Dateline Rice for April 30, 2012 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEMS

What happens if we quit loving our cars?
A Houston Chronicle editorial discusses findings by the Kinder Houston Area Survey about Houston’s love affair with the automobile. Stephen Klinberg, professor of sociology and co-director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted. Klineberg also appeared on KRIV-TV to discuss the survey and promote a screening of "Interesting Times: Tracking Houston’s Transformations Through 30 Years of Surveys" at Discovery Green April 27. Texas Monthly and KPRC-TV also promoted the Discovery Green event. A separate article also reports on the survey.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/7pccnmy
KRIV-TV
http://tinyurl.com/bref4bk
Brave new world
Texas Monthly
http://www.texasmonthly.com/2012-05-01/webextra11.php
KPRC-TV
http://tinyurl.com/br3ny4y
Rice’s 31st Kinder Houston Area Survey reveals more Houstonians support mass transit
Cypress Times (Texas)
http://tinyurl.com/cd6v8hf

House pushes college patents
Universities could partner with outside entrepreneurs more often to bring new technology to market if the state provided some seed funding, researchers and business people told legislators last week. Statements from Provost George McLendon’s testimony before the House Higher Education Committee and Small Business Development Committee are quoted.
San Angelo Standard-Times
http://tinyurl.com/cu93qvn

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

The Dewhurst legacy: Skilled politician or pushover?
If Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst wins his bid to replace retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, he will leave a job he has had for nearly 10 years — longer than all but two other lieutenant governors in Texas history. Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and fellow in political science at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, is quoted. Jones is also quoted in articles about the GOP primary race for Texas Senate District 25 and claims by an ex-judge in Venezuela that President Hugo Chávez controls the Venezuelan judicial system. An English translation of the Analítica.com article is not available.
New York Times (This article also appeared in the Texas Tribune, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and CBSLocal.com [Dallas].)
http://tinyurl.com/6r32ozm
Wentworth, Jones turn up the heat in senate race
San Marcos Mercury (Texas)
http://tinyurl.com/6n7ageq
Ex-judge denounces that Chávez controls the Venezuelan judicial system
Analítica.com (Venezuela)
http://www.analitica.com/va/internacionales/opinion/1078609.asp

Six Indian-Americans win fellowships
Alumnus Sahil Singh Grewal ’92 won a 2012 Paul and Daisy Soros New American Fellowship to pursue an advanced degree.
New York Daily News (This article also appeared in the Hindustan Times, the Navhind Times, the Times of India, the Pioneer, the Jagran Post, Yahoo.com, BarcelonaNews.net, PunjabKesari.com, WebIndia123.com, TopNews.in, PunjabNewsline.com, ManoramaOnline.com, ZeeNews.com, PhilippineTimes.com, Sify.com, Sulekha.com, AustinNews.net, BombayNews.net, AzerbaijanNews.net, KyrgyzstanNews.net, KazakhstanNews.net, BruneiNews.net, BuenosAiresNews.net, AmsterdamNews.net, ArgentinaNews.net, AustralianNews.net, SriLankanNews.net, ExpressBuzz.com, PakistanNews.net, TajikistanNews.net, BangkokNews.net, BeijingNews.net, BritainNews.net, MalaysiaNews.net, JakartaNews.net, UzbekistanNews.net, SouthKoreaNews.net, RussiaNews.net, DaijiWorld.com, NetIndia123.com, PhilippineNews.net, CambodianTimes.com, NewKerala.com, Mangalorean.com, TurkmenistanNews.net, Smashits.com, BaltimoreNews.net, AlbuquerqueNews.net and NewstrackIndia.com.)
http://tinyurl.com/7evzgsk

HOUSTON/TEXAS

It was a swell ‘Evening in the Park,’ thanks to Mother Nature and generous Hermann Park patrons
Houston Mayor Annise Parker ’78, Rice President David Leebron and Edward Djerejian, founding director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, are mentioned in an article about the Hermann Park Conservancy’s annual "Evening in the Park."
Culturemap.com
http://tinyurl.com/7wptgpx

Tradition of strong civic leadership helped build Houston
Rice University Founder William Marsh Rice is mentioned in an op-ed about Houston’s tradition of strong civic leaders. A picture of his statue on campus is included.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/c7kyrbo

Summer break may cause summer drain
Students across Houston are just weeks away from another summer break, but some educational experts are questioning whether that’s really a good thing. Andrea Hodge, executive director of the Rice Educational Entrepreneurship Program, is quoted.
KTRH.com (This article also appeared on Sunny99.com.)
http://tinyurl.com/c7gp523

Special speakers and topics at OTC
Amy Myers Jaffe, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, will speak at the Offshore Technology Conference.
FuelFix.com
http://tinyurl.com/cbh9ohc

Keep your running routine on sound footing
An article noting places to run in Houston mentions the three-mile loop that encircles Rice.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/7fn7swm

GE offers chance to use advanced tools
A news brief discusses the GE Garage, a manufacturing co-lab currently on exhibit at Rice.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/86zcold

CityBusters battle illness on public transit
A team of graduating seniors has created a system for public transit that would continually clear the air of pathogens that can lead to tuberculosis, flu and pneumonia. Brown College seniors Joseph Spinella and Jerry Lue are quoted. Brown College seniors Sundeep Mandava and Shidong Chen; Duncan College senior Grace Ching; Maria Oden, professor in the practice of engineering education and director of the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen; and Matthew Wettergreen, lecturer in bioengineering, are mentioned.
Cypress Times
http://tinyurl.com/74l5vyy
Best air in Houston could be found on city buses
Click2Houston.com
http://tinyurl.com/ctnpacn

Hispanic chamber mainstreaming
Rice is mentioned in a Q-and-A with Gilbert Herrera, chairman of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared on Individual.com and PharmacyChoice.com.)
http://tinyurl.com/cpj4t85

For recruiters, OTC can be a huge job fair
Rice is mentioned in an article about the Offshore Technology Conference.
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared on FuelFix.com.)
http://tinyurl.com/7c2cotg

Houston Youth Symphony to present its spring concert
The Houston Youth Symphony will present its spring concert at Rice’s Stude Concert Hall May 9.
YourHoustonNews.com
http://tinyurl.com/6s7rzvh

BROADCAST/WEBCAST

WCML-TV’s ‘Living Smart’ (Alpena, Mich.)
Roberta Diddel, adjunct instructor in psychology, is interviewed about living with disabilities.
http://tinyurl.com/c7zzfo8

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Pittsburgh region’s profile on the rise among Chinese
The Chinese population in the Pittsburgh metro area is growing, getting younger and is increasingly female, according to 2010 statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Alumnus Jing Li ’93 is quoted.
PredictWallStreet.com
http://tinyurl.com/c567dqy

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Life without parole is a terrible idea
David Dow, the Rorschach Visiting Professor of History, authored this op-ed about the effects of the possible abolition of capital punishment in California.
TheDailyBeast.com
http://tinyurl.com/bns2epv

Jackson among featured towns in upcoming book
An article about the book "50 Main Street: The Face of America" by photographer Piero Ribelli mentions that it includes a foreword by Douglas Brinkley, professor of history and fellow in history at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.
Aiken Standard (S.C.)
http://www.aikenstandard.com/local/042912-GO-50-main-street–3911122

St. Paul native finalist for $100,000 pianist prize
Alumnus Andrew Staupe ’10 is one of five finalists for a prize valued at more than $100,000 from the American Pianists Association. Staupe was a student of Jon Kimura Parker, professor of piano.
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Minn.)
http://tinyurl.com/bshy373

Science club leader steps aside after 25 years of inspiring students
Rice is mentioned in an article about the Constellation Club in Springfield, Mo.
Springfield News-Leader (Mo.)
http://tinyurl.com/d5ldhr6

SPORTS

NFL draft: Titans select Rice DE Solomon in seventh round
Sid Richardson College senior Scott Solomon was drafted by the Tennessee Titans.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/cc67cmv
Tennessee Titans draft Rice’s Scott Solomon in seventh round
The Tennessean
http://tinyurl.com/c4oye5a
2012 NFL Draft results
SBNation.com
http://tinyurl.com/c9t7pf5
Tennessee Titans pick DE Scott Solomon with 211th pick of 2012 NFL Draft
TitanSized.com
http://tinyurl.com/6vjx5av
Tennessee Titans NFL Draft profile: Scott Solomon
TitanSized.com
http://titansized.com/2012/04/28/tennessee-titans-nfl-draft-profile-scott-solomon/
Minnesota Vikings receive 2013 sixth-round pick from Tennessee Titans
DailyNorseman.com
http://tinyurl.com/brcy2xh

Quite a journey from Rice to perfect game for Humber
Former Rice baseball player Philip Humber is profiled for his career in baseball. Humber recently threw the first perfect game in the majors in almost two years. The Houston Chronicle also published a letter from Humber thanking Rice baseball coach Wayne Graham.
Chicago Tribune (This article also appeared in the Bellingham Herald, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, the Fresno Bee, the Rock Hill Herald, the York Enquirer-Herald, the Hartford Courant, the Sacramento Bee, the Modesto Bee, the Merced Sun-Star, the Centre Daily Times, RedEyeChicago.com, WGNTV.com [Chicago] and WSBT.com [South Bend, Ind.].)
http://tinyurl.com/ch3xa3p
Perfect pitcher Humber pens letter to Rice coach
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/czlqgqf

Sign him up: Rice’s Graham takes the mound at San Jacinto North
Rice baseball coach Wayne Graham threw out the ceremonial first pitch Saturday during 50th anniversary festivities at San Jacinto College North.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/d7xbycq

Rice to open 2013 against Texas A&M
Rick Greenspan, director of athletics, announced that Rice has reached an agreement with Texas A&M University to bring the two former longtime Southwest Conference rivals back together on the football field when they kick off the season August 31.
West University Examiner (Texas)
http://tinyurl.com/6rhdofx
Texas A&M to open 2013 season against Rice
Dallas Morning News
http://tinyurl.com/cshmg52

Transferring becomes a trend in college basketball
An article discusses transfers from college basketball programs at Rice and the University of Houston. Head coach Ben Braun is quoted.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/dyqb6nm

Rice punter Martens signs free-agent deal with San Diego
Martel College senior Kyle Martens has signed a three-year free agent contract to play football for the San Diego Chargers.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/caczpdc
Martens signs with San Diego
Rapid City Journal (S.D.)
http://tinyurl.com/89l8yl2
Martens signs with San Diego Chargers
Black Hills Pioneer (S.D.)
http://tinyurl.com/7k5eflk

NFL Network (This broadcast also appeared on ESPN-TV.)
Alumnus Courtney Hall ’90 announced the San Diego Chargers’ picks at the NFL Draft ceremony.
http://tinyurl.com/6sxeg6x

There’s simply no holding back the ‘Fast Old Guy’
Rice is mentioned in an article about Houston athlete Bill Collins.
Philadelphia Inquirer (This article also appeared on Individual.com.)
http://tinyurl.com/6sw7wp4

Ibrahim abandons Rice, NCAA ball
Former Rice basketball player Ahmad Ibrahim discusses his reasons for leaving the Rice Owls men’s basketball team.
Lebanon Daily Star (This article also appeared on Individual.com.)
http://tinyurl.com/crnnzal

Langham Creek, Cy Woods tie for district crown
Rice is mentioned in an article about the Cy Ranch High School baseball team.
Cypress Creek Mirror (Texas)
http://tinyurl.com/6wlms6j

International students get taste of America’s game
An article reports on the University of Missouri’s International Student Day and notes that Rice held a similar event last year.
Columbia Daily Tribune (Mo.)
http://tinyurl.com/6mp5uth

NEWS RELEASE

Student-devised process would prep shale gas for sale
A team of Rice University students accepted a challenge to turn shale gas produced in China into a range of useful, profitable and environmentally friendly products and did so in a cost-effective manner.
https://news2.rice.edu/?p=27485