Dateline Rice for Oct. 5, 2015 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEM

Keep building ties in higher education
An op-ed by Rice President David Leebron discusses the United States’ relationship with China and mentions that Rice hosted the U.S.-China University Presidents Roundtable in June.
China Daily
http://bit.ly/1PWy7RM

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

You can follow in astronauts’ footsteps with this tour of the Johnson Space Center in Houston
A profile of Space Center Houston explains that NASA has a 99-year lease from Rice on the land that Johnson Space Center sits on.
LA Times
http://lat.ms/1Lbbipi

Billy Graham warns of fire and brimstone in ‘final’ book
In his latest book, evangelist Billy Graham declares that non-Christians are doomed to live in a fiery hell. William Martin, the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, comments.
Washington Post (This also appeared in the Gazette Online, My Informs and Social Dashboard.)
http://wapo.st/1QR7wpB
‘Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity and Our Life Beyond’ billed as Billy Graham’s ‘final work’
Black Christian News
http://bit.ly/1QSE9TC

Syria showdown looms for Obama
The world is about to find out just how far President Barack Obama will go to kick Bashar al-Assad out of Syria. Ambassador Edward Djerejian, director of Rice’s Baker Institute for Pubic Policy, is quoted.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/1iUF7ns
US no longer ‘allergic’ to Iranian role in Syrian solution
Defense One
http://bit.ly/1L5DUAk

Machine learning: The new infrastructure for everything
The first half of the Information Age was programming computers to do what people want. In the second half of the Information Age computers will program themselves. Rice’s Digital Signal Processing’s Machine Learning for Education Program is mentioned.
Huffington Post (This also appeared on News Reality, Tom Vander Ark and the Latest Nigerian News.)
http://huff.to/1NcFTJF

‘No simple answer’ for preventing college campus shootings, security experts say
Bill Taylor, president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and former chief of police at Rice, discusses shootings on college campuses.
Fox News
http://fxn.ws/1QR4IbT

Dawn of Human 2.0? Nanobot implants could soon connect our brains to the Internet and give us ‘God-like’ super-intelligence, scientist claims
The human brain could be enhanced by tiny robotic implants that connect to cloud-based computer networks to give people “God-like” abilities, according to a leading computer scientist. Rice research is mentioned.
DailyMail  (This also appeared on Georgia News Day and the Mail Online.)
http://dailym.ai/1OcE2EZ

Interstellar travel as delusional fantasy [excerpt]
President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Moon Speech” delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is mentioned.
Scientific American
http://bit.ly/1FOOaRq
House Democrats, with a GOP assist, showcase unexpected influence
Kingston.com
http://bit.ly/1jHZHbt
A small step for Hotel Aiken; a leap for John Klimm
Aiken Standard
http://bit.ly/1Lc3gAL
Mars and the ‘mohawk guy’: Nasa basks in PR triumphs even as funding shrivels
Guardian (UK)
http://bit.ly/1OR4eVA
Raus aus der komfortzone
Welt.com
http://bit.ly/1QSIFBC

A good reason to sing
Regular singer at the Houston Grand Opera Peixen Chen is profiled. Stephen King, the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Voice and Chair of Voice, is mentioned.
Albuquerque Journal
http://bit.ly/1FNOW18

ABQ native gets inside our brains
A new PBS series, “The Brain with David Eagleman,” features the Rice alum who is a neuroscientist, New York Times best-selling author and director of Baylor College of Medicine’s Laboratory for Perception and Action and Baylor’s Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. Eagleman ’93 is author and presenter of the six-episode series about the inner workings of the brain. The program will air on Wednesdays from Oct. 14 to Nov. 18 at 9 p.m. Central time.
Albuquerque Journal
http://bit.ly/1PeT3Fn

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Rice University sustainability report shows Houston housing market has crossed unaffordability threshold
An article cites a study by Rice’s Shell Center For Sustainability that found that Houstonians are spending more on housing and transportation than the federal recommendations for those costs per household. Lester King, research fellow as the Shell Center and author of the report, is quoted and Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology, is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.) 
http://bit.ly/1Vtfzzl
Report questions Houston’s reputation as an affordable city
The Builder Online
http://bit.ly/1Pc5xO6
Audio Pick: Houston is no longer an ‘affordable’ place to live
Hispanic Houston
http://bit.ly/1j8jVv1

Dealing with the small stuff
An editorial on the Harris County District Attorney’s Office First-Chance Intervention Program for first-time offenders of marijuana possession cites a study co-authored by Katharine Neill, the Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy at the Baker Institute.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1Lt4nOz

‘Tear down this wall’
It has been 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, a section of which is on display near Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1OfvOu0

An article on House Speaker Joe Straus includes a tweet by 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. Jones is also quoted about how rising city pension bill could play a role in preventing the new mayor from funding other items.
Straus gets a second challenger
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1L5XTyK
Mayoral candidates see rising pension bill as roadblock
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the City and State section.)
http://bit.ly/1VyUsfg

Low oil prices cloud futures of clean coal and carbon capture
NRG Energy planned to become a trailblazer with its Petra Nova project in Fort Bend County, which will capture some of the carbon emissions from a coal-fired power plant and sell the carbon dioxide for use elsewhere in oil production. Charles McConnell, executive director of Rice’s Energy and Environment Initiative, comments.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front page of the Business section.) 
http://bit.ly/1hi38n9

Americans are losing the toilet war
An article on water-saving dual-flushing toilets mentions that Rice uses the technology.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared in the Houston Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine and on the front of the Star and Health section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1OexkhO

Texas schools in global rankings
Rice is included in a slideshow about university rankings.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1Vxps9S

Velasco: Viewing Trump from Mexico
Jesús Velasco, the Joe and Teresa Long Endowed Chair in Social Sciences at Tarleton State University and nonresident scholar in the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Mexico Center, authored this op-ed.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1OPK5iC

Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted on state Rep. Sylvester Turner’s bid for mayor of Houston and items that will be voted on in November.
Turner hoping third race for mayor is the charm
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1JMUa8l
Deadline to register for November elections
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1FPx5XC
http://bit.ly/1M71Xnv

Commentary: ‘It’s ugly out there’ in oil industry
A business column about the state of the oil industry includes statements made by Walker Moody, chief operating officer for the asset management business at Houston’s Tudor, Pickering and Holt Co., during a speech at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription only. This also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News and the Midland Reporter-Telegram.)
http://bit.ly/1LtBT7n
http://bit.ly/1j8gqo7

Record water balloon battle attempt at U of H
A “This Forgotten Day in Houston” segment highlights a 1975 water balloon fight at the University of Houston. The annual water balloon fight during Rice’s Beer Bike is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1JMNlUl

New McNair Center puts Rice at forefront of entrepreneurial education
The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation has provided an $8 million endowment to establish the McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Houston Business Journal  (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1PcgMWW

Rice announces $150 million in strategic research initiatives
Rice University is preparing to invest over $150 million in strategic initiatives aimed at increasing its research competitiveness across all departments, establishing a world-renowned program in data sciences and bolstering its position as one of the world’s leading centers for molecular nanotechnology research. Rice President David Leebron and Provost Marie Lynn Miranda are quoted.
TMC Today (This article also appeared on TMC News.)
http://bit.ly/1NgQZNL

Rice researchers map out Houston health concerns
The Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s Urban Health Program at Rice recently published eight maps that measure various health, education and poverty conditions across Houston by ZIP code. Justin Denney, assistant professor of sociology and program director, is quoted.
TMC Today (This article also appeared on TMC News.) 
http://bit.ly/1NgQZNL

A shared legacy of neglected tropical diseases and poverty
Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy held a free two-day conference Sept. 29 and 30 to discuss how neglected tropical diseases and poverty affect public health in local communities in the United States and Mexico.
TMC Today (This article also appeared on TMC News.)
http://bit.ly/1NgQZNL

From campaign finance to pot, progressives look to local voters
Giving up on the gridlock at the federal and state levels, progressives are turning their attention to local ballots to get their ideas passed. But policies that sell well in cities won’t always work statewide. Melissa Marschall, professor of political science, is quoted.
Governing.com
http://bit.ly/1OLIdHF

Imaging software could speed breast cancer diagnosis
New software developed by Rice University bioengineers could speed up the diagnosis of breast cancer with 90 percent accuracy and without the need for a specialist, according to research published in the open-access journal Breast Cancer Research. Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, director of the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering and of Rice 360°: Institute for Global Health Technologies, is quoted.
Pasadena Citizen (This also appeared on Sugar Land Online, the Friendswood Journal and the Bay Area Citizen.)
http://bit.ly/1M1EuE8

Diversions
Rice University Theatre will present “Much Ado About Nothing” Oct. 8-9 at Hamman Hall.
Guidry News
http://bit.ly/1FP1Zze

BROADCAST

Texas teen gets perfect score on both SAT, ACT
Antony Yun of Bellaire, Texas, earned perfect scores on both the SAT and ACT. An article mentions that Rice is one of the top three schools he would like to attend.
KTNV-TV
http://bit.ly/1FQpEzj

Texas death sentences at record low
A survey from Rice shows that support for capital punishment in Harris County dropped from 75 percent in 1993 to 56 percent this year.
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1Z3erBU

KPRC-TV
A weather report for Houston mentions that Rice football played a home game Saturday.
http://bit.ly/1FSwrs6

KLBJ-AM (Austin, Texas)
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, comments on Texans’ opinions about same-sex marriage, legalizing marijuana, border security and parents’ attitudes toward their children playing high school football.
http://bit.ly/1hlolN0
http://bit.ly/1LbBEYj

WABC-AM (New York)
In an interview, Jeffery Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion, discusses drawing more meaningful and deeper relationships with God.
http://bit.ly/1Le0vPu

KTRK-TV
William Martin, the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, discusses the recent papal visit to the United States.
http://abc13.co/1LCk4x5

KUT-FM (Austin, Texas)
The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a controversial and long-delayed environmental regulation that will curtail emissions of lung-irritating ozone, putting smoggy cities such as Houston even further behind in efforts to comply with the federal limit. Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, comments.
http://bit.ly/1MUgNwk

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Amazing, geeky classes you’ll never believe are real
Rice’s class Scandinavian Fantasy Worlds: Old Norse Sagas and Skyrim is highlighted.
Geek And Sundry 
http://bit.ly/1QSFLN7

Book excerpt: ‘Badgley Mischka: American Glamour’
James Mischka ’85 is featured for his co-owned design label, Badgley Mischka.
Women’s Wear Daily
http://bit.ly/1OfVto5

Mexico gets better demand in second oil auction
Mexico awarded three out of five offshore production-sharing contracts Sept. 30 in the second phase of its historic oil sector opening. Miriam Grunstein, contributing expert and scholar in the Mexico Center at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Gulf Today
http://bit.ly/1PeVBDw

ASA leaders reminisce: Sallie Keller
Sallie Keller, former dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering, is profiled.
AMSTA News
http://bit.ly/1Rnw7TK

Arctic Directory October 2015: ASRC Energy Services names Reed senior VP and CFO
Alumnus Mike Reed ’98 is featured.
Petroleum News
http://bit.ly/1OexwNZ

Groupon to cease operation in Panama and Uruguay
Groupon is set to exit Panama, Puerto Rico and Uruguay as the discount deal site struggles to compete against the likes of Amazon. A 2011 study on Groupon by Rice University is mentioned.
Nearshore Americas
http://bit.ly/1Ohutob

Deep-diving whales could hold answer for synthetic blood
The ultra-stable properties of the proteins that allow deep-diving whales to remain active while holding their breath for up to two hours could help Rice University biochemist John Olson and his colleagues finish a 20-year quest to create lifesaving synthetic blood for human trauma patients. Olson, the Ralph and Dorothy Looney Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and graduate student Premila Samuel are quoted.
Terra Daily
http://bit.ly/1RqJmD8

Atom-thin transistor defies fundamental limits
A new tunnel field-effect transistor with an atomically thin current-carrying channel that operates at ultralow supply voltages has been unveiled by a team of researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Rice University.
Nanotechweb.org
http://bit.ly/1FMX2XV

Disease-free water, a global health challenge, commands an international team effort
Antibiotic resistance is a growing global public health threat causing an estimated 23,000 deaths in America alone each year. Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is mentioned.
Medical News Today
http://bit.ly/1PWjGNA

Light-driven motorized nanocar
Artificial nanomachines will play a critical role in the future of nanotechnology by building nanoscopic devices that cannot be built by successive miniaturization technologies. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is mentioned.
Chemistry Views
http://bit.ly/1Lc2vI5

KPRC 2’s Dominique Sachse has already conquered TV, so why not YouTube too?
An article mentions the “NewsGathering: Diversity in the Digital Age” symposium that was held at Rice Oct. 3.
MikeMcGuff.com
http://bit.ly/1OeAfqI

Nasa may send humans to Mars
David Alexander, professor of physics and astronomy and director of the Rice Space Institute, is interviewed about the streams of salty water found on Mars.
Forex Report Daily
http://bit.ly/1FSgsu8

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

The AstroCritic: What ‘The Martian’ gets right about astronauts
Astronaut Leroy Chiao, lecturer in mechanical engineering, reviews the science in the movie “The Martian.”
Tree Angel
http://bit.ly/1NcEN0w

Prestige schools team up on redesigned college application
A coalition of elite universities, including Rice and Texas A&M, wants to make it easier for students — especially first-time college students and those from low-income families — to apply for college. In January, the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success will launch a new online application system as an alternative to the Common Application.
Daily Herald
http://bit.ly/1FPC8aK

Case Western Reserve University to award ethics prize to philosopher Martha Nussbaum
Diana Strassmann, the Carolyn and Fred McManis Distinguished Professor in the Practice of the Humanities and director of Rice’s Program on Poverty, Justice and Human Capabilities in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, is quoted.
Cleveland.com
http://bit.ly/1FMWphb

View from Pakistan: A novelist looks at the transformed game of cricket
Rice cricketers are mentioned.
Scroll.in
http://bit.ly/1jGhhfN

Saudi Arabia: Wife divorces husband for being ‘too short’
A young Saudi bride divorced her husband because he is too short. The article cites a joint study by Rice University and the University of Texas that found women want a man who is taller than they are because it conforms to gender stereotypes and makes them feel protected.
TV News Room
http://bit.ly/1Rnvnhw

Commentary: We need to focus on our similarities
An article mentions that the concept of dinner dialogues was created at Rice.
Greenville Online
http://grnol.co/1FMXgON
Interfaith Forum reaches across the divide
Greenville Journal
http://bit.ly/1JMjR8U

SPORTS

Why play football? 2 views on the game, from those who know it best
NPR’s Michel Martin discussed the ethics of football with two longtime players — one retired from the NFL, the other just beginning college. Wiess College freshman Nahshon Ellerbe is featured.
NPR (This interview also appeared on WAMU-FM [Washington], WUWM-FM [Milwaukee], WBUR-FM [Boston], WNYC-FM [New York], WHYY-FM [Philadelphia], WYPR-FM [Baltimore], KUT-FM [Austin, Texas], WDDE-FM [Philadelphia], WUNC-FM [Raleigh, N.C.], WBEZ-FM [Chicago], WESA-FM [Pittsburgh], WSCL-FM [Salisbury, Md.], KNOW-FM [Minneapolis], WBFO-FM [Buffalo, N.Y.], KPCC-FM [Los Angeles], KQED-FM [San Francisco], KXJZ-FM [Sacramento, Calif.], KOPB-FM [Porland, Ore.], KUOW-FM [Seattle], KNPR-FM [Las Vegas] and more than 40 other media outlets.)
http://n.pr/1FPD8eS

Western Kentucky’s aerial attack rolls past Rice
Rice football lost to Western Kentucky University 49-10 Oct. 3 at Rice Stadium.
Houston Chronicle (Similar articles also appeared in more than 570 publications.)
http://bit.ly/1KZLInW
Western Kentucky 49, Rice 10
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1Og13qp
Flying high: WKU turns road test at Rice into sound 49-10 win
Bowling Green Daily News
http://bit.ly/1FQnYG4
Western Kentucky with commanding 49-10 victory over Rice
WKU Herald
http://bit.ly/1Pdtkxl
7 things to help plan your weekend
WMC-TV (This also appeared on WFIE-TV, WDAM-TV, WECT-TV and WAVE-TV.)
http://bit.ly/1iWEN7y
Keys to the Game: WKU
Rivals
http://rvls.co/1OdtcwP
WAVE-TV (Louisville, Ky.)
http://bit.ly/1WIfZ2d

Steelers sign K Chris Boswell, Josh Scobee is officially out
Alumnus Chris Boswell ’13 is profiled.
USA Today (Similar items appeared in more than 140 other publications.)
http://usat.ly/1JMjyLo
Steelers cut Scobee, add Rice ex Boswell
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1j9aXNZ
Steelers make Boswell fourth kicker this season
The Times
http://bit.ly/1KStx5N
Steelers sign kicker Boswell, release Scobee
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://bit.ly/1VxoAHJ

Landes, Lokedi collect titles at Rim Rock Classic
Rice Duncan College junior cross country runner Cali Roper is mentioned.
KU Athletics
http://bit.ly/1Og03CP

Growing Baylor defense looks to build on recent success against Tech
Rice football is mentioned.
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1FN1vtD

Seahawks’ Luke Willson buys new football uniforms for alma mater
Alumnus Luke Willson ’12 purchased two sets of new uniforms for his former high school football team, the Villanova Wildcats
Calgary Herald (This appeared in 19 other publications.)
http://bit.ly/1OeB02R

Baylor and Texas Tech trade scores 3 minutes into the game (video)
The Baylor-Rice football game Sept. 26 is pictured.
Fansided
http://bit.ly/1Lc4hZA

Sam Houston downs Stephen F. Austin 34-28 at NRG Stadium
Sam Houston State University is celebrating its 100th football season. Rice is mentioned.
Examiner
http://exm.nr/1Mb0SqC

NEWS RELEASE

Project aims to help brain fix itself
A Rice University project to decipher how neurons form networks aims to help injured brains heal themselves.
http://bit.ly/1GsAS84