Dateline Rice for Feb. 28, 2020

Stefan De La Garza
– February 28, 2020Posted in: Dateline Rice

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
Amid virus, Saudis close Islam’s holiest sites to foreigners
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Boston Herald (This Associated Press article also appeared in more than 150 additional media outlets since it was included in yesterday’s Dateline. This story also appeared in the Feb. 28 print editions of Mail Today, Sun Star Pampanga, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Myanmar Times and Monterey Herald.) 
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-ulrichsenDouble-check that ballot: Controversial voting machines make their primary debut in South Carolina
Dan Wallach, professor of computer science and of electrical and computer engineering and a Rice Faculty Scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Politico (This article also appeared in Headtopics.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-wallach
South Carolina’s firewall faces billions of breach attempts
WYFF Online
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-wallachDemocrats worry a Sanders win could reverse gains in Texas
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.
U.S. News & World Report
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-jones
In Houston, job losses would kill support for Green New Deal, poll shows
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-jones
Democratic primary voters say health care is top priority
University of Houston
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-jones

US struggles to break ties between Russia, Venezuela
An article quotes Francisco J. Monaldi, fellow in Latin American energy policy at the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Center for Energy Studies, Center for the United States and Mexico and Latin America Initiative and a lecturer in energy economics.
Voice of America’s “Learning English”
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-monaldi

Egyptian pound beats the greenback
Mahmoud El-Gamal, professor of economics and statistics and a Faculty Scholar at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-al-gamal

That digital textbook? Your college has billed you for it
An article mentions OpenStax, a Rice-based publisher of open educational resources.
New York Times (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-openstax

Rediscovering a piece of Boston’s choral and architectural history
An article mentions that the late architect Ralph Adams Cram is credited with designing Rice’s campus.
Boston Globe
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-bglobe

College admissions: These are the hardest colleges to get into in each state
Rice is mentioned.
USA Today
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-usatoday
Les écoles de chaque état qui sont les plus difficiles à intégrer
Nouvelles du Monde (An English translation is not available.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-nm

Universidad de Miami firma acuerdo para ampliar oportunidades de investigación académica
An article mentions that Rice invited the University of Miami to join the Puentes Consortium, which aims to promote multidisciplinary research on issues of importance to the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.
Voice of America (An English translation is not available.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-voa

HOUSTON/TEXAS
Are accelerators becoming a trap for startups?
An article about startup accelerators mentions Rice’s redevelopment of the historic Midtown Sears building into the Ion, the centerpiece of an innovation district slated to open in the first quarter of 2021. Gabriella Rowe, executive director of the Ion, and Yael Hochberg, the Ralph S. O’Connor Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, are quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News and the San Francisco Chronicle.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-ion-rowe-hochbergCarbon tax revenues can be used to promote economic growth and help low-income people [Opinion]
An op-ed about how to spend revenue generated from carbon taxes was co-authored by John Diamond, the Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and director of its Center for Public Finance, and George Zodrow, the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Economics at Rice and a Faculty Scholar at the Baker Institute.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This op-ed also appeared in the Feb. 28 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-diamond-zodrowTwo science faculty appointed as University Distinguished Professors
An article featuring alumnus Richard Gomer mentions he has been appointed University Distinguished Professor at Texas A&M University, effective Sept. 1.
Texas A&M University News
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-tamu

What’s up in Houston galleries
An arts roundup mentions that Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts is exhibiting “Story Lines,” a large drawings group show, through May 17, and “Radical Revisionists: Contemporary African Artists Confronting Past and Present,” on view through May 16. The website 365 Things To Do in Houston mentions that “Changing Houston,” an exhibit by Geoff Winningham, the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Humanities in visual and dramatic arts, will be on view at the BioScience Research Collaborative through March 17.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Feb. 28 print edition, and it appeared online in the Chronicle’s “Preview,” the Connecticut Post and San Francisco Chronicle.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-moody-center
Museum exhibit openings and closings in Houston: March 2020
365 Things To Do in Houston
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-moody-center
Current museum exhibits and art installations in Houston
365 Things To Do in Houston
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-moody-center

Houston native Julia Guez frames hope with poetry collection
A book review features the new poetry collection “In an Invisible Glass Case Which Is Also a Frame” by alumna Julia Guez.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Chronicle’s “Preview,” and it appeared in the San Antonio Express-News and Connecticut Post.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-hc

Here are the Houston arthouse films showing Feb. 28-March 5
A roundup mentions that Rice Cinema will present films by Stan VanDerBeek Feb. 29.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Feb. 28 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-rice-cinema

11 startups pitch top Houston angel investors at biannual summit
An article mentions that a Houston Angel Network biannual summit was held Feb. 19 at Rice’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
InnovationMap
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-innomap

Water main break causes facility closings throughout Houston
An article mentions that Houston’s water main break affected laboratories at Rice’s BioScience Research Collaborative.
Community Impact Newspaper
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-cin
Several Houston restaurants, universities close due to broken water main near East Loop 610
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Connecticut Post and more than 25 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-hc
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-hc
‘KHOU 11 News’
KHOU-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-khou (This segment aired five times.)

The Houston West African pop-up made famous on PBS, plus new cocktails at Penny Quarter
Alumnus Ope Amosu is featured and pictured.
CultureMap Houston
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-cm
Here’s what lean startup tips founders can learn from this Houston restaurateur and Rice University MBA
InnovationMap
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-innomap

Sen. Cruz announces staff updates to Washington, DC, office
Alumnus Andrew Davis is featured.
The Katy News
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-kn

Texas universities extend travel restrictions amid coronavirus concerns
Rice is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in University Business, the San Antonio Express-News and the San Francisco Chronicle.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-hc

BROADCAST
As Texas becomes more diverse, GOP invests in voter registration for first time in years
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science at Rice, is interviewed.
Houston Public Media (This article appeared in KUT Online, and this segment aired on more than 20 Texas Public Radio affiliate stations.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-steinChicago and the largest slavery reparations settlement in US history
A television broadcast features Caleb McDaniel, associate professor of history, who discusses his book “Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution.”
WGN Online (This segment aired on WGN-TV in Chicago.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-mcdanielMeet the challengers vying for US Sen. John Cornyn’s seat this election
Alumna Annie Garcia, who is running for U.S. Senate, is featured.
Click2Houston
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-c2h
Annie García aspira a ser una ‘alternativa real’ para ganar al senador Cornyn
Yahoo! Noticias (An English translation is not available. This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-yahoo

Special report: Death of local football star Blain Padgett draws attention to opioids
Blain Padgett, a former Rice football player who died in 2018, is featured.
KFDM Online (This segment also aired on KFDM-TV in Beaumont, Texas.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-kfdm

‘Great Day Houston’
Alumnus Ryan Levy is featured.
KHOU-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-khou

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL
Can we get free without losing our souls?
An article quotes Shelah Crear, lecturer and director of continuing studies at Rice’s Student Success Initiatives.
Inside Higher Ed
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-crearScientists learn more about what makes batteries fail

An article features a Rice study that determined too much stress in widely used lithium iron phosphate cathodes can quickly degrade batteries. Ming Tang, assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering, and graduate student Kaiqi Yang are cited.
DesignNews (This article also appeared in The World News.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-tang

Miners urged to shoot for the moon
President John F. Kennedy’s “moon speech” given at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is mentioned.
Mining Journal
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-kennedy

AGB Search selected by Kent State to recruit new provost

Rice is mentioned.
Hunt Scanlon Media
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-hsm

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST
Tidying guru Marie Kondo says you can spark joy in the workplace, too
An article features an upcoming book by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein, the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, titled “Joy at Work: The Career-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”
Duluth News Tribune
http://bit.ly/32BDbbV

UK alum Blake Denson advances to finals of Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
Graduate student Blake Denson is featured and pictured.

University of Kentucky News (A similar article also appeared in Barihunks Blog.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-ukn

Sony launches IP-based ceiling beamforming microphone with speech reinforcement and clear audio recording
Derek Rabuck, consultant and project manager for the Office of Information Technology at Rice, is mentioned.
New Kerala
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-nk

SpawGlass to give scholarships to incoming freshmen residents
Rice is mentioned.
The University Star
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-us

SPORTS
Who’s the top women’s player of the year candidate in every conference?

Rice basketball player Erica Ogwumike is featured.
ESPN
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-ogwumike

SWIM: C-USA Championship day two recap
A recap of the second day of competition in the 2020 Conference USA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships reports the following results: Ellery Parish won the 500-meter freestyle, Marta Cano-Minarro won the 200-meter individual medley, Kate Nezelek finished second in the 50-meter freestyle and Claire Theiren finished third in the 500-meter freestyle. Rice finished second in the 200-meter freestyle relay, and the Owls are in second place overall in the competition.
Conference USA
http://bit.ly/399BswP
2020 Conference USA Championship Day 2: FIU freshman Nocentini takes two golds as FIU leads
Swimming World Magazine
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-rice-swimming

RUNNING: Willis graduate to race in Olympic Trials in Atlanta
Former Rice track and field athlete Cali Roper Werner, who qualified for the 2020 Olympic Time Trials, is featured and pictured. Head coach Jim Bevan is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in more than 25 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-werner

Houston-area draft prospects
An article features Rice baseball player Trei Cruz.
SB Nation
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-cruz

Roadrunners head to Rice and Houston
An article mentions that Rice’s women’s tennis team will compete against the University of Texas at San Antonio Feb. 28 at the George R. Brown Tennis Center. Owls Anna Bowtell, Priya Niezgoda and Anastasia Smirnova are highlighted.
UTSA Athletics News
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-utsa

If Vance McDonald stays, tight end wouldn’t be as big a need for the Steelers this offseason
An article features former Rice football player Vance McDonald.
MSN (This article originally appeared in SB Nation.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-msn

Texas kicks off Shriners College Classic with marquee matchup against LSU
An article mentions that Rice’s baseball team was swept by the University of Texas at Austin in their three-game, season-opening series Feb. 14-16 at Reckling Park. Former Rice assistant baseball coach David Pierce is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the Feb. 28 print edition, and it appeared in the San Antonio Express-News, Connecticut Post, San Francisco Chronicle, BR Proud and 247Sports.com.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-hc
Off to a perfect start, Texas will be tested in Shriners College Classic
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News and San Francisco Chronicle.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-hc

WBB: Where to watch — Feb. 25
An article mentions that Rice’s women’s basketball team will play Louisiana Tech University Feb. 29.
Conference USA 
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-cusa

Mean Green women’s basketball fueled by freshmen play
An article mentions that Rice’s women’s basketball team defeated the University of North Texas earlier this season.
North Texas Daily
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-ntd

No. 6 Razorbacks travel to Shriners College Classic
An article mentions that Rice’s baseball team was defeated by the University of Arkansas in the 2012 Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic.
Arkansas Razorbacks News (This article also appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.) 
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-hogs

(Gallery+recap) Bobcats freeze the Owls in 9-2 win
Rice’s baseball team was defeated by Texas State University 9-2 Feb. 26 in San Marcos.
The University Star
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-us
‘Fox 7 News Edge’
KTBC-TV (Austin, Texas)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-ktbc

Aggie golfers set for trip to Mexico for Cabo Collegiate
An article mentions that Rice’s golf team will compete in the Cabo Collegiate tournament in Los Cabos, Mexico, March 1-3.
The Battalion
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-batt

THE CONTENDERS: State powers carry torch for Houston’s hardball title dreams
An article mentions that Ben Dukes has signed to play baseball at Rice.
VYPE
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-vype

LSU women’s tennis to begin SEC play at Vanderbilt this weekend
An article mentions that Rice’s women’s tennis team was defeated by Louisiana State University earlier this season.
Reveille
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-reveille

 

UTEP to host Southern Miss on ‘Senior Day’
An article mentions that Rice’s women’s basketball team defeated the University of Texas at El Paso earlier this season.
KTSM Online
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-ktsm

Big 12 Offseason Tracker: Kansas State DC Scott Hazelton is reportedly heading to Michigan State
Former Rice assistant football coach and interim head coach Brian Stewart is featured.
SB Nation
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-sbn

‘Blood, sweat and tears’: Collins, Clark-Heard push Lady Toppers to 8th straight 20-win season
Rice’s women’s basketball team is mentioned.
College Heights Herald (This article also appeared in the Feb. 25 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-chh

Prep Sidelines: Gillespie lands at Thomasville, completes coaching carousel
An article mentions that Mylyjael Poteat has signed to play basketball at Rice.
The Times-News
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-tn

NEWS RELEASES
Rice U. energy expert: Oil and gas industry’s ‘defensive’ history influences approach to climate change
As the climate debate heats up ahead of the 2020 elections, the country’s oil and gas companies want to get in front of the curve. But they may be hampered by a longstanding culture of playing defense, according to Bill Arnold, professor in the practice of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business.
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-news-release-arnoldWhich Democrat will take Texas on Super Tuesday?
In less than a week, voters in 14 states and American Samoa and Democrats living abroad will head to the polls on Super Tuesday. The most hotly anticipated race is the Democratic presidential primary, and Rice political scientist Mark Jones is available to comment on the race for delegates in Texas.
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-news-release-jonesPersian Gulf security strained by receding US leadership, says Baker Institute expert
The drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani has hardened attitudes toward the U.S. across the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, according to a new research paper by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
http://dateline.rice/feb-28-news-release-ulrichsen

About Stefan De La Garza

Stefan De La Garza is a news analyst in Rice University's Office of Public Affairs.