Dateline Rice for Feb. 15, 2017

FEATURED ITEMS

MacArthur names 8 semifinalists for $100M grant
The Rice 360° Institute for Global Health and its partners are among the semifinalists for the MacArthur Foundation’s innovative 100&Change competition. Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, professor of bioengineering and of electrical and computer engineering and director of Rice 360° Institute for Global Health, and Maria Oden, director of Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen and a professor in the practice of engineering education, are quoted in the Houston Chronicle article. A slideshow in the Chronicle article features photos of Richards-Kortum, Oden and Rice Provost Marie Lynn Miranda.
Chicago Tribune
http://trib.in/2lQvrMy
Rice 360° Institute for Global Health named finalist for $100M grant
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2kzhl11
http://bit.ly/2l9kZAy

Tiger of the week: Alison Weaver ’93 leads new interdisciplinary arts initiatives at Rice
Alison Weaver, the Suzanne Deal Booth Executive Director of Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts, is profiled.
Princeton Alumni Weekly
http://bit.ly/2lPwi11

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

If OPEC cheats on its production cuts, here’s when that oil probably starts flowing
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about OPEC.
CNBC (This also appeared in Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Singapore Finance.)
http://cnb.cx/2lhln2I
Compliance slippage and all-out production resumption may be inevitable: IHS Energy
Ship & Bunker
http://bit.ly/2kxzTPa
La OPEP cumple con su meta, pero el crudo se resiste a subir
Wall Street Journal (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2ky1YWv

Want secure elections? Then maybe don’t cut security funding
Dan Wallach, professor of computer science and of electrical and computer engineering, co-authored an op-ed about election security.
Wired
http://bit.ly/2kKmuEy

Indonesia’s moderate Islam is slowly crumbling
Kadir Yildirim, research scholar at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about Indonesia.
Chicago Tribune (This also appeared in Herald Net and the Cortez Journal.)
http://trib.in/2l8etdx

How to solve the riddle of Venezuela’s economy
Francisco Monaldi, a fellow in Latin American energy policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about the Venezuelan economy.
Live Mint
http://bit.ly/2lL1K3E

This is the reason people get their financial goals wrong
“Stretch,” by Scott Sonenshein, the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is featured. Sonenshein authored an op-ed discussing his book and participated in a Q&A.
Inc. (Subscription required.)
http://on.inc.com/2kSNYKu
Scott Sonenshein
Kirkus Reviews
http://bit.ly/2kqHh3F
Editor’s choice: ‘Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less — and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined’
In the Books
http://bit.ly/2lhUITc
Want to live the good life? The new book ‘Stretch’ gives the science of how
Huffington Post
http://huff.to/2l8yYqh
Why do people chase the wrong career paths?
Huffington Post
http://huff.to/2lk6Q5M
How constraints force your brain to be more creative
Fast Company
http://bit.ly/2ky9tNg

An evolutionary biologist explains why online dating is perfect for men but terrible for women
Scott Solomon, professor in the practice of ecology and evolutionary biology, discusses the ways online dating and apps are changing evolution.
Business Insider
http://read.bi/2lQOHcZ

Uber gives subscriptions a test drive in the Philly region
Kyle Shelton, postdoctoral research fellow at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted about public transportation.
Philadelphia Inquirer
http://bit.ly/2l8nQd8

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Want safer streets? Stop looking for a single answer.
Raj Mankad, editor of the Rice Design Alliance’s Cite Magazine, authored an op-ed about the safety of streets in Houston. The op-ed mentions Marjorie Corcoran, a professor of physics and astronomy who was killed Feb. 3 in a train-cyclist accident.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This appeared in the Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine.)
http://bit.ly/2l8lZFj

Dinner at home? You bet — with the right room
A slideshow features a photo of the home of Karin Broker, professor of visual arts.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.) 
http://bit.ly/2lKTgcv
http://bit.ly/2lL5vpP

Take heart: The best valentines are surprises
Rice is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This appeared in the Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine.)
http://bit.ly/2kSLMCV

Saint Arnold offering beer-fest couples a special honeymoon experience in Houston
Alumnus Brock Wagner ’87 is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.) 
http://bit.ly/2kSDOty
http://bit.ly/2kpSuBA

Posters at UT latest display of campus post-election racism
An article about racist posters that were placed at the University of Texas at Austin mentions vandalism that recently occurred at Rice. President David Leebron and Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson are quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in My San Antonio.) 
http://bit.ly/2kqb8t1
http://bit.ly/2lL2LbR
Nazi graffiti, signs pop up on campus
Houston Chronicle (This also appeared in LMT Online.)
http://bit.ly/2kq2D1c

Eviction is a ‘cascade of misery’
Leah Binkovitz, staff writer for Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, authored an op-ed about evictions in Houston. Rachel Kimbro, professor of sociology, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This appeared in the Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine.)
http://bit.ly/2lPl1xF

Global Teen Medical Summit offers hands-on experience
An article mentions that participants of the Global Teen Medical Summit will stay on Rice’s campus.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in My San Antonio.) 
http://bit.ly/2lhhnim
http://bit.ly/2kxvpbu

Higher-ed group cites UT efforts to boost low-income student graduation rate
An article mentions that Rice is part of the American Talent Initiative.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.) 
http://bit.ly/2lQqdAC
http://bit.ly/2lPkyLC

How 21 Houston suburbs got their names
Rice University founder William Marsh Rice is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in My San Antonio.) 
http://bit.ly/2lQyKU7
http://bit.ly/2kSHU4V

The faces of Obamacare
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute and professor of economics, is quoted about the Affordable Care Act.
Texas Monthly
http://bit.ly/2kxTbEh

5 free things to do in Houston Feb. 13-17
An article mentions that Rice students will participate in the Craft Social at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft Feb. 16.
Houston on the Cheap
http://bit.ly/2kqnUrw

BROADCAST

Bloomberg Radio
Ambassador Edward Djerejian, director of Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, discusses President Donald Trump’s administration.
WBBR (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast. This also aired on WNEW.)
http://bit.ly/2lR8uc0

Houston streetlights concentrated mostly in black, Hispanic neighborhoods, report says
A report from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research is shining light on Houston’s streetlight situation. It found that Houston’s 173,724 streetlights (as of August 2015) are concentrated more heavily in black and Hispanic neighborhoods than white neighborhoods. Heather O’Connell, postdoctoral fellow at the institute, is quoted.
KPRC
http://bit.ly/2lQP0o8
KTRK
http://bit.ly/2l8Ik5D

KEX
The third-annual Veterans Business Battle, sponsored by Entrepreneurs’ Organization-Houston and the Rice University Veterans Business Association, will begin Feb. 24.
http://bit.ly/2lQTfA1 (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 

KTRH
David Alexander, director of the Rice Space Institute and professor of physics and astronomy, discusses NASA’s upcoming expedition of Europa.
http://bit.ly/2kKvf1j (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 
http://bit.ly/2kquHBH (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

The top 10 engineering hubs of US
Houston is cited as one of the top 10 engineering hubs in the country, and Rice is mentioned.
Engineering Daily (This also appeared in Environment Guru.)
http://bit.ly/2lQKqWZ

Good vibrations help reveal molecular details
Five years of hard work and a little “cosmic luck” led Rice researchers to a new method to obtain structural details on molecules in biomembranes. Jason Hafner, associate professor of physics and astronomy and of chemistry, is quoted.
Nanowerk
http://bit.ly/2lLe03W

Graphene foam gets big and tough
A chunk of conductive graphene foam reinforced by carbon nanotubes can support more than 3,000 times its own weight and easily bounce back to its original height, according to Rice University scientists. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
ECN
http://bit.ly/2lhHRQR
Scientists develop strong and flexible graphene material
Design Engineering
http://bit.ly/2kxLeyV
Graphene foam reinforced by carbon nanotubes gets big and tough
Time Gazette
http://bit.ly/2lQqKlR
Rebar graphene for lithium ion capacitors
New Electronics
http://bit.ly/2kpY8Ui
Nanotube-reinforced graphene foam found to be highly conductive
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
http://bit.ly/2lPwVr6
Doped graphene foam shows super strength
The Engineer
http://bit.ly/2lPs89k
Rice team’s CNT-reinforced graphene foam is conductive and strong
Before It’s News
http://bit.ly/2lRgREA
Graphene foam supports more than 3,000x its weight
Design Product & Applications
http://bit.ly/2lk36RW
Reinforced graphene foam can support up to 3,000 times its weight
Architect
http://bit.ly/2kKnR5R
Nyt materiale: Armeret grafen-skum kan bære 3000 gange sin egen vægt
Dr Dk (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2lhvnZy
Grafeen maakt sterke 3-D-vormen
De Ingenieur (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2kJWCbQ

Kurt Gottfried wins AAAS Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award
An article mentions that 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, nominated Kurt Gottfried for the 2016 Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
AAAS
http://bit.ly/2lL8SNw
Kurt Gottfried receives 2016 AAAS Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award
Scienmag
http://bit.ly/2ljFxbP

Bacterium from spark cave glow could assist drug targeting
Chemists scouring Appalachia for exotic microorganisms that could yield blockbuster drugs have reported a unique find from the smoldering remains of a coal mine fire that’s burned for nearly a decade in southeastern Kentucky. A research team from Rice, the University of Kentucky and the University of Oklahoma made new — and in some cases more effective — versions of the antibiotic daptomycin using an enzyme from a soil bacterium found in smoke vents of the Ruth Mullins coal fire. George Phillips, the Ralph and Dorothy Looney Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, is quoted.
Health Medicine Network
http://bit.ly/2kSuaH2

Better scaffolds help scientists study cancer
Testing treatments for bone cancer tumors may get easier with new enhancements to sophisticated support structures that mimic their biological environment, according to Rice scientists. Antonios Mikos, the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, is quoted.
Scienmag (This also appeared in Medical Design Technology, eCancer and News-line.)
http://bit.ly/2lKSZ9L

Rice takes deeper look at unconventional oil and gas
Understanding how oil and gas molecules, water and rocks interact at the nanoscale will help make extraction of hydrocarbons through hydraulic fracturing more efficient, according to Rice researchers. George Hirasaki, research professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Walter Chapman, the William W. Akers Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and associate dean for energy in the George R. Brown School of Engineering, are quoted.
Oil Gas Daily
http://bit.ly/2ljvV0S

Pruitt seen as boon for utilities hit by EPA haze rule
An article about the Environmental Protection Agency’s haze rule quotes Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering.
E&E News (This also appeared in E&E News’ “Green Wire.”)
http://bit.ly/2kq45Re

Subsea Systems Institute director talks proposed digital transformation JIP
Rice is mentioned.
World Oil (This also appeared in Oil News Center.)
http://bit.ly/2l8gCFO

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Here are the greenest cities in America: Where does your city rank and how can you can help make it greener?
Ted Loch-Temzelides, professor of economics, is quoted about energy efficiency.
Alternet (This also appeared in Environment Guru.)
http://bit.ly/2lPtqAU

Number of Latinos who voted in 2016 surged from 2012
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science, fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and fellow at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted about Latino voting in Texas.
Hispanic Trending
http://bit.ly/2lk8iFn
Number of Texas Latino voters climbed 29 percent in 2016, records show
GOPUSA
http://bit.ly/2lhsdVW

Ussama Makdisi: Trump order pits Muslims against Christians
Ussama Makdisi, the Arab-American Educational Foundation Professor of Arab Studies in History and professor of history, authored an op-ed about President Donald Trump’s recent executive order.
Virginian-Pilot
http://bit.ly/2l81h8i

Acceptance letters bring relief
A student who hopes to attend Rice authored an op-ed.
Journal West
http://bit.ly/2lhFBJn

How we talk about race and safety can really make a difference
David Schneider, professor emeritus of psychology, is mentioned.
Open Democracy
http://bit.ly/2lhARUb

Gold’s crazy secret
Rice is mentioned.
Before It’s News
http://bit.ly/2lKSpbO

SPORTS

Youth serving up wins: Grapeland girls hoops team could be good for years to come
Alumnus Anthony DeCello ’81 is mentioned.
Palestine Herald-Press
http://bit.ly/2kmEY1z

Women’s basketball: The numbers behind the 13-game losing streak
Rice women’s basketball defeated Florida Atlantic University 89-55.
University Press
http://bit.ly/2kGE24i

Men’s basketball hits the road for important road swing
Rice men’s and women’s basketball will play the University of Texas at El Paso Feb. 18.
The Prospector
http://bit.ly/2kPnsl4
Women’s basketball makes one final push toward C-USA tournament
The Prospector
http://bit.ly/2lGOQDI
Women’s basketball starts 4-game home stand
El Paso Inc.
http://bit.ly/2kn1vve

Hail Bieser! The Mizzou Baseball season preview
Alumnus Pat Hallmark ’02 is mentioned.
Rock M Nation
http://bit.ly/2lM96Ra

Canudas ranked 51st in nation
Rice tennis is mentioned.
Paisano
http://bit.ly/2lQPzhu

Bohls: You’re reading live about Brent Musburger’s thoughts on Texas …
Rice baseball will play the University of Texas Feb. 17-19.
Austin American-Statesman
http://atxne.ws/2kJWXLC

Texas Tech’s upsets of Baylor, West Virginia won’t offset weak non-league schedule
Rice men’s and women’s basketball are mentioned.
Fan Rag Sports Network
http://bit.ly/2lhJluA
UNT notebook: UNT women on a roll as season winds down
Denton Record-Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2kxLGNs

NEWS RELEASES

Rice 360° in running for $100 million MacArthur grant
The Rice 360° Institute for Global Health and its partners are among the semifinalists for the MacArthur Foundation’s innovative 100&Change competition. The eight semifinalists announced today were selected from more than 1,900 applicants. The foundation plans to select the winner this fall.
http://bit.ly/2lk6bS1

Lesbian women less likely than heterosexuals to get annual pap smears
Lesbian women are less likely than heterosexual and bisexual women to get timely pap smears, according to a new paper from sociologists at Rice University.
http://bit.ly/2lRfzJC

Rice U. lecture series to explore creativity
Two national experts on creativity, innovation and psychology will discuss “Creativity Up Close” as part of a new free public lecture series at Rice University Feb. 28 and March 21.
http://bit.ly/2lPQHCZ

Good vibrations help reveal molecular details
Five years of hard work and a little “cosmic luck” led Rice University researchers to a new method to obtain structural details on molecules in biomembranes.
http://bit.ly/2lPRovW