Dateline Rice for Oct. 31, 2017

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Immigrants living in the country without authorization at risk for anxiety and depression
Nearly a quarter of Mexican immigrants who live near the California-Mexico border without legal authorization have a mental disorder, particularly depression or anxiety, according to a new study by Rice. “Mental Disorders Among Undocumented Mexican Immigrants in High-Risk Neighborhoods: Prevalence, Comorbidity and Vulnerabilities” will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The lead author is Luz Garcini, a postdoctoral research fellow in Rice’s Department of Psychology.
Futurity (A similar article appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2gX3cPu

Defects actually give lithium-ion batteries a boost
High-performance electrodes for lithium-ion batteries can be improved by paying closer attention to their defects — and capitalizing on them, according to Rice materials scientist Ming Tang and chemists Song Jin at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Linsen Li at Wisconsin and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They found that a common cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, olivine lithium iron phosphate, releases or takes in lithium ions through a much larger surface area than previously thought. Tang, assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
United Press International (A similar article appeared at Science360 News and more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2gRosmc

Trump has new White House portrait and it’s completely different
Professor of History Douglas Brinkley is quoted in a story on the White House releasing official portraits of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence after a long delay.
Daily Caller
http://bit.ly/2zlltxI

A graveyard of lost chapters
Kelly Weinersmith, adjunct faculty member and the former Huxley Fellow in Ecology and Evolution, and her husband, Zach, wrote about their new book, “Soonish.” Kelly Weinersmith also commented on how the human body can rid itself of a parasite.
Slate
http://slate.me/2xFrocc
Book review: ‘Soonish’ by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith
Engineering & Technology
http://bit.ly/2gZSHuH
The slug-like creature that Will Byers threw up in ‘Stranger Things’ could happen for real
Mashable
http://on.mash.to/2z6Ber2

Hurricane Harvey may have hurt the Gulf’s already stressed coral reefs
Rice marine biologist Adrienne Correa is quoted in a story on effects of trillions of gallons of freshwater runoff on coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Seeker (This article also appeared in College and University.)
http://bit.ly/2iMicA9
Texas A&M examines effects of floodwater on Flower Garden Banks Marine Sanctuary
Texas A&M Today
http://bit.ly/2ii3sFt

This open learning platform could improve education for 264 million children around the world
Rice-based publisher OpenStax is mentioned.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (This article also appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2z1yn0G

Higher ed notebook: BSU student senate raises $1,300 for hurricane relief
Student senators at Bemidji State University, in partnership with Rice, raised money for school districts affected by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey.
Bemidji Pioneer
http://bit.ly/2yhaLrL

Firma invitada: La automatización cambiará nuestra vida de forma dolorosa y duradera
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, wrote an op-ed on the effects of advancements in artificial intelligence and automation on workers. Vardi also is mentioned in a story on automation in inventory jobs.
El País
http://bit.ly/2z3fRoO
Automation advances further into inventory jobs
Vdare
http://bit.ly/2z3BiG7

How universities can cultivate creativity in their students
Anthony Brandt, professor of composition and theory at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music, and David Eagleman, a neuroscientist at Stanford University, are quoted in a story about their book “The Runaway Species: How Human Creativity Remakes the World.” The article also mentions a project at Rice in which students explored ways to develop cheap intraveneous drip for hospitals in poor countries, and a course called “Monsters” in which an instructor in literature and another in biology collaborate.
Times Higher Education
http://bit.ly/2xGiDie

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Nanoscale platform aims to control protein levels
A nanoscale antibody first found in camels combined with a protein-degrading molecule is an effective new platform to control protein levels in cells, according to Rice scientists. The technique could aid fundamental research into cellular dynamics as well as the design of synthetic gene circuits. Rice chemical and biomolecular engineer Laura Segatori, former graduate student Wenting Zhao and alumna Lara Pferdehirt ’16 invented a bifunctional recognition system they call NanoDeg that allows them to target specific proteins in a cell and strictly regulate their degradation.
TMC News (A similar article also appeared in Houston Style Magazine and Jersey Tribune.)
http://bit.ly/2iROsCh

McRaven: ‘No interest’ in running for Texas governor
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 in a story on University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2yheq8N
http://bit.ly/2zkZgjj

Don’t take reliable energy for granted
Charles McConnell, executive director of Rice’s Energy and Environment Initiative, authored an op-ed.
TribTalk
http://bit.ly/2gQ831l

The show goes on … somewhere else: The post-Harvey scramble for space
An article discusses the displacement of the local arts community because of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey. President David Leebron is mentioned, and Alison Weaver, the Suzanne Deal Booth Executive Director of Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts, is quoted. Trenton Doyle Hancock’s “Texas: 1997-2017” at the former Rice University Gallery and “Mickalene Thomas: Waiting on a Prime-Time Star” at the Moody Center are mentioned.
Arts & Culture Texas
http://bit.ly/2gY0ZmZ

One Texas school earns major bragging rights in new world rankings
U.S. News & World Report ranks Rice No. 14 among best national universities and No. 81 among best global universities.
CultureMap Dallas
http://bit.ly/2zV5vpV

EaDo, Midtown and Montrose could soon become home to Houston’s ‘Exponential’ startups
A Rice report that shows Houston is 39th among major U.S. cities in venture capital investment and startups funded through venture capital is mentioned.
Rare Houston
http://bit.ly/2gQIhKe

‘The War on Rats: (Mis)representing the Bubonic Plague’
Melissa Bailar, associate director of Rice’s Humanities Research Center and a professor in the practice of humanities, will discuss literary works that have influenced public perception and medical intervention in regard to the Bubonic Plague Oct. 31 at The Health Museum in Houston.
PaperCity Houston
http://bit.ly/2zlxqmT

21 best things to do in Houston this week: ‘Margaritaville’ and slam poetry
Novelists Claire Messud and Jennifer Egan will discuss and sign copies of their new books Nov. 6 at Rice’s Stude Concert Hall as part of the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/2zl6OCD
This novel by Claire Messud will make you rethink your teenage years
Houstonia
http://bit.ly/2hr6kjK

2 journalists to speak about careers, writing with students
Alumna Cynthia Leonor Garza ’00 will speak Oct. 31 in Waco.
Baylor Lariat
http://bit.ly/2hr32Nh

BROADCAST

KRIV-TV (Houston)
Scientists from Rice University and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies have discovered that Earth’s sea level did not rise steadily but rather in sharp, punctuated bursts when the planet’s glaciers melted during the period of global warming at the close of the last ice age.
http://bit.ly/2zVBgz9 (Click the video button to watch the broadcast, which also aired on 18 other stations.)

‘The Super Natural: Why the Unexplained Is Real’
Jeffrey Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion, discusses “The Super Natural: Why the Unexplained Is Real,” a book he co-authored with Whitley Strieber.
Blog Talk Radio
http://bit.ly/2zSGGv1

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

The trouble with validation and consent in the digital age
Kirsten Ostherr, professor of English and director of Rice’s Medical Futures Lab, spoke at a Department of Health and Human Services symposium on digital privacy.
Healthcare Analytics News
http://bit.ly/2A4hd2v
Digital health briefing: Nokia remains bullish on digital health efforts — Zocdoc uses AI for insurance checker — Samsung spins out 2 new digital health startups
Business Insider
http://read.bi/2xFkYKm

‘Venezuela: Scenarios and Next Steps’
Francisco Monaldi, a fellow in Latin American energy policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, took part in a panel discussion on Venezuela Oct. 26 in Washington.
Americas Society/Council of the Americas
http://bit.ly/2hrF5FI

After hurricanes, contrasting demand for home loans in Texas, Florida
A story on home improvement loans in the wake of hurricanes in Texas and Florida mentions a report by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Credit Union Journal (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2A3d2Eb

Wind booms, coal suffers in oversupplied Texas grid
Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted in a story on the electricity market in Texas.
SNL
http://bit.ly/2z62lCM

5 green innovations that caught our eye
An article on green technology mentions that the lab of chemist James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and a professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, found that a touch of asphalt may be the secret to high-capacity lithium metal batteries that charge 10 to 20 times faster than commercial lithium-ion batteries.
Energy Saving Trust
http://bit.ly/2hrRJ7q

No es el ‘fracking’, son las placas tectónicas
Miriam Grunstein, contributing expert and scholar in the Mexico Center at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, wrote an op-ed on fracking and its impact on the environment.
Manufactura
http://bit.ly/2iNy85o

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Chromosome organization emerges from 1-D patterns
The DNA in a human cell is 2 yards long and wraps around millions of bead-like histone proteins to fit inside the cell’s nucleus. Researchers at Rice’s Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Baylor College of Medicine showed that examining the chemical state of these proteins makes it possible to predict how an entire DNA chromosome will fold. Their findings move the field of genetics closer to the ability to predict the folded structure of entire genomes, which could someday help identify misfolding-related genetic diseases.
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/2z8K6fN

New release: Great Chamber Music Chemistry
“Secret Alchemy,” written by Pierre Jalbert, professor of composition and theory at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music, is featured.
WBAA.org
http://bit.ly/2yil0w3

NuLife announces planned merger with Ensysce Biosciences
The late Richard Smalley, a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, is mentioned.
Markets Insider (This article appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://read.bi/2xFDMcq

Top 50 MBA full-time programs in 2017
Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business is mentioned.
Predictive Analytics Today
http://bit.ly/2gP3GU2

Jay Odell takes helm of Blackbaud’s Enterprise Nonprofit Unit
Alumnus Jay Odell ’90 was appointed general manager of Blackbaud’s Enterprise Nonprofit Unit.
GuruFocus
http://bit.ly/2zUxAhe

Doubling presence in a decade, 14 new Chabad campus centers opened this year
Relief work in the aftermath of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey by the Chabad center at Rice is mentioned. McMurtry College senior Leah Sherman is quoted.
Chabad.org
http://bit.ly/2z5YeGV

EnCourage Houston: Conservative, climate, leadership in Houston
A discussion on conservative solutions to climate change is set for Nov. 16 at Rice.
Eventful
http://bit.ly/2ii7duA

World-renowned quintet to be artists-in-residence and perform with Razorback band
The Boston Brass, who have performed at Rice, will be artists-in-residence at the University of Arkansas Nov. 16-18.
University of Arkansas
http://bit.ly/2z6rvBo

SPORTS

WVTM-TV (Birmingham, Ala.)
The Rice football team’s Nov. 4 game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham is mentioned.
http://bit.ly/2zTUC7U (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)

Was the Bulldogs’ 42-28 victory over Rice a little too close for comfort?
The Rice football team’s Oct. 27 loss to Louisiana Tech University is analyzed.
MyArkLaMiss.com
http://bit.ly/2hqi6ur
Bulldogs’ J’Mar Smith provides late heroics in 42-28 win over Rice
MyArkLaMiss.com
http://bit.ly/2xHNdI3

Cruz, Astros join Clemente family to give back
Lovett College freshman baseball player Trei Cruz and his father, former Rice player Jose Cruz Jr. ’04, are mentioned in an article about Jose Cruz Sr. and the Houston Astros’ work with the Houston Food Bank.
MLB.com
http://atmlb.com/2hrhIft

Here’s a story about baseball!
An article on the University of Texas baseball team mentions the Longhorns will not play Rice next season.
Burnt Orange Nation
http://bit.ly/2h3cKsd

Anxiety, substance abuse, homelessness: Life’s curveballs secret to Astros’ DH Evan Gattis’ success
A story on Houston Astros player Evan Gattis mentions that the Rice baseball team once recruited him.
ABC13.com
http://abc13.co/2zTJTKL

O’Brien: Covington ‘probably out for the season’
Former Rice football player Christian Covington ’15, who plays for the Houston Texans, suffered a season-ending biceps injury in an Oct. 29 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
CBS Houston
http://cbsloc.al/2igRuf2

College basketball preview: Scouting the SEC
A preview of Southeastern Conference men’s basketball mentions former Rice player Egor Koulechov ’17, who now plays for Florida.
Louisville Courier-Journal
http://cjky.it/2z8TsIq

Rhoades’ relief fosters community trust
Former Rice men’s basketball coach Mike Rhoades, now at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), has led a fundraising effort to benefit victims of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Former Rice guard Marcus Evans, now at VCU, and former Rice video coordinator Joey Rodriguez are mentioned along with Rhoades in other articles.
Commonwealth Times
http://bit.ly/2lyWeBO
VCU basketball 2017-18: Meet the players
Commonwealth Times
http://bit.ly/2gYOHdW
Johnny and Justin — VCU through and through
Commonwealth Times
http://bit.ly/2A3xIvF
LTE: VCU basketball and the ‘rebuilding’ phase
Commonwealth Times
http://bit.ly/2iOON8q

NEWS RELEASES

Global oil markets and Middle East geopolitics are topic at
Rice’s Baker Institute Nov. 14
Leading experts on global oil markets and Middle East geopolitics will gather at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Nov. 14 for a panel discussion on developments in the region and their impact on markets today and in the future. The discussion, which takes place two weeks before the 173rd OPEC Meeting in Vienna Nov. 30, will be hosted by the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies and Chatham House and is free and open to the public (registration is required).
http://bit.ly/2xE1jKx

Chromosome organization emerges from 1-D patterns
The DNA in a human cell is 2 yards long and wraps around millions of bead-like histone proteins to fit inside the cell’s nucleus. Researchers at Rice’s Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Baylor College of Medicine showed that examining the chemical state of these proteins makes it possible to predict how an entire DNA chromosome will fold. Their findings move the field of genetics closer to the ability to predict the folded structure of entire genomes, which could someday help identify misfolding-related genetic diseases.
http://bit.ly/2hqlF3Y

Rice expert available to discuss quality of pre-K in Houston
As children across Houston settle into the 2017-2018 school year, Erin Baumgartner, a researcher for the Houston Education Research Consortium, part of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research and School of Social Sciences, is available to discuss the quality of pre-K programs. Baumgartner is the author of two new research briefs on pre-K in Houston, and the research is available online and is the subject of a new post in the Kinder Institute’s Urban Edge blog.
http://bit.ly/2z0a8lP