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NEWS 9/9/15 3:07pm

Alum recounts experience at Rice and NASA

By Hugh Grier

Rice alumnus and NASA engineer Jerry Woodfill (Wiess ’65) discussed his time at Rice University and his experience as the Warning Systems Engineer during the Apollo 13 mission at a presentation on Sept. 3. The presentation was the first of this year’s Houston Spaceport Frontier Lectures series hosted at Rice.Woodfill attended Rice on a basketball scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He said that although he struggled significantly in college, he firmly believes that his failures are a key piece of his later success at NASA.“I had a dismal career at Rice,” Woodfill said. “Not only was I a failure at athletics, academically I was not doing any better … I had the lowest grade ever made in MATH 300 at Rice. I was ready to quit, believe me. I was doing just desperately badly.”During his junior year, Woodfill said he was inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 “We choose to go to the Moon” speech made at the Rice stadium.“It was so life changing for me,” Woodfill said. “It was that catalyst in my life that turned things around.”Woodfill graduated after his fifth year at Rice and began working at NASA. He was among the hundreds of staff at the NASA Mission Control Center during the Apollo 13 mission that began on April 11, 1970, according to the NASA Mission Summary.“We have Nobel Prize winners and famous athletes … but look what happened,” Woodfill said at the lecture. “It took 50 years! 50 years! I am now a notable alumni! Don’t give up! You can’t have been struggling with anything for a half-century like I did.” Woodfill was among those who shared the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the Apollo 13 Mission Team and continued to work at NASA for over 45 years afterwards. On the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission, Universe Today released his book “13 Things that Saved Apollo 13.”Woodfill said he travels frequently for scholastic talks focused on his time at NASA and his book. The lectures aim to provide an engaging educational experience for both students and the general public on a range of issues pertaining to exploration and development of space, according to the Space Frontiers website.David Alexander, director of the Rice Space Institute and professor of physics and astronomy, is the organizer of the event. “I’ve helped put these lectures together,” Alexander said. “We’ve got a good season going. We have a couple different kinds of lectures that are not just Spaceport lectures this fall. I’m lining up the program for the spring.”Alexander said he is trying to allow broader access to the programs. The lecture on Thursday was live streamed online from Rice to the University of Hawaii.“Streaming is free,” Alexander said. “I’d like to get these lectures well received in Houston and to get broader access to them … It would be great to get them around the country.”Future lectures in the series will be on Oct. 22, Nov. 19 and Jan. 14. Details can be found at the Houston Spaceport Frontiers website, spacefrontiers.rice.edu.

NEWS 9/1/15 2:35pm

New mobile app provides rewards for Rice sports fans

By Emily Rao

Rice University Athletics recently launched a student rewards app, allowing students to check in when they attend certain sporting events to gain virtual rewards.Rice Athletics Director of Marketing Vaughan Moss led the initiative, which officially launched  at the Orientation Week Rice Rally. According to Moss, the new system is designed to increase spirit in the student body.“We are always looking for creative, new ways to engage students with athletics,” Moss said. “The app makes natural sense because everyone in the age group is always on their phones and always so connected.”The app was created with the help of the Rice Rally Club, a group dedicated to the promotion of overall school spirit on campus, according to Moss. The club, which reformed last year after a period of inactivity, presented Moss with the idea of a rewards system.“We thought the concept was a great one and I knew of a company, FanMaker, that made apps for this purpose,” Moss said. “Companies approach us all the time trying to sell ideas like this but FanMaker ended up being the one that had the best user interface and fit our budget.”Moss said the app boasts features such as the ability to send out mass messages to fans and a technology feature called Beacon, which detects fan location by connecting with their phones and Bluetooth devices. Moss said the GPS technology can recognize when you are in a certain athletic venue on campus.According to Moss, fans using the app will accrue points that then earn them points for prizes. Points can be earned by attending sporting events and by promoting Rice Athletics through social media. According to Moss, attending any sporting event on campus is 125 points. Connecting to social media, liking Rice’s football and basketball Facebook pages as well as retweeting Rice Athletics on Twitter will also earn points.Rewards will range from merchandise from Rice’s official athletic sponsor Adidas to gift cards from local sponsors such as Buffalo Wild Wings, according to Moss.Moss said he hopes the app will be especially effective in increasing attendance in sports that are working on building excitement and support.“The [men’s] basketball team, for example, is currently undergoing rebuilding under Coach [Mike] Rhoades and would really benefit from the support of the student body,” Moss said. “Hopefully they have such a great time coming to a game that they come back again and again.”Captain of the Rice Owls dance team May Zhong said the app could function as an equalizer of school spirit among different sports.“The dance team performs at a lot of different sporting events and I definitely got the sense that not every game got the same level of support and school spirit,” Zhong, a Baker College sophomore, said.Baker College freshman Matthew Ringheanu said he downloaded the app as soon as it was introduced at the O-Week Rally.“I haven’t been here very long but from what I’ve gauged so far, I think Rice is a very spirited school and has a great sense of family,” Ringheanu said. “This app would definitely help increase that sense of family.”The Rice Owls Rewards app is available on both the Apple Store and Google Play.

NEWS 9/1/15 2:28pm

Student, professor partner to found start-up ‘Data Design Co_’

By Andrew Ligeralde

“I think that if data is expressed in the right ways and contextualized properly, it can be visualized in a way that people will understand it and gain something new from that perspective.”This is the guiding principle of Data Design Co_, a startup founded by Brown College junior Brian Barr and Matthew Wettergreen, engineering design lecturer at the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. Over the summer, the pair designed, manufactured and marketed a series of household objects that Barr says he hopes will change the way people look at data. The flagship product, “Houston: A Story of Sprawl in 5 Coasters,” illustrates the growth of the Houston metropolitan area from 1836 to the present day with glass drink coasters, each laser etched with a map of the city at a different point in time. “We want to make objects that act as a conversation piece and can use data as a way to do that,” Barr said. “So this is interesting because if you had this at a dinner party or something like that you could look at it and compare between coasters. People could talk about how Houston has really grown.”Barr said the coasters received positive feedback, and he plans to expand the project to encompass the gradual expansions of Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. However, he said the long-term goal is to move beyond the coasters and continue creating novel tools for data visualization. “This is one cool idea, but we have a whole bunch of things that fit within the umbrella of what we’re trying to do,” Barr said. “Like we make other household objects. And from there, I think we just need to focus on sales and focus on designing more things. So our goal is to come up with one product a month.”The idea for the business stemmed from Barr’s final project for the course Fabrication and Design, a woodcut map of Houston in which zip codes were elevated to different heights based on the number of people registered to vote per capita.“We thought it was pretty neat, but not very useful,” Barr said. “I use it as a jar opener now. But there’s something about seeing it so stark, where you have one section of a city is raised much higher than the other sections right in front of you.”The initial inspiration led Barr and Wettergreen on a path to help others visualize and interact with data.  The duo began brainstorming product ideas, figuring out supply chain logistics and filing for an LLC, culminating in the startup’s July launch. Barr said neither he nor Wettergreen had originally aimed to start a business, but they ended up finding a shared interest in the process. “I don’t think it was so much that he was picking anybody to start a startup with,” Barr said. “I think we just had a really good working relationship, but also a creative relationship. It was something we were both invested in.”When Data Design Co_ first started, Barr and Wettergreen funded the venture out of pocket, manufacturing the items themselves and covering the cost of materials. However, for Barr, it was never about the money. “This is what you’d call a lifestyle business,” Barr said. “It makes just enough money to sustain itself. If I wanted to make a ton of money, we would’ve done something else. But this gives me a chance to exercise a set of skills that aren’t really addressed by other aspects of the engineering curriculum.”Barr said while he wishes Rice’s engineering programs offered more design opportunities, some of his most valuable experiences came from looking outside the curriculum. “There’s no formal program in design, so you should create your own, do things that interest you,” Barr said. “So I think just working on projects on your own, even if you don’t launch a business or manufacture anything, just going through the exercises will help you build up a portfolio. I think taking art classes is good, just doing it on your own. It’s not too hard.”

NEWS 9/1/15 2:28pm

NSF grant funds new nanotech water treatment system center

By Sapna Suresh & Colin Locey

In early August, the National Science Foundation announced a $55.5 million grant for the opening of three new Engineering Research Centers. Of the total, $18.5 million is  dedicated to creating a center for Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment Systems at Rice.The center will be led by Pedro Alvarez, professor of civil and environmental engineering, who said his goal is to create a durable, efficient and cost-effective water treatment system that will produce potable water from either wastewater or seawater. He hopes to accomplish this goal through nanotechnology.“[Nanotechnology] is critical for making small systems that are easy to deploy and have significantly greater capacity to treat a wide range of water sources that would otherwise require large and complex treatment trains,” Alvarez said.The grant will also expand the environmental engineering program at Rice and allow more students to get involved with research and pursue graduate degrees, according to Alvarez.Alison Archabal, an environmental engineering major, said she is proud her school is taking a leading role in fighting the global water crisis.“Having lived in countries where water purification is almost nonexistent including Cuba, India, Philippines, I’ve experienced the difficulty that is questioning every source of water,” Archabal, a Baker College sophomore, said, “I think Dr. Alvarez’s work is a great step not just for Rice but also for the larger community around us.”Archabal said worldwide environmental problems have made water treatment research increasingly important.“With the earth’s population increasing and the increase in water crises, like droughts or flooding, sustainable water purification is vital for the future,” Archabal said. “The fact [that] Rice is going to be part of a collaboration to develop the systems that can achieve this is exciting.”Though the flagship center will be located at Rice, Alvarez said the project leaders will partner with Arizona State University, the University of Texas, El Paso and Yale University.The other two schools with flagship Engineering Research Centers are the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, which will focus on compacting mobile power, and Arizona State University, which will examine soil engineering tasks.

NEWS 9/1/15 2:28pm

Court rules RUPD officers have full law enforcement power

By Miles Kruppa

Rice University Police Department officers are “officers of the state” according to a May 11 ruling by the Texas State Supreme Court. As officers of the state, they have the power to enforce the laws of Texas within their jurisdictions, which includes the Rice campus and Harris County.“[T]he private university police officer is an officer ‘of the state’ because by statute the Legislature has conferred on him the authority to enforce state law on the Rice campus, a public purpose and vested him with all a police officer’s powers, privileges and immunities,” the ruling read. The decision also granted RUPD the right of interlocutory appeal, which gives them the ability to appeal rulings previously made by appellate courts before any trial could occur. The ruling came on a false imprisonment case brought by a man who was arrested by an RUPD officer on drunk driving and evading arrest charges after a car chase near campus. He then sued the officer and Rice for false imprisonment, negligence, gross negligence, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.In a written statement, RUPD Chief of Police Johnny Whitehead said RUPD supports the Supreme Court decision. He said the ruling does not change RUPD’s mission and operations, but instead affirms their rights as officers.“Our officers face the same dangers as any other peace officer in the state and deserve the same protections and rights,” Whitehead wrote. RUPD came under scrutiny in 2014 for alleged misconduct during a bike theft. A dashboard camera video from the incident shows two RUPD officers using batons on the suspected thief as two others attempt to handcuff the man’s arms while he resists arrest. A grand jury neglected to indict the two officers alleged of misconduct.The case has been remanded to the Court of Appeals for further proceedings.

NEWS 9/1/15 2:27pm

Athletics exceeds fundraising record

By Amber Tong

The Owl Club, Rice Athletics Department’s fundraising branch, has raised a record-breaking $2.3 million, a 52.6 percent increase from the $1.51 million in donations they received the previous year.Director of Rice Athletics Joe Karlgaard said the unprecedented fundraising success speaks to the growing support from Rice’s fan base.“We surpassed our previous annual fundraising record by $500,000, and we are thrilled with the signal of support this sends from our alumni and friends,” Karlgaard said.According to Karlgaard, cultivating donor loyalty was key to the accomplishment.“We really tried to emphasize continued and consistent annual giving as part of our vision for becoming a department with 16 programs of excellence,” Karlgaard said.Following previous examples, the department is planning to spend the extra money on needs unforeseen in the budgeting process, according to Karlgaard.“Each year, we set a goal for the Owl Club and incorporate that goal into our budget,” Karlgaard said. “Our goal last year was $2.2 million, and we exceeded it by $100,000. We used those funds to help us fund unexpected expenses that were not accounted for in the budget.”Sergio Santamaria, football sport head and executive board member of the Rice Rally Club, said since 2013 Rice Athletics has demonstrated a dedication to brand awareness which almost predicts the fundraising success.“I find it as no surprise that Athletics had a record year — ever since the arrival of [Joe Karlgaard], Athletics’ vision for growing the Rice brand has been very evident in all they do,” Santamaria, a Duncan College sophomore, said.Almost every Athletics employee has spent less than two years at Rice and brings fresh perspectives to the office, according to Santamaria, who visited Rice Athletics for an externship last semester.“There’s definitely new blood and an exciting attitude toward the future of Rice Athletics,” Santamaria said.Santamaria said he hopes to see increased investment on things with lasting impact, such as infrastructure, personnel and publicity.“I’d like to see the money spent on the long-term investments of Athletics — its facilities, its coaching staffs and, of course, its on-campus presence with students,” Santamaria said.Swim team captain Taylor Armstrong said she hopes the money goes toward  sports that are not regularly advertised.“We see a lot of publicity and game advertising for men’s football, baseball and basketball,” Armstrong said. “However, ask any of these supporters at these games how many women’s sports they’ve attended and the most frequent answer heard is zero.”Armstrong said she wonders whether the lack of involvement and support in women’s sports is due to student apathy or lack of publicity.“We can have four people at a home swim meet and they will be the parents of my teammates because Rice lacks advertising women’s sports,” Armstrong said.On the other hand, according to Katie Jensen, a member of the cross-country team, some Rice athletes have felt the positive impact of additional financial resources.“I think [Rice Athletics] is trying to have a bigger presence on campus and I think that the extra fundraising is good for facilities and bringing more student-athletes into the mix,” Jensen, a Lovett College junior, said. “I know track and field is getting a new locker room so I'm excited about that.”Jensen said she would like to see the extra donations being utilized to foster relationships beyond Rice.“The extra money could be spent on connecting the athletics department to the community and doing more to encourage sports in areas surrounding Rice,” Jensen said.

NEWS 9/1/15 2:27pm

New RPC constitution proposed at Senate

By Isaac Schultz

The Student Association commenced the 2015-16 school year with an introduction to major changes to the Rice Program Council constitution. The SA will vote Sept. 2 on ratification, requiring a two-thirds majority to pass. According to RPC President Dixita Viswanath, the constitution, which was last updated in 2005, outlines organizational restructuring on the executive board and committees.

NEWS 9/1/15 2:26pm

Students found pro-choice group

By Mengjia Liu

Pro-Choice Rice, a new advocacy group and the first college chapter of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, aims to bring awareness of women’s reproductive rights to the Rice University campus and the surrounding community.

NEWS 9/1/15 2:25pm

RUPD implements body cameras

By Anita Alem

All Rice University Police Department officers must carry body-worn cameras as of April 2015, according to Chief of Police Johnny Whitehead, to align with the best practices of the U.S. Department of Justice. The use of these cameras was first piloted in summer 2014 and spring 2015, after which officers were trained for their usage.Whitehead said RUPD has used dashboard cameras and audio/video equipment in patrol cars since 2009, to aid evidence collection for crimes such as driving while intoxicated.“It has provided information to improve evaluation and training of officers and has helped resolve disputes between officers and citizens,” Whitehead said. “We believe body-worn cameras can serve the same purposes.”Officers must activate the camera in cases of public contact, during car stops, arrest situations and encounters with people on the street. Police officers may choose whether or not to honor individual requests to not be recorded. Routine service calls such as key services and security escorts do not mandate recording.In recent years, highly-publicized cases of police brutality have led to a national debate on police-citizen relations and police oversight. Body cameras have often been suggested as a method of monitoring police actions to limit misconduct and even exonerate innocent officers. According to Whitehead, there was no particular incident that caused RUPD to deploy body cameras, but this national conversation led them to research and pilot the cameras. Whitehead said RUPD has received positive feedback from several organizations, including the college masters and presidents, the Graduate Student Association, the Black Student Association, the Faculty Senate, General Counsel and Public Affairs.“We have spoken with members of the Rice community and found strong support for the deployment of body cameras for our officers,” Whitehead said. “RUPD officers support the initiative.”Whitehead said only RUPD has access to the videos but they may release a video to the District Attorney’s Office or under the Open Records Act, which gives the public access to government records. However, student-related requests may depend on the situation.“We do not plan to routinely provide body camera video to [Student Judicial Programs] or [University Court],” Whitehead said. “Most of the cases we refer to SJP are for minor infractions and most students take responsibility for their actions. Any request from SJP or UCourt will be considered on a case-by-case basis.”Will Rice College sophomore Josiah Yarbrough said he thinks the body camera may increase trust in RUPD.“I think it’s an appropriate measure,” Yarbrough said. “I’m from St. Louis and I’ve grown up around police brutality and offenses committed by police officers and even on Rice’s campus, it may bring a lot of people assurance to see that police officers are being watched and being held accountable. I know the chief pretty well and I know he’s a good guy. I think RUPD is doing a fantastic job, but even so, body cameras can do no harm.” 

NEWS 9/1/15 2:20pm

The Hoot opens in the RMC

By Amber Tong

The opening night of the Hoot at the Rice Memorial Center was full of surprises for both the business and its customers. According to General Manager Joanna Weedlun, an unexpected fire alarm did not dampen operations and she is happy with the Hoot’s first appearance in the new location.“Definitely tonight we were surprised by the fire alarm,” Weedlun, a Hanszen College senior, said. “It turns out one of our warmers was malfunctioning and read that it was only at 190 degrees when it was actually heating up past 300 degrees. So we opened it up and the fire alarm went off. But everything got back on track pretty quickly and no food was damaged, thankfully.”Weedlun said a wide range of customers has noticed the Hoot in the RMC.“We've gotten a lot of attention from [graduate] students today, which is what we wanted,” Weedlun said.New hot food items on the menu include vietnamese banh mi sandwiches and Whataburger’s Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits, according to Weedlun.“We have banh mi from Les Givral’s, so tonight we have tofu, pork, chicken, beef and meatball banh mi,” Weedlun said. “Also, past 11:30 p.m. we will be getting in Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits from Whataburger. We are on a trial period with that, but we are hoping that it will continue to be an every night thing throughout this semester.”Weedlun said she was pleased that the Hoot was drawing students from around campus to the student center.“We really want the student center to become more of a social hub at night,” Weedlun said. “What we've noticed is that a lot of people are buying food and hanging out. … I'm really excited for how things are turning out and I think they will only get better.”Yoseph Maguire, a Wiess College sophomore, said the proximity between Coffeehouse and the Hoot prompted his visit.“I was studying at Coffeehouse, and I decided I want banh mi,” Maguire said. “So I came to the Hoot to get banh mi.”Will Rice College sophomore Jason Sanchez said the new food options make the longer trip worth it.“I was apprehensive that the Hoot now has only one location at the RMC, but the one central Hoot outdid itself with the selection they now have — I love banh mi,” Sanchez said, as he enjoyed a Chick-fil-A sandwich.

NEWS 8/27/15 11:47am

University of Houston selling old KTRU frequency

By Amber Tong

Houston Public Media, a broadcasting service of the University of Houston, has made a decision to sell radio station Classical 91.7 KUHA Houston, according to Radio INSIGHT. The station belonged to KTRU Rice Radio prior to 2010.KUHA station general manager Lisa Shumate, as quoted by KUHF, said the decision was based on the recognition that the popularity, broadcast quality and efficiency of digital broadcasting has enhanced significantly.“Placing our focus on high-definition radio and digital streaming for our classical music programming enables us to make the best use of technology and resources to continue providing the music and arts and culture content that our listeners enjoy,” Shumate said.According to the Radio INSIGHT report, finance may have played a part in the resale as well.The report reads: “After a poor fundraising campaign in 2013 the station eliminated four on-air positions and replaced the local programming with American Public Media’s ‘Classical 24’ network.”Three-year KTRU disc jockey Carrie Li said she sees 91.7’s resale as ironic, given the fact that KTRU’s old frequency is being resold while KTRU itself is going back onto FM. “I feel amused, but also a little bitter on behalf of the past DJs who mounted such a tireless campaign to keep KTRU on 91.7,” Li, a Martel College senior, said. “A lot of KTRUvians wanted to see classical 91.7 fail and openly celebrated whenever they encountered technical difficulties or something, but I’m not gloating. It just seems like a massive waste.”Commenting on KTRU’s sale five years ago, Li said its impact on morale is still visible on campus.“I joined KTRU my first semester freshman year and by then KTRU had been broadcasting exclusively online for, I believe, at least two years,” Li said. “KTRU was, and to a certain extent still is, I think, suffering from low morale as a result of the sale.”While the move to online broadcasting is understandable considering people’s preference for streaming, it limits the station’s ability to catch new listeners by surprise, according to Li.“The caveat to streaming online [is] that listeners usually have to know that the stream exists and how to get there,” Li said. “There isn’t that element of discovery when you find a cool new station with your car radio.”KTRU station manager Emily Meigs said traditional analog broadcasting is still the predominant medium for radio stations.“Although digital broadcasting is growing, it is not at a pace that it will overtake traditional analog broadcasting,” Meigs, a Martel College senior, said. “Plus, digital radios can receive analog signals.”Meigs also said because of the unique advantage of broadcasting, KTRU is happy to be on FM again. “KTRU has been broadcasting on HD2 for the past four years, but is excited to make the switch back to the FM and think that it will provide our listeners with an easier way to tune in,” Meigs said.Starting Oct. 2, KTRU Rice Radio will be broadcasting on a new frequency of 96.1, in addition to its online station (ktru.org).

NEWS 8/27/15 11:46am

Rice, UT launch Public Health Scholars program

By Hannah Todd

Rice University and the University of Texas School of Public Health have partnered to offer Rice students the opportunity to start a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science with a Master of Public Health their senior year at Rice. The program, which begins this fall, allows students to finish the MPH in the year following graduation.The program is co-directed by Dr. Kristen Ostherr, a recent Master of Public Health graduate, and Dr. Nicholas Iammarino, a Rice faculty member. According to Ostherr, the program stems from a growing need for public health awareness. “The idea came from a recognition of the growing importance of public health to our daily lives, to the nation’s future and to the careers of future physicians,” Ostherr said. “Because Rice has so many [pre-medical students] who are interested in issues related to health disparities, global health and the environment, a joint program in public health made perfect sense.”Vice Provost for Strategic Partnerships Dr. Daniel Carson said the connection across institutions is what makes the program distinct.“The UTSPH already had similar programs with other UT campuses,” Carson said. “This told us setting this up was possible, but didn’t provide a clear guideline for how to do this between institutions.”Administrative details proved most challenging at its start, according to Iammarino.“Questions like transferring course credit, the financial implications and coordinating our academic years and scheduling all needed to be sorted through,” Iammarino said.The proper handling of these issues was imperative, according to Ostherr.“It’s critical to do it right to help ensure the program’s longevity,” Ostherr said.Besides Iammarino and Ostherr, Carson and Rice Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson were instrumental in the program’s creation.“Dean Hutchinson played a key role along with Vice Provost Daniel Carson in working with [Rice’s and UTSPH’s] administrations to solve these issues while also anticipating many unique questions we knew would arise from our students, creat[ing] a special FAQ sheet to begin addressing the questions,” Iammarino said.The 2015-16 cohort is five Rice seniors selected from 20-30 applicants.“This being our first year, we had to hustle to get the word out quickly to obtain applicants at the end of the [2014-15] year but were very pleased at our response and applicants,” Iammarino said. “However, we expect the numbers to grow as students learn about this option and can actually plan for it earlier in their undergraduate careers.”The program will expedite the path to a MPH, according to Iammarino.“The most exciting part of this new program is the opportunity to enroll concurrently in the UTSPH and take up to five courses during their senior year,” Iammarino said. “In essence, they will be able to potentially complete their MPH degree in one year rather than the typical two years.”The program also encourages public health studies across majors and has plans for growth.“We want more cross-fertilization between all of the different divisions on campus,” Dr. Ostherr said. “We deliberately do not limit participation to students from any one major … and will be issuing another call for applicants this fall.”Wiess College senior Brooke Evans is a member of the 2015-16 cohort. Having pursued the Global Health Technologies minor since freshman year, Evans said the program aligned well with her interests and previous experience.“I learned about this program in one of [the Global Health Technologies] classes and was so excited about the opportunity to learn about public health on a graduate school level,” Evans said. “I hope my education in public health will help me understand medicine on a larger scale and critically analyze and work toward improving the health of the greater public.”

NEWS 8/27/15 11:44am

Taiwan flag removed for Chinese leadership visit

By Anita Alem

Rice recently removed the Taiwan banner from its campus when hosting a visit from Chinese officials, according to Senior Director of News & Media Relations BJ Almond. The visit included university presidents and chancellors from China and the United States, as well as China’s Vice Premier Liu Yandong, Minister of Education Yuan Guiren and Vice Minister of Education Hao Ping. “Rice’s two Taiwan light pole banners are not flags, but they include an image of the Taiwanese flag,” Almond said. “Our banners could have been viewed as an affront by Vice Premier Liu, the third-ranking official in the Chinese government. The university’s decision to temporarily remove the ... banners was consistent with U.S. policy, and it was also a matter of diplomatic protocol for a visit by the highest-ranking government official from China to come to Rice.”Rice’s light poles are often adorned with themed banners that are rearranged, replaced and removed for a variety of reasons. The current banners feature the flags of countries represented by Rice students and faculty, including Taiwan.“The banners were replaced right after the visit,” Almond said. “Rice welcomes and values our students and faculty members from Taiwan. That is why we included the Taiwan banners as part of the international display in the first place.”Tim Chang (McMurtry ’15), the former president of the Rice Taiwanese Association, said he believes Rice should state its reasons for the removal and be prepared to respond to questions.“I cannot say whether  the Rice University officials were proper in the removal of the ROC flag,” Chang said. “From a stance to improve tolerance and a chance to possibly establish meaningful conversations, I think the Rice University officials should not have removed the flag.”This article was originally published July 14, 2015 and has since received new quotes.

NEWS 8/27/15 11:33am

Hoot, Whoo Deli, Droubi’s shift locations

By Amber Tong

Hungry Owls returning in the fall may be in for a surprise. The Rice Memorial Center is undergoing renovations to accommodate significant changes in the campus food scene. 4.TacO and The Hoot will be located in what was formerly the window of Droubi’s Mediterranean Grill in the RMC, Droubi’s will move into South Servery and Whoo Deli will move into Sammy’s. According to Susann Glenn, manager of communications for Facilities, Engineering and Planning, the changes are in response to a survey.“We sent out a retail dining survey [to] check in with faculty, staff, graduate students — the people who would most frequent our retail operations,” Glenn said.Glenn said Whoo Deli, a brand owned by Rice and the campus’ top food seller, is moving from its current location at South Servery into Sammy’s lounge in the RMC to increase its visibility and accessibility.“The deli has a loyal following, and moving it to this location centralizes it [in] the campus,” Glenn said. “It also exposes it to some people who may not have ventured down to the south part of campus to eat. With the number of visitors that travels through the student center, it’s just an excellent option.”Chef and Dining Director Johnny Curet said he expects Droubi’s move to the South Servery where the Whoo Deli was located will benefit the restaurant’s operation.“We wanted to give Droubi’s a solid location for some dining,” Curet said. “Some of the things that you as an operator have to deal with is sometimes we [have] to close this area down based on the RMC schedule for events. … [In the future they can] operate more successfully, more consistently.”A.J. Droubi, owner of Droubi’s, said while the interior design has improved, customers are still getting used to its new location.“It is much prettier but too quiet,” Droubi said. “I hope we will be able to have some of our customers back and generate some sales.”However, Droubi said the new location adds exercise to the Droubi’s experience.“My motto now is that the Mediterranean diet has gotten healthier: A few minutes of walking to our new location can keep you in better shape!” Droubi said.According to Brad Thacker, senior operations manager of food services, 4.TacO will move into the serving window that is being emptied as Droubi’s leaves, possibly introducing breakfast options in the RMC.Additionally, The Hoot will combine its South and North operations to one central location in the RMC, the serving window, according to Curet. The Hoot and 4.TacO will use the window at different times.  Joanna Weedlun, general manager of The Hoot, said The Hoot management team is thrilled to announce its relocation. According to Weedlun, operating in one location instead of two will allow the late night food provider to focus more on serving customers.“Reselling hot food is a very tricky business model, and is made even more difficult by having two locations,” Weedlun, a Hanszen College senior, said. “By consolidating The Hoot into one central location, we can strengthen our business model and increase innovation for our customer base.”Weedlun also said centralizing is not a recent idea; previous Hoot management teams have thought about it, and the current team has worked on it for a while.“The process of this move actually began years ago and has been a goal for many Hoot management teams,” Weedlun said. “The Hoot has planned ahead and budgeted for this move.”Rice Coffeehouse general manager Mason Daumas said being under the same roof as The Hoot will likely benefit the operation by increasing traffic.“We expect the Hoot’s new location to increase business at Coffeehouse,” Daumas, a Wiess College senior, said. “When people go to the Hoot to get food, they’ll also have the option to stop at Coffeehouse and caffeinate themselves. That wasn’t true when the Hoot was working out of two locations.”In addition to infrastructure changes, Curet said there will also be new food options.“One of the things that we started with with 4.TacO recently was the Korean taco and, believe it or not, it’s our number one taco now,” Curet said. “[The demand] is more Asian food, more grab-and-go, and more Indian food ... We’re still testing an Indian taco.”According to Glenn, the relocation and expansion of the menu are meant to reflect consumption demands and patterns.“This is all done with a lot of thought and really looking at what trends we’re seeing,” Glenn said. “It’s not just a knee-jerk reaction.”Anastasia Bolshakov, (Duncan ’15) who worked with H&D and was involved in reviewing the survey results, said the feedback helped H&D understand community needs.“I think that a lot of the feedback was really eye-opening, and some of it was contradictory,” Bolshakov said. “It’s important to remember that you are not going to please everyone.”Bolshakov said moving Droubi’s and Whoo Deli will benefit each of them.“Now [Droubi’s will] have their own dining room, a bigger space and a kitchen they won’t have to share,” Bolshakov said. “It is nice that the Whoo Deli is in a more central location now too. People were often complaining that the Hanszen Annex was too far of a walk, and you can’t really get any more central than the RMC.” 

NEWS 8/27/15 11:21am

Welcome to Rice, Class of 2019

By Drew Keller

Just under 34 percent of the 2,865 students admitted to Rice University in 2015 have enrolled in the class of 2019, according to Vice President for Enrollment Chris Munoz. “We’re really selecting on a national level, the best from the best,” Munoz said. “So you can’t even imagine what that must be like for Harvard or Stanford. We’re in that world of the students who apply to Rice.” Munoz said the wide range of nationalities, races, languages and extracurricular interests among the matriculating class shows that Rice students do not fit a specific stereotype. As an example, he pointed to the fact that 44 percent of the matriculating class were involved with varsity athletics in high school.“When you think of Rice in terms of image, they always think our students are a bunch of geeks,” Munoz said. “And they may be, but that doesn’t mean they can’t throw a football. … Our geeks are diverse, they have other things they bring to the table.”According to Munoz, an important characteristic of Rice students is their flexibility.“Our students often are agile,” Munoz said. “We’re not [the California Institute of Technology], this is not Caltech. Our students often may be outstanding in terms of their quantitative skills, but they can maybe write a novel.”Munoz said all segments of Rice’s student population are academically accomplished, comparing science and engineering students to those in other academic schools.“There is no place, in my opinion, at Rice that you could hide anyone,” Munoz said. “The nature of our curriculum, the quality of the students who enroll at Rice, even our humanities and social science students often have academic qualifications that are commensurate with our science and engineering people. As a general rule, their test scores may be a tad lower, but not much, and I think that goes along with the kind of curriculum we offer.”According to Munoz, negative perceptions of Houston and Texas in other parts of the United States pose a challenge to Rice by reducing the number of students who apply and enroll.“[National perceptions of Houston and Texas are] still a stereotype issue we deal with,” Munoz said. “And sometimes when our representatives say provocative things that don’t make any sense it doesn’t help us. When our governor said we were going to secede from the United States, we’re going, oh please, don’t do that. Don’t say that, it’s so stupid.”Stanford University and the University of Texas, Austin have been Rice’s most significant competitors for prospective students, according to Munoz.However, Munoz said that admission trends are positive for Rice, with test scores, admission rate and other measures of the caliber of new students becoming increasingly selective in recent years.“If I were a Rice student, I’d be happy,” Munoz said. “Remember that every class we bring in that’s better than your class, on paper, only increases the value of your degree. It’s like Stanford. There are people who got degrees from Stanford, X years ago, and they have benefitted from its current position. It’s like, ‘Every Stanford graduate is starting a company in Silicon Valley. I read that.’ That’s the buzz, the marketing buzz.”

NEWS 8/27/15 11:18am

New students reassigned colleges

By Andrew Ligeralde

Several new students faced last-minute changes to their living situations due to a higher than expected number of students committing to Rice University this fall. According to Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, as of the beginning of August, 11 new students were initially scheduled to share rooms with upperclassmen in order to secure a spot on campus.“We are seeking to provide incentives to upperclassmen to overcrowd their rooms, some financial incentives for them to do that to make spaces for new students,” Hutchinson said. “I would prefer not to overcrowd the rooms of new students since they don’t have a context for knowing what they’re volunteering for if they do that.”Mark Ditman, associate vice president of Housing and Dining, said the incentives work in such a way to prevent students from taking advantage and overcrowding just to save on room and board.“What we don’t want to do is incentivize people to overcrowd a room to save money,” Ditman said. “We think that can have some bad consequences over time. ... Once a bed became available in the college, you had to unwind the overcrowd, and that person would go in the open bed. If they wanted to overcrowd instead of the open bed they could, but the financial incentive would terminate once a bed became open.”However, according to Hutchinson, in cases where colleges could not accommodate any more students, new students were transferred from their original assigned colleges to other colleges where extra beds opened up over the summer. “Four new students chose to live in a different college because we could house them there, and then chose to become members of that college rather than remain members of the college they were originally assigned to,” Hutchinson said. “Two other students very much wanted to remain assigned to the college they were originally assigned to, and in the end, they were actually able to get beds where they were originally assigned.” According to Baker Orientation Week coordinator Sylvia Omozee, two international students originally assigned to Will Rice College were switched to Baker College the day before O-Week started. “They were basically putting new students wherever there were rooms around campus,” Omozee, a Baker College senior, said. “It just so happened that there were things with upperclassmen at Baker who went off campus and there was a double that opened in Baker ‘New New.’”According to Omozee, while the advisors adapted quickly and the new students have adjusted well, the situation was precarious, especially from the new students’ perspective. “I think it’s unfair to promise new students housing in their specific college without intentions of keeping that promise,” Omozee said. “As a new student, I would’ve been wondering, ‘Why me? Why not another student? Was there something about my roommate form that made them think they didn’t want me in their college?’” Hutchinson said that while administration did in fact receive complaints from several of the new students’ parents, his office addressed them accordingly.“We received a small number of concerns from parents, but not very many,” Hutchinson said. “We certainly made sure that we let parents know that we were attentive to the situation, that we were not worried about whether people were going to be able to get beds or not, but that there were some uncontrolled factors that had to play out before we would know for certain where everybody was going to be housed. And parents seemed to understand that pretty well.”According to Omozee, the situation also put a strain on the coordinators, who worked all summer to match roommates and assign rooms, only to find that the expected number of students was higher. Omozee said that while the coordinators were not specifically at fault, certain colleges received complaints from students and parents.   “One particular college kept getting angry emails from at first a new student, then the student’s parents asking why they didn’t have a room,” Omozee said. “Which is completely understandable to be upset about. So we definitely got some heat from that, not specifically Baker, but we have received a lot of heat that is not necessarily our fault, and there was nothing we could do about it. One thing I’m really proud about was that the other 31 coordinators and was that we handled it in a way that despite the things that happened we could still figure it out and put on O-Week.”Omozee said she thinks overcrowding would have been more successful had the financial incentives proposed to upperclassmen been greater.  “I think [administration] just needs better policies if something like this were to happen again,” Omozee said. “The discount given is not enough. So maybe if a higher discount was given, then maybe a better discount would be a solution to that issue. It was more like, this is what you get coordinators, just deal with it.”According to Hutchinson, only two students accepted incentives to move off campus and create space for incoming students.“We did in fact put incentives out there, and students did not find those incentives enticing enough to want to make a move,” Hutchinson said. “We examined different ways to encourage different students to move, and in the end, it was a relatively small number who moved to make room for some of the entering freshmen. It turned out it was only two students who did that. But it turned out that that was what we needed.”According to Hutchinson, the administration will take steps to reduce last-minute transfers in the future while housing many students on campus as possible. However, uncertainties persist that make this a difficult process. “We will make adjustments next year to try to minimize anxiety, but in the end we knew we were going to be able to house people,” Hutchinson said. “We try to balance two conflicting demands. One is we’d like to have as much flexibility as possible and try to house everybody in a situation that is optimal for them. And we’d also like to have as many people live on campus because people want to live on campus. We don’t want to have a bunch of people living off campus while we have a bunch of vacancies.”According to Omozee, however, as O-Week got nearer, there was not much more that could have been done to account for a higher yield. “I think because the issue of overcrowding wasn’t realized until later in the game, there was no way really to move the date of college assignments without students wondering, ‘Where is my college assignment?’” Omozee said. “It would have been better than people coming to O-week and they don’t know what college they’re going to. In all honesty, I think this was the best case scenario for the situation we were given. I’m not happy with the situation. But at this point it’s done. The new students love Baker, so it’s fine.”According to Susann Glenn, communications manager for H&D, the overcrowding system has existed since before 2000 and has been well received by students.“We haven’t heard any pushback because we incentivize certain things for those who participated in that,” Glenn said. “So if anything, we received eagerness from those who have agreed to help us out. … This isn’t a decision that we make on our own as an administration. We need students, to make sure we’re serving [their] needs.”

NEWS 8/21/15 8:51am

Outreach day to focus on food insecurity

By Amber Tong

The Center for Civic Leadership is presenting a new model for Outreach Day 2015, which will take place on the Saturday after Orientation Week, according to CCL Executive Director Caroline Quenemoen. With the focus on a single topic and a keynote address before volunteering activities, the event may look quite different from previous Outreach Days.

NEWS 8/15/15 5:21am

Room overcrowding lessens as O-week arrives

By Andrew Ligeralde

A few returning students will have an extra roommate as a higher than expected number of students committed to Rice this fall. According to Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, as of the beginning of August, 11 new students were scheduled to share rooms with upperclassmen in order to secure a spot on campus.

NEWS 8/10/15 11:14am

Hoot and Whoo Deli move to RMC, Droubi's to South Servery in campus food reshuffle

By Amber Tong

Hungry owls returning in the fall may be in for a surprise. The Rice Memorial Center is undergoing renovations to accommodate significant changes in the campus food scene, which include the relocation of Whoo Deli, Droubi’s Mediterranean Grill and 4.TacO as well as the centralization of The Hoot in the RMC. 4.TacO and The Hoot will share Droubi’s window in the RMC, Droubi’s will move into South Servery and Whoo Deli will move into Sammy’s.

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