Dateline Rice for April 20, 2018

FEATURED ITEMS

Here’s how effective the next flu shot will be
Due to viral mutations related to vaccine production in eggs, the flu vaccine for the fall 2018 season will have the same efficacy rate as that of 2016 and 2017, according to a Rice study. Co-author Michael Deem, the John W. Cox Professor of Biochemical and Genetic Engineering and a professor of physics and astronomy, is quoted.
Futurity (This article was the top story in the April 20 edition of the National Science Foundation’s Science 360 newsletter, and a similar article appeared in Science Daily.)
http://bit.ly/2HAbDvs
KSAZ-TV (Phoenix, Ariz.)
http://bit.ly/2vygYys (Click the video button to watch the broadcast. This broadcast aired on more than 10 television stations.)

Meet the most influential Texas-connected people on Time’s newest list 
Astronaut and Rice alumna Peggy Whitson ’86 is featured and pictured as part of Time Magazine’s list of 100 of the “World’s Most Influential People.”
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2JdW0qF

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Barbara Bush leaves vivid memories as ‘first lady of Houston’
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 and a broadcast about the legacy of the late Barbara Bush. Jones is also quoted in an article questioning whether the survey sample in a recent poll of the race between U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, and incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Houston, overrepresents Hispanics and millennials.
USA Today (This article also appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
https://usat.ly/2HBQ6m5
C-SPAN
http://bit.ly/2vw5trp (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
Texas voters support sending troops to the border, but not building a border wall
Dallas Morning News (Subscription is required. Similar articles appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2vtWqqO

Trump’s controversial NASA chief, Jim Bridenstine, narrowly confirmed
Rep. Jim Bridenstine ’97, recently confirmed as NASA’s 13th administrator, is featured and pictured in several articles as well as a CSPAN2 broadcast.
CBS News (A similar article also appeared in Patriot Post and SpaceCoastDaily.com.)
https://cbsn.ws/2JaLNLH
Trump’s new NASA chief Jim Bridenstine a ‘climate change denier who could make terrifying’ decisions, US senators warn
The Independent (This article also appeared in Yahoo! News and Newsweek.) 
https://ind.pn/2vDHirh
CSPAN2
http://bit.ly/2JccAHp

Cemetery near Houston could be resting place for prisoners
Associate Professor of History Caleb McDaniel is quoted in an article about a recently discovered burial ground in Fort Bend County.
Miami Herald (This Associated Press article appeared in more than 25 media outlets.)
https://hrld.us/2Hh3OeI

DNA to store Massive Attack album for near eternity
Reinhard Heckel, assistant professor in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice, worked on a project to turn an album’s digital audio into genetic code that will stored in DNA molecules within tiny glass beads for near-eternal storage.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/2HFsdds

Hurricane Harvey: Research shows most fatalities occurred outside flood zones
A team from Rice and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands found that most Houston-area deaths from Hurricane Harvey occurred outside the 100- and 500-year flood plains. Antonia Sebastian, a postdoctoral research associate at Rice’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center, is quoted.
The Weather Channel (This article also appeared in Science Daily and Science Codex.)
https://wxch.nl/2qM9i6P

China’s emerging stand-up comedians walk into a bar
Comedian and alumnus Joe Wong ’00 is featured. A video of one of his performances is included.
Financial Times (Subscription is required.)
https://on.ft.com/2vv41ph

HOUSTON/TEXAS

HBJ’s 2018 Landmark Awards: Rehabilitation and Renovation winner and finalists
Rice’s Anderson Biological Laboratory’s renovation was a finalist for a Houston Business Journal Landmark Award in the Rehabilitation and Renovation category.
Houston Business Journal (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2HBZWoa

Day in the life with David Harvey Jr., CEO of Harvey Builders
An article mentions and pictures Mikki Hebl, the Martha and Henry Malcolm Lovett Chair of Psychology in Rice’s School of Social Sciences. President David Leebron is mentioned.
Houston Business Journal (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2HBSLfz

Rice and UH alum selected as provost for University of Texas at San Antonio
Rice alumna Kimberly Andrews Espy ’85 will be the new provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2HELRpV
http://bit.ly/2HFyTZa

Startup with Houston roots wins investment from 2018 Veterans Business Battle
Rice’s Veterans in Business Association, an organization for MBA students at the Jones Graduate School of Business, is mentioned in an article on the Veterans Business Battle held at Rice.
Houston Business Journal (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2qO14v9

Lone Star College-CyFair program stresses needs for trees
Will Rice College sophomore Lea Godret-Miertschin is pictured participating in Rice’s annual Green Dorm Initiative competition.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2JavQVH

Fresh food truck rolls out new healthy way for Houstonians to shop for their meals
Alumnus Jamal Ansari ’15 is mentioned, Dustin Windham ’15 is pictured and Michael Powell ’06 is quoted and pictured.
Culture Map Houston
http://bit.ly/2HFr2KQ

Venus may have been more friendly to life in the past                                                       
Rice researchers are mentioned as collaborators in a study that suggests all the conditions needed for water and life to exist were once present on Venus.
The Daily Texan
http://bit.ly/2vyfuEu

The most laid-back gala ever raises $625,000: Skeet shooting, virtual golf and tailgating with UH’s Shasta and Sammy The Owl
Rice mascot Sammy the Owl is mentioned and pictured in an article recapping the Periwinkle Foundation’s 35th anniversary Championship Gala.
Paper City
http://bit.ly/2J8HjVG

BROADCAST

WBAL-AM (Baltimore, Md.)
Kirsten Ostherr, the Gladys Louise Fox Professor of English and director of Rice’s Medical Futures Lab, is interviewed in a segment about Facebook’s practice of collecting scores of non-anonymized data from all of its users, including personal health information.
http://bit.ly/2vtbhSE (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

The Center for Jewish History hosts ‘Jews in Space: Members of the tribe in orbit’
Alumnus Jeffrey Hoffman ’88 will speak about his experiences in space May 7 in New York.
Broadway World (This article also appeared in Harlem World.)
http://bit.ly/2HFCTZG

Concertmaster Frank Huang to lead New York Philharmonic
Frank Huang, former artist teacher of violin at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music, is featured and pictured.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/2HFHtHm

New books in American religious history: 2018 year in preview, part 2 (May-July)
Graduate student William Black co-authored a post about upcoming American religious history books.
Religion in American History
http://bit.ly/2HCGveI

Coast Guard honors Foss’ Grant Johnson for offshore safety efforts
Grant Johnson ’01 is featured and pictured. Johnson was awarded the Meritorious Public Service Award in recognition of his achievements as a member and Vice Chair of the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee.
Professional Mariner (This article also appeared in GCaptain.)
http://bit.ly/2Jby1Z9

EchoNous hires two top machine learning scientists to accelerate ongoing development of intelligent medical tools
An article mentions Allen Lu attended Rice.
EconoTimes (This article also appeared on GlobeNewswire, Benzinga, Markets Insider.)
http://bit.ly/2qN2ciB

Energy economist Edward Hirs appointed as BDO USA Natural Resources Fellow
An article mentions that Edward Hirs formerly taught at Rice.
Oil and Gas Investor (This article also appeared in Business Wire, Odessa American, Digital Journal, Oil and Gas Investor and the Courier-Express.)
http://bit.ly/2HzFjcd

Pressure control helps NMR analyze protein as it folds
Peter Wolynes, the D.R. Bullard-Welch Foundation Professor of Science, professor of chemistry, of biochemistry and cell biology, of physics and astronomy and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
Chemical and Engineering News
http://bit.ly/2HCFB1O

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Analysis: Extracting oil from discovered Bahraini field would be first of its kind in world if successful
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Bahrain Mirror
http://bit.ly/2HBXZIm

‘Soonish’ selected as WSU Pullman’s 2018-19 common reading book
The book all first-year students at Washington State University will read is co-written by Kelly Weinersmith, adjunct faculty member in biosciences and the former Huxley Fellow in Ecology and Evolution at Rice.
Washington State University News 
http://bit.ly/2HFQiAY

The best hikes in Houston, Texas
James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Suzanne Deal Booth Centennial Pavilion is mentioned.
Jetsetter
http://bit.ly/2qMvhKW

30 years of Hindi at Bellaire High School, Holika Celebration a huge success
An article mentions that Arun Prakash helped establish Rice’s Hindi language program.
Indo American News
http://bit.ly/2HGlzDT

When a quartet violinist goes flat
An article mentions James Dunham, professor of viola and chamber music at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music, and Norman Fischer, the Herbert S. Autrey Professor of Cello.
SlippedDisc.com
http://bit.ly/2qLiM2d

Guinn Unger makes it onto primary ballot for state Senate seat
Alumnus Guinn Unger ’71 is running for a Colorado State Senate seat.
Durango Herald
http://bit.ly/2qLcEao

SPORTS

Cy Ranch, Cy Fair battling it out for district title
Rice baseball player Kel Bordwine is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2Jf1ba2

Memorial opens historic state tourney against McAllen
Rice’s women’s soccer signee Bella Killgore is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the April 20 print edition with a different headline, “Cinco Ranch keeps Katy ISD streak going.”)
http://bit.ly/2Jd7XN8
http://bit.ly/2J8qudJ

South Side Sox prospect vote: Round 14
Former Rice baseball player Jordan Stephens ’15 is featured and pictured.
SBNation
http://bit.ly/2qLnqxa

Beer and wine coming to University of Texas football games this fall
An article mentions that Rice football will face the University of Texas in Austin on Sept. 12.
Culture Map Austin
http://bit.ly/2vuHRn4

Steve Hummer: If Reed never takes off Masters green jacket, who’d really blame him?
Rice is mentioned.
The Virginian-Pilot (This article also appeared in the Bristol Herald Courier, Valdosta Daily Times and Monitor.)
http://bit.ly/2HDyYwd

Rams name new football coach
Former Rice head coach Ken Hatfield is mentioned.
The Leader
http://bit.ly/2vvzOqd

Houston football the right fit for Tennessee transfer Quinten Dormady
An article mentions that the Rice football team will play the University of Houston Aug. 31.
Saturday Blitz 
http://bit.ly/2HAgixl

Herman pleased with spring progress made by Texas o-line
Former Rice football player Calvin Anderson is mentioned.
247Sports.com
http://bit.ly/2HB1UFf

NEWS RELEASE

Discrepancy between health care spending and outcomes in focus at Rice’s Baker Institute April 25
Houston health care expert Elena Marks will speak at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy April 25 on the assumptions underlying the United States’ $3.3 trillion in annual health expenditures and explore why this huge cost fails to produce better health outcomes for Americans. In her presentation, Marks will make the case that Americans have confused health care with health, leading to the assumption that the more people invest in health care, the healthier they will be.
http://bit.ly/2JdgQGu