Dateline Rice for Jan. 12, 2021

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Vaccine rollout issues not unique to Laredo, but city faces extra hurdles to reach herd immunity
An article cites research by Luz Garcini, nonresident scholar at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, into why people in underserved Latino communities in South Texas may be less likely to wear masks, get tested for COVID-19 or get vaccinated.
Laredo Morning Times (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-garcini

'CBS 5 News'
An article mentions that stay-at-home orders are likely the biggest factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., according to a new Rice study.
KPHO-TV (Phoenix)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-lockdown-study (This segment aired twice.)

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Insurrection adds to full plate of calamities Biden will face as he takes office
Douglas Brinkley, the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Professor in Humanities, is quoted.
The Washington Post (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in 30 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-brinkley

Sunlight powers portable, inexpensive systems to produce drinking water
An article about the challenges facing the development of efficient solar desalination quotes Naomi Halas, the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and professor of chemistry, bioengineering, physics and astronomy and of materials science and nanoengineering and the director of Rice’s Smalley-Curl Institute, and Qilin Li, professor of civil and environmental engineering and of materials science and nanoengineering and co-director of Rice’s Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment.
Scientific American
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-halas-li

Model could lead to personalized artificial hips that last
An article features Rice research that developed a computational study that simulates and tracks how hips evolve, which may help clinicians personalize replacement joints for patients. Co-authors quoted or mentioned include Fred Higgs, the vice provost for academic affairs and the John and Ann Doerr Professor of Mechanical Engineering, graduate student Nia Christian and Gagan Srivastava, adjunct professor of mechanical engineering.
Futurity (This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-higgs

4 years ago, Texas Republicans were most likely to use mail-in voting. How that flipped
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted.
USA Today (This Texas Tribune article appeared in 10 other media outlets and yesterday's Dateline.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-stein

Two former European leaders and their post-Soviet power plays
Anna Mikulska, nonresident fellow in energy studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Deutsche Welle
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-mikulska

What can Turkey expect from Qatari-Gulf deal?
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Al-Monitor
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-ulrichsen

Political newcomer with ability to self-fund to enter race for Virginia governor

Alumnus Glenn Youngkin is featured.

The Washington Post (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in 30 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-youngkin

Sara Tirschwell announces run for mayor of NYC
Alumna Sara Tirschwell is featured and pictured.
New York Post (This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-tirschwell

Per un manifesto culturale della space economy
President John F. Kennedy’s “moon speech” given at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is mentioned.
Moondo.info (An English translation is not available.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-kennedy

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Adjaye Associates to design new Rice student center
An article features Rice's plan to build a new student center, which is expected to break ground in 2022 and be completed by 2023. President David Leebron is quoted.
Texas Architect
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-leebron

Rights of way
Christof Spieler, senior lecturer of architecture, authored an article.
Texas Architect
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-spieler

Schools team up on robotics so every student gets a chance

An article mentions the ConocoPhillips Rice University AMP! Innovation Grant aimed at promoting STEM engagement.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in more than 25 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-hc
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-hchron

BROADCAST

'KHOU 11 News'
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 interviewed by KHOU and KRLD about the possible use of the 25th Amendment or impeachment of President Donald Trump to remove him from office. Jones is interviewed by WOAI about the Texas Legislature.
KHOU-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-jones
KRLD-AM (Dallas)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-jones
WOAI-AM (San Antonio)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-jones (This segment aired 8 times.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

The psychological insight from a $2.95 cup of coffee
Utpal Dholakia, the George R. Brown Professor of Marketing at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, authored an article.
Psychology Today
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-dholakia

Commodities 2021: Qatar buoyed by gas price surge as it forges ahead on LNG expansion
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
S&P Global Platts
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-krane

As Jewish historians, we see only one path forward — Trump must be removed from office
An open letter calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump was signed by the following Rice community members: Diane Wolfthal, the David and Caroline Minter Professor Emeritus of Humanities; Paula Sanders, the Joseph and Joanna Nazro Mullen Professor in Humanities and director of Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance; Maya Soifer Irish, associate professor of history; Brian Ogren, the Anna Smith Fine Associate Professor of Judaic Studies; and Joshua Furman, temporary project manager in Jewish studies and founder of the Houston Jewish History Archive at Rice.
Forward
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-forward

Metastable metallic nanoparticles could find use in electronics, optics
An article feature Rice research into a method to produce graphene in a flash to tailor the properties of other 2D materials. Co-authors quoted or mentioned include James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and a professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering; Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and a professor of chemistry; research administrator Ksenia Bets; graduate students Weiyin Chen, Zhe Wang, Emily McHugh, Wala Algozeeb and Jinhang Chen; postdoctoral researchers Duy Xuan Luong and Bing Deng; alumni Muqing Ren and Michael Stanford; Hua Guo, assistant research professor of materials science and nanoengineering; research scientist Guanhui Gao; and undergraduates John Tianci Li and William Carsten.
Electronic Products & Technology (This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-tour-yakobson

Copper cube reactor converts carbon monoxide into acetic acid
An article features Rice research into turning carbon monoxide directly into acetic acid with renewable electricity to turn out a highly purified product. Haotian Wang, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and William Marsh Rice Trustee Chair, is quoted.
New Atlas (This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-wang

An article features research into the correlation of market concentration and profit margins by Gustavo Grullon, the Jesse H. Jones Chair of Finance at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business. 

Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-grullon

2D compound shows unique versatility
An article features Rice research that shows switching indium selenide’s polarization with an external electric field makes it either a simple insulator or a topological insulator. Co-authors quoted or mentioned include Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and a professor of chemistry, researcher Jun-Jie Zhang and graduate student Dongyang Zhu.
Science Daily (This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-yakobson

Reducing energy use in neural networks

An article mentions that experts at Rice collaborated on research to develop a novel energy-efficient method for training deep neural networks.

IDG Connect
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-idg

Meet the Spring 2021 Victory Congressional Interns
Will Rice College junior Izzie Karohl is featured and pictured.
Victory Institute
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-karohl

These are the 5 business schools that will get you the highest salary
Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business is featured.
Ladders
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-jones-school

Quantum computing in 2021
Alumnus Gaurav Banga authored an article.
App Developer Magazine
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-banga

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Caltech mourns the loss of professor Bill Iwan (1935–2020)
An article quotes Pol Spanos, the Lewis B. Ryon Professor in Mechanical and Civil Engineering and professor of materials science and nanoengineering.
Pasadena Now
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-spanos

Wives bore the brunt of child care during the shutdown
An article mentions that Eden King, associate professor of psychological sciences, collaborated on the featured research.
UGA Today
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-king

SPORTS

Undefeated doubles drives women’s tennis to eight wins on day 3 of the TCU Winter Invite
An article mentions that Rice's women's tennis team is competing in the TCU Invite Jan. 10-12. Owl Victoria Smirnova is mentioned.
KBTX Online
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-smirnova

‘I feel like I belong:’ Council’s performance leads WSU to victory against Cincinnati
Rice is mentioned.
The Sunflower
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-ts

Feels like home
Former Rice graduate assistant football coach Jeff Grimes is featured.
Baylor Bears
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-bbears

UTEP travels to defending C-USA champion North Texas seeking momentum

An article mentions that Rice's men's basketball team split a pair of games against the University of Texas at El Paso last week.
KVIA Online (This segment also aired on KVIA-TV in El Paso.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-rice-utep

VYPE Houston top basketball prospects
A roundup mentions that Elijah Lawrence has committed to play basketball at Rice.
Click2Houston (This article originally appeared in VYPE.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-c2h

Aggie women move up to No. 7 following 12th straight win
An article mentions that Rice's women's basketball team received votes in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll.
KBTX Online (This article also appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-wbb-ap

Bohls: Texas' Kenneth Sims earns deserving Hall of Fame induction
Rice football is mentioned.
HookEm.com
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-hookem

Women’s tennis back in action next month
An article mentions that Rice's women's tennis team will play Wichita State University Feb. 26.
GoShockers.com
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-go

Lobo hoops notebook: UNM adds Wednesday game, signs on for two weeks in Utah

An article mentions that the University of New Mexico's men's basketball team practiced and held games at Rice's Tudor Fieldhouse last December.
Albuquerque Journal (Subscription is required.)
http://dateline.rice/jan-12-abqj