Dateline Rice for Aug. 26, 2021

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

College football kicking off in pandemic all over again
Several articles mention Rice’s COVID-19 campus policies, which include encouraging vaccinations, requiring masks to be worn indoors at nearly all times and requiring regular testing for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Kevin Kirby, vice president for administration and chair of the Crisis Management Advisory Committee, is quoted in a Houston Chronicle article about recent testing anomalies that led to a delayed start to the in-person fall semester.
The Associated Press (This article also appeared in more than 100 media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-ap
Campus celebration and COVID fear: Colleges reopen for a second fall under the pandemic shadow

The Washington Post (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in more than 30 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-washpo
False positive COVID tests at Rice prompted return to online learning

‘The Chris Plante Show’
WLS-AM (Chicago)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-wls (This segment aired on 50 affiliate stations.)

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Drive-thru voting could soon be banned, but this study shows Harris County voters really like it
Research by Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is featured.
KHOU Online (This segment also aired seven times on KHOU-TV in Houston and affiliate stations across Texas.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-stein
Partisan divide on Texas voting legislation detailed in new Rice University poll
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-stein

LyondellBasell CEO Bob Patel to retire at end of year
Yan “Anthea” Zhang, the Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Professor of Strategy at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared on the front of the Business section in the Aug. 26 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-zhang

At schools around North Texas, Gov. Abbott faces swell of pushback to mask ban
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science, fellow in political science at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and fellow at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted.
Dallas Observer
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-jones
Gov. Abbott prohibits vaccine mandates in publicly funded workplaces
KENS 5 Online (This segment also aired on KENS-TV in San Antonio.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-jones
KRLD-AM (Dallas)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-jones (This segment aired 10 times.)

Is a climate catastrophe coming? Despite mounting evidence, scientific uncertainties drive skeptics

BROADCAST

Bringing in more nurses and other COVID-19 news (Aug. 25, 2021)
Tish Stringer, film program manager and lecturer on film production at Rice, is interviewed on “The Bigger Picture” about the new documentary film “Homeroom.”
Houston Public Media (This segment also aired on KUHF-FM in Houston.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-stringer

Destination Texas: Skyspace and Moody Center for the Arts exhibits
An article features James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Suzanne Deal Booth Centennial Pavilion and Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts. Allison Weaver, executive director of the Moody Center, is quoted.
CW 39 Online (This segment also aired on KIAH-TV in Houston.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-weaver

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

The real energy transition to watch
Ken Medlock, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Hart Energy (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-Medlock

The Ion
An article mentions Rice Management Co.’s redevelopment of Houston’s historic Midtown Sears building into the Ion tech hub.
Architect
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-architect

Berkeley Research Group adds four academics as senior advisers
An article features Karen Nelson, former professor of accounting at Rice.
Consulting.us
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-consulting

Toasty textiles: Researchers weave thermoelectric generators into cotton
An article features collaborative Rice research on developing small carbon nanotube fibers for textile electronics and energy harvesting.
All About Circuits
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-aac

NASA chief Bill Nelson optimistic about Artemis moon landing goals amid big delays
An article mentions President John F. Kennedy’s “moon speech,” which was delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962.
Fintech Zoom
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-kennedy

Most perfect graphene: Single-crystal specimen has no wrinkles, folds, adlayers
An article cites collaborative Rice research into how cracks adversely affect the strength of graphene.
The Science Times
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-tst

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

OPINION | JOHN BRUMMETT: Stirring up a small town
An op-ed mentions that W. Joseph King, president of Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, is a former Rice special projects director.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-adg

My reply to the president
An op-ed cites research into Mexico’s homicide rate by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Jorge Ramos
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-baker-study

SPORTS

Taking ’em one game at a time: A tour of Texas’ 2021 schedule, from Louisiana to K-State
An article mentions that Rice’s football team is slated to play the University of Texas at Austin Sept. 18. A second article mentions that the Owls are scheduled to play the University of North Texas Oct. 30, and a third article mentions that Rice is slated to play Western Kentucky University Nov. 13. Head coach Mike Bloomgren is mentioned in the first three articles below.
Hook ‘Em
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-bloomgren
Game-by-game predictions for North Texas in 2021
Denton Record-Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-bloomgren
OPPONENT PREVIEW: Tops face Rice program looking to continue progressing
Bowling Green Daily News
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-bloomgren
Five reasons Texas could have an unsuccessful 2021 season
Longhorns Wire
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-lw
Top Texas target, five-star CB Denver Harris teases commitment date
Longhorns Wire
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-lw

7 college football programs that could end bowl droughts in 2021
An article previewing Rice’s football team highlights Owls Bradley Rozner, Shea Baker, Elijah Garcia and Naeem Smith.
NCAA
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-ncaa

Orren back home as Lobos’ strength coach
An article featuring Clark Orren mentions that he is a former strength and conditioning coach for Rice’s football program.
Longview News-Journal
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-lnj

LaSalle-raised NFL player Luke Willson retires due to health reasons
An article features former Rice football player Luke Willson, who announced his retirement from football due to pericardial effusion, a buildup of excess fluid in the space around the heart, after seven seasons in the NFL.
Windsor Star
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-willson

‘CTV News Windsor’
CTV (Ontario, Canada)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-willson (This segment aired four times, and it also aired on CKLW-AM in Ontario.)
‘Wake Up! with SallyMac & Lina’
KRIV-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-willson

Why does high school football matter in Alabama? A tale of two championship schools

A roundup features Rice football player Josh Williams.
Bham Now
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-williams

Trojans fit to start season
An article mentions former Rice volleyball player Seyvion Waggoner.
Daily Trojan
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-dt

Realignment, stagnation and a lack of ambition: How the Big 12 wilted and lost Texas and Oklahoma
Rice football is mentioned.
MSN (This article also appeared in Awful Announcing.)

http://dateline.rice/aug-26-msn

No. 1: Burden puts all his focus on football as East St. Louis chases a championship
Rice is mentioned.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-stpd
Hoops target Isaiah Manning likes family vibe during A&M visit
247Sports.com
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-247

21 amazing facts about the 2021 college football schedule
An article mentions Rice’s season-opening football game Sept. 4 at the University of Arkansas.
FB Schedules
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-fbs

As Bucs go to Houston, rookie Jaelon Darden goes home to family and inspiration
Former Rice football player Nick Leverett is featured.
The Athletic (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-leverett
After sobering winter, Bucs’ Nick Leverett enjoys breakout summer
Tampa Bay Times
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-leverett

Back for more: Texas volleyball, still loaded from its Final Four run, is set for season
An article mentions that Rice’s volleyball team is slated to play the University of Texas at Austin Sept. 22.
Hook ‘Em
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-he

2021 cross-country schedule released
An article mentions the Rice Invitational cross-country meet Sept. 10.
McNeese State University Athletics
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-

’13 Eyewitness News’
A television news story features the late Blain Padgett and mentions Stuart Mouchantaf, both former Rice football players.
KTRK-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/aug-26-ktrk

About Stefan De La Garza

Stefan De La Garza is a news analyst in Rice University's Office of Public Affairs.