Dateline Rice for April 1, 2021

dateline rice

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Chip delivers COVID-19 test results on a phone
An article features Rice research that developed a microfluidic chip measuring the concentration of protein biomarkers for COVID-19 in blood serum from a standard finger prick. It delivers results on a smartphone in less than an hour. Co-author Peter Lillehoj, associate professor and the Shankle Chair in Mechanical Engineering, is quoted.
National Science Foundation (This was also featured in the NSF's March "Research News Highlights" newsletter.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-lillehoj

Semana Santa losses: Travel ban impacts border business for second year, but this time it's different

An article cites a study by Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy into the lack of spending by Mexican nationals in nine U.S. border counties caused by COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Yahoo! News (This article originally appeared in the Valley Morning Star.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-baker-study

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Rice University will expand its enrollment: Why other elites should follow suit
An article and broadcast detail Rice's plans to expand its student body by 20% by 2025, which will include a 12th residential college, a new engineering building, a building for the visual and dramatic arts and a new student center. President David Leebron is quoted in two articles, and he is featured in a Q&A by the Houston Business Journal.
Forbes
http://dateline.rice/april-1-leebron


Rice University rises with plan to significantly grow student body
Innovation Map
http://dateline.rice/april-1-leebron

Rice University to incorporate past expansion experience, new diversity goals into growth plans
Houston Business Journal
http://dateline.rice/april-1-leebron

This cannibal shows selfishness evolves
Rice research on insects has revealed that less selfish behavior evolved under living conditions that forced individuals to interact more frequently with siblings. Co-author Volker Rudolf, professor of biosciences, is quoted.
Futurity (This article was featured in the Futurity Today newsletter and was included in yesterday's edition of Dateline.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-rudolf

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Opinion: Texans want winterization of utilities, study finds. Elected officials must act to prevent another disaster.

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, co-authored an op-ed about his collaborative research.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This op-ed also appeared in the April 1 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-jones

10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events online in April ​
A roundup features the Rice Business Plan Competition at Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business, which runs April 6-9.
InnovationMap
http://dateline.rice/april-1-rbpc

To-do list: 12 April events, exhibits and more in Bellaire-Meyerland-West University
A roundup features the April 14 webinar "Planet Now! Conversation in Environmental Studies" hosted by Rice's School of Humanities' Center for Environmental Studies, and the April 28 webinar "The Red Book of Houston: An Early 20th Century Black Proclamation."
Community Impact Newspaper (This article also appeared in the print and digital editions of the April 1-30 Bellaire/Meyerland/West University edition.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-rice-webinars

Journal Profile: Bret Biggart overcame addiction, other obstacles to lead booming Freedom Solar
Alumnus Bret Biggart is featured.
Austin Business Journal
http://dateline.rice/april-1-biggart

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics announces Class of 2021 Fellows
An article features Beatrice Riviere, the Noah Harding Chair and Professor of Computational and Applied Mathematics, who has been named a Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics fellow for 2021 for her contributions in numerical analysis, scientific computing and modeling of porous media.
HPCWire
http://dateline.rice/april-1-riviere

Full circle: How corals survive on the waste of their predators
An article features Rice research that found coral predators' feces are jam-packed with living algae corals depend on for survival, an unexpected twist on coral reef symbiosis. Co-authors Adrienne Correa, assistant professor of biosciences, and graduate student Carsten Grupstra are quoted.
World Economic Forum
http://dateline.rice/april-1-correa

Parents' political beliefs may influence kids' education
Whether parents prefer a conformance-oriented or independence-oriented supplemental education program for their children depends on political ideology, according to a collaborative study of more than 8,500 American parents by co-author Vikas Mittal, a professor of marketing at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business.
Moms.com
http://dateline.rice/april-1-mittal

Venezuelan oil sanctions crossroads could come amid summer dearth of diesel
Francisco Monaldi, fellow in Latin American energy policy at the Center for Energy Studies, the Center for the United States and Mexico and the Latin America Initiative at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and a lecturer in energy economics at Rice, is quoted.
Hellenic Shipping News
http://dateline.rice/april-1-monaldi

Andrés Orozco-Estrada returns to Houston close out the 2020-21 season
An article mentions that the Houston Symphony Orchestra held a free concert at Rice's Stude Concert Hall following Hurricane Harvey.
Broadway World
http://dateline.rice/april-1-bw

Oracle streamlines the cloud migration process, with new Oracle Cloud Lift release
Rice is mentioned.
ITP.net (This article also appeared in ITWire.com and AIThority.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-itp

Texas illicit medical cannabis use survey results
An article features a study by Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy that found 61% of respondents in Texas who self-identified as medical marijuana consumers have used it to replace prescription medications.
Hemp Gazette (This article also appeared in High Times.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-bipp

Mexico’s electricity reform may be strategy to force power sector renegotiations — panel
An article features the March 30 webinar "Power Games: Examining Mexico's New Electricity Industry Law" hosted by the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
BNamericas (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-bipp

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Candidates for Longmeadow School Committee introduce themselves to voters
An article featuring Zach Verriden mentions that he has a business certificate in Educational Entrepreneurship from Rice.
The Reminder
http://dateline.rice/april-1-tr

Framingham schools announces two finalists for director of multilingual education
Alumnus Aradhana Mudambi is featured.
Framingham Source
http://dateline.rice/april-1-mudambi

SPORTS

No. 24 Rice's Nicole Lennon crowned Player of the Year, volleyball All-Conference awards announced
An article features Rice volleyball player Nicole Lennon, who was named Conference USA's Player of the Year for the second time in her career. Teammate Carly Graham was named C-USA's Setter of the Year. The second Conference USA article mentions that Lennon and Graham were named to C-USA's All-Academic Team. Graham is also featured in a roundup by the Houston Chronicle. Additional articles mention that the Owls will face Middle Tennessee State University in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament April 1.
Conference USA (Similar articles also appeared in WKU Athletics and Bowling Green Daily News.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-lennon-graham


VB: C-USA announces All-Academic Team
Conference USA
http://dateline.rice/april-1-lennon-graham


ALUMNI NOTEBOOK: Unusual volleyball season winding down for local players
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in more than 25 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-hc-graham
http://dateline.rice/april-1-chron-graham


WKU set to begin C-USA Tournament
Bowling Green Daily News
http://dateline.rice/april-1-bgdn


Tourneys begin as leagues vie for coveted NCAA spots: A conference-by-conference breakdown
VolleyballMag.com
http://dateline.rice/april-1-vm

Prep sports notebook: Kevin Listerman joins father on list of coaches with 9th Region championships
A roundup features Rice basketball player Lauren Schwartz following the Owls' Women’s National Invitation Tournament championship, the first such title in school history.
Northern Kentucky Tribune
http://dateline.rice/april-1-schwartz

'13 Eyewitness News'
A television news story mentions the late Blain Padgett, a former Rice football player.
KTRK-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-padgett

Miner soccer to host North Texas on Senior Night Friday
An article mentions that Rice's soccer team is slated to play the University of Texas at El Paso April 8.
El Paso Herald-Post
http://dateline.rice/april-1-ephp

No. 5 volleyball preview: TCU
An article mentions that Rice's volleyball team defeated the University of Texas at Austin last week.
TexasSports.com
http://dateline.rice/april-1-ts

Add Chad Morris to the list of notable TXHSFB coaches who left for college jobs, then returned to the high school level
Former Rice head football coach Todd Graham is featured.
The Dallas Morning News
http://dateline.rice/april-1-tdmn

College notes: North Central College’s Connor Riss won a race in his first meet of the indoor season. The Grayslake North graduate is back.
Former Rice basketball player Drew Peterson is mentioned.
Chicago Tribune
http://dateline.rice/april-1-ct

McLean and Cougars reach 1st Final Four since 1984
An article mentions a 2012 basketball game between Rice and the University of Houston.
The Tribune (A similar article also appeared in Powerline Blog.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-trib

Matt Malatesta's Class of 2022 Super 60 1.0; 41-50
Former Rice football player Bert Emanuel is mentioned.
Click2Houston
http://dateline.rice/april-1-emanuel

Series preview: MT returns home for series vs. Rice
An article mentions that Rice's baseball team is slated to play Middle Tennessee State University April 1-3.
GoBlueRaiders.com
http://dateline.rice/april-1-gbr

Breaking down the return of WAC football
An article mentions that Rice's football team was once a member of the Western Athletic Conference.
FanSided
http://dateline.rice/april-1-wac

Alabama to add Drew Svoboda to coaching staff
An article features former Rice assistant football coach Drew Svoboda.
Rivals' Bama Insider (Similar articles also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/april-1-rbi

NEWS RELEASES

What’s in a name? A hurdle for human development research, experts say
Scientists are struggling with public misconceptions on what embryoids are and what research on them entails, confusion that leads to policy decisions restricting access to important scientific exploration, according to a new paper by experts at Rice — who blame the use of terms like synthetic or artificial embryos to describe them.
http://dateline.rice/april-1-news-release-matthews-wagner-warmflash

Rice adds operations research major
Rice's Brown School of Engineering will offer a new major and bachelor of arts degree, operations research, within the Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics beginning this fall. The program will provide "an education that emphasizes models for decision-making in complex systems, and tools for making the best possible decisions," according to the proposal.
http://dateline.rice/april-1-news-release-op-research-degree

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