Dateline Rice for Nov. 2, 2015 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEM

Rice prof sheds new light on global health
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 featured for her contribution to improving global health. Rebekah Drezek, professor of bioengineering and of electrical and computer engineering, is quoted. Maria Oden, professor in the practice of engineering and director of Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, and McMurtry College sophomore Zach Kortum are mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the City & State section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Wr8MqA

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

A global community’s college
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted in an article about Houston Community College’s internationally diverse community.
New York Times
http://nyti.ms/1XJRfae

The top 10 colleges in Texas
Rice is the No. 1 university in Texas according to College Factual’s latest ranking.
USA Today (This also appeared in My Informs.)
http://usat.ly/1P584Lp

Scientists observe wasps evolving into new species
A new study from biologists at Rice University, the University of Notre Dame, Michigan State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Florida finds that recent evolutionary changes for the fruit fly known as the “apple maggot” is having a domino effect on three predatory wasp species. Scott Egan, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and co-lead author of the study, is quoted.
Wall Street Journal
http://on.wsj.com/1GYwD9Z
How apples sparked an evolutionary domino effect among insects
Gizmodo
http://bit.ly/1HmwdVI
Speciation in action: Fruit fly evolution causes cascading changes in wasp species
Nature World News
http://bit.ly/1GYyZWn
Fruit fly evolution gives way to new wasp species
RedOrbit (This article also appeared in Science Daily, Bangladesh Daily Star, Innovations Report and Science Blog.)
http://bit.ly/1WsxjpR
Caught in the act: Scientists find new species of wasp evolving
ZME Science
http://bit.ly/1Q1SKPE

Scientists invented an injection based on venom that stops bleeding in 6 seconds flat
A hydrogel infused with snake venom may be the best material to stop bleeding quickly, even in the presence of anti-coagulants, according to Rice University scientists. Jeffrey Hartgerink, professor of chemistry and of bioengineering, is quoted. Postdoctoral researcher Vivek Kumar is mentioned.
Business Insider (Similar articles appeared in 15 other media outlets.)
http://read.bi/1NlrBW9
Targeting more cancers, detecting a virus, and finding funding
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Q2eA5x

Gay rights battle flares in Houston over nondiscrimination ordinance
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted about the possible outcomes for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and his assessment of the early voting results.
Washington Post
http://wapo.st/1GHrPpz
White House offers support for Houston equal rights measure
Yahoo! News (This Associated Press article appeared in over 100 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1RpDRo3
Nondiscrimination ordinance puts Houston at the center of latest gay rights battle
Los Angeles Times (This article also appeared in KSL.com, San Angelo Standard-Times and Lodi News-Sentinel.)
http://lat.ms/1Hn1nwa
Surge in early voting could portend boost in election turnout
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1RKiw8r
White House offers support for Houston equal rights measure
Fairfield Daily Republic
http://bit.ly/1MaXlMR
Route to Houston’s next mayor
Examiner.com
http://exm.nr/1RnO5Ff

China’s fabulous cuisine
Rice President David Leebron and University Representative Y. Ping Sun attended the Cultural China and Chinese Cuisine event.
China Daily (This article also appeared in Entorno Inteligente.)
http://bit.ly/1RDVX5m

Drake’s crazy light secret: ‘Hotline Bling’ Houston connection shines through
James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Rice campus resembles the lighting used in rapper Drake’s video for “Hotline Bling.”
Papercity
http://bit.ly/2041GHH

Neuroscientist David Eagleman explains the brain
Rice alumnus and Baylor College of Medicine neuroscientist David Eagleman ’93 is featured for his new PBS series, “The Brain with David Eagleman.”
The Scotsman
http://bit.ly/1ixW9XZ

Autonomous-driven car logs longest trip in Mexico
Alumnus Raul Rojas Gonzalez ’02 completed his longest drive ever in his self-driving car named “Autonomos,” which he began creating at Rice and Stanford University.
EET India
http://bit.ly/1WrfnBa

A donor making a national push to fund entrepreneurship on campus
The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation’s $8 million endowment to establish the McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy is mentioned as an example of Robert McNair’s philanthropy.
Inside Philanthropy
http://bit.ly/1kmCUSw

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Better flood warnings could save lives
Ryan Holeywell, senior editor at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, conducted a Q&A with Phil Bedient, the Herman Brown Professor of Engineering, to discuss Houston’s current flood warning system.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared in the Houston Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Pgx4h5

Has housing fueled the AKP’s durability in Turkish politics?
Melissa Marschall, professor of political science, authored a blog post about Turkey’s electoral behavior. Marschall also comments on the record-low voter turnout for a recent Terre Haute, Ind., municipal election.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1MxELAN
Election oddity Combining city elections with state, federal would get more Hoosiers involved in local races
Terre Haute Tribune Star
http://bit.ly/20mjzBF

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 the possible outcomes for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and the Houston mayoral race.
Mayoral rivals raise King, Turner’s ties to law firm
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of Saturday’s Chronicle. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1PgQnXN
Experts: HERO ‘too close to call’ ahead of Tuesday’s vote
Texas Observer
http://bit.ly/1HhhXO6
Rangel: Houston keeps gender identity in spotlight
Amarillo Globe-News (This article also appeared in Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.)
http://bit.ly/1Hn0QKB
The pessimism of the poli-sci profs
Off the Kuff
http://bit.ly/1P6i5I3
Elecciones 2015: Candidatos a alcalde de Houston luchan por llegar a segunda vuelta
La Voz de Houston (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1M7fRCu

What constitutes a ‘fact’? Katy teacher, child disagree
Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair and Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Religion and Public Life Program, comments on the recent controversy concerning an English teacher’s lesson about what constitutes as a fact, using God as an example.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front page. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1MCvIhV

East meets West in new Houston worship space
The Bishop John E. Hines Center for Spirituality and Prayer will open in January 2016. Jeffrey Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1l3PIxH

Nobel winner: Trump’s stance on immigration ‘based in racism’
Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010 and recently visited Rice, discusses presidential candidate Donald Trump’s anti-immigration stance.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1GHMnyf

Actors, politicians speak up for HERO as vote nears
Houston Mayor Annise Parker used social media to express her disapproval of former Houston Astros star Lance Berkman’s public opposition to the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. The article notes that both Parker ’78 and Berkman ’98 are Rice alumni.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the City & State section in Sunday’s Chronicle. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1MCxyPL

Immigrant students today, Texas’ future tomorrow | Part 1: Educating the new workforce
English language learners, primarily Hispanics, are scoring low on state standardized tests and have high dropout rates. Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, is cited for his projected growth of Texas’ Hispanic population.
El Paso Times
http://bit.ly/1Q23gGE

Study seeks cause of fatal bereavement
A Rice study to identify connections between the loss of a significant other and increased risk of cardiovascular disease wins a major grant from the National Institutes of Health. Christopher Fagundes, assistant professor of psychology, is quoted.
TMC Today
http://bit.ly/1Oj7GIZ

Art is healing
Robert Flatt, adjunct professor in management, is featured for his photography and battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Houstonia
http://bit.ly/1Hn3WON

BROADCAST

KTRH-AM
The Urban Harvest fruit tree sale at Rice Stadium is mentioned.
http://bit.ly/1PgYP9h

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Rice anthropologist identifies extinct antelope species in India
August Costa, adjunct lecturer in anthropology and principal investigator of the study, has identified a new species of extinct antelope that once roamed what is present-day India during the late ice age 10,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1Wrfvk8

Blood vessels store, secrete key blood-clotting protein
Rice University scientists have solved a long-standing mystery about where the body stores and deploys blood-clotting factor VIII, a protein that about 80 percent of hemophiliacs cannot make due to genetic defects. Joel Moake, a hematologist with appointments in Rice’s Department of Bioengineering and Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center, and Nancy Turner, research biochemist, are quoted.
Medical Xpress
http://bit.ly/1WrjUDO

The birth of ‘infrastructural citizenship’ in the United States
Kyle Shelton, postdoctoral research fellow at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, examines two 1970’s Houston construction projects for his study, “Building a Better Houston: Highways, Neighborhoods and Infrastructural Citizenship,” which was published in the Journal of Urban History.
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1SiMtNR

Could Hurricane Patricia be a harbinger of storms in a warming climate?
Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, authored an op-ed about the effect of a warm climate on major future storms.
IFLScience.com
http://bit.ly/1P6jj6h

Du graphène pour produire de l’hydrogène sans platine
Cobalt atoms on nitrogen-doped graphene are a robust solid-state catalyst for hydrogen production. The Rice discovery may be an effective replacement for more expensive platinum-activated catalysts in fuel cells and other energy applications.
Futura-Sciences.com (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1Mcg2Qk

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

International Space Station celebrates 15th birthday
Today is the International Space Station’s 15th birthday. Neal Lane, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor Emeritus, senior fellow in science and technology policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor emeritus of physics and astronomy, is quoted.
KMBZ.com (This appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1P5RE5j

Texas eyes one fossil fuel as prospects dim for another
IEnova chief development officer Tania Ortiz Mena is quoted from her recent discussion at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
E&E Publishing
http://bit.ly/1Pgs5gm

Professors choose free textbooks to offset student tuition
College textbooks are becoming increasingly challenging for students to afford. Rice’s OpenStax College is mentioned as an example of a successful initiative that provides alternatives to expensive textbooks.
The Red & Black
http://bit.ly/1RnMGPb

Uncontested Northampton School Committee candidates respond to Gazette questions
Alumna Laura Fallon ’94, who worked as an admissions interviewer at Rice, is profiled.
GazetteNet.com
http://bit.ly/1WqdNQe

SPORTS

Driskel’s 4 TD passes help Louisiana Tech down Rice
Rice football fell to Louisiana Tech University 42-17 at Rice Stadium. Head coach David Bailiff is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Wu2bWW
Louisiana Tech runs over Rice, 42-17
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the Sports section in Saturday’s Chronicle. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1RKleuQ
Rice eyeing bowl with 4 games left
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1NlQpgY
College football week in review
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Oj3xou
College football week 9 rewind
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1RKokig
Driskel guides Louisiana Tech to 28 straight points in win over Rice
Fox News (This article also appeared in Bayou Buzz.)
http://fxn.ws/1kmEfZl

KHOU-TV
Sophomore football player Calvin Anderson is featured for his Rubik’s Cube skills.
http://bit.ly/1Q69X9I

12 famous people who are much, much smarter than you thought
Former Rice football player Frank Ryan ’58 is included in a slideshow of well-known people who have advanced degrees.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1N9t51i

NEWS RELEASES

The birth of ‘infrastructural citizenship’ in the United States
Kinder Institute researcher examines two 1970’s Houston construction projects.
http://bit.ly/20nPYI8

Study: Blood vessels store, secrete key blood-clotting protein
Rice University scientists have solved a long-standing mystery about where the body stores and deploys blood-clotting factor VIII, a protein that about 80 percent of hemophiliacs cannot make due to genetic defects.
http://bit.ly/1Mcm2IN

Death row exoneree, lawyer who helped free him to speak at Nov. 10 Scientia
Anthony Graves and Nicole Casarez will be the featured speakers at Rice University’s Scientia lecture Nov. 10.
http://bit.ly/1P62okf

Rice anthropologist identifies extinct antelope species in India
A Rice anthropologist has identified a new species of extinct antelope.
http://bit.ly/1WrpV3g

Rice physicists prep for Large Hadron Collider upgrade
Rice physicists and students will help build the next generation of instruments for the Large Hadron Collider’s continuing investigation into the nature of the universe.
http://bit.ly/1LM1vJG