Podcasts about Rice University

This episode explores the extraordinary start to 2026 following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US forces and his subsequent transport to stand trial in New York. Host Rory Johnston is joined, once again, by Francisco Monaldi of Rice University's Baker Institute to analyze the new "remote control" era of Venezuelan governance. The discussion details the installation of Delcy Rodríguez as interim president and her complex role as a pragmatist navigating the revolution's survival under intense US pressure. Listeners will gain insights into the immediate market impact of 30 to 50 million barrels of stored oil being rerouted from the Chinese black market to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The conversation also examines the long-term challenges of rebuilding an industry that requires up to $100 billion and a decade of stability to reach its former peak production. Monaldi breaks down the legal and operational shifts necessary for American "wildcatters" and majors like Chevron to safely ramp up activity within the country's dilapidated infrastructure. Finally, the episode reflects on a "new market order" where geopolitical vibes and discretionary policy decisions increasingly dictate global crude flows.

When it comes to working in military intelligence, strong leadership skills and the ability to make quick decisions under pressure are key. Just as important to a mission's success is being a good team player.Those were the lessons and skills Chris Stillwell '24 carried into his two career pivots after his time working as a military intelligence officer for the U.S. Army. His first pivot landed him a role at Kearney in Dubai focusing on M&A integration and strategy consulting. Chris then decided to pursue an MBA at Rice Business to sharpen his financial skills and pivot once again into the world of investment banking. Now an investment banking associate at Bank of America, Chris joins co-host Brian Jackson '21 to discuss his military experience, why he chose Rice, how the program helped him make a major career transition, and his advice to those considering an MBA to pursue new career opportunities. Episode Guide:00:00 Introduction to Chris Stillwell01:03 Military Intelligence: Separating Fact From Fiction02:15 Roles and Responsibilities in the Army03:08 Leadership and Decision Making in High-Pressure Situations08:07 From Military to Consulting09:49 Living Abroad: Challenges and Cultural Insights15:02 Transitioning to an MBA at Rice University18:13 Involvement and Networking at Rice20:56 Entering Investment Banking: Preparation and Challenges25:37 Day-to-Day in Investment Banking28:46 Advice for Career Pivoters and VeteransThe Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.Episode Quotes:The moment Chris realized that Rice gave him an edge over his peers[20:48] Brian: Going into investment banking, was there, like, now an elevated sense of confidence of, Okay, I've done this before; I'll do it again?[20:56] Chris: Maybe some blind confidence sometimes. Yeah, you could even ask my parents. I went home for like four days for the Christmas break the year I was recruiting. And I was studying flashcards with my mom of all the IB 400 questions. And I was like, “I'm not going to get a job. You know, like all these people around me are much smarter than me. There's a really—we've got a really talented pool of candidates that are recruiting this year.” But you know, I felt like at the end of the day, the Finance Association and Rice, just the classes I took, really prepared me to understand the basics of finance, the basics that are expected of the interview process. And then, going forward, I saw when I started as an intern at the bank, I went to New York for a week…We were training with all these people from all these different schools, going to all these different groups in the bank, and some people didn't even know what a DCF was or didn't know how to do it that well, I should say. We were doing some practice problems, and I was like, “Wow, we're actually far ahead of a lot of these other schools and people.” So that was kind of good to see that Rice really put an effort into training us up. What Chris learned about leadership through three career pivots[30:15] There are certain people who can be leaders and are very good at being leaders. But being a good leader in the military might not translate to being a good leader at banking. And a lot of times you actually see that, or you see military officers leave the military and go into the corporate world and not be as successful. Because I really think you do need to tailor your leadership style to the one the industry you're working in, and two, the people you're working with, you know, different ways of operating motivate people differently. Like in the military, you could yell at somebody and hold them to a higher standard and maybe they'll do it. But if you yelled at somebody like, you know, a marketing job, they probably would shut down and that'd be the end of it. It really doesn't work the same. The leadership style is something that you have to adjust to the area you're working in.On how his military experience strengthened his teamwork skills[04:03] In the military, you are a leader, but you learn how to be a good follower as well. And I think what you do with that is that you are able to have great teamwork. You're able, like in my current job now, I have an analyst underneath me, but I have people like VPs and MDs above me and I can understand what their intent is and what we need to get accomplished in our day-to-day job, but also articulate to the people below me, Hey, this is the intent and this is how we do it. So it's kind of been very helpful in those soft skills.On how Rice gave him the academic foundation he needed[16:49] My reasons for going to Rice were great, but once I got there, I appreciated it a lot more. I really got exposed to, I mean, I was looking for some things like smaller classrooms for example. Like a lot of people we hire from Kearney were from Yale or HBS, and their class size was like a thousand people. And maybe you didn't have a lot of rigor in terms of academics. I think Rice, especially in the first term, really forces you to go to classes to do your homework, to learn the materials. And that was attractive to me as well, because I didn't come from a finance background at all. So I didn't even know what a DCF was before I came to Rice. So I was very grateful at that, you know, getting to Rice and realizing that it was such a good platform to be integrated into.Show Links: TranscriptGuest Profile:Chris Stillwell | LinkedIn

Rich Nuzum is head of OCIO at Franklin Templeton. He joined Franklin Templeton from Mercer where he spent more than three decades providing investment consulting advice to institutional investors. Nuzum holds an MBA in analytic finance and accounting from the University of Chicago and a bachelor's degree in mathematical sciences and mathematical economic analysis from Rice University. Rich also did graduate work in international economics at Tokyo University. Our conversation starts with Rich's upbringing and growing up with his parents as school teachers. He describes how he came upon finance as a career, and the impact of the time spent in Tokyo studying economics, one of the most difficult academic paths he has ever navigated. We speak then about his various phases in investment consulting which saw some movements to head up different areas, some planned and some serendipitous.  We turn then to the concept of Outsourced CIO (OCIO) serviced and how this service offering has evolved in recent years – often to be less of a complete substitute for an investment team and more of an adjacent set of complementary skills at times. We discuss the global experience of OCIO adoption and where the future integration of this might lie.  This podcast is kindly sponsored by Evanston Capital and Alvine Capital. For over 20 years Evanston Capital has had a key focus in identifying early-stage investment managers it believes are capable of generating long-term, value-added returns in complex, innovative strategy areas. Alvine Capital is a specialist investment manager and placement boutique with a particular focus on alternative assets with significant presence in London and Stockholm

Dr. Bryan Denny joins us to further our understanding of emotional regulation research, particularly research that combines traditional diagnostic approaches with neurobiology. Bryan is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Rice University and Director of the Translational Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab. Bryan 's research is a fascinating complement to our book this month: Ethan Kross's SHIFT: MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS SO THEY DON'T MANAGE YOU.Bryan's research seeks to understand the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms that underlie successful and unsuccessful emotion regulation across a spectrum of healthy and clinical populations. He is interested in utilizing the results of basic investigations into these processes in order to design and examine novel interventions focused on improving real-world emotion regulation outcomes in a variety of contexts. Bryan tells us what emotion regulation is and then explains some of the evidence-based techniques used to do so, citing Ethan Kross' book and also the work of James Gross and Lisa Feldman Barrett. He compares the cognitive basis of emotional regulation to the behaviorist tradition that once dominated psychology.Bryan tells us about his work combining cognitive research and neurobiology. Neurobiology uses technologies, such as fMRIs, to show how the brain is operating. Bryan believes there will always be a place for cognitive counseling and its techniques, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but that the addition of neuroscience opens up new ways of understanding emotions and creating interventions.Bryan conducts longitudinal emotion regulation research at his lab, and has recently been focusing on populations such as caregivers and bereaved persons.We loved this episode and all the information Dr. Denny shared with us. We are hopeful listeners won't be too distracted by the sometimes poor audio.

A laser-focused servant leader who uses a “Rise Together” approach to elevate the culture and achievement levels of the University of Toledo Athletic Department. The road Bryan took leading-up to the University of Toledo included positions as Deputy AD and Chief Operating Officer at Washington University, Senior Associate Athletic Director at Rice University, and administrative roles with the University of South Carolina and the NCAA Office in Indianapolis. He serves on the NCAA Division I Sports Oversight Committee and NCAA Division 1 Committee on Infractions. Bryan has received numerous accolades including the prestigious Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 and the Twenty Under 40 Community Leadership Award for Northwest Ohio. He earned a law degree from the University of South Carolina and an undergraduate degree in history from Wofford College. While at Wofford Bryan was a standout student-athlete who was a starting defensive lineman and captain of the football team.Host/Executive Producer; Brad Rieger, Audio Engineer/Production Coordinator; Kerry Schwable, Social Coordinator; Tim McCarthy, Graphic Designers: Stephen Shankster/Jeremy Thomas. Content made possible by Cooper-Smith Advertising LLC 2023

In hour 1 of The Mark Reardon Show, Mark and the crew discuss what is next for the Reardon Roundtable now that Jane Dueker is working with Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway. Mark is then joined by Charles Lipson, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago. He discusses his thoughts on the Minneapolis ICE Shooting, the revolution occurring in Iran and if the US should get involved & more. He's later joined by Former US Senator from Missouri Jim Talent. He shares his thoughts on the revolution occurring in Iran, what is next for Venezuela and the United States' involvement in it and more. In hour 2, Sue hosts, "Sue's News" where she discusses the latest trending entertainment news, this day in history, the random fact of the day and more. Mark is then joined by Bill King, a Research Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. He shares his thoughts on Minnesota suing the Department of Homeland Security, more on the ICE shooting and more. He's later joined by KSDK Sports Director Frank Cusumano who discusses the College Football and NFL Playoff games, the Blues extending Philip Broberg and more. In hour 3, Mark is joined by Curtis Houck, the Managing Editor of News Busters at the Media Research Center. He discusses the liberal media coverage of the Minneapolis ICE shooting. He's later joined by Missouri State Senator Nick Schroer. He discusses the first full week of the new Session being underway as well as what his top priorities are. They wrap up the show with the Audio Cut of the Day.

Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "The Quiet Work of Clarity" by Dr. Henry Bair, who is an ophthalmology resident physician at Wills Eye Hospital. The article is followed by an interview with Bair and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr. Bair explores how vision care can honor end-of-life goals and helps a patient with failing sight write to his children. TRANSCRIPT Narrator: The Quiet Work of Clarity, Henry, Bair, MD  Mikkael Sekeres: Welcome back to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology. This ASCO podcast features intimate narratives and perspectives from authors exploring their experiences in oncology. I'm your host, Mikkael Sekeres. I'm professor of medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami. What a pleasure it is to have joining us today Dr. Henry Bair, an ophthalmology resident physician at Wills Eye Hospital, to discuss his Journal of Clinical Oncology Art of Oncology article, "Quiet Work of Clarity". At the time of this recording, our guest has no disclosures. Dr. Bair and I have agreed to call each other by first names. Henry, thank you for contributing to the Journal of Clinical Oncology and for joining us to discuss your article. Henry Bair: Thank you very much for having me. Mikkael Sekeres: I love starting off by getting a little bit of background about our guests. I know a little bit about you, but I'm not sure all of our listeners do. Can you tell us about yourself and how you reached this stage of your training? Henry Bair: Sure thing. Happy to start there. I was born and raised in Taiwan. I came to the United States when I was 18 for college. I was at Rice University. I was drawn to it because the Texas Medical Center was right over there, but the university had a small liberal arts feel and the university did not box me into any specific discipline. I went there and we didn't have to declare anything and we could take any class from any school over there. And I actually fell in love with medieval studies of all things. I just came upon it in one of the survey courses and I went deeper and deeper and deeper and eventually wrote my thesis on medieval Irish manuscripts. That was really interesting. At the same time I was doing some clinical work and I realized that medicine might be a way to combine my interest in storytelling and the humanities with making a tangible difference in people's lives. Then I was in medical school at Stanford University, which was, in a similar way, I found a place that really let me explore what it meant to be a physician because the medical school let me take classes from all across the university: so the law school, the school of humanities, school of engineering, the business school. I got a chance to do a little bit of a lot of different things to try to figure out what I actually wanted to do with life. And I spent a lot of time actually doing a little bit of palliative care, a little bit of oncology, some medical education, some medical humanities. I had a lot of time thinking about, "Okay, what kind of specialty do I want to do?" I found myself really enjoying procedural specialties, but also really liking the kinds of patient interactions and conversations I had in palliative care and oncology, and eventually found ophthalmology, interestingly. I often have to remind myself or explain myself how those two connect. And to me, the way they connect is that ophthalmology lets me do very fascinating, intellectually challenging things in terms of working with my hands, very rewarding surgical procedural work. But at the same time, the conversations that I get to have with patients about seeing well, I saw so many parallels between that and living well. To me it was so much about quality of life. And that's how I knew that ophthalmology was the right move for me. And so now I'm an ophthalmology resident. Mikkael Sekeres: Fascinating. When I was an undergrad, the person who had the most influence on me was an English professor who was also a medievalist. There must be something about the personality and pouring over these old texts and trying to read things in Middle English that appeals to some character trait in those of us who eventually become physicians. I also remember when I was in medical school, we could also take classes throughout the university. So I wound up taking some writing classes with undergrads and with graduate students. It adds to this holistic education that we bring to medicine because it's not all about the science, is it? Henry Bair: Yeah, it's also different ways of thinking and seeing the world and just hearing people's different stories. It's the people I've met in a lot of those different settings outside of medical school that I think really enhanced my formative years in medical education. Mikkael Sekeres: You certainly bring it all together in this essay, which was just lovely. And I wonder if we could dive into some of the aspects of this essay. I'm dying to know, when you went to see this man, the main character of your essay, did you have any idea what the consult would be about? Henry Bair: No. So when we're in the hospital and as the ophthalmology resident on consult, we get notifications. These pop up whenever a primary team puts in a consult and it's usually fairly vague. It's usually no more than "blurry vision, please evaluate," "eye pain, please evaluate." As an ophthalmologist, getting a consult for blurry vision is kind of like a cardiologist getting consulted for chest pain. You're like, "Okay, but it could be something, it could be nothing, it could be something terrifying, it could be dry eyes, or it could be end-stage glaucoma, or it could be, who knows?" You really genuinely never know what you're getting yourself into until you actually go in there and talk to the patient, which can be frustrating, but also kind of an interesting experience. Mikkael Sekeres: I worry I'm guilty of submitting some of those consults to ophthalmology. Henry Bair: I didn't realize this fully until I started working on the ophthalmology side. I think non-ophthalmologists get so little exposure and training in ophthalmology. Of course, when I think about it, I didn't get any ophthalmology in medical school. So it's understandable. Mikkael Sekeres: In your essay, you write, and I'm going to quote you to you, "I am still learning what we can treat and what we can only tend. My training has taught me well how to assess visual acuity, intraocular pressures, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, but standing at his bedside, the index that mattered was none of these, but whether we could help him read for one more day." "What we can treat and what we can only tend." That's such a beautiful line. Is that something that only comes with years of experience, determining what we can treat and what we can only tend, or is it a dawning sense as we get to know our patients when we are trying to stop the inevitable from happening? Henry Bair: That is an interesting question because I think of it more almost as a fundamental shift in mindset. And I'm coming from someone who I think had the benefit of having had mentors, having had clinical experiences in palliative care in medical school. As I mentioned earlier, I was drawn to a lot of those patient conversations. So I think in some ways, starting in residency, I had long been primed to think about tending to a patient's concerns. And yet, even having been primed, even having the benefit of all those experiences and those conversations with amazing clinicians and with patients, maybe it's subject matter specific. I mean, ophthalmology tends to be a specialty, in my experience, my limited experience, ophthalmology tends to be one of those specialties that focuses so much on fixing things and treating things and reversing things. And in fact, that's one of the beautiful things of ophthalmology: how often you can reverse things or completely stop the progression of disease. And so I think in some ways, I am having to relearn what it means to see something not always as, "Okay, what's a problem here? What is the fix? How do I reverse this?" and go back and reach back to those experiences, those conversations I had with patients about trying to figure out, "Okay, the things that we can't fix, what can we still do?" To most people who have come across palliative care, this sentiment is by no means novel, the sentiment that there is always something we can do. You often hear about people talking about, "Oh, there's nothing more we can do." And I sort of try to bring that approach into the clinical encounters that I have. It's very reflexive to think that, "Okay, a person has lost vision from end-stage glaucoma or they have a blind painful eye. Well, there's nothing more we can do. You know, we've done all the conventional surgeries, we've done all the therapies, the medications," but I always have to pull myself back and say, "But there's always something we can do here." Mikkael Sekeres: It's so interesting how you frame that. We're problem solvers. We're trained to solve problems. A patient presents with X, a problem, we have to be clever enough to figure out how to solve it. I wonder if what you're saying indirectly is sometimes we're identifying the wrong problem. Henry Bair: I think so, yeah. Mikkael Sekeres: There may be a problem that we can't solve. Someone is actively dying from cancer. We can't solve the problem of curing them of their cancer. But there are other problems that we can potentially solve, and maybe that's where we have to be clever in identifying the problem. Henry Bair: I think so. And it's also what's in our textbooks and what's not. So we spend hundreds of hours in lecture and we pour over so many textbooks, and I do question banks now for board exams preparation. It's all on the textbook presentations, the textbook solutions. The problems are, you know, the retinal artery occlusions, it's about the really bad diabetic retinopathy. And then the answers to those things would be a stroke workup, would be some kind of injection into the eye. But like the problem that I encountered in this story that I talked about was this patient trying to write letters to his kids. That's not going to show up on any exam. We don't have lectures about talking about those things. Mikkael Sekeres: So, as I think you know, I wrote an essay in 2010 for Art of Oncology and for a book that I wrote about a woman who inspired me to go into oncology. She was a woman in her 40s who was a pediatric attending who had advanced ovarian cancer. The story I wrote about her was how she spent her final night on this earth in the intensive care unit writing cards for her children, too. It's fascinating how history repeats itself in how we care for people who have cancer. You have a really a beautiful way of saying this. You talk about, "an ordinary father sharing ordinary advice for an ordinary day. Illness had made that ordinariness remarkable. Our work that day was to protect the ordinary." Can you talk a little bit, I mean given the woman I wrote about and the man you wrote about, about this need to communicate with your family after you're gone? Henry Bair: To me, one of the biggest lessons I've learned working in healthcare is that what defines most of our lives, what defines the most meaningful, the most purposeful, the most rewarding aspects of our lives is our relationships. You can explore this from myriad perspectives. You can explore this from like a psychosocial perspective and look at all those studies showing that people who have better social connections and better ties with their families live longer lives and actually healthier lives, have decreased rates of mental health problems. Or we can just approach this from like a more humanistic perspective and explore it and think and listen in on the conversations people have with people around them, that patients have, the conversations patients have during the most difficult times of their lives. They don't talk about their work, they don't talk about their accomplishments, they talk about their relationships with their kids, with their spouses, with their parents. In my experience when people are at critical junctures of big life changes, whether it's people about to go into major surgery, people grappling with the idea of losing their vision or losing their lives, any sort of big pivotal change, they want to talk to their families and explore gratitude and regret and all these things. These are the themes that come up over and over and over again. In some ways it does not surprise me at all, this need to communicate with the family at the end of life. In some ways that's how you live on, that's how we feel, that's how patients feel their lives are defined by is that lasting relationship, that lasting impact at the end, or even transcending the end. Mikkael Sekeres: This is going beyond the end, isn't it? Henry Bair: Yeah. Mikkael Sekeres: These are letters and notes being written to children to be handed to them after death. And I think one of the reasons, in my case, the woman I encountered when I was in training who inspired me to go into oncology, I've been thinking about her for 25 years off and on. Both the incredible spirit to be able to do that on your last night on this earth, but also the flip side to it: there are potential downsides to doing this, aren't there? That, you know, I think about it from the perspective of her kids who at the time were 8 and 10 years old in my case. And I wonder what it was like for them to open up that birthday card when they were 17 or 18. And I wonder if you've kind of wondered the same about your patient and his children. Henry Bair: Yeah, I think when we think about these letter-writing projects, legacy-type projects, I hear about in hospitals around the country, there are teams that try to implement legacy-type things: whether it's doing video messages, whether it's stitching together short documentary film for patients who are in hospice. I feel like I see these things popping up a lot. You raise a very important point, and I actually didn't think about this until I was writing the essay. It's not an unambiguous good because it's the impact is variable, and it's really hard to predict that. How did you grapple with that in your essay? How did you make sense of it all at the end? Mikkael Sekeres: I don't think I did. I don't think I still have, which is why I think I still reflect back 25 years later on this episode and thinking about her children and how they're now, maybe they're still continuing to receive these cards from her and whether that's something they really appreciate and are like, "Boy, this is great, I get a little piece of mom still even now," or do they look at her unsteady hand as she's writing these cards and say, "That's not the mom I want to remember." Henry Bair: Yeah, that's a really good point. In the essay, I talk about that moment when the patient recognizes these are very imperfect letters, imperfectly written. We talked a little bit about that. And the patient makes a point, very wisely. I had suggested, "Oh, what if you want me to correct things?" And he's like, "No, no, no, the mistakes are part of it. It's part of the message. The message is that this was me at a difficult time in my life. I cannot control my hands the way that I used to, but that's still part of me. That makes it more genuine and authentic, mistakes and all built in." He wanted his children to see him for who he fully was in that moment. Mikkael Sekeres: And that was such a poignant part of your essay and probably the one that jumped out at me the most. Like as a dad, you want your kids to see you for who you are, right? You're not a superhero. In this case, this is somebody who was going to succumb to his illness, who did, but he was their dad and wanted them to remember him for all of who he was at that moment. Before I let you go, Henry, because I feel like we could probably talk for hours about this, before we started this podcast, I noticed you had better podcast equipment than I do, and sure enough, you copped to the fact that you do host your own podcast. You want to tell us a little bit about that? Because it touches on so many themes we touched on here in Cancer Stories. Henry Bair: Yeah, well thanks for asking me about that. Yeah, don't mind if I plug a little bit. Yes, so in medical school, this was 2021, around 2022, we were emerging from the COVID pandemic, and one of the things I was seeing around me as a medical student were physicians and nurses leaving the profession in droves. Like, there were so many reports and surveys coming out of the AMA discussing how more than half of all physicians are burned out, a third of physicians can't find meaning in their work anymore. And that was really scary. As a clinical trainee, what was I getting myself into? These weren't just some clinicians somewhere. These were often times- I was hearing these kinds of conversations about losing sight of why they even come in in the first place to work. I was hearing these conversations from professors that I thought were well-accomplished. These were people who had gone to the right residencies, the right fellowships. They had the right publications. These are people who I aspired to be, I suppose, and they were talking about leaving clinical practice. A wonderful mentor of mine who is an oncologist, still an oncologist at Stanford, we started talking about these things. And I asked him, "You seem to love your job." He was a GI oncologist dealing with very, very sick patients day in and day out. I've seen him in clinic. And I asked him, "What's your secret? What keeps you coming back over and over and over again?" And so that led to a conversation. And then we realized, "Wait a second, there are people, a third of physicians losing meaning in their work meant that two thirds of physicians have meaning in their work. Okay, let's talk about that." So we started exploring, we started just asking clinicians who have found true purpose in their work. And then we asked them to share their stories. And that's how the podcast was born. It's called The Doctor's Art, and at this point, we've expanded and we interview nurses and patients and caregivers. We interview philosophers and filmmakers, journalists. We interview ethicists and religious leaders, really anyone who might have some insight about what living well means either from the clinician perspective or from the patient perspective. And guess what? Everyone is going to be either a caregiver or a care recipient at some point in their lives. It's still ongoing and it's ended up being something where we explore very universal themes. Mikkael Sekeres: Well, it sounds great, Henry, and it sounds like a perfect complement to what we're doing here in Cancer Stories. It has been such a pleasure to have Dr. Henry Bair, who is an ophthalmology resident at Wills Eye Hospital, to discuss his essay, "The Quiet Work of Clarity". Henry, thank you so much for submitting your article to the Journal of Clinical Oncology and for joining us today. Henry Bair: Thank you very much, Mikail, for letting me share my insights and my story. It was a wonderful opportunity. Mikkael Sekeres: If you've enjoyed this episode, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague, or leave us a review. Your feedback and support helps us continue to have these important conversations. If you're looking for more episodes and content, follow our show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and explore more from ASCO at asco.org/podcasts. Until next time, this has been Mikkael Sekeres for Cancer Stories. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions.   Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Show notes:Like, share and subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave a rating or review. Guest Bio: Dr Henry Bair is a ophthalmology resident physician at Wills Eye Hospital and podcast host of The Doctor's Art.

In this segment, Mark is joined by Bill King, a Research Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. He shares his thoughts on Minnesota suing the Department of Homeland Security, more on the ICE shooting and more.

In hour 2, Sue hosts, "Sue's News" where she discusses the latest trending entertainment news, this day in history, the random fact of the day and more. Mark is then joined by Bill King, a Research Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. He shares his thoughts on Minnesota suing the Department of Homeland Security, more on the ICE shooting and more. He's later joined by KSDK Sports Director Frank Cusumano who discusses the College Football and NFL Playoff games, the Blues extending Philip Broberg and more.

In this episode of the College Admissions Podcast with Mark and Anna, we're joined by Brandon Mack, former Associate Director of Admission at Rice University and current independent educational consultant. Brandon pulls back the curtain on how applications are actually read today—debunking common myths about grades, test scores, and competitions, and explaining why essays, short answers, and authentic fit matter more than ever. We discuss how to build a balanced college list, what really makes a strong “Why School” response (including at Rice), how admissions officers evaluate summers, research, and activities, and why depth, humility, and self-awareness consistently stand out in competitive pools. A must-listen for students and families navigating today's rapidly evolving admissions landscape.Learn more and connect with Brandon Mack at https://bmackstrategies.com/

Notes and Links to Kiese Laymon's Work   Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. Laymon is the author of Long Division, which won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for fiction, and the essay collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, named a notable book of 2021 by the New York Times critics. Laymon's bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Barnes and Noble Discovery Award, the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times. The audiobook, read by the author, was named the Audible 2018 Audiobook of the Year. Laymon is the recipient of 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard. Laymon is at work on the books, Good God, and City Summer, Country Summer, and a number of other film and television projects. He is the founder of The Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative, a program based out of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, aimed at aiding young people in Jackson get more comfortable reading, writing, revising and sharing on their own terms, in their own communities. He is the co-host of Reckon True Stories with Deesha Philyaw. Kiese Laymon was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2022. Buy Heavy   “The Worst Shot Ever Taken” from Believer Magazine   Review for Heavy from NPR   Kiese Laymon's Website   Kiese Laymon's Wikipedia Page At about 1:45, the two discuss Kiese's article from The Believer and word counts and teaching high and college  At about 3:05, Kiese talks about his love of hoops and names some standout and favorite players from back in the day and now At about 4:10, The two shout out grizzled veterans like Phillip Rivers and LeBron James At about 5:30, Pete highlights Ernie Barnes' work and asks Kiese about the significance of Barnes' paintings At about 8:45, Kiese shares his memories of and love for basketball and jumpstops and shot fakes-shout out, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf At about 10:40, Pete shouts out Jeff Pearlman's basketball wiles At about 11:10, Kiese lays out the exposition for his The Believer article and Pete and Kiese fanboy over Kiese's writer friends and Sactown's own, Cydni Matsuoka At about 14:00, Kiese responds to Pete's question about the “possibility” of Steph Curry At about 16:45, Toni Cade Bambara and “Gorilla, My Love” is highlighted, as Pete links Kiese's penultimate sentence to Bambara's work At about 18:20, The two discuss Kiese's mom as a “public intellectual” and Kiese lists formative reading and listening  At about 20:30, Kiese shouts out Kendrick Lamar as a link to Public Enemy's activism and consciousness, and marvels at his lasting power At about 24:20, Kiese reflects on Public Enemy's methods versus that of others like NWA or Dead Prez At about 26:25, Kiese highlights Julian Randle, Safiya Sinclair, Deesha Philyaw, and Sarah Aziza's work as some that resonates with his college students At about 28:40, Pete calls attention to Heavy's epigraph and dedication and discusses their significance  At about 30:05-30:27 At about 31:05, Kiese responds to Pete's question about so much of the book's Prologue being centered on his Grandmama At about 32:45, Kiese outlines his rationale and motivation for ultimately writing a different type of book, not the “safer” book his mom and publishers might have wanted At about 34:30, Kiese and Pete discuss the echo of his time at Millsap College being censored/edited with an op-ed piece of his At about 35:40, Kiese recounts stories associated with the book's opening scene in Las Vegas At about 38:45, Kiese reflects on his mother as his “best friend” and ideas of mortality and “initation”  At about 40:55, Kiese responds to Pete's questions about the way his family interacted in his childhood At about 45:20, Pete sets up an important opening scene involving Layla and asks Kiese about rape/sexual assault in the house of older acquaintances  At about 50:10, Kiese reflects on ideas of power and safety and sexuality  At about 53:15, Pete and Kiese discuss the juxtaposition of his mom as a public intellectual and as someone who struggled with financial and other practical pursuits At about 55:30, Kiese talks about Malachi Hunter in the book and balancing “reductive and stupid” comments he made with lessons he taught Kiese At about 57:20, Kiese and Pete trace the different ways in which Malachi and Kiese's mom and grandmother undertook “reckoning” or didn't At about 59:00, Kiese homes in on his grandmother's life and “reckon[ings}” with history and sexism and racism At about 1:01:00, Pete and Kiese discuss the ways in which Kiese's grandmother got by financially and spiritually At about 1:01:50, Kiese expands on the ways in which he viewed organized religion  At about 1:03:40, The two discuss the ways in which the book's title was manifested through his grandmother's love At about 1:04:10, Abundance! and slang that didn't catch on is discussed At about 1:04:50, Kiese reflects on a painful experience in school involving a viewing of Roots without a larger discussion  At about 1:08:55, Kiese expands upon how he saw Mississippi in his year away in Maryland At about 1:11:05, Kiese discusses an early relationship and its challenges and the conflicting ways in which he viewed his coach and teacher At about 1:14:10, Kiese regrades a high school essay-it's an “A!” At about 1:15:00, Kiese responds to Pete asking about his high school graduation boycott At about 1:16:50, The two discuss time in college and Kiese's relationship with a girl and his learning in class and outside of school-Pete highlights a wonderful paragraph on Page 141 that highlights “liberation” At about 1:18:00, Kiese shares the practical advice Malachi Hunter gave Kiese as he was threatened in college for his writing At about 1:19:25, Kiese reflects on the ways in which he viewed his writing At about 1:20:45, Kiese talks about Tate Reeves' presence at a racist frat event and the ways in which Tate knew Kiese and failed him At about 1:23:50, Kiese talks about how the book is different/aged since he published it in 2018   You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Jeff Pearlman, a recent guest, is up soon at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of formative and transformative writing for children, as Pete surveys wonderful writers on their own influences. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 317 with Dr. Timothy Wellbeck. a leader in the fight for justice and racial equity. Timothy presently serves as the founding Director of the Center for Anti-Racism at Temple University, where he has led the Center from its inception into becoming one of the leading institutions of its kind. A Civil Rights Attorney by training and practice, Timothy is a scholar of law, race, and cultural studies. We'll be talking about his standing-room only, incredibly popular Temple University classes about Kendrick Lamar and his music. The episode airs on January 13. Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.  

As a first-generation American from Saudi Arabia, Rzan Yunus '17 learned from an early age what ambition and perseverance can lead to. She credits her immigrant father's determination to build a successful career and life for his family in the U.S. as inspiration for her own strong work ethic and drive. It was that drive that led her first to a career in insurance at American International Group (AIG), and eventually all the way to Rice Business. Since pivoting from insurance into consulting, Rzan has put her Rice MBA to use as a senior director at Alvarez & Marsal, where she's helping companies solve tough problems. Rzan chats with co-host Brian Jackson '21 about how her father's pursuit of the American dream inspired her, the critical skills she picked up at AIG, why she was drawn to the Professional MBA program and how her experience at Rice has left a mark on her forever. Episode Guide:00:00 Introduction to Rzan Yunus01:00 Early Life and Family Influence05:39 Career Beginnings at AIG09:40 Pursuing an MBA at Rice18:28 Transition to Consulting23:07 Current Role and Consulting Insights35:40 Balancing Career and Personal Life39:46 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsThe Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.Episode Quotes:Finding community, support, and belonging at Rice[12:32] When you learn entrepreneurship, you learn to hustle. You learn to think like an owner, or take  accountability to be resourceful, to drive results. I really appreciated Rice's pathways with other organizations and other companies, particularly consulting. I knew I wanted to explore that eventually and knew that they recruit based on certain programs. And then my favorite thing about Rice, and when I went and visited, is the team and peer atmosphere. You know, you spend so much time at work, but you also spend so much time in this program. And the people that I met and the camaraderie and the collaboration and the fact that you rarely ever achieve anything alone in life. I really wanted to be surrounded with people that were smart and hardworking and capable and collaborative and supportive. Very similar to the support system that I think everybody needs in life to be successful.Why the MBA program was an important investment in Rzan's future.[16:17] My two years in the program, and I think I said this earlier, it really changed my life. I am becoming and am the person now that I never thought I could have been 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I mean, the program is hard. It's a top MBA program for a reason. Balancing school and your personal life is difficult. Working full-time while earning an MBA is not a casual commitment, but it's the most important step that you can take to invest in yourself. Surround yourself with people that reflect the ambition and the dedication that is contagious. Why she chose to pivot to consulting[19:11] I chose consulting because I loved the variety of work that they got to do, you know, in every year, and this was something that really attracted me to it when I was meeting with people from Alvarez & Marsal. You know, you work in different industries and different projects. One year you might be doing a transformation for a media company. The next, working on a financial services operational improvement. The following year on a manufacturing cost reduction. And I think that continuous learning really appealed to me.Show Links: TranscriptGuest Profile:Rzan Yunus | LinkedInRzan Yunus | Rice Business

President Trump says the U.S. government could subsidize any effort by American companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure. He has made no secret that a major goal of this weekend's operation was to pry open Venezuela's vast oil reserves. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Francisco Manaldi, professor and director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice University. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump says the U.S. government could subsidize any effort by American companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure. He has made no secret that a major goal of this weekend's operation was to pry open Venezuela's vast oil reserves. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Francisco Manaldi, professor and director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice University. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

When President Trump spoke about Venezuela's future on Saturday, after the U.S. military action and arrest of its president, Nicolás Maduro, he said that the country's decimated oil infrastructure will be rebuilt and start making money again. Rice University's Francisco Monaldi talks about the major challenges of rebuilding the Venezuelan oil industry and how it will require many years and tens of billions of dollars. Then, Adelys Ferro, an immigration activist in Doral, Florida, the American city with the most Venezuelans, talks about how her community is feeling after Maduro's capture. And, Texas Tech University Law School's Geoffrey Corn talks about the legal issues surrounding Maduro's capture.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After a months-long pressure campaign, the U.S. military stormed into Caracas this weekend, capturing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. We look at what this means for the future of Venezuela—with Phil Gunson, a senior analyst for the Andes region of the International Crisis Group and Luis Duno-Gottberg, a Venezuelan scholar, and the Lee Hage Jamail Professor of Latin American Studies at Rice University.

This Boxing Day and holiday season, our present to you is the science of gifts.First, we investigate the health benefits of donating blood, and find out about the predator sharing a feast of food in the Arctic.We're then joined in the studio by physicist Dr Krishma Singal from Rice University, who unravels the soft-matter physics and brilliant engineering potential of knitting.Next, we discuss the reputation of piranhas, enquire about the uniqueness of our sneezes, and break down how salting roads makes them safer in the winter. All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, with Camilla Mota and Meral Jamal Producer: Imaan Moin

From scaling women-owned businesses past the million-dollar mark to rebuilding with clarity after burnout, I'm reflecting on the real work of leadership, discernment, and sustainable growth behind She Leads Media.In this episode, I step out from behind the mic to share my own journey as CEO of She Leads Media and host of the She Leads podcast, rooted in a mission that's bigger than revenue alone. Less than two percent of women-owned businesses scale beyond seven figures, and I've dedicated my work to changing that trajectory by helping women gain access to capital, confidence, and visibility. When women succeed financially, they reinvest in their families, communities, and causes, and that ripple effect is what drives everything we do at She Leads.I open up about the non-linear realities of entrepreneurship, especially for women navigating gender, culture, and systemic barriers. I reflect on how pressure-based growth models and urgency-driven decisions caused She Leads Media to lose momentum in 2024, and how 2025 became a year of recovery, discernment, and realignment. That reset clarified that sustainable leadership is all about honoring values, resisting manipulation, and trusting your own judgment even when advice comes from impressive voices.We also explore the practical work behind scaling with intention: building sound business models, strengthening financial health, developing media strategy, and using visibility as a tool for impact. I share what I've learned teaching entrepreneurship at Rice University's Jones School of Business and NYU, and why critical thinking, not blind imitation, is essential when learning from other founders' stories.As I look ahead to 2026, I share what's coming next for She Leads Media: personalized advisory work, curated global experiences, strategic partnerships, and renewed momentum symbolized by moving into the “year of the horse.” This episode is an honest invitation to lead with clarity, courage, and confidence, and to remember that extraordinary growth starts with conscious choice. Tune in and walk forward with me.Chapters

[This recording of Deans Counsel originally published on August 22, 2025 as episode #69.]On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bernard "Bernie" Banks, Director of Rice University's Doerr Institute for New Leaders (and a Clinical Professor of Management within the University's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business). The mission of the Doerr Institute “…is to elevate the leadership capacity of Rice students and to improve the practice of leader development in higher education.”  Most recently, Bernie served on the faculty and senior leadership team at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management from 2016-2024 prior to arriving at Rice.Bernie retired from the U.S. Army in 2016 as a Brigadier General after having successfully led West Point's Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership in his final assignment. In addition to having studied leadership extensively, he has led multiple military units ranging in size from 10 to over 3000 people.  In this instructive conversation, Bernie relates to our hosts some of the experiences he's gleaned through his decades as an inspiring leader, touching on topics such as:- his objectives as Director of the Doerr Institute- how he measures effectiveness- acquainting students with the leadership mindset- creative approaches to leadership developmentLearn more about Bernie Banks.Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at feedback@deanscounsel.comThanks for listening.-Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts--DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn FerryDeansCounsel.com

PREVIEW Guests: Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. Rice University classicists McGill and Wright discuss their new translation of Virgil's Aeneid, a "Hollywood worthy" epic detailing the origins of Rome. The narrative follows Aeneas leading a band of refugees from the burning ruins of Troy westward to their destined home in Italy. Their journey is fraught with the goddess Juno's opposition, leading to a detour in Carthage and a tragic romance with Dido. The poem concludes with a fierce war in Italy, ending abruptly as Aeneas kills his rival Turnus, securing the legacy where Trojansultimately become Romans. MORE TONIGHT AUGUSTUS, OCTAVIA AND LIVIA, LISTENING TO A READING OF THE AENEID BY VIRGIL HIMSELF

Our present to you is the science of gifts. First, we investigate the health benefits of donating blood, and find out about the predator sharing a feast of food in the Arctic. We are then joined in the studio by physicist Dr Krishma Singal from Rice University, who unravels the soft-matter physics and brilliant engineering potential of knitting. Next, we discuss the reputation of piranhas, enquire about the uniqueness of our sneezes, and break down how salting roads makes them safer in the winter.

Hablamos en Estados Unidos con Francisco Monaldi de Rice University y con Francisco Rodríguez del Center for Economic and Policy Research; en Bolivia con César del Castillo, editor de "El Deber", y en Madrid con Iván Ruiz, corresponsal de "La Nación"

In this conversation, Host Michael Lerner talks with author Jeffrey Kripal about his book The Serpent's Gift--Reflections on the Study of Religion. The book is a provocative call for a complete reorientation of religious studies--a reversal of the Adam and Eve story--aimed at a larger understanding of the world, the self, and the divine. He considers Feuerbach's Gnosticism, the untapped mystical potential of comparative religion, and even the modern mythology of the X-Men. Jeffrey J. Kripal Jeff holds the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. He also co-directs the Center for Theory and Research at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Jeff is the author of numerous books, most recently How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything Else. His remarkable website jefrreyjkripal.com describes his groundbreaking 13 books and his entire oeuvre. This series of conversations explores all 13 books. Host Michael Lerner Michael is founder and board chair emeritus of Commonweal. His principal work at Commonweal is with the Cancer Help Program, CancerChoices.org, the Omega Resilience Projects, the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, and The New School at Commonweal. He was the recipient of a MacArthur Prize Fellowship for contributions to public health in 1983 and is author of Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Therapies (MIT Press). *** The New School is Commonweal's learning community and podcast — we offer conversations, workshops, and other events in areas that Commonweal champions: finding meaning, growing health and resilience, advocating for justice, and stewarding the natural world. We make our conversations into podcasts for many thousands of listeners world wide and have been doing this since 2007. Please like/follow our YouTube channel for access to our library of more than 400 great podcasts. tns.commonweal.org

President Trump has ordered a complete blockade on "all sanctioned oil vessels” in and out of Venezuela. Rice University professor Francisco J. Monaldi explains how the move, if enforced strictly, could devalue local currency, increase inflation and contribute to political instability in Venezuela.Then, a Hong Kong court convicted former media mogul and pro-democracy supporter Jimmy Lai on national security charges. He faces life in prison. Lai's daughter, Claire Lai, joins us to discuss her father's conviction.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. have been growing over the past few months. And last Wednesday, the pressure point was oil. The U.S. government seized a tanker it says was filled with illegal oil headed to the black market, in violation of sanctions.The seizure was an unprecedented move. And it represents an escalation in the standoff between the two countries. In recent months, the U.S. has struck nearly two dozen suspected drug boats in nearby waters, issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela, and increased its naval presence in the Caribbean.The U.S. has long had economic and political interests in Venezuela. And the oil industry there has been a key part of that relationship. Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin American Energy Program at the Baker Institute at Rice University, explains how the two nations got to this point.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.  Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Ava Berger and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro. It was edited by Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How should Christian faith shape work in an era of pluralism, fear, and systemic inequality? Sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund (Rice University) is presenting new insights for faith at work through data, theology, and lived experience. "People love to talk about individual ethics … but what was really hard for them to think about was, what would it mean to make our workplace better as a whole?" In this episode, Ecklund joins Mark Labberton to reflect on moving from individual morality toward systemic responsibility, dignity, and other-centred Christian witness at work. Together they discuss faith and work, the gender and race gaps created by systemic injustice, fear and power, religious diversity, rest and human limits, gender and racial marginalization, and the cost of a credible Christian witness. Episode Highlights "People love to talk about individual ethics." "What would it mean to make our workplace better as a whole?" "People are much more apt to take us seriously if we first take them seriously." "Suppression of faith in particular is not the answer." "God is God and I am not." About Elaine Howard Ecklund Elaine Howard Ecklund is professor of sociology at Rice University and director of the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance. She is a leading sociologist of religion, science, and work whose research examines how faith operates in professional and institutional life. Ecklund has led large-scale empirical studies on religion in workplaces and scientific communities, supported by the National Science Foundation, Templeton Foundation, and Lilly Endowment. She is the author or co-author of several influential books, including Working for Better, Why Science and Faith Need Each Other, and Science vs. Religion. Her work informs academic, ecclesial, and public conversations about pluralism, justice, and moral formation in modern society. Learn more and follow at https://www.elaineecklund.com and https://twitter.com/elaineecklund Helpful Links And Resources Working for Better (IVP): https://www.ivpress.com/working-for-better Why Science and Faith Need Each Other (IVP): https://www.ivpress.com/why-science-and-faith-need-each-other Elaine Howard Ecklund website: https://www.elaineecklund.com Rice University Boniuk Institute: https://boniuk.rice.edu Conversing with Mark Labberton: https://comment.org/conversing Show Notes Sociological study of religion, work, and group behavior Christian faith taken seriously at personal and academic levels Ecklund's former research focus on science as a workplace environment Expanding faith-at-work research beyond scientific communities Compartmentalized Christian faith and the fear of offending colleagues Friendship and collaboration emerging from leadership retreats Large-scale data-driven study on religion in changing workplaces Religious pluralism at work and changing workplace demographics Writing for Christian audiences shaped by empirical research From individual ethics toward systemic responsibility at work "People love to talk about individual ethics." Systemic injustice blind spots Moral shorthand focused on time sheets and office supplies Organizational leadership and culture change Difficulty imagining organizational or structural workplace change Fear of retaliation when confronting unjust systems Responsibility for workplace realities Power underestimated by those holding leadership positions Costly examples of speaking up against workplace injustice Christian fear of marginalization in pluralistic environments Suppression of religious expression as common workplace response Suppression versus accommodation: "Suppression of faith in particular is not the answer." Religious diversity as unavoidable reality of modern work Other-centered faith rooted in dignity of every person Imago Dei shaping engagement across religious difference "People are much more apt to take us seriously if we first take them seriously." Racialized religious minorities: the double marginalization of racial minorities of faith Gender inequity and underexamined workplace power dynamics Faith-based employee groups Fear masquerading as anger in cultural and religious conflict Workplaces as rare spaces for meaningful civic encounter Justice beyond activism Rest as theological foundation for justice and leadership Limits, Sabbath, and resisting productivity as ultimate value "God is God and I am not." Human limits in leadership Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary. #FaithAndWork #ElaineHowardEcklund #ChristianEthics #WorkplaceJustice #ReligiousPluralism #RestAndFaith

In this episode of 'Why Not Me, Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide,' host Tony Mantor sits down with Caroline Levander, a scholar and educator from Rice University, to discuss her new book 'Invent Ed.' They explore how historical insights can shape contemporary education, the importance of fostering creativity in students, and strategies for mitigating stress in academic environments. Carolyn shares valuable advice for students and educators alike on shifting mindsets from a fear of failure to embracing curiosity-driven learning. Tune in to learn how to transform educational practices and support mental health in academia. Meet Caroline Levander: Scholar and Educator The Importance of Historical Perspective in Education Addressing Stress and Mental Health in Education Encouraging a Growth Mindset The Role of Creativity in Modern Education Advice for Students and Parents Caroline's Personal Journey and Final Thoughts Conclusion and Final Remarks The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Health Worldwide, including discussions on mental health, autism, and related topics, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect those of the podcast, its hosts, or affiliates.Why Not Me is not a medical or mental health professional and does not endorse or verify the accuracy, efficacy, safety of any treatments, programs, or advice discussed.Listeners should consult qualified healthcare professionals, such as licensed therapists, psychologists, or physicians, before making decisions about mental health or autism- related care.Reliance on this podcast's contents is at the listener's own risk. Why Not Me is not liable for any outcomes, financial or otherwise, resulting from actions taken based on the information provided. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Caroline is Professor of English, Carlson Professor in the Humanities, and Vice President for Global Strategy at Rice University. We discuss how to foster a creativity mindset in students, interdisciplinarity, specialists vs generalists in academia, literature, fiction versus nonfiction reading, among many interesting topics. Caroline's latest book "Invent Ed: How an American Tradition of Innovation Can Transform College Today" (MIT Press) will be released on December 16, 2025. Amazon link: https://shorturl.at/9DvTM _______________________________________ If you appreciate my work and would like to support it: https://subscribestar.com/the-saad-truth https://patreon.com/GadSaad https://paypal.me/GadSaad To subscribe to my exclusive content on X, please visit my bio at https://x.com/GadSaad _______________________________________ This clip was posted on December 10, 2025 on my YouTube channel as THE SAAD TRUTH_1957: https://youtu.be/FjJX1NO-6ng _______________________________________ Please visit my website gadsaad.com, and sign up for alerts. If you appreciate my content, click on the "Support My Work" button. I count on my fans to support my efforts. You can donate via Patreon, PayPal, and/or SubscribeStar. _______________________________________ Dr. Gad Saad is a professor, evolutionary behavioral scientist, and author who pioneered the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behavior. In addition to his scientific work, Dr. Saad is a leading public intellectual who often writes and speaks about idea pathogens that are destroying logic, science, reason, and common sense.  _______________________________________  

Liam Morris '23 manages one of the most complex corners of United Airlines — airport operations quality control across more than 80 stations spanning Latin America, Central America and the Southwest U.S. In this conversation, he shares how early travel experiences opened the door to a career in aviation, the path that led him from loading bags in El Paso to overseeing global safety audits, and what it takes to lead with precision, clarity and calm under pressure.Liam also reflects on United's customer-centric transformation, the moments that shaped his commitment to the industry, and how the Rice Online MBA gave him the flexibility and confidence to grow as a leader while navigating an ever-moving, always-on operational world.Episode Guide:00:00 Introduction to Aviation and Role at United Airlines00:29 Ensuring Safety and Compliance in Airport Operations02:56 Passion for Aviation and Early Influences06:08 Managing Multiple Stations and Time Zones08:00 Why United Airlines Stands Out12:16 Best Flight Experience and Customer Insights13:54 Decision to Pursue an MBA at Rice19:58 Mutual Learning and Decision Making22:27 Leadership Growth and Student Association26:47 Career Journey and Future Goals30:02 Travel Tips and Flying Etiquette37:19 Conclusion and FarewellThe Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.Episode QuotesFrom cleaning planes to leading global operations25:34: I never, ever envisioned that I would be where I'm at now, and I can honestly say from when I was a business partner with United — cleaning aircraft and loading bags for another company, right — but working the United product, I never had a plan to get to where I was. My internship with United came up out of nowhere, and I moved to Jersey. Then, midsummer, I got a full-time offer to stay, and I transferred schools. You know, at the very last minute, I went up to Rutgers from UT El Paso. And then, you know, an opportunity came to transfer to Dallas, and there I ended up. You know, our CEO lives there. Ended up meeting him and a lot of executives all the time, and my name got out there really great. And then I came down to Houston to go to Rice as an assistant manager here in the airport. Then I finished my B.A. and went into the current role that I'm at, which is safety and regulatory. I can honestly say I never really had a plan to get where I was, but I'm thankful that I was always willing to walk through the door, because every single opportunity that I've had — both promotion and a lateral — was a great move, and it was such an instrumental, pivotal move.On being part of something bigger than yourself04:06: I wanted the ability to be in an industry where I am a part of something bigger, right? And being a part of an airline is really cool because even though, you know, my work now may not directly affect a flight leaving on time out of here, it does affect the customer experience some way. So I just wanted to be a part of a really, really big machine that gets people where they need to go.Show Links: TranscriptGuest Profile:Liam Morris | LinkedIn

We recorded a special episode of Beyond the Hedges live at Alumni Weekend where host David Mansouri got a chance to have a conversation with Rice alums and PhDs in material science and nanoengineering Alec Ajnsztajn and Jeremy Daum about their exciting new undertaking, complete with questions from the audience.Alec and Jeremy are co-founders of Coflux Purification, a company that grew out of the Rice Office of Innovation, and now does pioneering work with forever chemicals, or PFAS. They explain the major health and environmental risks posed by PFAS as well as their innovative solution that combines capture and destruction of these chemicals using covalent organic frameworks and light. Jeremy and Alec also recount their academic and professional journeys, including the collaboration and support they've received from Rice University's campus resources along the way. They close the discussion with talking about the future and the potential long-term impact of their technology, followed by a question and answer session with audience members, offering advice for other budding entrepreneurs at Rice.Let us know you're listening by filling out this form. We will be sending listeners Beyond the Hedges Swag every month.Episode Guide:00:00 Welcome and Introduction 01:26 Understanding Forever Chemicals02:24 The Health Impact of PFAS05:23 Alec's Journey: From Infrastructure to Innovation07:26 Jeremy's Path: From Rail Guns to Nanotechnology09:37 The Birth of Coflux Purification13:37 The Innovation Fellowship and Early Funding20:59 Simplifying the PFAS Treatment Process21:34 Future Promise of PFAS Technology23:55 Support from Rice University31:09 Questions from the Audience31:26 Regulatory Framework and Challenges34:29 Implementation and Cost Considerations38:09 Rapid Fire Questions41:39 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsBeyond The Hedges is a production of Rice University and is produced by University FM.Episode Quotes:Making a real impact with nanotechnology08:27: [Jeremy Daum]  A lot of this nanotechnology is fantastic at doing the best at anything it's ever done at it before. But can you make enough of it to be useful is always the question. And so my research has always been focused on, well, let's make enough of it so that someone can do something with it. So I actually then. Took that, and that's when the first project that Alec and I worked on here at Rice Together was how we can mass produce the material. That's actually now the fundamental part of our technology. So I've always been wanting to build stuff. I love making reactors. My job in the lab is I've made about five different reactors in the last two weeks. It's been fantastic. But kind of just this whole thing of how can we take this technology that I know can do so much? How can we make it big enough and fast enough that it can make it real impact in people's lives? And it just so happened that the hammer fit the nail that this stuff is really good at dealing with BFOS.The Forever in “forever” chemicals01:39: [Jeremy Daum] So PFAS, or Forever Chemicals, they are a type of microplastic, though. They are more like your Teflon stuff that you use every day, stuff that your grandparents have been using since like the forties. They're incredibly robust. They're hydrophobic. They are chemically resistant. They're great in places that you need something to just not wear away, but when you use those kind of products and you throw them out, that plastic, that Teflon doesn't go away. It goes into landfills, and then it gets into the environment. And that's what makes it so insidious, because the reason why they're called forever chemicals is because they have a half-life of about 40,000 years. So anything we made back in the forties is still going around today. Understanding the history of the problem23:09: [Alec Ajnsztajn]  I consider myself to be a polymer scientist in the forties and fifties, we spent a lot of fun time doing a lot of fun chemistry, and didn't really think through how a lot of that chemistry wound up Show Links:Lilie Lab | RiceOffice of Innovation | RiceRice AlumniAssociation of Rice Alumni | FacebookRice Alumni (@ricealumni) | X (Twitter)Association of Rice Alumni (@ricealumni) | Instagram Host Profiles:David Mansouri | LinkedInDavid Mansouri '07 | Alumni | Rice UniversityDavid Mansouri (@davemansouri) | XDavid Mansouri | TNScoreGuest Profiles:Coflux PurificationAlec Ajnsztajn | Rice ProfileAlec Ajnsztajn | LinkedIn ProfileAlec Ajnsztajn | Google Scholar PageJeremy Daum | LinkedIn ProfileJeremy Daum | Google Scholar Page

On tap this week: A break down some of the most surprising beer stories from around the globe. From Molson Coors' “Just Bring the Beer” campaign aimed at younger drinkers to the revival of Real American Beer and efforts to fulfill Hulk Hogan's original vision. We discuss new research showing more pregnant women choosing low-alcohol drinks, the top 5-star Untappd beers of 2025, and what those ratings signal about current trends. Plus, we look at an Ohio brewery making beer from recycled shower and laundry water and Rice University's attempt to boost football attendance with the promise of free beer. All this and soooo much more presented by Cask Branding. Enjoy the show, cheers!!

The Author Events Series presents The Aeneid: Translating the Classics with Emily Wilson, Scott McGill, and Susannah Wright Crafted during the reign of Augustus Caesar at the outset of the Roman Empire, Virgil's Aeneid is a tale of thrilling adventure, extreme adversity, doomed romance, fateful battles, and profound loss. Through its stirring account of human struggle, meddling gods, and conflicting destinies, the poem brings to life the triumphs and trials that led to one of the most powerful societies the world has ever known. Unlike its Homeric predecessors, which arose from a long oral tradition, the Aeneid was composed by a singular poetic genius, and it has ever since been celebrated as one of the greatest literary achievements of antiquity. This exciting new edition of the Aeneid, the first collaborative translation of the poem in English, is rendered in unrhymed iambic pentameter, the English meter that corresponds best, in its history and cultural standing, to Virgil's dactylic hexameter. Scott McGill and Susannah Wright achieve an ideal middle ground between readability and elevation, engaging modern readers with fresh, contemporary language in a heart-pounding, propulsive rhythm, while also preserving the epic dignity of the original. The result is a brisk, eminently approachable translation that captures Virgil's sensitive balance between celebrating the Roman Empire and dramatizing its human costs, for victors and vanquished alike. This Aeneid is a poem in English every bit as complex, inviting, and affecting as the Latin original. With a rich and informative introduction from Emily Wilson, maps drawn especially for this volume, a pronunciation glossary, genealogies, extensive notes, and helpful summaries of each book, this gorgeous edition of Rome's founding poem will capture the imaginations and stir the souls of a new generation of readers. Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance and early modern studies, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca. She lives in Philadelphia. Scott McGill is Deedee McMurtry Professor in Humanities at Rice University. He lives in Houston, Texas. Susannah Wright is an assistant professor of classical studies and Roman history at Rice University. She lives in Houston, Texas. Because you love Author Events, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians. Books will be available for purchase at the library on event night! All tickets are non-refundable. (recorded 10/14/2025)

Bernie Banks is a professor and institute leader at Rice University and co-author of "The New Science of Momentum: How the Best Coaches and Leaders Build a Fire from a Single Spark." As a Brigadier General, he led West Point's Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership in his final military assignment. In this episode, Bernie decodes how fleeting moments morph into sustained momentum. Drawing on eight years of research, over 250 interviews and thousands of survey responses across sports, business, politics and the military, Bernie shares a tried-and-true model leaders can use to spark movement, sustain it, and redirect it when needed. Momentum doesn't happen by accident—it's built through small wins, clear culture, situation-readiness, and intentional follow-through. Whether you're leading a team, an organization, or your own career, listen in for practical tools to recognize the early spark, harness the energy, and turn it into a flame that drives real progress. You can find episode 488 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Bernie Banks on From Fleeting Moments to Sustained Momentum https://bit.ly/TLP-488 Key Takeaways [03:27] Bernie explains the book originated from the 2017 Super Bowl when the Patriots came back from 28-3 to win against the Falcons. [06:39] Bernie explains momentum is overlooked because people view it as common sense rather than a vital leadership skill. [08:23] Bernie outlines the momentum model starts with leadership setting culture, then moving into preparation where leaders actively seek to generate momentum. [11:29] Bernie uses Nvidia as an example, explaining they made strategic decisions long ago to prepare for the AI revolution. [14:05] Bernie emphasizes "culture is not what you talk about, it's what you tolerate, it's what you reinforce." [15:35] Bernie shares Alan Mulally telling a disruptive Ford executive they needed a transition conversation because those behaviors wouldn't be tolerated. [19:23] Bernie quotes Warren Buffett on hiring: look for smart, driven, and principled people, never hiring someone high on the first two without the third. [21:57] Bernie explains hiring depends on whether you need to maintain or innovate. [25:05] Bernie advises being open and honest with people about gaps they'll have to address for the new reality. [27:39] Bernie explains momentum requires both managers who optimize systems and leaders who produce change. [30:36] Bernie notes the most effective leaders were high on both people and results orientation. [33:17] Bernie discusses the Pygmalion study, stating people rise to the level of expectations when leaders show vested interest in their well being. [34:51] Bernie explains he replaced "failure" with "embrace challenge" because failure has negative connotation and finality. [37:23] Bernie emphasizes intentionality matters, explaining legacy means our story will be told by others, not ourselves. [41:44] Bernie closes stating "momentum is leader business" and the book is designed as a how-to guide with immediate actions. [44:30] And remember…"The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum." - Frances E. Willard Quotable Quotes "Culture is not what you talk about. It's what you tolerate. It's what you reinforce." "Results are one thing, but the how matters." "Momentum is not something they stumbled upon. It was something they actively sought to generate." "People will rise to the level of your expectations so long as they believe you have a vested interest in fostering their well being and that you're equipping them to meet those expectations." "In the best organizations, accountability is the word, and in many organizations, accountability is a bad word." "Challenges can lead to opportunities, and we can always learn things along the way as we push through challenges." "Legacy comes from the Latin word legatus, which means people, person, delegated, which means our story will not be told by self." "Be intentional. The great leaders are." "Momentum is a leader business. " "A core obligation of every leader is to put their people in a position to win." "You don't put people in a position to win by watering down expectations." "Wherever there's a challenge, there's an opportunity." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Bernie Banks Facebook | www.facebook.com/bernard.banks.9 Bernie Banks LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-bernie-b-4458003

Join host Michael Taft as he talks with Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Anya Foxen about the wild history of Kundalini—from it's ancient Tantric roots to modern global yoga culture—including subtle-body maps, spontaneous awakenings, and so-called “Kundalini syndromes.” They explore how different traditions define the serpent power, when experiences become breakdowns or breakthroughs, the role of teachers and lineages, and why “energy” can't be reduced to either neuroscience or fantasy. Along the way they dive into siddhis, the imaginal realm, goddess-centered practice, and what actually changes in your life and psyche when this mysterious force wakes up.Sravana Borkataky-Varma specializes in Hindu traditions, in particular, she delves into topics such as esoteric rituals and bodily concepts, especially in relation to Hindu śākta tantra traditions, often referred to as goddess tantra. She adopts a research methodology that blends social anthropology—examined from an outside perspective—with elements of reflexive autoethnography that reflect her personal experiences. As an educator, she holds the position of Instructional Assistant Professor at the University of Houston. She has formerly taught at Harvard Divinity School, Rice University, to name a few. Sravana is committed to building communities that bring together individuals from various religious backgrounds who aspire to lead lives marked by kindness and compassion. The Serpent's Tale: Kuṇḍalinī, Yoga, and the History of an Experience, Embodied Pedagogies in the Study of Religion: Transforming the Classroom, are two of her recent books, among many other books and articles. More information about Sravana can be found on her website, https://sravanaspeaks.com/Anya Foxen is a historian and comparativist scholar of religion. She is currently an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, as well as a Research Associate at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University. Her scholarly research focuses on the intersection of South Asian yogic and tantric traditions with Western esotericism and metaphysical spiritualities. She is the author of four books, including Inhaling Spirit: Harmonialism, Orientalism, and the Western Roots of Modern Yoga, and, most recently, The Serpent's Tale: Kuṇḍalinī, Yoga, and the History of an Experience. She is also a teacher and long-time practitioner of yoga. Learn more about Anya at https://www.anyafoxen.com/You can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We would like to thank our advertisers for our podcast: This episode is brought to you by Gold Co! Get up to $10,000 in FREE silver when you go to https://DineshGold.com. Don’t wait - The time to invest in gold and silver is now! In this episode, Dinesh examines how the Afghan man who shot two national guardsmen in Washington DC became radicalized. Professor James Tour of Rice University joins Dinesh to talk about the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We visit Basel Dalloul at the Dalloul Artist Collective to discuss the genesis of the Dalloul Art Foundation and the mission of the new artist collective. A technologist and lawyer by training, Basel shares his family's journey into collecting art and the vision his father had for a Pan-Arab art collection in Beirut. They discuss how Arabism failed politically, but that culturally, the art from the region shows a great deal of sync and kinship, with artists empathizing with their Arab brethren. Central to the discussion is the role of art as an archive of history. Basel highlights the importance of Arab art as a reference site and how connecting artists from Morocco to Iraq reveals common themes that some may find inconvenient to tell. The conversation then shifts to the need to decolonize the art world, critiquing the tendency to celebrate Western art and seek validation from Western curators. Basel challenges the routine belief that Arab artists or art professionals are "not competent or good enough". He also addresses the broken global gallery system, which often dictates terms to artists and unfairly takes up to 50% of an artist's take. The mission of the Dalloul Artist Collective is to shift focus from the art to the artist, acting as an artist management agency to empower and educate the artist community. 0:00 Introduction2:12 The Vision for the Dalloul Art Foundation: Pan-Arab Art3:36 Relationship to Art Growing Up5:55 Shifting from Western to Arab Art Collecting8:45 Failure Is Not An Option10:47 Authenticating Art and The Lack of a Reference Site for Arab Art12:53 Organizing the Single Largest Private Collection of Modern Contemporary Arab Art15:05 The Kinship of Arab Culture17:57 Artists as Archivists of History19:46 Beirut: A De Facto Cultural Hub With No Taboos22:54 Critiquing the Celebration of Western Art Over Arab Art25:57 Dalloul Artist Collective: Focusing on The Artist27:18 The Broken Global Gallery System32:11 The State of Art Collecting in The Arab World35:56 Artists Basel Dalloul Adores38:02 The Need to Educate the Arab Youth on Arab Artists38:48 The Story Behind Ayman Baalbaki's Moulatham41:26 Empowering Artists with Transparency and Business Savvy Basel Dalloul Founded the Dalloul Art Foundation in 2017 to manage and promote his father's (Dr. Ramzi Dalloul) vast collection of modern and contemporary Arab art. At around 4000 pieces it is the largest collection of its kind in private hands. The collection includes but is not limited to paintings, photography, sculpture, video and mixed media art. Basel has had a passion for art since he was very young, inspired by both his mother and father, whom are also passionate about art in all its forms. Basel also founded NOOR Group in 2000 in response to the Egyptian government's announced goal of becoming the hub of the information technology (IT) industry in the Middle East. As Chairman and CEO, he has set the overall direction of NOOR, bringing the first region-wide, full-service IT development program to the area. He holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from American University and a Juris Doctor and MBA from Georgetown University, both in Washington, DC. Basel also studied electrical engineering and computer science at Rice University in Houston, TX, and undertook comparative studies of American and British common law and procedural law at Oxford University in England. He co-taught a course in entertainment law and the Internet at Georgetown University Law Center and is a frequent speaker and seminar leader at IT conferences worldwide. Connect with Bassel Dalloul

Maynooth University has joined an international space science mission with the successful launch of Mauve, a small ultraviolet telescope developed by UK-based company Blue Skies Space. The satellite, which was launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter-15 on November 28th 2025 at 18:18 GMT, marks the beginning of a three-year mission to study how stars behave and how their activity influences the habitability of distant exoplanets. With funding from Research Ireland, Maynooth University became a member of the Mauve Science Programme in August 2025. A research team from the Department of Physics, led by Dr Emma Whelan, will use Mauve to investigate how stars and planets form, focusing on a class of young stars known as Herbig Ae/Be stars. Herbig Ae/Be stars are in a critical stage of development before they begin hydrogen fusion and become main sequence stars, like our Sun. Dr Whelan's team will study their brightness over long periods to identify variability and search for signs of early planet formation. "I am very excited to be embarking on this adventure with Mauve and eagerly anticipate the research opportunities it will bring," Dr Whelan said. "Until now, my work has primarily relied on ground-based eight-metre-class telescopes, so Mauve represents an exciting new direction for me. Its monitoring capabilities will provide a fresh window on star formation and offer valuable new insights." The group plans to build light curves for a large sample of these stars, tracking how their brightness changes daily for up to three months. Comparing this data to observations of less massive stars may provide key insights into whether larger young stars form and develop planets in the same way as Sun-like stars. The importance of the Mauve Space Programme is not only in its scientific goals but also in how it represents a new, faster, and more collaborative approach to doing space science. Designed and built in under three years, Mauve is a small, suitcase-sized satellite, weighing around 18kg, and equipped with a 13 cm telescope that observes in ultraviolet and visible light (200-700 nm). Its compact design and commercial access model allow research institutions worldwide to subscribe to the science programme, gaining direct access to space-based data without relying on highly competitive national telescope allocations. Research institutions worldwide have already secured subscriptions to access data collected by Mauve. These include Boston University, Columbia University, INAF's Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Konkoly Observatory, Kyoto University,National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Maynooth University, Rice University, Vanderbilt University, and Western University. Speaking about the launch, Professor Giovanna Tinetti, Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Blue Skies Space said: "Mauve will open a new window on stellar activity that has previously been largely hidden from view. By observing stars in ultraviolet light, wavelengths that can't be studied from Earth, we'll gain a much deeper understanding of how stars behave and how their flares may impact the environment of orbiting exoplanets. Traditional ground-based telescopes just can't capture this information, so a satellite like Mauve is crucial for furthering our knowledge." "Our vision is to make space science data as accessible as possible," said Dr Marcell Tessenyi, CEO and Co-founder of Blue Skies Space. "Mauve will undergo commissioning before delivering datasets to scientists in early 2026 and serve as a springboard to launch a fleet of satellites addressing the global demand for space science data." You can learn more about Dr Emma Whelan's MAUVE involvement here. See more stories here.

As the youngest founder in her Rice MBA cohort, Allison Knight '10 knows a thing or two about blazing a trail. At just 24 years old, she co-founded Rebellion Photonics, which used cutting-edge technology to identify and quantify gas leaks on oil rigs, preventing catastrophic explosions. Knight went on to sell Rebellion Photonics to Honeywell in 2019, and is now codifying blue collar genius through Alaris AI. In this episode, Knight joins host Brian Jackson '21 to discuss how Rebellion Photonics used early AI technology to improve hyperspectral imaging and revolutionize gas leak detection. She also opens up about her experience as a young woman founder in a predominantly male industry, her role as an adjunct professor at Rice Business and why she believes blue collar work is the next frontier for AI exploration. Episode Guide:00:00 Introduction to Allison Knight01:09 Founding Rebellion Photonics02:25 Challenges and Innovations in Gas Leak Detection03:48 The Role of AI in Rebellion Photonics04:26 Reflections on Being a Young Founder12:44 Lessons From Startup Life16:25 Introducing Alaris AI: AI for Blue Collar Workers23:35 Teaching AI at Rice Business27:52 The Future of AI in the Workforce32:44 Final Thoughts and ReflectionsThe Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.Episode Quotes:On being a young entrepreneur12:17: I was 24. I was the youngest student in the Rice MBA program, and I had gotten a prestigious, semi-prestigious investment banking job that I had accepted. And then I did the thing you're not supposed to do under any circumstances, which is renege on a job. They do not like that. But I am a physicist more than I am an MBA. Science and tech still make me the happiest. So, I ended up, even at Rice, just hanging out with Rice techies, like other applied physicists. Yeah. And it was just too tempting. I knew I should do the investment banking job, but I just could not do it. I had to go for this crazy methane emissions monitoring company. And I loved it.Allison's first AI moment08:31: I think everyone will experience this, and I just happen to experience this 15, 16 years ago. It is your, like, AI moment—that first time where you run some code with AI. We had been trying to do real-time video detecting and imaging gas leaks in real time and kind of making do with it, and they were ugly. But then we brought in AI and started doing very, very, very, very basic machine learning, and it was just like magic, Brian. It was magic.On AI's next frontier17:20: Pretty much across the board, AI really sucks for blue-collar work. With white-collar work, we can just boop, boop, boop—take the generic ChatGPT, and it works beautifully. And that's because we, white-collar workers, have been typing for a long time. We've got all their documents in different folders, new ones, and so it's all been trained on that for the most part. So it's really trained on white-collar documentation and meant for it. Blue-collar documentation—basically, manuals and SOPs—has inherently always been stinky. But more importantly, none of the documentation has been done on what's in their head, what's in the foreman's head, the supervisor's head, or the individual's head. And so, when you don't have that data documented, structured, codified, the AI will be useless.Show Links: Alaris AITranscriptGuest Profile:Allison Knight | Rice BusinessLinkedIn Profile

Mars is inhospitable to human life with its cosmic radiation, atmosphere of carbon dioxide and nights as cold as 200 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. But as Space X founder Elon Musk pledges to colonize Mars, and as NASA renews its push for interplanetary travel, a husband and wife duo has explored whether people really can live in space. What would it require to have babies on another planet? To grow food? To prevent conflicts in space from sparking geopolitical chaos on Earth? We'll talk about it all with Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, co-authors of “A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?” Guests: Kelly Weinersmith, scientist, author, and adjunct faculty member in the BioSciences Department, Rice University - she co-wrote the New York Times bestselling book "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" and co-hosts the podcast Daniel and Kelly's Extraordinary Universe Zach Weinersmith, cartoonist of the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, he also writes popular science books with his wife, Kelly, including "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a few years, America may not need to buy critical minerals from China anymore, says synthetic chemist and nanotechnologist James Tour.Why? Because of a method called flash Joule heating that he and his team have been studying at Rice University.China currently has a near-monopoly on global processing capacity for critical minerals, including rare earths. These are essential to much of our modern economy, from electronics to defense to medical devices.The United States has access to plenty of rare-earth reserves, but minimal capacity to process and refine them. Rebuilding these incredibly complex supply chains independent of China is a major uphill battle.But Tour and his team have pioneered a process that allows for the quick extraction of rare earths from something we have in abundance: electronic and industrial waste.“We realized that we could take certain materials, say industrial waste like fly ash … flash it, and get rare-earth elements to come out,” Tour says.The same method can be used to extract rare earths from mine tailings—the leftover, toxic material from old mines that were once too expensive to process.“So there's huge availability of this. And if you recycle it—metals are infinitely recyclable,” Tour says.Tour is a professor of chemistry, materials science, and nanoengineering at Rice University. You can find him on X and other platforms: @drjamestourViews expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

“Should you teach kids to hate rival teams?” That's the fiery question that kicks off this episode of The Ben and Skin Show, and trust us—it only gets wilder from there. Ben Rogers, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina Ray dive headfirst into the ultimate Cowboys vs. Eagles rivalry, sharing hilarious takes on Philly teachers turning elementary school kids into mini-boxing champs by punching posters of Dallas stars like CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott.From there, the crew pivots to the Mavericks' season and the looming question: Is it time to tank? Ben breaks down why this might be the only year Dallas can cash in on a draft pick, And KT tackles the talk of the town: North Texas Mean Green's shocking playoff push—and Rice University's wild plan to offer students free beer to fuel an upset.

Karly is back from the CMA Awards! Joey bought milk but then left it in the trunk of his car. He checked the temperature with a meat thermometer but then dumped it out. Nancy says that Joey and Karly are napping wrong. Joey says he can't nap, and Karly sleeps for hours when she naps. According to a study, people should take short naps for no longer than 30 minutes. Hot Tea: Two new Frozen movies are coming, and the actors are being paid $60 million each. Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes seem to have broken up again based on some cryptic posts on Chase’s Instagram. Rice University is offering free food, drinks, and beer to people that will come to their last football game of the season. Nancy thinks that her dog, Brisket, is jealous of her new baby grandson. He was not happy that the baby was getting all the attention yesterday, and he retaliated by using the bathroom all in the floor. Our boss hit a deer on the way home from the CMA Awards. It shattered the windshield and ripped the driver's side mirror off. Thankfully, he and his wife are okay. There have been so many deer related accidents lately. Joey revealed that he once hit a deer while driving his brother’s car. Lucky 7 Joey is going home to Iowa for Thanksgiving, and there is already some drama happening. His parents are divorced, and they both want to have Thanksgiving at noon. He can’t be in two places at once, so he isn’t sure what to do. Nancy wants to call his mom and talk to her about it on Joey’s behalf. Big Orange Breakdown for the Florida game with Brian Rice See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tune in to hear Head of School, Dr. Mark Carleton, chat with Courtney Daniell-Knapp, Director of Fine Arts, about her passion for the arts, this year's 8th grade musical, and what she hopes to continue nurturing in the PS fine arts program. This episode is now live and available for download on our People of PS Podcast. For over 20 years at Presbyterian School, Courtney Daniell-Knapp has enjoyed teaching music at every division. As the Director of Fine Arts, she invests her time in deepening meaningful instruction and programming for students 3 to 14 years old and cultivates partnerships in the surrounding museums and theater districts that allow for the unique fine arts experience at PS. Courtney enjoys curating her fine arts department with diverse practicing artists and professionals who excel in their trade, whether it is in performing art, visual art or digital art. A life-long learner herself, Courtney always knew she would be a teacher. Courtney received her Bachelor of Arts in French from Vanderbilt University, her Master of Music from Rice University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from University of Houston. Courtney has conducted choirs of all ages at Palmer Memorial Episocpal Church and University of St. Thomas. She is mother to grown sons Emerson (PS ‘15) and Theodore (PS ‘ 17), and Kirby, the devoted dog. When not at school or at church, she loves to start needlepoint projects, finish non-fiction books, walk in the woods, and try new recipes.

How does something as simple as a five-star rating system reveal subtle biases?When she's not teaching MBA and undergraduate students at Rice Business, Professor Sora Jun studies the hidden forces that shape how we see and treat one another. Her work explores how our minds process inequality and how even small design choices, like switching from stars to thumbs-up icons, can make systems fairer. Host Brian Jackson '21 sits down with Sora to discuss her research on the hidden bias of gig worker ratings, what she loves most about teaching at Rice, the findings of her latest paper and how her background has shaped her work. Episode Guide:00:00 Introduction to Sora Jun, Ph.D.00:58 Journey From Finance To Organizational Behavior02:20 Impact of Diverse Upbringing on Research05:05 Teaching Experience and Philosophy08:52 Research on Bias and Inequality17:50 Framing Inequality: Advantage vs. Disadvantage24:34 Exploring Anti-Asian Discrimination29:17 Future Research Directions30:56 Teaching Across Different Programs32:20 Final Thoughts and TakeawaysThe Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.Episode Quotes:How embracing insecurity helped Dr. Sora on her research23:32: It actually took me a while to really feel like I had enough legitimacy in standing and studying this in some ways, because I felt like I did not really have the real, like, Asian American experience, given that I have been in so many different circles and I'm hearing so many different stories about what it means to be Asian for different people. But I think really embracing that insecurity almost was useful because I think it just made me dig in deeper and realize that might be part of that Asian experience—feeling like there are so many different kinds of Asian experiences. I'm sure this is similar for other groups as well, but I think I've just become more appreciative of just asking people, like, what's this been like for you? I started to do more qualitative-oriented work because of this, and I think that is helping me sort of reaffirm my own, I guess, standing and studying this topic.Why the way we talk about inequality matters14:52 [Brian Jackson]: Why does framing matter so much when talking about pay gaps or wealth disparities?16:08 [Sora Jun]: So, framing of inequality matters because even though what is being talked about is logically equivalent for an advantage or disadvantage frame, people understand it to be very different. And then they focus on different, I guess, objects.On balancing the fairness of the gains of a binary system with the loss of nuance13:36 [Sora Jun]: I think that's a really tricky part. I do think it is a challenge if we were to imagine changing all these numerical rating scales to dichotomy scales. We would lose a lot of the fine-grained information. So it probably depends a lot on the context. I think from our study, what we were finding was that the ratings using a five-point scale were already quite inflated, so there was not actually a ton of fine-grained information to be had from even the five-point scale information.Show Links: TranscriptGuest Profile:Sora Jun | Rice Business

How do schools prepare for the changing landscape of both education and business with the pace of advancements in technology and specifically in artificial intelligence (AI)? What lessons were learned from the rapid shift to digital that happened during the pandemic and how can that knowledge improve the way higher education works today?Shawn Miller is the Associate Provost for Digital Learning and Strategy at Rice University. Shawn serves as the key steward of Rice's digital strategy where he leverages best practices already in place across the University and also introduces new approaches and collaborations to be scaled.Shawn and host David Mansouri discuss the transformative impact of digital learning and AI on higher education. Shawn shares his career journey, from his time at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and Duke University, through to his current role at Rice. Their conversation explores Rice's vision for digital education, the integration of AI tools in learning, and the future of teaching and learning at Rice. Shawn also highlights the challenges and ethical concerns related to AI, including the aspects of AI in education that he is more interested in than using it to just continue the way things were taught before. Shawn also lays out his view of some essential skills students need to thrive in an AI-powered world.Let us know you're listening by filling out this form. We will be sending listeners Beyond the Hedges Swag every month.Episode Guide:01:01 Shawn Miller's introduction and background06:16 The Vision for Digital Learning at Rice14:23 Impact of COVID-19 on Digital Learning19:30 Integrating AI into Education at Rice23:47 Promising AI Applications in Teaching26:19 AI's Role in Learning and Analytics28:55 Challenges and Ethical Concerns of AI33:14 Skills for an AI-Powered World35:52 Future of Teaching and Learning at Rice38:51 Rapid Fire QuestionsBeyond The Hedges is a production of Rice University and is produced by University FM.Episode Quotes:Rethinking education in the age of AI27:39: What's really most frustrating to me about the first wave of AI education tools that we got thrown at us, right, as institutions—and I'm talking even about startups—they're mostly founded on the idea that whatever we are doing now in classes and in teaching is somehow the right way to do it, right? So, it's like, how can you speed up creating better multiple-choice tests, right? Or how could you grade all these papers that you've got to grade, right? Well, maybe the outcome for that class isn't that you should write a paper in the first place, right? But now is our chance to ask that. And I know this is frustrating for faculty…[28:61] But it's a good opportunity for us to, but then it's been frustrating to have all these edtech ventures come out where it's like, “But AI could make all the things better!” And it's like, yeah, but you're talking about making traditional education faster, cheaper, more productive. You're not talking about helping people learn better.What's a better question for AI in education11:16: Maybe the answer for AI is not what can you have the AI do that you used to do, as much as what can I do even more of or even better. And I think that's a good mindset for us to be in, in education.The pandemic digital experience15:34: I think you have two things that people tend to say about the pandemic digital learning experience. One is that it was horrible, and they'd never want to do it again. Then, for those who knew about online learning or had done it before the pandemic, they'll say, “Well, that's because no one did it right,” quote unquote. And I think we can honor both of those viewpoints. But I'd also say that we learned a few things, right? One thing is most faculty learned how to use the LMS and Zoom. And if you think back pre-COVID, how many people could launch a webinar or call a virtual meeting, right? And how many staff did it take to set up a global web conference? It was incredibly expensive. It took a lot of time. You had to schedule it, and now people just trigger these things, right? I think the second thing we learned is that hybrid work can definitely work. And I've gone on record a few times saying that the future of work maybe parallels the future of hybrid and online learning.Show Links:Rice Digital Learning and StrategyRice AlumniAssociation of Rice Alumni | FacebookRice Alumni (@ricealumni) | X (Twitter)Association of Rice Alumni (@ricealumni) | Instagram Host Profiles:David Mansouri | LinkedInDavid Mansouri '07 | Alumni | Rice UniversityDavid Mansouri (@davemansouri) | XDavid Mansouri | TNScoreGuest Profiles:Shawn Miller | Faculty ProfileShawn Miller | LinkedIn ProfileShawn Miller | Social Profile on X

Annelle Sheline is a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. She previously served as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor's Office of Near Eastern Affairs (DRL/NEA), before resigning in March 2024 to protest the Biden administration's unconditional support for Israeli military operations in Gaza. She is a senior non-resident fellow at the Arab Center of Washington DC and a non-resident fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. She holds a PhD in political science from George Washington University. She has written for Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The Nation, Foreign Policy, and The New Republic, and has appeared on the BBC, CNN, CBS, and Al Jazeera

On this episode of The Jon Gordon Podcast, I sit down with Bernard Banks—director of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University and co-author of The New Science of Momentum—for a powerful conversation about leadership that endures. Bernard draws on his experiences teaching at West Point, leading at Northwestern's Kellogg School, and developing future leaders at Rice to share what makes great leadership: character, competence, intentionality, and accountability. We discuss the importance of trust, positive influence, and the ability to balance results with empathy to achieve sustainable success. Bernard also offers key insights from his new book about how leaders turn moments into momentum, breaking down practical strategies backed by research and lived experience. Whether you're leading a team or just starting out, this episode is a reminder that leadership is about influence and impact, not just authority. Tune in for actionable inspiration to grow as a leader and make a lasting difference.   About Bernard, Dr. Bernard (Bernie) Banks is a renowned expert in leadership and organizational change, with global experience leading and developing teams across diverse sectors. He currently serves as Director of Rice University's Doerr Institute for New Leaders and Professor in the Practice of Leadership at the Jones Graduate School of Business. A retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, Dr. Banks led West Point's Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership before transitioning to academia, where he also served on the senior leadership team at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He holds degrees from West Point, Northwestern, Columbia, Harvard, and a Ph.D. in social-organizational psychology from Columbia. His work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Military Psychology, and The New York Times, and his latest book, The New Science of Momentum (HarperCollins, 2025), explores how great leaders and coaches build lasting impact.   Here's a few additional resources for you… Follow me on Instagram: @JonGordon11 Order my new book 'The 7 Commitments of a Great Team' today! Every week, I send out a free Positive Tip newsletter via email. It's advice for your life, work and team. You can sign up now here and catch up on past newsletters. Ready to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose? The Certified Positive Leader Program is for anyone who wants to grow as a leader from the inside out. It's a self-paced experience built around my most impactful leadership principles with tools you can apply right away to improve your mindset, relationships, and results. You'll discover what it really means to lead with positivity… and how to do it every day. Learn more here! Join me for my Day of Development! You'll learn proven strategies to develop confidence, improve your leadership and build a connected and committed team. You'll leave with an action plan to supercharge your growth and results. It's time to Create your Positive Advantage. Get details and sign up here. Do you feel called to do more? Would you like to impact more people as a leader, writer, speaker, coach and trainer? Get Jon Gordon Certified if you want to be mentored by me and my team to teach my proven frameworks principles, and programs for businesses, sports, education, healthcare!

Gender by the Book: 21st-Century French Children's Literature (Routledge, 2025) investigates the gender representations that French children's literature transmits to readers today. Using an interdisciplinary, mixed methods approach, this book grounds its literary analysis in a sociohistorical examination of three key institutions – libraries, book clubs, and subscription magazines – that circulate reading material to children. It shows how French policies, cultural beliefs, and market forces influence the content of children's literature, including tensions between State support for unprofitable artistic endeavors and a belief in children's right to high-quality products on the one hand, and suspicion of activism as anathema to creativity and fear of losing boy readers on the other. In addition, the notion of universalism, which asserts that equality is best achieved when society is blind to differences, thwarts a diverse and equitable array of literary representations. Nevertheless, conditions are favorable for 21st-century French children's publishers to offer a robust body of richly entertaining egalitarian literature for children. Guest Julie Fette, author of Gender by the Book: 21st-Century French Children's Literature published in October 2024 by Routledge. Dr. Fette is Associate Professor of French Studies at Rice University where she is also Rice Faculty Scholar at the Center for the Middle East, Baker Institute and a Faculty Affiliate with the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. She is also the author of Exclusions: Practicing Prejudice in French Law and Medicine, 1920-1945 from Cornell University Press in 2012 and the co-author of the textbook Les Français from Hackett in 2021, as well as numerous articles and book chapters on subjects from gender and professional life in France to teaching French studies in the classroom and online.  Host Gina Stamm is Associate Professor of French at The University of Alabama. Their research is concentrated on the environmental humanities and speculative literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Surrealism to contemporary science fiction and feminist utopias, in Metropolitan France and the francophone Caribbean.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

After leading Rice University in tackles in 2023, Plae Wyatt entered the 2024 season ready to build on that success. But when an early injury cut his season short, Plae found a new way to lead — through mentorship, service, and community impact. In this episode, we dive into how the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member turned adversity into action, launching the Plae Wyatt Free Youth Football Camp and dedicating his time to mentoring at-risk youth in the Houston area. Plae shares what drives him to serve, how his father's legacy with the McKinney Yellow Jackets shaped his purpose, and why leadership goes far beyond the football field.

President Trump is defending the demolition of the White House's East Wing. Months ago, he said the construction "won't interfere with the current building." We're Keeping Them Honest. Plus, presidential historian and Rice University history professor Douglas Brinkley gives his take on the extensive project to build a ballroom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices