Tag Archives: Rice University

Rice prof wins MacArthur grant

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome! Babies were dying in the Malawi hospital and there was little Rebecca Richards-Kortum could do about it. For Richards-Kortum, a bioengineering professor at Rice University, it was a heartbreaking realization, one that haunted her as she toured the modest … Continue reading →

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The MOB and Baylor

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So you’ve probably heard about this by now. If it’s possible for a band to steal headlines away from a football game, Rice’s Marching Owl Band found a way. While Rice made strides but ultimately fell against No. 21 Baylor … Continue reading →

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Next B-Cycle expansion announced

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Houston’s bike share system, Houston B-cycle, will more than triple in size over the next two years, adding 71 stations with 568 bikes. The expansion will be paid for with federal grant dollars. “The expansion of the … Continue reading →

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KUHA sale completed

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Say goodbye to classical music on your terrestrial radio. Houston Public Media’s classical musical station transitions to an all-digital format starting at 9 a.m. Friday, July 15. It’s a result of Christian radio station KSBJ agreeing to purchase the KUHA 91.7 … Continue reading →

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The Latino health insurance enrollment gap in Texas

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We have made great strides in reducing the uninsured rate in Texas thanks to the Affordable Care Act, but there’s still a lot of work to do. The percentage of Hispanics in Texas without health insurance has dropped by 30 … Continue reading →

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Another story on how Texas’ uninsured rate has fallen under Obamacare

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Same book, next chapter. A study released Tuesday shows that the rate of Texans without insurance has dropped to its lowest point since the late 1990s because of the Affordable Care Act, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and … Continue reading →

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Remembering Buckyballs and the Nobel Prize they won

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Twenty years ago, two Rice University chemists won the Nobel Prize for a revolutionary idea about carbon molecules. The discovery of Buckyballs, a new form of carbon that ushered in the era of nanotechnology and won a Nobel Prize, happened … Continue reading →

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A way to use the Astrodome while we figure out what to do with it

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

How does a Super Bowl light show grab you? The future of the Astrodome still might be in the dark, but that doesn’t mean the iconic building can’t return to the spotlight for at least a few minutes. A pair … Continue reading →

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Houston Area Survey 2016: Harris County becoming more Democratic

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Whoa. A majority of Harris County residents lean Democratic for the first time ever, propelled by plummeting support for Republicans among Latinos, according to a survey released Monday by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research. The finding, in the … Continue reading →

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Former KTRU to become Christian station

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Well, that’s different. KSBJ Educational Foundation, which owns and programs noncommercial Christian music radio stations, acquired the 50,000-watt KUHA (91.7 FM). Subject to Federal Communications Commission approval, the station could switch from its current classical format to NGEN by late … Continue reading →

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Fewer Texans having trouble paying medical bills than pre-Obamacare

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

What else can you say but “Thanks, Obama!” Fewer Texans say they have problems paying their medical bills in 2015 compared to 2013, according to a new report released by EHF and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The … Continue reading →

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KTRU returns

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

On another frequency, with different call letters, and a less powerful signal. Other than that, it’s like it never left. After five years off the radio dial, Rice University’s popular college radio station KTRU Rice Radio will return to FM … Continue reading →

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The MetroLab Network

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox. Rice University and the city of Houston will join forces with 20 other cities and 25 other universities from across the country to create MetroLab Network, a network of universities and city governments charged with collaborating on … Continue reading →

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Mayoral debate #1

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Who watched? In the first televised debate in the Houston mayor’s race, three of the candidates jockeying to replace Mayor Annise Parker took aim at former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia and the agency’s allegedly low crime clearance rates. The … Continue reading →

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Voter ID may have had broader effects than we thought

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Texas’ strict voter identification requirements kept many would-be voters in a Hispanic-majority congressional district from going to the polls last November — including many who had proper IDs — a new survey shows. And the state’s voter ID law … Continue reading →

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The demography of the uninsured in Texas

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another look at those who have been helped by Obamacare in Texas, and those who would be helped if the state wasn’t actively resisting. The states’s uninsured continue to be most likely Hispanic, middle-aged, with low incomes and without a … Continue reading →

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Campus student body presidents call for veto of campus carry bill

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the Rice Thresher: In a letter signed by 12 other Texas university presidents, Student Association President Jazz Silva called for Texas Governor Greg Abbott to not sign Senate Bill 11, which would allow licensed Texans to carry concealed handguns … Continue reading →

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Texas’ uninsured rate drops dramatically

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Amazing what can happen when a government actually tries to solve a problem, isn’t it? The rate of Texans without health insurance has fallen 8 percentage points since enrollment in the federal Affordable Care Act began, according to a new … Continue reading →

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One point two million Obamacare signups in Texas

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not too shabby. McCarter was one of nearly 1.2 million Texans who signed up or were re-enrolled in health coverage before open enrollment ended Sunday. The newly released numbers show Texas ranking behind only Florida in the number of people … Continue reading →

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KTRU will be back

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. And unexpected. Rice University’s popular student-run radio station, relegated to the Internet when the university sold it in 2010, is returning to the airwaves. The Federal Communications Commission on Monday approved the construction of a low-power FM broadcast station … Continue reading →

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Where Texans got their Obamacare information

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Baker Institute tells us. While most Texans used healthcare.gov earlier this year to get information or to enroll in a health insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), larger percentages of Texans found talking to the call center … Continue reading →

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Ike Dike versus Centennial Gate

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an academic storm surge mitigation smackdown! Lawmakers on Monday told representatives of two of Texas’ most distinguished universities to stop feuding and come together on a plan for protecting the Houston region from a storm surge similar to the … Continue reading →

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White return flight

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some interesting demographic trends going on. Between 2000 and 2010, [Harris] county, like much of the U.S., saw a sharp decline of its white population, losing about 12 percent of Anglos or about 83,000 people. The drop mirrors demographic shifts … Continue reading →

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Two million Texans used healthcare.gov

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, we had lots of demand for health insurance. That’s what happens when you have so many uninsured people in a state. Almost all adult Texans knew of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace before its open enrollment ended … Continue reading →

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Nearly 200,000 ACA signups in Houston area

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not too shabby. Like the rest of the country, the Houston area appears to have benefited from a last-minute surge in people signing up for federally mandated health insurance. At least 197,650 local residents enrolled in the program, figures released … Continue reading →

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Texas insurance enrollment update

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Enrollments are up and the number of uninsured are down, though both could have been a lot better. The sky-high rate of Texans without health insurance has dropped only slightly since the launch of the federal Affordable Care Act’s online … Continue reading →

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Zipcar expands in Houston

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. A car-sharing service on Wednesday expanded from spots on the Rice University campus to other locations in Houston, providing city residents with another option for transportation. Zipcar is making available 25 vehicles in 10 different locations in Houston … Continue reading →

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What should we do about hurricane preparedness?

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Or, to put the question another way: Ike Dike, Ike Floodgate, something else, or nothing? In 2009, months after Hurricane Ike devastated the upper Texas coast, Texas A&M-Galveston professor William Merrell unveiled a multibillion-dollar plan – to much skepticism – … Continue reading →

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Metro reports an increase in boardings with bikes

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The number of people using bikes to extend their bus trips (or vice versa) increased more than 47 percent jumping from 12,111 bike bus boardings in January 2013 to 17,859 in January this year, That’s according to … Continue reading →

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Lance Berkman

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Former Astro and Rice Owl Lance Berkman hung up his spikes this week. Lance Berkman, who starred at Rice before becoming one of the most clutch hitters in Astros history, is retiring after a 15-year career in the major leagues. … Continue reading →

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Saving Rice Stadium

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Houston has another historic stadium in it that’s seen better days, but this one is still in use and has some hope of being restored to its former glory. As a place to watch a game, there are few better … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Five, six, seven, eight…

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

So tomorrow the Rice Owls will play the Marshall Thundering Herd at Historic Rice Stadium in the Conference USA championship game (noon EST, 11 AM CST, ESPN2, check local listings), and I’ll be there in the stands with the Rice … Continue reading →

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Who watches the private police departments?

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not good. A veteran state lawmaker said Monday he is outraged by televised images of Rice University police officers striking a suspected bicycle thief with batons and appalled the university can refuse to release details because it is a private … Continue reading →

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Chron profiles the Mayor

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Sunday Chron has an expansive profile of Mayor Parker. In a system where term limits cap elected officials at six years, City Hall veterans joke that new council members spend their first year finding the bathrooms and their sixth … Continue reading →

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