NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
The 'crack spread' is going to make your life unpleasant
Skip York, fellow at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an op-ed.
The New York Times
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-nyt
NPR News: Aug. 20, 2026
Francisco Monaldi, fellow at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed about the Venezuelan oil industry. Monaldi and Rice political science professor Mark Jones are quoted in Houston Public Media.
NPR News Now
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-npr
Texas-based oil companies among first to sign contracts with Venezuela
Houston Public Media
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-hpm
Senate battle lines sharpen after latest primaries
Rice political science professor Mark Jones is quoted.
The National News Desk
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-nnd
The week in politics (Aug. 19, 2026)
Houston Public Media
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-hpm
A wakeup call for Texas GOP: Trump jumps in to help Paxton — if he can | Opinion
Yahoo! News (This article originally appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-yn
How the war with Iran is expanding around the Middle East
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed about the Iran War.
WWL First News with Tommy Tucker
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-wwlfn
Red state ballot initiatives give voters a say on property taxes, while Kansans are still waiting
John Diamond, fellow at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
The Sentinel
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-ts
USC just shattered its fundraising record by nearly $100M — thanks partly to the billionaire family behind the Houston Texans
Rice is mentioned.
Fortune
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-f
$25M from Robert and Janice McNair helps lift university to a record $357.6M year of giving
Lifestyles Magazine
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-lm
HOUSTON/TEXAS
The tools to drive down hospital prices are finally here | Opinion
Vivian Ho, fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an op-ed.
Houston Chronicle
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-hc
ABC 13 Live at Five
A broadcast features collaborative Rice research into the use of AI for notetaking in health care settings. Rice English professor Kirsten Ostherr, director of the Medical Humanities Research Institute, is interviewed.
KTRK-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-ktrk
New research reveals what really drives data center location decisions
An article mentions collaborative Rice research into where data centers are located. Co-authors include Tommy Pan Fang, assistant professor of strategic management.
EnergyCapitalHTX
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-echtx
Austin ISD has 464 uncertified teachers in core classrooms, faces 2029 deadline
An article cites a study by Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research into uncertified teachers in Texas.
Hoodline Austin
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-ha
TRADE/PROFESSIONAL
Alumni relationships can affect court rulings between judges and lawyers
An article features collaborative Rice research into the relationship of judges and lawyers based on where they attended law school. Rice finance professor David Zhang is quoted.
Phys.org
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-p
Do shared alma maters between judges and lawyers influence court rulings?
Scienmag
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-s
Engineered cell therapy shows promise for circadian adjustment
An article features collaborative Rice research that developed an implantable cell therapy designed to help the body adapt more quickly to new sleep schedules. Bioengineering professor Omid Veiseh and research assistant Samantha Fleury are quoted.
Sleep Review
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-sr
Graphene wrinkles show strong flexoelectric effects
An article features Rice research that shows tiny wrinkles in graphene can change the material's electrical properties, providing evidence for flexoelectricity. Co-authors include engineering professor Pulickel Ajayan and alumnus Sathvik Ajay Iyengar.
ElectronicsForU.com
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-efu
Other materials stories that may be of interest for Aug. 19, 2026
The American Ceramic Society
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-acs
HMN 2026: What are the safer surgical tools to reduce swallowing complications after spine surgery
Rice mechanical engineers and Baylor College of Medicine neurosurgeons have identified simple modifications to surgical tools that could reduce strain on the oesophagus and potentially lower the risk of swallowing difficulties following neck surgery. Raudel Avila, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and graduate student Chihtong “Lily” Lee, are quoted.
Health Medicine Network
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-hmn
$20M NSF grant funds AI-powered materials science at SUNY Poly
Rice is part of a $19.9 million award from the National Science Foundation to increase the production of quantum and electronic materials by using a combination of artificial intelligence, cloud-based labs and robotics.
Quantum Zeitgeist
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-qz
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST
$25M gift from Jim and Lauren Whitehurst expands support for first-generation, limited-income undergraduate students
The gift from university trustee James "Jim" Whitehurst '89 and his wife, Lauren Whitehurst, will establish the Sallyport Fellows Program, a comprehensive initiative supporting first-generation and limited-income undergraduates throughout their Rice experience. The gift also includes $1 million in support of Rice's Gateway Project.
Lifestyles Magazine
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-lm
'Radiant Geometries' opens at Rice University's Moody Center for the Arts
An article features the exhibition 'Radiant Geometries: Vectors of Knowledge from the Indigenous Americas' at Rice's Moody Center for the Arts, which will be on display Sept. 4-Dec. 19.
Hyperallergic
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-h
TDECU elects Lavonne Burke as chair of its board of directors
Rice professor of management Manolo Sánchez is mentioned.
TheCUDaily.com
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-cu
SPORTS
WSOC: Huskies battle Owls to 1-1 draw
An article mentions that Rice's women's soccer team played Houston Christian University to a 1-1 tie Aug. 20.
BVM Sports
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-bvm
Owls ready for short trip to HCU
BVM Sports
http://dateline.rice/aug-21-bvm