FEATURED ITEM
How the GOP tax plan could hurt private universities
President David Leebron authored an op-ed on the potential impact of taxing private universities’ endowments and graduate students’ tuition waivers. Photos of Leebron and Rice’s Lovett Hall are included. Leebron is also mentioned in a Harvard Crimson article about the tax plan.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This appeared in the Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine.)
http://bit.ly/2z1RJ7w
Faust names GOP tax plan top lobbying priority
Harvard Crimson
http://bit.ly/2Bdhzav
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
With 2020 census looming, worries about fairness and accuracy
Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, is quoted in an article on concerns among experts and officials about the 2020 census. Murdock led the Census Bureau under President George W. Bush.
New York Times (This article appeared in more than 10 media outlets.)
http://nyti.ms/2z1JJmW
Sexual harassment training doesn’t work. But some things do.
Associate Professor of Psychology Eden King is quoted in an article on the effectiveness of sexual harassment training.
New York Times
http://nyti.ms/2knIxC3
Rash of retirements triggers Texas political bonanza
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 articles on Texas politics ahead of 2018 midterm elections. Jones also is mentioned in an article on criminal justice reform efforts by conservative organization Right on Crime.
Washington Post (This article appeared in more than 100 media outlets.)
http://wapo.st/2BUZFWR
Congress, state House races poised to be the most competitive in 2018
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2jxTlRr
Texas GOP chair calls for Valdez’s immediate departure from office
Texas Public Radio
http://bit.ly/2jMM3pS
WOAI-AM (San Antonio)
http://bit.ly/2jQ1AVR (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)
Another Democrat enters the gubernatorial race: Does the son of a former governor have a chance?
Texas Standard (This story aired on more than 20 radio stations.)
http://bit.ly/2kYNAMS
In the hot seat, Mark Jones, political analyst
Fox26Houston.com
http://bit.ly/2BbrMEp
Conservative group quietly championing criminal justice reform
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Dec. 11 print edition with a different headline, “GOP policy group bucks clichés by aiding reform.”)
http://bit.ly/2jt7RtL
Mexico says deepwater oil tender doomed by Brazil competition
Miriam Grunstein, contributing expert and scholar in the Mexico Center at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is mentioned in an article on Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned oil company.
Reuters (This article appeared in more than 10 media outlets.)
http://reut.rs/2kZTKwv
To improve CO2 filter for gas wells, just add water
Rice scientists have found a way to make their asphalt-based sorbents better at capturing carbon dioxide from gas wells: Just add water. The lab of James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, discovered that treating grains of inexpensive Gilsonite asphalt with water allows the material to adsorb more than two times its weight in the greenhouse gas. Tour is quoted. Almaz Jalilov, a former postdoctoral researcher at Rice and now an assistant professor at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, is lead author of the study. Rice graduate student Yilun Li and research scientist Carter Kittrell are co-authors.
Futurity (Similar articles appeared in Nanowerk and Phys.org.)
http://bit.ly/2kYnbyK
If you want to help kids in crisis, move fast to save lives
UNICEF USA is supporting Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and others to train parents and caregivers in a psychosocial support curriculum.
Forbes
http://bit.ly/2AedcIJ
7 tax terms to know as Congress confers
John Diamond, director of the Center for Public Finance at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Consumer Reports
http://bit.ly/2iTnh6y
Despotism and default in Venezuela
Francisco Monaldi, a fellow in Latin American energy policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in articles on Venezuela’s debt crisis.
The Economist
http://econ.st/2z1cSPb
Venezuela empieza a tener mayores problemas para solventar su deuda
Calle Mexico (An English translation is not available. This article also appeared in Portal Politico, 20 Minutos, Info7 and Tribuna Noticias.)
http://bit.ly/2AcYS2P
Judy Elliott: Alabama’s Senate race: Down to the wire!
Alumnus Andrée Reeves ’84 is quoted in an article on the race between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones to replace Jeff Sessions, whose U.S. Senate seat was vacated when he became U.S. attorney general under President Donald Trump.
Marietta Daily Journal
http://bit.ly/2B9ZMRr
HOUSTON/TEXAS
Texas colleges, universities brace for hard changes
Graduate Student Association President Sydney Gibson and Rice director of government relations Nathan Cook are quoted in an article on how Texas universities are dealing with changes to higher education proposed by the congressional tax plan. Rice is also mentioned in a Univision article on the tax proposal.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared on the front page of the Dec. 11 print edition with a different headline, “Tension mounts for U.S. colleges.”)
http://bit.ly/2BCv6sV
Por qué el plan republicano de cobrarle impuestos a los fondos universitarios no sería ni justo ni efectivo
Univision (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2AKDi75
‘Hands off my scholarship,’ Rice student president says in circulating letter
Student Association President Justin Onwenu is leading a national campaign against scholarship displacement, a reduction of financial aid offered by institutions to students who earn private scholarships.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2B4zYpy
After Harvey, Houston has the chance to get housing right
Raj Mankad, editor of the Rice Design Alliance’s Cite Magazine, authored an article on rebuilding efforts after Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey. Danny Samuels, professor in the practice of architecture, and Nonya Grenader, professor in the practice of architecture, are mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This appeared in the Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine.)
http://bit.ly/2korgIN
NEST360º’s low-cost jaundice detector passes first test in Africa
The first clinical study of a low-cost, hand-held jaundice detector invented by Rice students couldn’t have come at a better time for NEST 360°, an international team of scientists, doctors and global health experts preparing for a Dec. 11 competition for $100 million from the MacArthur Foundation. The money would allow the team to carry out its visionary plan to halve the number of newborn deaths in African hospitals within 10 years. Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, professor of bioengineering and of electrical and computer engineering, director of the Rice 360° Institute for Global Health and a study co-author, and Pelham Keahey, Rice graduate student and study co-author, are quoted. Rice students and co-authors Mathieu Simeral, Kristofer Schroder and Meaghan Bond are mentioned.
TMC News
http://bit.ly/2yf3JPn
100-year floods every year? New Texas rain data is redefining storms
Jim Blackburn, a professor in the practice of environmental law and the co-director of Rice’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center, is quoted.
Austin American-Statesman (Subscription is required.)
https://atxne.ws/2jNPs82
Alice Lok Cahana, artist and Holocaust survivor, dies at 88
An article on Alice Lok Cahana, who died Nov. 28 at 88, mentions she studied at Rice.
Houston Chronicle (This article appeared in the Dec. 9 print edition with a different headline, “Artist’s work depicted her life in the Holocaust.”)
http://bit.ly/2BzT7ka
7 books for the Texas enthusiast
“Hometown Texas,” a book co-authored by Peter Brown, instructor of photography for the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Dec. 10 print edition.)
http://bit.ly/2jMCmYH
Book review: ‘Hometown Texas’ explores the state by the backroads
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News.)
http://bit.ly/2B5vOOb
Legendary newsman and Houston native Dan Rather on quest to find ‘What Unites Us’
A story on Dan Rather’s new book, “What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism,” mentions he has a grandson who attends Rice.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/2jMUNfR
Steven Schafersman declares candidacy for county judge
Alumnus Steven Schafersman ’83 is running for Midland County judge.
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News and Midland Reporter-Telegram.)
http://bit.ly/2B4H2SY
Christus Good Shepherd seeks better rates from insurance companies
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of economics, is quoted.
Longview News-Journal (This article also appeared in Pharmacy Choice.)
http://bit.ly/2jPugOJ
Top 10 things for kids in Houston this week: Dec. 11-17
The Houston Children’s Choir will perform Dec. 16 at Rice’s Stude Concert Hall.
365 Things To Do in Houston
http://bit.ly/2BcOHzi
BROADCAST
In post-Harvey Houston, immigrants struggle as the city grapples with how to help
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted in a story on challenges immigrants affected by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey are facing.
National Public Radio
http://n.pr/2BBSp69 (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast, which aired on more than 700 affiliates.)
Al-Jazeera
Ambassador Edward Djerejian, director of Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, discusses President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. Embassy in Israel will move to Jerusalem.
http://bit.ly/2A9n0DB (An English translation is not available.)
KHOU-TV (Houston)
Rice students had an opportunity to socialize and share furry snuggles with dogs and cats of various breeds from Houston pet therapy organization Faithful Paws Dec. 6-8 at Fondren Library.
http://bit.ly/2kmoOm8 (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
TRADE/PROFESSIONAL
Saudi Aramco plans for a life after oil
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article on Saudi Arabian state oil company Saudi Aramco.
Financial Times (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in CetUS News.)
http://bit.ly/2B4410p
Energy Focus: Asphalt porous structure enables fast-charging high-capacity Li-metal anode
The lab of James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, 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 faster than commercial lithium-ion batteries.
Cambridge University Press
http://bit.ly/2z0qHgE
After the fire, charcoal goes against the grain, with the flow
When a forest fire decimated more than 3,000 acres of Rice-owned timberland in 2011, biogeochemist Carrie Masiello saw a silver lining in the blackened trees. In a newly published study in the Journal of Geophysical Research, Masiello and colleagues, including current and former graduate students Lacey Pyle and Kate Magee, analyzed soil samples collected after the fire and found that charcoal behaved very differently from other forms of soil carbon as the land rebounded from the fire. Masiello and Pyle are quoted.
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/2BzVZgV
Presurgical imaging may predict whether epilepsy surgery will work
Surgery to remove a part of the brain to give relief to patients with epilepsy doesn’t always result in complete seizure relief, but statisticians at Rice have developed a method for integrating neuroimaging scans to identify patients at high risk of continued seizures before the surgery takes place. Rice statistician Marina Vannucci and lead author Sharon Chiang, an M.D./Ph.D. student at Rice and Baylor College of Medicine, worked with colleagues at Baylor, the University of California at Irvine and UCLA to develop a method for integrating functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scans to find visual biomarkers that distinguish patients with the greatest likelihood of benefit. Vannucci and Chiang are quoted.
Laboratory Equipment
http://bit.ly/2BB3ap1
Wheat gets boost from purified nanotubes
The introduction of purified carbon nanotubes appears to have a beneficial effect on the early growth of wheatgrass, according to Rice scientists. But in the presence of contaminants, those same nanotubes could do great harm. Andrew Barron, the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Professor of Chemistry and professor of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted. Co-authors mentioned are Rice research scientist Pavan Raja and graduate student Gibran Esquenazi.
Seed Today (Similar articles appeared in Global News Connect and Energy Daily.)
http://bit.ly/2BaiBE3
Rules for superconductivity mirrored in ‘excitonic insulator’
Rice physicists dedicated to creating the working components of a fault-tolerant quantum computer have succeeded in creating a previously unseen state of matter. The “topological excitonic insulator” was observed in tests at Rice by an international team from the United States and China. Study co-authors Rui-Rui Du, professor of physics and astronomy, and alumna Lingjie Du ’14 are quoted. Junichiro Kono, professor of electrical and computer engineering, of physics and astronomy and of materials science and nanoengineering, and graduate student Xinwei Li are mentioned.
Science Newsline (A similar article appeared in Innovations Report.)
http://bit.ly/2yePWsc
Kohler: Corporate tax cuts, yes, but only for manufacturing
An article on corporate tax rates mentions Weebit Nano has a research and development agreement with Rice.
Macro Business (A similar article appeared in The Australian.)
http://bit.ly/2ANOtvJ
Home visits, surveys, personalized meetings key to boosting parent engagement
A study by scholars at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business that found public schools nationwide get poor marks among parents for family and community engagement is mentioned.
Education Dive
http://bit.ly/2kZ5AXH
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST
Undocumented immigrants at risk for anxiety and depression
More than 80 percent of immigrants residing in the U.S. without authorization near the California-Mexico border have a lifetime history of traumatic events, according to a new study from a psychologist at Rice. Luz Garcini, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychology and the study’s lead author, comments. Study co-author Chris Fagundes, an assistant professor of psychology in Rice’s School of Social Sciences, is mentioned.
Edge Media Network (This article appeared in more than 10 media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2BB54pY
Upakar Foundation bestows 9 students with college education
Sid Richardson College sophomore Oeishi Banerjee received an Upakar Scholarship.
India Abroad
http://bit.ly/2nO9MKN
NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson hangs with West Des Moines girl
Astronaut and Rice alumna Peggy Whitson ’86 is featured.
Patch
http://bit.ly/2BU0A9N
Out of America: A Chinese comic’s return
Alumnus Joe Wong ’00 is featured.
Shine
http://bit.ly/2AJKJv7
Freedom doesn’t boost creativity. This does.
An article about the effect of constraints on creativity mentions President John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech” given at Rice Sept. 12, 1962.
Medium
http://bit.ly/2AcRyUT
‘Lost in Translation’
“Lost in Translation,” a book authored by Alumna Eva Hoffman ’67, is reviewed.
Ergohacks
http://bit.ly/2C6fTNI
Eckerson: Holiday gifts for the runners in your life
“Run the World: My 3,500-Mile Journey Through Running Cultures Around the Globe,” a book authored by alumna Becky Wade ’11, is mentioned.
Fosters (This story also appeared in Seacoast Online.)
http://bit.ly/2BTJkSi
SPORTS
New Rice coach wants old-school, hi-tech football
Rice head football coach Mike Bloomgren is featured. Athletic director Joe Karlgaard is quoted. Players Sam Stewart, Nahshon Ellerbe, Emmanuel Esukpa and Aston Walter are mentioned. Bloomgren is also interviewed on SB Nation Radio.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Dec. 9 print edition with a different headline, “Rice coach combines old-school, cutting edge.”)
http://bit.ly/2jaeP6Y
‘Nate and Creight’
PodcastArena.com
http://bit.ly/2Aty2Ie
Harris scores 31, leads Stephen F. Austin past Rice 81-62
The Rice men’s basketball team lost to Stephen F. Austin State University Dec. 9 in Nacogdoches, Texas.
Washington Post (This Associated Press article appeared in more than 40 media outlets.)
http://wapo.st/2At8ue9
KRIV-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2kmETIA (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
KIAH-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2jvUw3O (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
Area men: UH routs Saint Louis for 7th straight win
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appears in the Dec. 10 print edition with a different headline, “UH hammers Saint Louis for 7th consecutive victory.”)
http://bit.ly/2BTLcua
Women’s college basketball: No. 21 A&M slips by Central Arkansas
A roundup of women’s college basketball games mentions Rice defeated the University of the Incarnate Word Dec. 9 at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Dec. 10 print edition.)
http://bit.ly/2yfGTHe
Chris Del Conte leaving TCU for AD job at Texas
Former Rice athletic director Chris Del Conte was hired by the University of Texas. He had served as the athletic directory at Texas Christian University since 2009. Former Rice football offensive coordinator Tom Herman, now the head coach at UT, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News, and it appeared in the Dec. 10 print edition of the Chronicle with a different headline, “Del Conte leaves TCU for new job at Texas.”
http://bit.ly/2AKRTPJ
http://bit.ly/2jOkTih
With easy-going nature, new Texas AD Chris Del Conte known for being detail-oriented
Austin American-Statesman
http://bit.ly/2nP1LFB
KTRK-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2Abwle8 (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
KTXX-FM (Austin, Texas)
http://bit.ly/2Avv1Hi (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)
‘Sunday Night Football’
A broadcast of a Dec. 10 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens mentioned tight end Vance McDonald ’13, who now plays for the Steelers, played at Rice.
NBC
http://bit.ly/2BAI9uD (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
NEWS RELEASES
Presurgical imaging may predict whether epilepsy surgery will work
Surgery to remove a part of the brain to give relief to patients with epilepsy doesn’t always result in complete seizure relief, but statisticians at Rice have developed a method for integrating neuroimaging scans to identify patients at high risk of continued seizures before the surgery takes place. Rice statistician Marina Vannucci and lead author Sharon Chiang, an M.D./Ph.D. student at Rice and Baylor College of Medicine, worked with colleagues at Baylor, the University of California at Irvine and UCLA to develop a method for integrating functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scans to find visual biomarkers that distinguish patients with the greatest likelihood of benefit.
http://bit.ly/2C3wX77
After the fire, charcoal goes against the grain, with the flow
When a forest fire decimated more than 3,000 acres of Rice-owned timberland in 2011, biogeochemist Carrie Masiello saw a silver lining in the blackened trees. Masiello is an expert on how carbon behaves in soil, and she noticed a vexing problem in both the scientific literature and findings from her lab: Charcoal is abundant in soil, particularly in fertile regions like Europe’s breadbasket and America’s Corn Belt, but while it’s clear that most soil charcoal came from wildfires, it wasn’t at all clear why it stayed there so long or how it got into the soil after a fire. In a newly published study in the Journal of Geophysical Research, Masiello and colleagues, including current and former graduate students Lacey Pyle and Kate Magee, analyzed soil samples collected after the fire and found that charcoal behaved very differently from other forms of soil carbon as the land rebounded from the fire.
http://bit.ly/2jxij3C
A dab of water aids carbon capture
Rice scientists have found a way to make their asphalt-based sorbents better at capturing carbon dioxide from gas wells: Just add water. The lab of James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, discovered that treating grains of inexpensive Gilsonite asphalt with water allows the material to adsorb more than two times its weight in the greenhouse gas. The material performs well at ambient temperatures and under the pressures typically found at wellheads.
http://bit.ly/2BU1m6X
![NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL What happened to Texas’ tilt from red to blue? That’s a gray area Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, […]](https://news2.rice.edu/files/2015/08/DATELINE5-36x36.jpg "Dateline Rice for Oct. 4, 2021 (Weekend Edition)"){kind=small}
