketball: Beavers get ‘taste of success’ as competition stiffens
Gazette-Times
http://bit.ly/2hQ1ihN
College basketball weekend preview: Dec. 23
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2hyHc8t
http://bit.ly/2i2czfa

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs versus Navy Midshipmen live-stream scores and updates of the 2016 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Rice football is mentioned.
Vavel
http://bit.ly/2i0ch6d
How Alabama swiped Bear Bryant from Texas A&M
Ozy
http://bit.ly/2i2qlyI

Niners take down cross-town rival Davidson
Rice women’s basketball is mentioned.
Niner Times
http://bit.ly/2i2ks4o