Dateline Rice for March 29, 2023

FEATURED ITEMS

DNA confirms oral history of Swahili people
A new genetic study of medieval people who lived along the Indian Ocean coast of eastern Africa — an area often called the “Swahili coast” for its language and culture — revealed that they had both African and Persian ancestry. The results suggest that maritime trade connections long recognized by archaeologists based on imported goods and architectural influences fostered relationships between Asian merchants and African traders and their families. Jeffrey Fleisher, a professor of anthropology who co-authored the study, is quoted.
The New York Times (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-fleisher
University of York: Ancient DNA finds Asian ancestry in east Africans
The Press
http://dateline.rice/march-29-ancient-dna

Scientists create protective coating for fruit and veggies to make them last longer
Muhammad Rahman, assistant research professor in materials science and nanoengineering, is featured.
KTVU Online (Similar articles appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-rahman
‘Fox 2 News Morning’
WJBK-TV (Detroit; similar segments aired more than 50 times on more than 30 other TV stations around the country.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-coating

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

A long-term deal to raise the US debt ceiling is looking unlikely
John Diamond, the Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and director of its Center for Public Finance, is quoted.
BNN Bloomberg (This article also appeared in Bloomberg’s BQ Prime and in Investing.com and Today’s News Post.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-diamond

Mideast challenges mount for US as its forces come under renewed fire
Yasmine Farouk, nonresident fellow in the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East, is quoted.
The Wall Street Journal (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in Beast Watch News.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-farouk

Is Israel’s far-right government jeopardizing Emirati ties?
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Al Jazeera (This article also appeared in Times of News, Welcome to Naijamerit, DNyuz and Loveable Vibes.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-ulrichsen

Incumbent governors on track for victory in Argentina’s lithium and copper belt provinces: Jujuy, Salta and San Juan
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science and fellow in political science at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an article and is quoted in several others. He and Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science and fellow in urban politics at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, are quoted in a Houston Press article about the Houston mayoral race. Stein is also quoted in a KTRK story about candidates to potentially replace Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in Congress should she become mayor.
Forbes (This article also appeared in EIN News and Breaking Flash News.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-jones-1
Potential candidates eye Sheila Jackson Lee's seat in Congress after she announces run for mayor
KHOU Online
http://dateline.rice/march-29-jones-2
Houston's upcoming mayoral race is anything but a straight shot
Houston Press
http://dateline.rice/march-29-jones-stein
Experts break down how Houston's mayoral job comes with unique amount of power
KTRK Online (This article also appeared in Naija On Point.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-stein
'13 Eyewitness News at 4 p.m.’
KTRK-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-stein-2
Silence during Donald Trump's rally hints at huge DeSantis problem
Beast Watch News (This Newsweek article appeared in a previous edition of Dateline.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-jones

Upgraded tumor model optimizes search for cancer therapies
Rice research that found that the body’s immune response can make tumor cells more resistant to chemotherapy is featured. Antonios Mikos, the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of the Center for Excellence in Tissue Engineering and the J.W. Cox Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, and alumnus Letitia Chim are quoted.
Futurity (This article was featured in the Futurity Today newsletter March 29.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-mikos-chim

‘He’s done a great job’: Youngkin praises would-be rivals
Alumnus Glenn Youngkin, governor of Virginia, is featured.
Politico (This article also appeared in Newsbreak.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-youngkin

HOUSTON/TEXAS

More than $30K of taxpayers' money, 220 hours spent on single Spring Branch ISD book ban, docs show
Jeanette Sewell, database and metadata management coordinator at Fondren Library, is quoted.
KTRK Online (This article also appeared in Naija On Point.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-sewell

Four of the happiest colleges in the United States are in Texas, report says
An article mentions that Rice is ranked No. 88 on Resume.io’s list of the happiest universities in the country.
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-rice-is-happy

Third Ward’s historic Eldorado Building reopens after $9.7 million restoration
Late alumnus Lenard Gabert, who designed the Eldorado Ballroom, is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-gabert

‘The Oldest Boy,’ ‘Silent Twins,’ Bowie tribute among critics’ picks
Articles mention that “The Silent Twins” will be screened March 31 at Rice Cinema.
Houston Chronicle
http://dateline.rice/march-29-rice-cinema-1
‘Dungeons & Dragons,’ ‘A Thousand and One’ top new film releases
Houston Chronicle
http://dateline.rice/march-29-rice-cinema-2

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Texas & Louisiana People News: April 2023
The hiring of Lane Martin as director of the Rice Advanced Materials Institute and Welch Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering in the George R. Brown School of Engineering is featured.
Engineering News-Record
http://dateline.rice/march-29-martin

An alternative to copper that’s less carbon-intensive?
An article mentions that DexMat, which commercializes materials science technology, was founded on Rice research.
GreenBiz (This article also appeared in EcoTopical.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-dexmat

‘Field Guide to North American Flycatchers’
A book review features “Field Guide to North American Flycatchers,” authored by Cin-Ty Lee, the Harry Carothers Wiess Professor of Geology and chair of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences.
Birding Wire
http://dateline.rice/march-29-lee

Cantor Rebecca Garfein will succeed Cantor Joel Colman at Temple Sinai
Alumnus Rebecca Garfein is featured.
Crescent City Jewish News
http://dateline.rice/march-29-garfein

Brian Armstrong — Portrait du dirigeant de Coinbase et homme d’affaires engagé
Alumnus Brian Armstrong is featured.
Coin Academy (An English translation is not available.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-armstrong

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Shepherd School presents 'L’incoronazione di Poppea' opera
The Shepherd School of Music’s Opera and Chamber Orchestra performances of “L’incoronazione di Poppea” set for April 14 and 16 at Brockman Hall for Opera’s Morrison Theater are featured.
Mirage
http://dateline.rice/march-29-shepherd

Eco-efficient cement could pave the way to a greener future
The Rice lab of James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and a professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, used flash Joule heating to remove toxic heavy metals from fly ash, a powdery byproduct of coal-based electric power plants that is used frequently in concrete mixtures. Using purified coal fly ash reduces the amount of cement needed and improves the concrete’s quality. Tour, postdoctoral research associates Bing Deng and Wei Meng, and Satish Nagarajaiah, professor of civil and environmental engineering and of mechanical engineering, are quoted. Rice alumnus Paul Advincula, Weiyin Chen, Robert Carter and Gang Li and graduate students Lucas Eddy, Kevin Wyss and Yi Cheng are mentioned as study co-authors.
Newswise (This article also appeared in Environmental News Network, Today Headline and Times of News.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-fly-ash

Rotten meat may have been a staple of Stone Age diets
An article features collaborative Rice research by Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, visiting professor of anthropology.
TechnoCodex
http://dateline.rice/march-29-dominguez-rodrigo

Anthony Ray Hinton to deliver 2023 commencement address
An article mentions that Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary and assistant to the president, will deliver Rice's 2023 undergraduate commencement address May 6.
The Emory Wheel
http://dateline.rice/march-29-commencement

Sports architect Dan Phillips joins HOK in Dallas
An article mentions that Dan Phillips worked on Rice Athletics’ Brian Patterson Sports Performance Center.
Local Today
http://dateline.rice/march-29-patterson

Lumen Scholar Anna Altmann ’23 tackles a dirty job for science and the environment
An article mentions that Anna Altmann gave a talk at Rice.
Today at Elon
http://dateline.rice/march-29-altmann

SPORTS

Sean Taylor's death still haunts the NFL
Rice football player Gabe Taylor is mentioned.
Stadium Talk
http://dateline.rice/march-29-taylor

Weekend blowout for women's water polo
An article mentions that Rice’s club women’s water polo team participated in a tournament March 25-26 in College Station, Texas.
The Battalion
http://dateline.rice/march-29-water-polo

Rodney Terry 'took that whistle and earned it' as new Texas coach
The Rice men’s basketball team’s Dec. 12 loss to the University of Texas at Austin is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared on the front of the Sports section in the March 29 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-mbb

Montgomery County alums to watch during 2023 pro baseball season
Former Rice baseball player Kevin McCanna is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle
http://dateline.rice/march-29-mccanna

‘Newswatch 16 This Morning’
Former Rice men’s basketball coach Mike Rhoades is featured.
WNEP-TV (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
http://dateline.rice/march-29-rhoades

NEWS RELEASES

Shepherd School spring opera ‘L'incoronazione di Poppea,’ set for April 14 and 16
A shameless quest for power through any means necessary is the focus of Monteverdi’s “L'incoronazione di Poppea” (The Coronation of Poppea), the spring opera production from the Rice University Shepherd School of Music’s Opera and Chamber Orchestra. Set for April 14 at 7:30 p.m. and April 16 at 2 p.m. in Brockman Hall for Opera’s Morrison Theater, the classic baroque opera is a tale of lust, betrayal, intrigue, conspiracy, corruption and passion as the production’s titular character vies for the love of Emperor Nero — and his wife’s crown.
http://dateline.rice/march-29-shepherd

US patents chief to discuss research and innovation at Rice U. event
The commissioner for patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Vaishali Udupa, will headline an event April 5 on how to transform research into innovation, and ways in which universities and her office — working separately and together — can pick up the pace.
http://dateline.rice/march-29-baker

Ancient DNA reveals entwined African and Asian ancestry along the Swahili coast of eastern Africa
A new genetic study of medieval people who lived along the Indian Ocean coast of eastern Africa — an area often called the “Swahili coast” for its language and culture — revealed that they had both African and Persian ancestry. The results suggest that maritime trade connections long recognized by archaeologists based on imported goods and architectural influences fostered relationships between Asian merchants and African traders and their families.
http://dateline.rice/march-29-dna