Dateline Rice for Aug. 21, 2018

FEATURED ITEMS

Top 25 Private Colleges 2018
Rice is ranked No. 25 on Forbes’ Top 25 Private Colleges list, thanks in part to leading research in fields including nanotechnology, engineering, architecture, physics and biosciences and its tuition cost, according to the magazine. Rice is also touted as No. 2 on Forbes’ Top 25 Colleges in the South list.
Forbes
http://bit.ly/2ByqAfI
Top 25 colleges in the South 2018
Forbes
http://bit.ly/2N27XlA

The parasitic vine that slowly sucks the life out of wasps
The research of Scott Egan, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, is featured in several articles. Egan and his lab discovered that gall wasps that have parasitized trees to make nutrient-rich galls so the insects can incubate can themselves be parasitized by the love vine, which saps the nutrients and leaves a mummified wasp behind. Egan is pictured and quoted in The Atlantic and quoted in Cosmos. Phys.org quotes Egan and co-authors Glen Hood, Rice Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, and graduate students Linyi Zhang and Mattheau Comerford; Egan and Comerford are also credited for the accompanying photos. Egan and Hood received photo credits in The Atlantic.
The Atlantic
http://bit.ly/2PtLpfk
Natural selection as karma: Wasp parasitizes tree, vine parasitizes wasp
Cosmos
http://bit.ly/2Pr06Qe
Love vine sucks life from wasps, leaving only mummies
Phys.org (This article also appeared in UPI, Scienmag, Tdnews, NewsCaf, Long Room and Science Daily.) 
http://bit.ly/2PtLbVw

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Venezuela agrees to pay $2 billion over seizure of oil projects
Francisco J. Monaldi, fellow in Latin American energy policy at the Center for Energy Studies, the Mexico Center and the Latin America Initiative at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and a lecturer in energy economics at Rice, is quoted in several articles about a recent $2 billion judgment levied against Venezuela to repay ConocoPhillips.
The New York Times (This article also appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.) 
https://nyti.ms/2N4F1cP
ConocoPhillips, Venezuela’s PDVSA reach $2 billion settlement
Reuters (This article also appeared in more than 50 other media outlets.) 
https://reut.rs/2PofLjh
Oil major settles amid currency crisis
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2Buzpr2

Ancient burial pits reveal sophisticated rituals
The recent discovery of a burial ground over 5,300 years old in modern-day Kenya seems to indicate that “ancient mobile populations could also build monumental works,” according to Susan McIntosh, the Herbert S. Autrey Professor of Anthropology.
The New York Times (This article also appeared in WRAL Online and ACQ5.) 
https://nyti.ms/2N4kTY4

States detail election-security plans
Dan Wallach, professor of computer science and of electrical and computer engineering and a Rice Faculty Scholar at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article about election security measures states plan on implementing with funds recently allocated by Congress.
The Wall Street Journal (Subscription is required.)
https://on.wsj.com/2wjjPbA

Nano-magnets draw last bits of oil from water
Rice scientists have developed a nanoparticle-based solution that reliably removes more than 99 percent of the emulsified oil that remains after other processing is done. Sibani Lisa Biswal, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted and former postdoctoral researcher Qing Wang is mentioned.
Futurity (This article also appeared in the Idea Connection.)
http://bit.ly/2PqRj0v

Gulf grapples with ‘silent’ economic crisis
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article about the region’s slowing economic growth, due in part to lower oil and gas prices, a rise in the cost of living and political uncertainties.
Asia Times
http://bit.ly/2MrWWxN

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Key Canadian NAFTA negotiator seeks continental commitment
The U.S. should work with Canada and Mexico to make North America great, not just America, Quebec’s chief negotiator for the North American Free Trade Agreement said at an Aug. 20 meeting at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Aug. 21 print edition with a different headline, “Canada’s NAFTA envoy seeks mutual gains.”)
http://bit.ly/2Pro3GY

Tuesday is last day to vote early on $2.5B Harris County flood bond
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science at Rice, is quoted in an article about Harris County’s proposed $2.5 billion flood mitigation bond.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Aug. 21 print edition with a different headline, “Early voting on flood bond ends today.”)
http://bit.ly/2Pp0zCq

Is rapid detox the answer to addiction?
Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell III Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article about the lack of evidence that rapid detox programs effectively treat opioid addictions.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2MoG0rO

Perry lies low in Trump’s Cabinet
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 in an article about Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Aug. 19 print edition and a previous edition of Dateline when the Chronicle first posted it online.)
http://bit.ly/2N6Z8H6

Happenings around Sugar Land, Fort Bend County
A roundup of events in Sugar Land mentions that Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research will present “Trends in Infrastructure” at the Aug. 30 meeting of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2wf1IDH
http://bit.ly/2N2kPbm

New classical music organization, The Verreaux Collective, to debut in The Woodlands Sept. 22
An article featuring and picturing The Verreaux Collective mentions that members Andrew White, Julia Simpson, Sebastian Stefanovic, Paul Novak, David Danjul and Arin Sarkissian all attend Rice’s Shepherd School of Music.
Community Impact Newspaper
http://bit.ly/2PoRvgI

UTSA welcomes 50 new faculty members this week
Rice is mentioned.
UTSA News
http://bit.ly/2N41vul

BROADCAST

Natural disasters widen racial wealth gap, Rice researchers find
Damage caused by natural disasters and recovery efforts launched in their aftermaths have increased wealth inequality between races in the U.S., according to new research from Rice and the University of Pittsburgh. Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research studied nearly 3,500 families across the U.S. from 1999 through 2013 as disaster damage of varying scale struck counties where they lived. Junia Howell, a scholar at the institute for and an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Pittsburgh, is interviewed by Houston Public Media, and Howell and Jim Elliott, a professor of sociology at Rice and fellow at the institute, are quoted in Futurity.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2wkdqwU
Natural disasters widen racial wealth gap
Futurity (This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2MIFdS3

To rebuild Houston ‘you have to reimagine it’
“Structurally reshaping (Houston) to mitigate the damage from a future storm” must be a priority, according to Jim Blackburn, a professor in the practice of environmental law and the co-director of Rice’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center, who was featured on the Texas Standard. WOAI quotes Blackburn, who states that Hurricane Harvey may have been a 50,000-year flood event.
Texas Standard 
http://bit.ly/2wdq6FX (This segment aired on 30 affiliate radio stations.)
One year later, Harvey’s shadow still looms over Texas
WOAI.iheart.com
https://ihr.fm/2PqjE7h

‘Latina Voices’
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is mentioned.
KHOU-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2Msc91K

‘The Rush Limbaugh Show’
History Professor Douglas Brinkley is cited.
KEX-AM (Portland, Ore.)
http://bit.ly/2wj8NDi (This segment aired on 556 affiliate radio stations.)

Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Hidden Heroes
Students from Rice’s Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance discuss love and community. Zahra Jamal, associate director for community engagement at the institute; Marcia Brennan, professor of religion and art history and faculty fellow in the Center for Teaching Excellence; and Rice students Sophie D’Amico, David Patterson, Arlen Suarez, Paul Meyer, Michael Otoo and Navya Kumar are featured.
CW50 (Detroit)
http://bit.ly/2Ppvte0 (This segment also aired on CW69 Atlanta, WDEL Philadelphia and WPIX New York.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Scientist leads development of efficient method to characterize quantum computers
An article features the research of Anastasios Kyrillidis, the Noah Harding Assistant Professor of Computer Science, who developed an unconventional method that can act as a diagnostic tool for powerful, next-generation quantum supercomputers.
Phys.org (This article also appeared in Space Daily and Scienmag.)
http://bit.ly/2wnBteH

New US consul general in Thessaloniki named
Alumnus Gregory Pfleger Jr. ’00 has been appointed the new U.S. consul general in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Ekathimerini.com
http://bit.ly/2Btv6vU

Why do child stunting and maternal health feature so high on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s priorities?
Farhan Majid, the L.E. and Virginia Simmons Fellow in Health and Technology Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an op-ed arguing that neglecting early childhood health and development in Pakistan has stunted its economy.
Dawn
http://bit.ly/2weeLFK

ShareBackup could keep data in the fast lane
Rice researchers developed ShareBackup, a strategy that would allow shared backup switches in data centers to take on network traffic within a fraction of a second after a software or hardware switch failure. Eugene Ng, professor of computer science and electrical and computer engineering, is quoted.
Eurasia Review (This article also appeared in Health Medicine Network.)
http://bit.ly/2MmXBR0

Atlanta’s Stanley Romanstein brings vision to University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory
Rice is mentioned.
Atlanta Business Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2MZLMwm

‘Above and Beyond’ documentary to land in theaters for NASA’s 60th
President John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech” given at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is mentioned.
CollectSpace.com
http://bit.ly/2wjkMAZ

Nicki Minaj uses fake Harriet Tubman quote to describe her music industry battles
An article cites 2016 research from Associate Professor of History Caleb McDaniel that determined that a popular quote is often misattributed to Harriet Tubman.
Mic
http://bit.ly/2wjlXAp

ROBOTICON brings together students for space-themed event in Tampa
Alumnus Robert Bishop ’90, who is the dean of the University of South Florida’s College of engineering, is pictured and quoted.
83DegreesMedia.com
http://bit.ly/2Bw2u55

‘PyDev of the Week’: Jessica Ingrassellino
An article mentions that Rice offers free online computer coding classes.
Mouse vs. Python
http://bit.ly/2N1zL9S

Thank you for attending #OEGlobal18
An article mentions that OpenStax, a Rice-based publisher of open educational resources, was highlighted in a keynote address at the 2018 Open Education Global Conference in Delft, Netherlands. An article from EdSurge also mentions OpenStax.
The Open Education Global Conference
http://bit.ly/2N4qqOr
Knewton’s new business attracts new $25M in funding. But some things don’t change.
EdSurge
http://bit.ly/2Bwedk9

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Volcano watch: Submarine Kilauea also impacted by recent events on the volcano
An article mentions that Rice researchers are collaborating with other institutions to study the earthquakes occurring on the south flank of Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald (This article also appeared in Maui Now.)
http://bit.ly/2w9MnEo

State economist Heaghney named director of Fiscal Research Center
An article featuring and picturing alumnus Kenneth Heaghney ’80 mentions that he has been named the new director of Georgia State University’s Fiscal Research Center.
Georgia State University News
http://bit.ly/2PoTlya

Heart attack patients get safer, faster lab scores that diagnose diseases
Jeffrey Tabor, assistant professor of bioengineering and of biosciences, is quoted.
Newsgram
http://bit.ly/2MsUuab

SPORTS

The Advocate’s football preview: Breaking down LSU’s 2018 schedule
An article predicting the scores for each of Louisiana State University’s football games mentions Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren and players Aaron Cephus, Graysen Schantz and Nahshon Ellerbe. The late Blain Padgett is also mentioned. The Tigers will play Rice Nov. 17. Bloomgren is also mentioned in the Houston Chronicle.
The Advocate
http://bit.ly/2N7gFiH 
LSU football schedule — which games will the Tigers lose?
710KEEL.com
http://bit.ly/2NaNXNW
Preseason college top 25: Hard to go against the Tide
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2MrIkP0  (Scroll down to “14. Stanford.”)

Texas recruiting mid-term report: Group of Five teams
An article about recent recruits mentions that Jawan King, Izeya Floyd, Jack Bradley and Justin Moore plan to play football at Rice.
Rivals.com
https://rvls.co/2N9gaol

The Texas 22: Starting at left tackle — Calvin Anderson
Former Rice football player Calvin Anderson is pictured and featured in the Austin American-Statesman, and he is mentioned in four additional articles.
Austin American-Statesman
http://bit.ly/2N6zrXf
Ehlinger named Texas starter
KXAN Online
http://bit.ly/2MrfZZb
Depth chart for deeper, more talented Texas O-line taking shape
247Sports.com
http://bit.ly/2N5rrpA
Texas’ QB competition followed the expected script; here’s why the same can’t be said for Oklahoma
Dallas Morning News 
http://bit.ly/2N8BgmK
Three takeaways from Texas’ practice: Sam Ehlinger likely to start at QB, throwing the ball ‘a lot better’
Dallas Morning News 
http://bit.ly/2N7hw2T

Underwood, ‘Little Pig’ and former SWC official, dies at 82
Rice is mentioned.
WholeHogSports
http://bit.ly/2N6yYEB

2018 Houston Cougars season preview
Rice is mentioned.
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/2PpchNo

Texas mid-term recruiting report: Oklahoma State
Rice is mentioned.
Rivals.com
https://rvls.co/2N9gd3v

2018 high school football preview: District 17-6A
Rice is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2MpzXTP

A Cougar for life
Rice Stadium is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Aug. 19 print edition and a previous edition of Dateline when the Chronicle first posted it online.)
http://bit.ly/2N7edsv

Cougars need speedy receiver Marquez Stevenson injury-free
An article mentions that the University of Houston football team will play Rice Sept. 1.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2MokTpz

Harper announces challenging 2018-19 S&D schedule
An article featuring the University of Arkansas swimming and diving team mentions that the Razorbacks will compete against Rice Jan. 12.
ArkansasRazorbacks.com 
http://bit.ly/2N9kyTZ

Houston Texans: Inside the game
Former Rice football player Christian Covington, who now plays for the Houston Texans, is featured.
KFXX-TV (Tyler, Texas)
http://bit.ly/2PqmB80

NEWS RELEASES

Rice event to examine faith during and after Harvey Aug. 30 
Rice’s Religion and Public Life Program and Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance will host “Faith During and After Harvey: One Year Later” Aug. 30. The event will address how faith communities have assisted with continuing Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts, with conversation framed by relevant social science research on disasters and religion and how to prepare for and execute disaster relief through the lens of faith.
http://bit.ly/2N9hAPl

Rice’s Baker Institute to convene ‘Houston Stronger: A Path to A More Equitable City’ Aug. 31
Leaders and experts from government, nonprofits and academia will gather Aug. 31 for a public forum convened by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy to build community consensus around the need for a more equitable Houston. The forum will explore potential policy, programmatic and investment solutions to Houston’s most pressing inequities and highlight the implications of ongoing Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts as the city marks the one-year anniversary of the storm.
http://bit.ly/2N26J9Y

Rice announces endowment of head football coaching position
When Mike Bloomgren leads the Rice Owls onto the Rice Stadium turf for his first game on Aug. 25, he will do so as the Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach thanks to an endowed gift by Bruce and Elizabeth Dunlevie. The endowment is the first for a Rice Athletics coaching position and is the fifth endowed head coaching position within the Football Bowl Subdivision level of NCAA Division I.
http://bit.ly/2MFgZrQ