Dateline Rice for May 23, 2018

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

The best career advice from this year’s graduation speeches
Michael Bloomberg’s commencement speech at Rice is cited.
Washington Post (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Chicago Tribune and the Virginian-Pilot.)
https://wapo.st/2scX33t

The man for the moment?
President David Leebron is quoted in an article about growing disillusionment with higher education in Washington, D.C., and the tax on university endowments.
Harvard Crimson
http://bit.ly/2J3LPsn

Lupe Valdez makes history in Texas by winning Democratic nod for governor
Due to the strength of the Republican party in Texas, Democrat Lupe Valdez becoming the first Latina and openly gay person to win a major party’s nomination for Texas governor is mostly a symbolic victory, 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. Jones is also quoted in several other articles and broadcasts about primary elections in Texas as well as Gov. Greg Abbott’s first of three roundtable discussions following the recent school shooting in Santa Fe. Jones is quoted in the second Houston Chronicle article about Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo’s social media conflict with the National Rifle Association. Istoé Dinheiro quotes Jones in an article about economic concerns facing Argentina.
MSN (This article also appeared in the Huffington Post and CETUSNews.com.)
http://bit.ly/2J3SQcH
Valdez wins tight race to become first Latina, first lesbian to win major party nod for governor
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News.)
http://bit.ly/2Lj27fj
Establishment-backed moderate wins heated Democratic House primary in Texas
Huffington Post
http://bit.ly/2Lr0Pi6
Progressives, including Sanders, see primaries as testing ground
VTDigger.org
http://bit.ly/2LpJcPW   
‘Fox 26 News at 9’
KRIV-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2KP6VYT (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
‘Fox 26: The News Edge at 10 p.m.’
KRIV-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2GIcRjT (Click on the video button to watch the broadcast.)
KRLD-AM (Dallas)
http://bit.ly/2KOPQho (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)
“Fox 26 News at 9”
KRIV-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2KP6VYT (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
Conservative Republicans back Donna Davidson in race against libertarian-leaning Mike Toth
Texas Insider
http://bit.ly/2J5udwp
Gov. Abbott convenes first roundtable on school safety after Santa Fe shooting
KUT (This article also appeared on KERA News.)
http://bit.ly/2IVqJMT
KUT-AM (Austin)
http://bit.ly/2LqiC9u (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast. This segment also aired on WBFO-FM Buffalo, WDDE-FM Philadelphia and WBUR-FM Boston.)
Chief Art Acevedo battles NRA in heated exchanges after Santa Fe massacre
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in Governing.)
http://bit.ly/2KOMXx1
Roy Exum: Please don’t get numb
The Chattanoogan
http://bit.ly/2IZtqNk
Alívio temporário
Istoé Dinheiro (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2x9EoLE

Will the US push Venezuela into the abyss?
Francisco J. Monaldi, fellow in Latin American energy policy at the Center for Energy Studies, the Mexico Center and the Latin America Initiative at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and a lecturer in energy economics at Rice, is quoted.
Yahoo! News (This article also appeared in OilPrice.com.)
https://yhoo.it/2J21Z5u

Saudi arrests drive home message: Change comes from the top
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Capital News (This article also appeared in NDTV.)
http://bit.ly/2LnBNR9

HOUSTON/TEXAS

When it comes to data on addiction treatment, details in Harris County are murky
Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell III Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article discussing a paper she co-authored that determined that there is a serious lack of data on treatment centers in Harris County because they are often separated from other types of medical care and unregulated.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2KMYmxt

John Reale: Not getting HQ2 is one of the greatest things for Houston
An article about Houston’s endeavor to become a destination for high-tech startups and venture capital mentions the Houston innovation district that is being created on property owned by Rice Management Co.
Houston Business Journal (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2GJHPYI

Buc-ee’s wins federal court trademark fight against competitor Choke Canyon
The origin of Rice’s name is featured in a slideshow.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2KMRqQX
http://bit.ly/2LlGDhC

NAFTA renegotiation and climate change policy take center stage at UH Law Center’s North American energy symposium
Miriam Grunstein, contributing expert and scholar in the Mexico Center at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, participated in a panel discussion on North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation and energy at the University of Houston Law Center.
University of Houston Law Center
http://bit.ly/2KLb0xa

BROADCAST

Is it time to reconsider the 14-day rule on studying human embryos?
Scientists still do not know much about the earliest days of human development, due in part to embryonic research guidelines preventing research on embryonic stem cells beyond the 14th day. Aryeh Warmflash, assistant professor of biosciences, and Kirstin Matthews, a fellow in science and technology policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, participate in a discussion on “Houston Matters” about the origin of these guidelines and ethical questions that may arise if they are changed.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2GGTtnb
Full show: Primary election runoff day, and hurricane season preparedness
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2GI2Va6 (Segment begins at the 13:16 mark.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Magnesium magnificent for plasmonic applications
Rice researchers have synthesized and isolated plasmonic magnesium nanoparticles that show all the promise of their gold, silver and aluminum cousins with none of the drawbacks. Emilie Ringe, assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering and of chemistry, is quoted. Rice postdoctoral fellow Sadegh Yazdi is mentioned.
Phys.org (This article also appeared in AZoNano, R&D Magazine and Nanotechnology Now.)
http://bit.ly/2IBv3S1

Computer science Ph.D. rankings
A roundup of the best computer science programs in the nation mentions Rice.
Boston Commons
http://bit.ly/2KOyYaO

Energy boon makes US a ‘credible threat’
Kenneth Medlock, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
EENews.net
http://bit.ly/2KOkxnb

EchoNous hires 2 top machine learning scientists
An article featuring Allen Lu mentions that he attended Rice.
Medical Product Outsourcing
http://bit.ly/2KK6Sxh

ASCO 2018: Discovering the promise of precision medicine
John Mendelsohn, the L.E. and Virginia Simmons Fellow in health and technology policy, will receive the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Oncology Times
http://bit.ly/2GIgCWw

Other materials stories that may be of interest
Rice research is mentioned.
The American Ceramics Society
https://bit.ly/2ICjGZU (Scroll down to the “Other stories” section.)

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Skripals may be kept in UK against their will – Russian Foreign Ministry
James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and a professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
RT
http://bit.ly/2KOY9Kk

YIMBYs exposed: The techies hawking free market ‘solutions’ to the nation’s housing crisis
Bill Fulton, director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted in an article about balancing increasing housing density with market-rate prices.
In These Times
http://bit.ly/2LnyMjK

The mephitic breath of global warming: PM2.5 as hyperobject
Timothy Morton, the Rita Shea Guffey Chair in English, is quoted.
The Korea Herald (This article also appeared in Nave News.)
http://bit.ly/2LoK9bh

Guns in Chicago just ‘2.5 handshakes’ away
An article mentions that Elizabeth Roberto, an assistant professor of sociology, is a co-author of a study.
Newswise.com
http://bit.ly/2Llg8sJ

A plan to pay it forward, each step of the way
Rice is mentioned.
Harvard Gazette
http://bit.ly/2LnFuGj

When did prayer to Jesus begin?
Rice is mentioned.
Patheos
http://bit.ly/2J2a2zi

A Christian approach to psychedelics
Jeffrey J. Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice, is quoted.
Taking on Issues (This article also appeared in The American Conservative Online and The World News.) 
http://bit.ly/2Lqm1VG

Reporter’s notebook
An article mentions OpenStax, a Rice-based publisher of open educational resources.
Community College Daily
http://bit.ly/2LmDBtE

SPORTS

Rice on mission for Wayne Graham at C-USA baseball tournament
Seventh-seeded Rice was scheduled to play No. 2 seed Louisiana Tech May 23 in the first round of the Conference USA baseball tournament. Rice head coach Wayne Graham is pictured in a Houston Chronicle article, featured in a Sun Herald article and mentioned in an article by WDAM. Rice baseball players Braden Comeaux and Chace Sarchet are quoted, and Matt Canterino and Ford Proctor are mentioned in the Houston Chronicle article. Canterino is mentioned in an SWIowa News Source article.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2LnO08g
Rice’s Hall of Fame coach is reluctantly retiring. Don’t expect him to go quietly in Biloxi
The Sun Herald
http://bit.ly/2J5S6E5
USM voted four of C-USA’s top baseball honors
WDAM
http://bit.ly/2J3PE0H
Diamond ‘Dogs set to face Rice to open C-USA tournament
SWIowaNewsSource.com (This article appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2KLUCMU

Colorado’s Sports Information wins FWAA’s Super 11
An article about the Football Writers Association of America’s “Super 11” awards mentions that Rice was among one of 11 recipients.
RalphieReport.com
http://bit.ly/2Los6Sx

NEWS RELEASE

Baker Institute expert: More financial regulation ‘not always better’
While some degree of regulation can help improve financial stability, complex and overlapping regulations can actually cause banks to increase their risk-taking activities, according to an expert in the Center for Public Finance at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Thomas Hogan, a fellow in public finance at the Baker Institute, outlined his insights in a new issue brief, “Strong, Simple Regulations Promote Financial Stability.”
http://bit.ly/2J2dUA7