Dateline Rice for Dec. 21, 2017

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

MacArthur Foundation gives $100 million to Sesame, aid group to teach Syrian refugee children
NEST360°, an international team of engineers, doctors and global health experts, won $15 million through the MacArthur Foundation’s inaugural 100&Change competition and will continue to raise money for its visionary effort to end preventable newborn deaths in Africa. NEST360° is a collaboration of Rice, the University of Malawi, Northwestern University, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and 3rd Stone Design of San Rafael, Calif.
Wall Street Journal (Subscription is required.)
http://on.wsj.com/2kzFI1g
Sesame Street awarded $100M through Chicago’s MacArthur Foundation
WGNTV.com
http://bit.ly/2kzSBsn
Sesame Workshop and International Rescue Committee wins $100M MacArthur grant
Current
http://bit.ly/2kAcvU2

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 (This article was featured in the Times’ “Morning Briefing.”)
http://nyti.ms/2knIxC3

How CRISPR could fight genetic hearing loss
Gene editing could someday help people at risk of hearing loss from genetic mutations, according to research by a new Rice faculty member. Xue (Sherry) Gao, who joined Rice in the fall as the Ted N. Law Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is co-lead author of a new Nature paper that reports on the promise of gene editing to treat autosomal dominant hearing diseases.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/2kBdGCC

Scientists discover entirely new material that cannot be explained by classical physics
U.S. and European physicists searching for an explanation for high-temperature superconductivity were surprised when their theoretical model pointed to the existence of a never-before-seen material in a different realm of physics: topological quantum materials. Postdoctoral fellow Hsin-Hua Lai is quoted.
The Independent (This article also appeared in Yahoo News, MSN.com, Industries News and AboNewsCast, and similar stories appeared in more than 10 media outlets.)
https://ind.pn/2kyN0CA

En Miami se encuentran dos de las diez mejores Universidades de la Florida
An article on WalletHub’s Best Universities Rankings for 2018 mentions Rice is No. 10.
InfoNegocios (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2kzGrzx

HOUSTON/TEXAS

For buyers within ‘flood pools,’ no warnings from developers, public officials
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 in an article on construction of homes and businesses in “flood pools” and flooding caused by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey. Blackburn also is quoted in a story on Houston’s path forward after the storm.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared on the front page of the Dec. 21 print edition.)
http://bit.ly/2p0kRsP
An environmental lawyer says Houston is at a ‘turning point in its history’ after Harvey
Rare Houston
http://bit.ly/2kA15j7

Census Bureau: Texas added 400,000 people in a year
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, are quoted in stories on Texas’ population growth.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News, Laredo Morning Times and Houston News Info, and it appeared in the Dec. 21 print edition of the Chronicle with a different headline, “Texas grows at a hot pace.”)
http://bit.ly/2kzDnn1
http://bit.ly/2kzSgGa
Texas tops all states in population growth
KTRH.com
http://bit.ly/2kAfP1s
KTRH-AM (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2p6I4tj (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

New pipe mill near Houston promises American ‘manufacturing revival’
Ed Egan, fellow and director of the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, is quoted in a story on a Tenaris steel pipe mill in Bay City, Texas.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2kzC4Vb
KUT-FM (Austin)
http://bit.ly/2p7T9ug (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast, which aired on 25 stations.)

Upcoming battles in the ongoing Texas GOP civil war
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 an article on conservative Texas Republicans challenging more moderate incumbents in next year’s primary elections. Jones also is quoted in an article on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott criticizing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and discusses election outcomes in Honduras and Chile on a podcast.
High Plains Pundit
http://bit.ly/2p0liTZ
Abbott rips ‘clueless’ Schumer, says state will tap rainy day fund
Environment and Energy News
http://bit.ly/2kAKT15
‘This Morning with Alex Jensen’
http://bit.ly/2kTqOTc

Art gallery and museum listings: Dec. 21-27
“Mickalene Thomas: Waiting on a Prime-Time Star” at Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News and Laredo Morning Times.)
http://bit.ly/2p0lJ0z
http://bit.ly/2DgC0RZ

BROADCAST

C-SPAN3
President John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech” given at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is mentioned.
http://bit.ly/2CQKFto (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Why Saudi Arabia is now shopping around for US shale assets
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Inverstor’s Business Daily (This article also appeared in Nasdaq.)
http://bit.ly/2DfidlY

Names in the news
The nomination of Linda Capuano, fellow in energy technology in the Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, to serve as administrator of the Energy Information Administration in the Department of Energy is mentioned.
Pipeline and Gas Journal
http://bit.ly/2kzI00C

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Graphene armor can harden like a diamond
Rice research on graphene that can absorb the impact of “microbullets” is mentioned.
Geek
http://bit.ly/2kBnNr5
2-layered graphene becomes harder than diamond upon impact
Interesting Engineering
http://bit.ly/2kzP1OM
Snap! WannaCry killswitch pinged 900M times, 123M households exposed in leak
Spiceworks
http://bit.ly/2kzkZL1

Xerjoff & das liebe Oud — Alexandria II und Malesia …
A postcard from the collection of Professor of History Paula Sanders is featured.
Das Duft Tagebuch (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2kzEX8G

SPORTS

Rice begins rebuilding process by signing 5 players
The Rice football team is featured. Head coach Mike Bloomgren and signee Miles Adams are quoted. Assistant coach Brian Smith and signees Clay Servin, Ja’Quez Battley, Andrew Bird and Jason White are mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Dec. 21 print edition with a different headline, “5-player class begins rebuilding process.”)
http://bit.ly/2oX0Wel
KTRK-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2BtW9qJ (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
New signing date is quite the rush for Houston’s top prospects
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared on the front of the Sports section in the Dec. 21 print edition with a different headline, “What’s the rush? Peace of mind.”)
http://bit.ly/2kBDzlN

Sirmans named head coach of Miami soccer
Rice assistant soccer coach Courtney Sirmans was named head coach at Miami University in Ohio.
MiamiRedhawks.com
http://bit.ly/2kVo4V5

Baranek: From baseball to classroom, Tim Byrdak a major achiever
Former Rice baseball player Tim Byrdak ’97, now a high school coach in Illinois, is featured.
Chicago Tribune
http://trib.in/2kzI4x8

Inside the matchup: Texans versus Steelers
A game preview mentions Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell played at Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2kAW8qy