Dateline Rice for Aug. 10, 2018

FEATURED ITEMS

China move to drop crude off tariff list a relief for Sinopec
Kenneth Medlock, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in a series of articles related to market fears of a lower demand for crude oil. The specter of a deepening trade war between the U.S. and China initially sent prices lower before recovering after China dropped oil and gas off of its tariff list, and the likely effects of sanctions on Iran and the possibility of the Trump administration releasing crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve also had a role in the recovering prices.
Reuters (This article also appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
https://reut.rs/2vW08GW
Oil up on Iran sanctions but set for weekly decline 
Reuters
https://reut.rs/2vYOKdn
US oil reserve release will not guarantee lower pump prices: Analysts
Reuters (This article also appeared in more than 30 other media outlets.)
https://reut.rs/2vVnxYN
Oil dips as US-China trade dispute expected to stall economic growth
CNBC (This article also appeared in more than 20 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2nxXUd7

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Does International Baccalaureate know something that AP does not?
Siva Kumari, former associate dean and director of programs at Rice’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, is featured and pictured in an article about the International Baccalaureate program.
Forbes
http://bit.ly/2vUSYTm

Biomarker links fatigue from cancer and Parkinson’s disease
Biological markers responsible for extreme exhaustion in patients with cancer have now been linked to fatigue in those with Parkinson’s disease, according to new research from Rice. The scientists determined individuals with Parkinson’s disease who suffered from fatigue had elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers such as those linked to fatigue in patients with cancer. Co-author Christopher Fagundes, assistant professor of psychological sciences, is quoted.
Futurity (This article also appeared in Domain-B, Scienmag and News-Medical.net.)
http://bit.ly/2no9XcG

After 20 years of planning, ambitious Solar mission about to launch
David Alexander, director of the Rice Space Institute and professor of physics and astronomy, is quoted in an article about NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which will launch Aug. 11 to study the sun’s 1 million-degree atmosphere in hopes of shedding light on solar wind, a fundamental aspect of sun-Earth interaction.
Ars Technica
http://bit.ly/2vXa17j

A superconductor with a twist
Rice research that determined tiny distortions in the atomic structure of the crystal lattice compound of sodium, iron, nickel and arsenic was featured in the Aug. 10 edition of the National Science Foundation’s Science360 newsletter.
National Science Foundation
http://bit.ly/2vWzQUY

Materials scientists have found a way to make graphene twice as tough
Fracture-resistant “rebar graphene” is more than twice as tough as pristine graphene, according to new research by James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and a professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering.
Yahoo! News Canada (Similar articles also appeared in 10 other media outlets.) 
https://yhoo.it/2vRC6N8

Hurricane Harvey children’s book aims to provide understanding of the disaster
An article mentions that a children’s book about Hurricane Harvey titled “H Is for Harvey” was illustrated by Eduardo Martinez, graphic designer at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business.
Yahoo! News
https://yhoo.it/2nqGZJ7

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Houston, Harris County leaders champion $2.5B flood bond as early voting begins
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 about early voting for Proposition A, a $2.5 billion bond for flood-mitigation measures in Harris County.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Aug. 10 print edition with a different headline, “Emmett, Turner champion $2.5B flood bond as early voting begins.”)
http://bit.ly/2vWYBjI

The Christian right’s politics of cruelty
David Brockman, nonresident scholar in the Religion and Public Policy Program at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an op-ed about the disconnect between the gospel and the politics of the Christian right. Brockman is also quoted in an article from MSN about how a Florida program designed to help victims of bullying places some of them in private schools that don’t accept LGBTQ students and/or use prejudiced curricula and textbooks.
Texas Observer
http://bit.ly/2nogRP8
Florida wants to help bullied kids — unless they’re gay
MSN (This article also appeared in Carbonated.tv and Yahoo! Singapore.)
http://bit.ly/2vWp5SA

Rice Business Plan competitor focused on cell therapy gets acquired
An article mentions that a technology team participating in the 2013 Rice Business Plan Competition at the Jones Graduate School of Business received early-stage investment funding as a result of the competition. The startup was recently acquired by a NASDAQ-traded company.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Aug. 10 print edition in a roundup of news with a different headline, “Pesticide ordered pulled off market.”)
http://bit.ly/2nrrsc0

Time to get smart about artificial intelligence
An article about the world’s race for artificial intelligence dominance mentions Rice’s computer science program.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2vXLKxJ

Remembering Homer Neal, a ‘gentle giant’ in science and education
An article about the late Homer Neal mentions the late Marjorie Corcoran, a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice who was killed in a train-cyclist accident last year.
Houston Chronicle (This article appeared in the Chronicle’s Baker Institute blog.)
http://bit.ly/2vVMbso

Where last year’s Texas college undergraduates left with the least debt
An article mentions Rice graduates’ average debt upon graduating.
Dallas Business Journal
http://bit.ly/2vVIOle

Out gay man running for Texas Supreme Court
Alumnus Steve Kirkland ’82, the first openly gay candidate to run for Texas Supreme Court, is featured and pictured.
Dallas Voice
http://bit.ly/2vWa5UO

Interfaith of The Woodlands announces 2018 Hometown Heroes
An article mentions that alumnus Robert Heineman ’69 will be honored as a Hometown Hero.
Woodlands Online
http://bit.ly/2vWCUjY

BROADCAST

Could Trump backlash hurt Cruz with Texas voters?
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, will need President Donald Trump’s help campaigning, but “if he aligns too closely with Trump, he might lose support from an important group of Republicans: moderates,” according to 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.
Texas Public Radio (This segment aired on seven affiliate stations.)
http://bit.ly/2vRhTqK

‘NewsFix’
An article featuring Stacy Pearsall mentions she gave a talk at Rice as part of the Nikon Ambassador Lecture Series.
KDAF-TV (Dallas)
http://bit.ly/2vZbiux (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Higher education innovation: 25 examples of excellence
An article highlighting innovative education features Rice’s Bioscience Research Collaborative and mentions that Rice is “one of the best values in higher education” and ranked No. 3 for Best Undergraduate Teaching.
Medium
http://bit.ly/2vVVvfP

The tools we don’t have: Future and current inventory management in a room reservation system
Members of Rice’s Fondren Library authored an article about how the information technology department at Fondren was able to overcome the limitations of collections reservation management by modifying the open source Booked Scheduling software. Co-authors are Denis Galvin, IT director; Mang Sun, systems librarian; and Hanjun Lee, library web apps developer.
Code4Lib Journal
http://bit.ly/2vW0ahN

Anti-icing features in wind turbines are gradually becoming a mandate
An article mentions nanotechnology developed at Rice that has the potential to help de-ice the blades of wind turbines.
EnergyNext
http://bit.ly/2vUfQSR

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Two grad students named Hertz Fellows
An article featuring and picturing alumna Sarah Hooper ’17 mentions that she is the recipient of the Global Health and Development Fellowship, awarded annually by the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation. She is spending the summer interning with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where she is working to develop medical devices to understand and treat malaria.
Stanford University News
https://stanford.io/2vYCdX4

People Changes for the week of Aug. 13
Alumna Kelly Weber Stefonowich ’12 is featured.
Virginian-Pilot
http://bit.ly/2vTMIuZ

37 Houston spots to take really cool Instagram photos
An article about Houston’s most photogenic places features and pictures James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Suzanne Deal Booth Centennial Pavilion.
Narcity
http://bit.ly/2vVzqhn

NM hires new leader for state Office of Science and Technology
An article mentions that Myrriah Tomar formerly worked as an intellectual property technical adviser at Rice.
Albuquerque Business First (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2vWe9o2

Lincoln names interim chief of public safety
Former Rice Chief of Police Johnny Whitehead is featured and pictured.
The Philadelphia Tribune (This article also appeared in Courier Express.)
http://bit.ly/2vXjHi9

L’intelligence artificielle pour développer moins, plus vite, voire pas du tout
An article mentions Bayou, a deep-learning, software-coding application that can help human programmers navigate the often-undocumented application programming interfaces. Swarat Chaudhuri, an associate professor of computer science, is quoted.
ICT Journal (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2KERuSw

SPORTS

Local gold: Former champ McHugh returns to Midland Men’s City Championship
An article mentions that Austin Escamilla plans to play golf at Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2nr102k

Paul Wall, Lil’ Keke to perform at UH football pep rally
An article mentions that the University of Houston’s football team will play Rice Sept. 1.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2nt5llK

Ed Oliver Q&A: UH star on the Heisman, the NFL and more
Rice is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2nqowMN

Lady Tops picked to win C-USA volleyball championship
An article mentions that Rice’s volleyball team was voted No. 2 in the Conference USA preseason volleyball poll.
Bowling Green Daily News (This article also appeared in WBKO Online.) 
http://bit.ly/2vY29lF

20 transfers that will impact the FBS season
Former Rice football player Calvin Anderson is mentioned.
FloFootball
http://bit.ly/2vY2ogz

Get to know an ’18 Liberty opponent: North Texas
An article about the North Texas football team’s schedule mentions that the Mean Green will play Rice Oct. 27.
The News & Advance
http://bit.ly/2vXWSdZ

Jeremy Pruitt gets huge endorsement from Hall of Fame coach
Rice head football coach Mike Bloomgren is mentioned.
Rocky Top Insider
http://bit.ly/2ntTB2q

In and around SEC football — West Division preview
Rice is mentioned.
Gadsden Messenger
http://bit.ly/2ntTALU