Dateline Rice for June 5, 2025

dateline rice

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Venezuela partners with smaller oil firms as Chevron scales back
Francisco Monaldi, fellow in Latin American energy policy at the Center for Energy Studies, fellow at the Center for the United States and Mexico, director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy and a lecturer in energy economics at Rice, is quoted.
Bloomberg
http://dateline.rice/june-5-monaldi

Climate action could save half of world's vanishing glaciers
Cymene Howe, professor of anthropology, and Dominic Boyer, professor of anthropology and co-director of Rice's Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience, are quoted.
Gulf Times
http://dateline.rice/june-5-howe-boyer

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Rice scientist receives $2M award for research on 'new type of fuel'
An article features Laszlo Kurti, professor of chemistry, who has been named one of Caltech's Brown Institute for Basic Sciences' Brown Investigators. Kurti will receive up to $2 million over five years to invent chemical strategies for constructing stable neutral polynitrogen cages.
EnergyCapitalHTX
http://dateline.rice/june-5-kurti

Mayor backs rollback of pension reforms; experts cite fiscal risks
John Diamond, the Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance and director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Reform Austin
http://dateline.rice/june-5-diamond
Why are we messing with pension reform?
Off the Kuff
http://dateline.rice/june-5-diamond

ADL Southwest welcomes Randi Sonenshein as new regional director
An article featuring Randi Sonenshein mentions that she holds a certificate in finance and accounting from Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business.
Jewish Herald-Voice
http://dateline.rice/june-5-jhv

The Christian far right is running Texas' third largest school district
Lucas Scanlon, former adjunct professor, is mentioned.
Texas Monthly
http://dateline.rice/june-5-tm

FROM THE LABS: A novel source of genetic variation influencing childhood brain tumors
An article mentions that experts at Rice collaborated on the featured research.
Baylor College of Medicine News
http://dateline.rice/june-5-bcm

These 3 Austin high schools are among Texas' top 10. See the full list
Rice is mentioned.
Austin American-Statesman
http://dateline.rice/june-5-statesman

BROADCAST

Chancellor announces transport investment
David Satterfield, director of Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed about the United States' strategy for Gaza and the Middle East.
BBC's PM (This segment also aired on BBC 4.)
http://dateline.rice/june-5-satterfield (Interview begins at 42:00.)

THC ban mulled
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science and fellow in political science at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
KURV Online
http://dateline.rice/june-5-jones

'2 p.m. newscast for June, 4, 2025'
Rodrigo Ferreira, assistant teaching professor in computer science and a Rice Faculty Scholar in the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed about the key findings from a recent symposium on AI and its impact on the future of work in the U.S. and Mexico.
Houston Public Media on Apple Podcasts (This segment also aired on KUHF-FM in Houston.)
http://dateline.rice/june-5-ferreira

Peak mosquito season: Protect yourself from insect-borne disease
Postdoctoral associate Isabelle Bunge is quoted.
Click2Houston
http://dateline.rice/june-5-bunge

How Houston-area residents are doing financially by county
An article features a new study by Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research into the financial status of Houston-area residents.
Click2Houston
http://dateline.rice/june-5-c2h

'KPRC Channel 2 News'
KPRC-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/june-5-kprc (This segment aired twice.)

'KPRC Special: Hurricane Guide'
A broadcast mentions a study by Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research into the percentage of Houstonians who feel prepared for a natural disaster.
KPRC-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/june-5-kprc

Houston City Council passes Mayor John Whitmire's $7B budget after protest disrupts meeting
An article features a survey by Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research into how taxpayers want their money spent. 
Houston Public Media
http://dateline.rice/june-5-hpm
City budget favors police but are voters more concerned with roads?
KTRH Online
http://dateline.rice/june-5-ktrh
KTRH-AM (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/june-5-ktrh (This segment aired twice.)

'Fox 40 News'
A broadcast featuring Hibah Rahman, valedictorian of Vestal High School, mentions that she plans to attend Rice in the fall.
WICZ-TV (Binghamton, New York)
http://dateline.rice/june-5-wicz (This segment aired four times.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Carol Haddock elected 2027 president of American Society of Civil Engineers
An article features alumna Carol Haddock, professor in the practice of civil and environmental engineering, who has been named president of the American Society of Civil Engineers for 2026-27.
American Society of Civil Engineers (This article also appeared in Construction Equipment Guide.)
http://dateline.rice/june-5-haddock

Rice University-led team explores mitochondrial targets for innovative leukemia treatments
An article features collaborative Rice research into the mitochondrial function of acute myeloid leukemia cells. Co-author Natasha Kirienko, associate professor of biosciences, is quoted.
Scienmag
http://dateline.rice/june-5-kirienko

Engineered with heart: Student-designed device could streamline imaging for cardiac procedures
An article features an undergraduate Rice team's research developing a device to help solve the imaging challenges of cardiac ablation. The team consisted of Vivian Lang, Alexi Pierre-Louis, Sam Wu, Jonathan Makhoul, Sumin Jeong and Alice Tian. Sabia Abidi, assistant teaching professor in bioengineering, is quoted.
Medical Xpress (This article also appeared in MSN Health.)
http://dateline.rice/june-5-abidi-et.al

Dominium names VP of asset management
Alumnus Kevin McKee is featured.
REJournals.com
http://dateline.rice/june-5-mckee

Rewolucja już puka do drzwi. Wszystko dzięki nowemu materiałowi kwantowemu
An article features collaborative Rice research developing a quantum material with unique electronic properties.
Chip.pl
http://dateline.rice/june-5-chip

Arjoon Srikanth seeking 1st District House of Delegates seat
Alumnus Arjoon Srikanth is featured.
MSN Politics (This article originally appeared in Patch.)
http://dateline.rice/june-5-srikanth

Amazon announces its best books of the year so far list, with 'Wild Dark Shore' taking the top spot
An article about a novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid mentions that one of the characters is a Rice professor.
Rolling Stone
http://dateline.rice/june-5-rs

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

What's the difference between abs and core?
Anatolia Vick-Kregel, senior assistant director of health, fitness and well-being at Rice's Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center, is quoted.
The Courier Mail
http://dateline.rice/june-5-vick.kregel

Rice students preserve Indigenous stories through oral history archive
An article mention that students at Rice have launched an oral history archive to preserve Native stories in Texas that will be housed at Fondren Library. 
Buffalo's Fire
http://dateline.rice/june-5-bf

RIP: Donnelley Erdman — a man for all seasons
An article featuring the late Donnelley Erdman mentions that he formerly taught architecture at Rice.
The Aspen Times
http://dateline.rice/june-5-at

Top of the Class 2025: Irvine's amazing grads
An roundup featuring Aishwarya Ramasubramanian mentions that she plans to attend Rice in the fall.
Irvine Standard
http://dateline.rice/june-5-is

Hardest college to get into in each state, including Alabama, ranked
Rice is mentioned.
AL.com
http://dateline.rice/june-5-al.com

SPORTS

Houston Dash announces staff updates and promotions
An article features former Rice assistant soccer coach Megan Kinneman.
Houston Dash News
http://dateline.rice/june-5-hd

FBISD makes history! Kempner High senior wins 4th straight championship
An article mentions that Noey Do has signed to play men's tennis at Rice.
Fort Bend Independent School District
http://dateline.rice/june-5-fbisd

NEWS RELEASES

Targeting mitochondria to fight leukemia: Rice-led research team pursues new treatment strategies
Acute myeloid leukemia remains one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of blood cancer, even as treatments have advanced in recent years. Standard approaches like high-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants can extend life but often come at the cost of severe side effects — and many patients still relapse due to drug-resistant cancer cells. A research team led by Natasha Kirienko at Rice is working to change that by turning the cancer cells' own energy systems against them.
http://dateline.rice/june-5-news-release-kirienko

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