Dateline Rice for April 4, 2019

FEATURED ITEM

How JFK took the US to the moon
Douglas Brinkley, the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Professor in Humanities and author of “American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race,” authored an essay about President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 call to Congress to land a man on the moon.
The Wall Street Journal (Subscription is required.)
https://on.wsj.com/2FOicrt

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Why soft power is in style in Qatar
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
The New York Times (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in News Need News and Easy Branches World News.)
https://nyti.ms/2FQqgbb

The many roads to universal health care in the US
Hagop Kantarjian, a nonresident fellow in health policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, co-authored an op-ed in The Hill about the possibility of universal health care in the U.S. Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Center for Health and Biosciences, co-authored an op-ed with Kantarjian in the Houston Chronicle about rising drug prices in the U.S.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/2UdFr8l
Trump has a plan to reduce drug prices. Does it go far enough? [Opinion]
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the April 4 print edition, and it appeared in Medical Health News.)
http://bit.ly/2UfA48p

118 Qataris complete National Leadership Program
An article mentions that Rice is a partnering institution in Qatar’s National Leadership Program.
Gulf Times (This article also appeared in The Peninsula Qatar.)
http://bit.ly/2G1xglJ

Wearable devices allow direct communication by touch
Rice research that developed soft, wearable devices that allow direct touch-based communications from nearby robots, bypassing visual clutter and noise to quickly and clearly communicate to the user, is featured.
NASA Tech Briefs
http://bit.ly/2Ultb5T

New ‘blue-green’ solution for recycling world’s batteries
Rice research that developed an environmentally friendly way to extract valuable elements from lithium-ion batteries is featured.
National Science Foundation 
http://bit.ly/2Uk5niv

‘Better Angels’ to be screened in Houston campus, showcasing China-US ties
An article mentions that Rice’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association will co-host a screening of “Better Angels” April 4.
Xinhua
http://bit.ly/2UdQgHr

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Mike Pence to meet with ICE officials in Houston during Texas visit Friday
An article mentions that Vice President Mike Pence will speak on the political turmoil and economic crisis in Venezuela April 5 at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Texas Tribune (This article also appeared in The Eagle, KTSM Online, KSAT Online, MyHighPlains.com and Raw Story.)
http://bit.ly/2UhFv74
‘KPRC Channel 2 News at 6 p.m.’
KPRC-TV (Houston. This segment aired twice.)
http://bit.ly/2FVMOaC
VP Pence to visit Houston to be briefed on border security, give speech at Rice University
KPRC Click2Houston Online
http://bit.ly/2UerxCS

Why you didn’t get into the college you wanted
An article about college admissions cites Rice’s early decision and regular decision admission rates.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2UeJdOT

Preserving mid-century buildings one Instagram post at a time
Stephen Fox, lecturer of architecture, is quoted.
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2UhlP3a

Egg hunts, a musical, a history lesson: 14 things to do in the Bay Area in April and May
A Houston-area events roundup mentions that violinist Kevin Chan studies at Rice.
Community Impact Newspaper
http://bit.ly/2UgKh4N

Da Camera and guests explore the myth of Orpheus from Monteverdi to today
Kurt Stallmann, professor of composition and theory and director of Rice Electroacoustic Music Labs, is mentioned.
Texas Classical Review
http://bit.ly/2UiiAIy

Grit Grocery offers flexibility, freshness
Alumnus Dustin Windham ’15, who started Grit Grocery to bring fresh, local foods to Houston neighborhoods, is featured and pictured.
The Leader
http://bit.ly/2FQxJad

Houston high school students to test investment strategies at Rice business competition
The April 4-6 Rice Business Plan Competition at the Jones Graduate School of Business is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2FQdNnI

Appointments made to TSU Board of Regents
An article mentions that alumnus Jay Zeidman was appointed to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents.
Defender Network
http://bit.ly/2Uivc2m

SHS students attend German Career Day
Rice is mentioned.
Sealy News
http://bit.ly/2Uggn0o

BROADCAST

‘Red, White and Blue’
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, discusses Texas politics on a television broadcast, and he is quoted in Austin Business Journal.
Houston Public Media (This segment also aired twice on KUHT-TV in Houston.)
http://bit.ly/2Lr7Qzy
Texas considers making home sales prices public
Austin Business Journal
http://bit.ly/2FOPiY9

Deadly fire at Crosby chemical plant raises legal and safety questions
Rachel Meidl, fellow in energy and environment at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed by Houston Public Media about the recent chemical plant explosion in Crosby, Texas, and she is quoted in S&P Global Platts.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2UhUaiC
Washington state rail bill could put 150,000 barrels per day of Bakken oil shipments at risk
S&P Global Platts
http://bit.ly/2FMIkCY

‘Wake Up! with SallyMac & Lina’
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 interviewed about the possible effects of the Trump administration’s decision to cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in an effort to stem migration to the U.S.
KRIV-TV (Houston. This segment aired twice.)
http://bit.ly/2FP7JMd

Is Nicolas Maduro about to arrest the head of Venezuela’s opposition?
Erika De La Garza, program director of the Latin America Initiative at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed about Venezuela’s political crisis.
Talk Media News
http://bit.ly/2UhJgsU

‘CNN Right Now with Brianna Keilar’
A television broadcast about Mexico’s anti-immigration policies cites research by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
CNN
http://bit.ly/2FUcF2F

Studying the safety of self-driving cars
New research from Rice and Texas Tech University has found that drivers often fail to spot hazards missed by automated vehicles, and it only gets worse the longer drivers ride in them. Co-author Pat DeLucia, professor of psychological sciences, is quoted.
Texas Tech University Public Media (This segment also aired on KTTZ-FM in Lubbock, Texas.)
http://bit.ly/2FRuZta

Houston startup creates customized stories sent by mail
Graduate student Alex Kurkowski is featured in a television broadcast about his company Tellinga, which employs local college students to draw and send letters to customers.
Houston Public Media (This “Houston Matters” segment also aired twice on KUHF-FM in Houston.)
http://bit.ly/2FU9PL3

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

PAWR program completes 1st phase of advanced research testbed
An article mentions that the Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research in Salt Lake City, which will allow researchers to test everything from communications technology to autonomous vehicles, was a collaboration between the University of Utah and Rice’s Reconfigurable Ecosystem for Next-gen End-to-end Wireless program.
Fierce Wireless
http://bit.ly/2FVvceG

Bias and belief in meritocracy in AI and engineering
An article co-authored by Erin Cech mentions that she formerly taught at Rice.
The London School of Economics and Political Science
http://bit.ly/2UexRdG

$21 million team of Goldman lifers leave for UBS in Dallas
Alumnus Cullen Thomason is featured.
AdvisorHub
http://bit.ly/2UgprSX

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

CRISPR crisis: China wants to protect its genetic engineering reputation
An article about gene editing in humans mentions Michael Deem, the John W. Cox Professor of Biochemical and Genetic Engineering and a professor of physics and astronomy, and that He Jiankui, the Chinese scientist who claimed he produced the first genetically engineered twins, attended Rice.
Milbank Monitor
http://bit.ly/2UdvM1z

Professor among SIAM distinguished class of 2019 fellows
Alumnus Juan Meza is featured and pictured.
UC Merced University News
http://bit.ly/2UijJjq

Family reunites following father’s deployment to Afghanistan
Alumnus Moses Scheinfeld is featured and pictured.
Jewish Journal
http://bit.ly/2UljC6Z

SPORTS

Golden Nuggets: Pre-draft visit updates, 3 weeks to go
A pair of articles mention Rice football player Jack Fox and that Rice recently hosted an NFL Pro Day.
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/2FNIxWu
Source: 49ers will meet with 2 special teams prospects this week
NBCSports.com (This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2FVPt3M

Jon Duplantier delivered the hits in his D-backs debut
Former Rice baseball player Jon Duplantier is featured.
Fangraphs
http://bit.ly/2I1yYXw

Covington continues long involvement with Sunshine Kids
Former Rice football player Christian Covington is featured.
KPRC Click2Houston Online
http://bit.ly/2FNVsrw
Cowboys free agency signings for 2019
247Sports.com
http://bit.ly/2FNc8zm

NEWS RELEASES

Venezuela expert from Baker Institute available for interviews on latest developments
On Friday, Vice President Mike Pence will visit Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy to deliver remarks regarding the Trump administration’s policy on Venezuela. Francisco Monaldi, who was born in Venezuela and is the fellow in Latin American energy policy at the Baker Institute, is available to discuss with the news media the latest political developments in the country and what they mean for the United States and Houston.
http://bit.ly/2FOCuB9

Rice U. students focus on floods
When heavy rains come, as they inevitably do, it will be helpful for homeowners to know when a surge of floodwater is heading their way. A team of senior engineering students at Rice is working to make that technology real. They are developing a real-time, web-enabled system to monitor flood levels throughout a municipality like Houston, which has suffered three damaging floods in recent years, punctuated by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.
http://bit.ly/2FQQB93