Dateline Rice for May 8, 2018

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

NASA testing commercial planes that will quietly break sound barrier
NASA will be testing flights in November off the shores of Galveston to prove that quiet supersonic commercial travel is possible. George Abbey, the Baker Botts Senior Fellow in Space Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Fox News (This article also appeared in ZlotoNews.)
https://fxn.ws/2KJD3Om

Qatar eyes stake in Newsmax
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article about the Qatari government’s move to acquire a conservative news outlet.
Politico
https://politi.co/2rsHXq8

Free textbooks? Federal government is on track with a pilot program
An article exploring the growing acceptance of low-cost textbook options for college students mentions OpenStax, a Rice-based publisher of open educational resources.
Washington Post (Subscription is required.)
https://wapo.st/2rrJ6yb

Social context changes how disease spreads
“Patient zero” isn’t entirely to blame when an infection takes root in a population. According to Rice scientists, social context in the community has a lot to do with how a disease spreads. Julia Saltz, assistant professor of biosciences, is mentioned. Nick Keiser, a Rice Academy postdoctoral fellow in the Department of BioSciences, is quoted.
Futurity (This article appeared in more than 15 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2rrEeZK

Em parceria com a Rice University, Hospital de Amor realiza evento de biotecnologia em Barretos
President David Leebron is quoted in an article about Rice’s partnership with Hospital de Amor in Brazil, which will hold its first “Hackathon Challenge.” Panelists from Rice, who will discuss topics focused on urban and environmental health, community health and chronic diseases, include Kathy Ensor, the Noah G. Harding Professor of Statistics and director of Rice’s Kinder Institute Urban Data Platform; Christopher Fagundes, assistant professor of psychology; Ashok Veeraraghavan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; Doug Schuler, associate professor of business and public policy at the Jones Graduate School of Business; Tomasz Tkaczyk, associate professor of bioengineering; graduate student Annika Evans; Mikki Hebl, the Martha and Henry Malcolm Lovett Chair of Psychology in the School of Social Sciences; and Maria Oden, a full teaching professor in bioengineering.
Jornal Dia Dia (An English-language version is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2rr6MCQ

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Gallery: Notable 2018 commencement speakers in Texas
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who will speak at Rice’s commencement May 12, is pictured in a slideshow.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2KJYm20

Gov. Abbott OKs Aug. 25 for Harris County flood control bond election
An article cites a Rice study that found less than 10 percent of Houston-area residents suffered serious damage to their homes during Hurricane Harvey, and almost 49 percent of those surveyed did not support an increase in property taxes to pay for flood control projects.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared on the front page of the May 8 print edition with a different headline, “Abbott OKs Aug. 25 vote on flood control bond.”)
http://bit.ly/2ryS6Sf
http://bit.ly/2HXAr1o

The Jung Center opens The Mind, Body, Spirit Institute
Alumnus Alejandro Chaoul ’99 is featured and pictured.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2KJXrPd
http://bit.ly/2KLJFf6

2 Democrats looking to flip Travis County state legislative seat
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 about a Travis County Texas House seat and an article about the expectations of the May 11 debate between Democratic gubernatorial runoff candidates Lupe Valdez and Andrew White.
Austin American-Statesman (Subscription is required.)
https://atxne.ws/2K3LfaK
Democratic candidates for Governor agree to a debate
WOAI.iheart.com
https://ihr.fm/2KLd6Or

Bike deaths have Rice University students taking a stand against deadly intersection
A PaperCity article about the intersection where a fatal bicycle accident recently occurred quotes graduate students Mary Natoli and Cat Majors. Marjorie Corcoran, a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice who was killed Feb. 3, 2017, in a train-cyclist accident, is mentioned. Natoli is also quoted in coverage by the Epoch Times and Corcoran is mentioned in an essay from the Houston Chronicle.
PaperCity (This article also appeared on Click2Houston.)
http://bit.ly/2ruMxUH
Students demand safer traveling for bicyclists near Rice University
The Epoch Times
http://bit.ly/2rtq0aF
Houston is running out of ghost bikes [Essay]
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2HXSXXu

The best concerts in Houston history (so far)
A caption mentions Pink Floyd’s concert at Rice Stadium in 1994.
Beaumont Enterprise
http://bit.ly/2HYoTer

Safe red no more. Hillary transformed the political landscape in Texas
Alumna Allison Lami Sawyer ’10 is featured and pictured. Sawyer, the Democratic nominee for Houston’s 134th District seat in the Texas House of Representatives, will challenge Republican incumbent Sarah Davis.
Daily Kos
http://bit.ly/2KMjLrp

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Study: Reflecting on possessions can curb people’s impulse buying
According to a study from Rice researchers, reflecting on recently used possessions lowered a person’s willingness to pay for new items by about 14 percent compared with the control condition. Utpal Dholakia, the George R. Brown Professor of Marketing at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted. Graduate students Jihye Jung and Nivriti Chowdhry are mentioned.
Phys.Org (This article also appeared in Science Codex, Guy Counseling, Science Magazine, Health Medicine Network and the Jersey Tribune.)
http://bit.ly/2I0QJ9S

Researchers create new 2D material, possible game changer for solar fuel generation
An international team led by scientists from Rice has created a two-dimensional material that the researchers said could be a game changer for solar fuel generation. Rice materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan, chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and a professor of chemistry, and former postdoctoral researcher Chandra Sekhar Tiwary are quoted.
R & D Magazine (Similar articles appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2KLL594

How Rice University researchers are tuning biosensors of inflammation
An article mentions that synthetic biologists at Rice have figured out how to tune naturally occurring bacterial biosensors to detect clinically relevant levels of target molecules.
Biocentury
http://bit.ly/2HW3sdS

Swedroe: Different types of skill
Findings by co-authors Alan Crane and Kevin Crotty, assistant professors of finance at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, are detailed in an article.
ETF.com
http://bit.ly/2ryUtV9

Gallenene grows on silicon
An article mentions a research paper from Rice titled “Atomically Thin Gallium Layers From Solid-melt Exfoliation.”
Nanotechweb.org
http://bit.ly/2rvayef

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

In Mexico, a scramble to stop presidential frontrunner López Obrador
Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and director of the institute’s Mexico Center, is quoted in an article about the political forces attempting to prevent the left-leaning nationalist reformer Andrés Manuel López Obrador from sweeping the July 1 presidential elections in Mexico.
NMPolitics.net
http://bit.ly/2rsxxqr

Faculty forum addresses leadership, engagement, well-being
Richard Tapia, University Professor and the Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering and a professor of computational and applied mathematics, will participate in a forum at Tulane.
News from Tulane
http://bit.ly/2HZtsoO

Facial recognition market 2018 global size, segments, regional study, growth and trends forecast to 2022
An article mentions that IBM Corporation has partnered with Rice to develop elder-care robots that can assist seniors who reside alone.
KFBB.com (This article appeared in 15 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2ruibl4

Schedule sports physicals this spring in preparation for fall sports
An article quotes John Higgins, the sports cardiologist for Rice.
HealthNewsDigest.com
http://bit.ly/2KKja9C

From global warming to real science: New leadership at NASA can restore its purpose
President John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech” given at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is mentioned.
PJMedia.com
http://bit.ly/2KGnabb

Esposito receives honorable mention in Goldwater competition
Rice is listed as one of the universities that had students who received an honorable mention for a Goldwater Scholarship. (Editor’s note: Rice also had three students who were awarded a Goldwater Scholarship this year.) .
The Amarillo Pioneer 
http://bit.ly/2rq2QCj

Annual ice cream social set for Monday
An article mentions that Gina Mathew will attend Rice.
The Morning Sun
http://bit.ly/2KJ9pJ3

SPORTS

SAISD Hall of Fame selection ‘special’ for 2-time Super Bowl champ Grant
Former Rice football player and alumnus Darryl Grant ’81 is featured and pictured. Former Rice head football coach Ray Alborn is mentioned.
KENS5.com
http://bit.ly/2rrP6qJ

2018 DI women’s tennis championship field unveiled
Rice women’s head tennis coach Elizabeth Schmidt is quoted.
NCAA.com
https://on.ncaa.com/2rmQFWK

Rice baseball flashes improvements in recent games
An article that recaps recent Rice baseball games mentions players Ford Proctor, Ryan Chandler, Braden Comeaux, Trei Cruz and Andrew Dunlap.
The Daily News
http://bit.ly/2KJwA5P

Kirby strikes out 13, UTSA shuts out Rice
Rice posted a loss in the Conference USA series finale against University of Texas at San Antonio May 6.
UTSA Athletics
http://bit.ly/2KKvPtp

Lions shut out Bearkats 6-0, hand Sam Houston State first SLC series loss
Rice baseball will play an away game at Sam Houston State University May 8.
Huntsville Item
http://bit.ly/2KM8QhC

In Year 2, Tom Herman focused on ending Texas’ decade of losing
Former Rice football player Calvin Johnson is mentioned in several articles.
ESPN
https://es.pn/2I3AjgP
5 things that need to happen for Texas to win Big 12 in 2018
DieHards
http://bit.ly/2rtAozg
Tre Watson will provide versatility and experience for Texas RB corps
Burnt Orange Nation (This article also appeared in Hook ‘Em Headlines.)
http://bit.ly/2rscp3F
Ranking the players on Texas’ roster, Nos. 25-21: Will TE Andrew Beck become a threat in the passing game?
SportsDay Dallas
http://bit.ly/2rsXLJq
Tom Herman continues to effectively manage Texas roster
247Sports.com
http://bit.ly/2rsKBvX

Texas to light the UT Tower on Monday night after Longhorns sweep Big 12 tennis tournaments
Rice is mentioned.
Hookem.com
http://bit.ly/2ryelrs

Wake Forest adds Rice transfer Miles Lester to hoop program
Former Rice basketball player Miles Lester is mentioned.
Gwinnett Prep Sports
http://bit.ly/2ruvvGj

Meet the rookies: Marcus Davenport
Rice is mentioned.
NewOrleansSaints.com
http://bit.ly/2rt1kzj

Houston Texans’ 2018 draft ranking is very low
Rice football player Justin Bickham is pictured.
Meyerland Patch
http://bit.ly/2rq1bN5

Texas A&M grad transfer commits to South Carolina
Former Rice football player J.T. Ibe is mentioned.
TheState.com
http://bit.ly/2I0VLTA

Samanani sets a good example for PoMo Blues
Ziyana Samanani, who will play soccer for Rice, is featured and pictured.
The Tri-City News
http://bit.ly/2rs7WxF

NEWS RELEASES

Theory for one type of superconductor solves puzzle in another
A 2017 theory proposed by Rice University physicists to explain the contradictory behavior of an iron-based high-temperature superconductor is helping solve a puzzle in a different type of unconventional superconductor, the “heavy fermion” compound known as CeCu2Si2.
http://bit.ly/2I38wNx

Baker Institute expert: Trump ‘has a range of options’ on Iran
President Donald Trump will announce his decision on whether the United States will pull out of the Iran nuclear accord at 2 p.m. EDT today. “President Trump appears inclined to have the United States withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement,” said Joe Barnes, a foreign-policy expert and the Bonner Means Baker Fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Barnes is available to discuss Trump’s announcement and its implications with the media.
http://bit.ly/2HZsoBp