Dateline Rice for March 8, 2021 (Weekend Edition)

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Have recent events dented your Texas pride? If so, you’re not alone.
An article quotes Stephen Klineberg, founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research and an emeritus professor of sociology, and Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Center for Health and Biosciences. Ho is interviewed by KERA about how the pandemic has affected hospitals financially.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared on the front of the Coronavirus section in the March 7 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-klineberg-ho
Can hospitals survive COVID?
KERA’s “Think” (This segment aired on 70 stations across the U.S.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-ho

Masks still required at Galleria, other Simon malls
An article mentions that Rice Management Co. will leave masking decisions to individual tenants in Rice Village as Texas’ mask mandate lifts March 10. The Texas Tribune and Houston Public Media mention that Rice will continue to require its community members and visitors to wear masks indoors and outdoors while on campus.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-rmc
Several Texas college campuses to keep mask mandates after governor’s order
The Texas Tribune (This article also appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-textrib
It’s the 1-year mark of COVID-19 in Houston and of ‘Town Square.’ What have we learned?
Houston Public Media
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-hpm

The end of the mask mandate in Texas doesn’t mean we should let our guard down
An opinion article authored by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo mentions that her health policy decisions have been informed by experts from Rice and local medical centers.
Time
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-time

Higher ed must recognize community responsibilities in vaccine rollout
An article mentions that Rice administered 800 COVID-19 vaccines to on-campus students, faculty and staff Feb. 15 when the Harris County Public Health Department building lost power.
The Oberlin Review
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-oberev
WFTL-AM (West Palm Beach, Florida)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-wftl

New SAT changes and challenges amidst COVID-19 pandemic
An article mentions that Rice has extended its test-optional admissions policies due to the ongoing pandemic.
Legacy Press
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-lp

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Flight of the princess
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Vanity Fair (This article also appeared in the March print and digital editions.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-krane
Are Gulf oil giants ready to go green?
Al-Monitor
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-krane

Joyous, hopeful scenes are not the only legacy of Pope’s visit to Iraq
Ussama Makdisi, the Arab American Education Foundation Professor in Arabic Studies at Rice, is quoted.
CNN
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-makdisi

Vernon Jordan: Civil rights leader and adviser to Bill Clinton
Douglas Brinkley, the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Professor in Humanities, is quoted.
The Independent (This article also appeared in the March 8 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-brinkley

No, Biden isn’t to blame for higher gas prices, analysts say. Here are the real reasons
Mark Finley, fellow in energy and global oil at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Center for Energy Studies, is quoted.
Miami Herald (This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-finley

The episode that roiled Smith College
A letter to the editor was authored by Terry Shepard, former vice president for public affairs at Rice.
The New York Times (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the March 7 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-nyt

Is a ‘No Spend Month’ the right way to save money?
Alumnus Ben Gran co-authored an article.
Forbes
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-gran

Coinbase founder rides crypto boom to Nasdaq listing
Alumnus Brian Armstrong is featured, and alumnus John Nelson is quoted.
Financial Times (Subscription is required. This and similar articles also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-armstrong

HOUSTON/TEXAS

A tale of two freezes: How the Texas power grid stayed on in the 1989 cold snap

BROADCAST

Oregon just decriminalized small amounts of all drugs. Now what?
Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell III Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed.
Science Friday (This segment also aired on 375 affiliate stations across the U.S., and the podcast also appeared on NPR and SoundCloud.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-harris

$15 dollar minimum wage: What would it mean?
Joyce Beebe, a fellow in the Center for Public Finance at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed.
Click2Houston (This segment also aired on KPRC-TV in Houston. This article also appeared in Fintech Zoom.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-beebe

‘KHOU 11 News’
A broadcast features a “moment of Zen” from the Rice campus.
KHOU-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-khou

After Texas freeze, immigrants play critical role in repairing tens of thousands of homes
An article cites research by Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research that found that half of the Black and Latino immigrants surveyed in Houston could not come up with $400 to meet an emergency expense.
Houston Public Media (This story aired twice on Texas Public Radio and appeared in a previous edition of Dateline.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-kinder-study

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

A magnetic trap captures elusive ultracold plasma
An article features Rice research that has trapped ultracold neutral plasmas using magnetic fields. Tom Killian, dean of the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and the E. Dell Butcher Professor of Physics and Astronomy, is quoted.
Science News
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-killian

Most accredited archeology courses in the USA

Rice is featured.
CEOWorld Magazine
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-ceo

Long-distance space travel: Addressing the radiation problem
An article mentions that experts from Rice have collaborated on a study reviewing existing evidence to better understand the cardiovascular risks of radiation in space.
Physics World
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-pw

14 US colleges and universities offering free or reduced tuition, ‘no student loans,’ aid packages
A roundup features Rice.
CollegeNews.org
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-cn

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources bestows lifetime achievement honor
Natasha Kirienko, assistant professor of biosciences, is quoted.
Laramie Boomerang (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in University of Wyoming News.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-kirienko

Gilda Barabino, Xavier graduate raised in New Orleans, to lead world’s largest science society
Alumna Gilda Barabino is featured.
Nola.com
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-barabino

Want to save butterflies? Use less pesticide, UNR study says
An article mentions that experts from Rice collaborated on the featured research.
KOLO Online
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-kolo

Dr. Lourdesamy and the American degree transfer program
Rice is mentioned.
Free Malaysia Today
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-fmt

SPORTS

WBB: Rice defeats North Texas to win C-USA West Division
The Rice’s women’s basketball team clinched the Conference USA West Division title March 4 with a 64-58 win over the University of North Texas in Denton. The Owls’ 75-66 loss to the Mean Green March 6 at Tudor Fieldhouse is featured by North Texas Daily.
Conference USA
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-wbb
Recap: Women’s basketball takes down Owls, ends regular season with at least 10 wins for first time since 2005-06
North Texas Daily (A similar article appeared in a sports roundup in the March 7 print edition of the Houston Chronicle.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-wbb

Rice narrowly beats Our Lady of the Lake 80-77
An article mentions that Rice’s men’s basketball team defeated Our Lady of the Lake University 80-77 March 5.
The Associated Press (This article also appeared in more than 50 other media outlets. A similar article appeared in a sports roundup in the March 6 print edition of the Houston Chronicle.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-ap

WBB: All-conference teams announced
An article features Rice basketball player Nancy Mulkey, who was named to the 2020-21 All-Conference USA first team.
Conference USA
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-mulkey

MBB: C-USA announces All-Academic team
An article features Rice basketball player Max Fiedler, who is one of five student athletes named to the 2021 Conference USA All-Academic team after earning a 3.98 GPA as a mathematical economic analysis major.
Conference USA
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-fiedler

Sam Houston State starts fast, rolls past Rice in Classic opener
A pair of articles about the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic mentions that the Rice baseball team won one of its three games in the tournament.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the March 6 print edition.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-hc
Clayton Chadwick, Sam Houston State walk off against TCU at College Classic
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-hc
March 5: Sam Houston State 14, Rice 4
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in more than 25 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-hc

With team still yet to play, SMU women’s soccer mired in effects of COVID-19
An article mentions that Rice’s soccer team is slated to play Southern Methodist University March 14.
The Daily Campus
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-tdc

Hall of Fame WR Don Maynard’s name is front and center in football history

Former Rice football and track and field athlete Don Maynard is featured.
College Sports Journal
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-csj

Recap: Soccer’s two first-half goals enough to steam Rice in conference-opening victory
An article mentions that Rice’s soccer team was defeated by the University of North Texas 2-1 March 7.
North Texas Daily
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-ntd
Set pieces propel soccer to victory
Denton Record-Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-drc
Recap: Soccer tops Oklahoma with strong defense, penalty kick goal in home-opening win
North Texas Daily
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-ntd

North Texas loses to Rice in five sets
Articles mention that Rice’s volleyball team defeated the University of North Texas 3-2 March 7.
Denton Record-Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-drc
BREAKING: Senior outside hitter Valerie Valerian rejoins volleyball team
North Texas Daily
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-ntd

Jacksonville St. shuts out Southern Miss, 6-0
An article mentions a 2019 baseball game between Rice and the University of Southern Mississippi.
WDAM Online
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-wdam

After a little help from afar, Virginia wins the ACC regular season title by beating Louisville

An article quotes former Rice basketball player Trey Murphy III.
The Washington Post (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in more than 30 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-washpo

2021 NFL Draft pro days news, results: Iowa’s Brandon Smith flies high at showcase
A roundup mentions that Rice will host an NFL pro day April 9.
The Athletic
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-ta

MBB: March 7 Players of the Week
A photo from a men’s basketball game between Rice and Western Kentucky University is featured.
Conference USA
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-cusa

NEWS RELEASES

Physics camp has proven benefits for high school girls
A long-running summer program at Rice and elsewhere that trains high school girls in basic physics concepts has proven successful in helping them thrive when they take on full courses the next year. When leaders of Rice’s two-week day camp looked at similar programs beyond Houston, they found participants scored 3% better in high school physics than their counterparts who did not have the equivalent summer experience.
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-news-release-nichol

Peter Hotez to join Rice U. infectious disease expert for COVID-19 vaccine webinar
Peter Hotez, a renowned vaccine scientist and physician who’s also a fellow in disease and poverty at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, will join Rice infectious disease specialist Yousif Shamoo to discuss COVID-19 vaccine developments in a free webinar March 12.
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-news-release-hotez-shamoo

Six research teams win Carbon Hub funding
Carbon Hub, Rice’s zero-emissions research initiative, has awarded seed grants for six projects that will rapidly advance its vision for transforming the oil and gas sector into a leading provider of both clean hydrogen energy and solid carbon products that can be used in place of materials with large carbon footprints.
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-news-release-pasquali

New teamwork model could improve patient health care
Open communication and trust are essential for successful teamwork in challenging health care situations, according to a new study co-authored by Eduardo Salas, the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Professor and chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences at Rice.
http://dateline.rice/mar-8-news-release-salas

About Stefan De La Garza

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