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Eye on People
THE MAGAZINE OF THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AT RICE UNIVERSITY
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The School of Social Sciences at Rice welcomes continued growth
Project Gateway provides students with tools for the real world Rice social scientists establish new ties to Houston Innovative projects are underway among Social Sciences faculty members
Dear Friends of the Social Sciences:
This completes my third year as Dean of the School of Social Sciences. It has been an exciting time for the School. While we remain the smallest school at Rice teaching the largest number of students, we have grown. Over the past three years, eighteen new faculty have joined our five departments – Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Next year, we will welcome three more faculty members. While the School continues to grow in faculty size, it is also growing in other ways which enhance the excellence of Rice Social Sciences. This bulletin outlines some of these new initiatives. Through a generous grant from the Houston Endowment, the Sociology Department will inaugurate a new Ph.D. program which will begin admitting students in Fall 2011. This program will focus on urban sociology and the city of Houston as a laboratory for research. The Houston Area Survey, a study which for twenty-seven years has charted the public attitudes of Houstonians, is enlarging as the Urban Research Center of Houston. This new Center will provide an expanded understanding of Houston’s growth and how Houstonians view their city. We are also pleased to announce the creation of the Harlan Program for the Study of State Campaigns and Elections which will provide curriculum, an archive, and outreach for the study of state government and elections. Our undergraduate Gateway Program is in its second year with avid student participation. We hope this program will eventually involve every social science major at Rice in a project that gets students out of the classroom and into the real world—through independent research projects, internships, and international experiences. This Social Sciences bulletin also focuses on several innovative projects that are underway among our faculty— these include programs on Africa and African America, European parliaments, classroom learning, and the tradeoffs between energy security and climate change. While we have space in this magazine for only a few of the many projects our Social Sciences faculty are undertaking, there are many other exciting research endeavors they are conducting. We invite you to experience the insights, innovations, and expertise that make up the School of Social Sciences at Rice University.
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THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AT RICE UNIVERSITY
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New Ph.D. Programin Sociology
Urban Research Center of Houston
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Harlan Program in State Politics
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INNOVATIONS
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Gateway to the Real World
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Ties Between Africa and AfricanAmerican Cultural Heritage
Multi-Racial Family Experiences inNeighborhoods
Close Up is produced by the School of Social Sciences at Rice University Correspondence School of Social Sciences, MS-27 Rice University PO Box 1892 Houston, Texas 77251-1892 http://socialsciences.rice.edu Editor
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Democracy, Representation, Enhancing Student Learning and European in the Classroom Parliaments
The Dilemma of Energy Security and Climate Change
Lisa Birenbaum Contributors Lisa Birenbaum Franz Brotzen Lyn Ragsdale Abbey Shaunessy Heather Willrich Stern Photography Ipek Martinez Design and Art Direction
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INDIVIDUALS
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Lyn Ragsdale Dean
Awards, New Endowed Chairs
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Journals, New Faculty, Retirees
Sulewski Design
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New Ph.D.Program in Sociology
Population change, economic growth, and social problems are at the heart of life in the world’s urban centers.
ow does racial and ethnic diversity shape a city and its schools, churches, and settings and fail in others. vitality are also faced by other Rice’s Sociology Department will urban centers around the world.” be at the forefront of these discussions as the result of a $6.4 million grant from the Houston Endowment that will establish the first Ph.D. program in sociology in Houston. The new This is a major step for the Rice Sociology Department which has long been known as one of the best undergraduate departments on campus. The Department has nationally-known experts on race and ethnicity, health and environmentalism, religion, demography, and elites who will now bring that expertise to the Ph.D. program. Using Houston as an graduate program will feature an innovative focus on Houston in the context of a broader exploration of major urban settings. In announcing the Houston Endowment gift, Rice President David Leebron commented that “The widespread challenges and opportunities that come with Houston’s growth and economic
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RICE’S SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT WILL BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AS THE RESULT OF A $6.4 MILLION GRANT FROM THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT THAT WILL ESTABLISH THE FIRST PH.D. PROGRAM IN SOCIOLOGY IN HOUSTON. THE NEW GRADUATE PROGRAM WILL FEATURE AN INNOVATIVE FOCUS ON HOUSTON IN THE CONTEXT OF A BROADER EXPLORATION OF MAJOR URBAN SETTINGS.
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government offices? Do city leaders address 21st Century problems head on or do they leave the problems for future generations? How does a city’s commitment to the environment, or the lack thereof, affect the health of its citizens, regardless of their wealth or neighborhood? These questions face urban centers throughout the world, including Bombay, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Shanghai, and others. While the answers differ across these cities, the world’s urban centers are important foci for research. They are, in effect, laboratories for considering how certain solutions to urban problems work in some
urban research laboratory will make it unique among Ph.D. programs in the U.S. To attract top students, the program will be built around a mentorship/ apprenticeship experience that will permit students to work closely with individual faculty on their on-going research projects. The program will admit its first students in 2011.
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Urban Research Centerof Houston
THE HOUSTON AREA SURVEY, CONDUCTED BY PROFESSOR STEPHEN KLINEBERG OF RICE’S SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT, IS THE NATION’S LONGEST RUNNING STUDY OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES IN A SINGLE METROPOLITAN AREA.
Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States. Only New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are larger. While many people know this ranking about Houston, they may not think about all of the other facets that go into making Houston one of the largest urban centers in the country.
id you know that Houston is the most diverse of America’s large cities—a true “multi-ethnic melting pot?” In 2007, 39 percent of conducted by Professor Stephen Klineberg of Rice’s Sociology Department, is the nation’s longest running study of public attitudes in a single metropolitan area. In order to provide a permanent home for the survey, Rice is launching the new Urban Research Center of Houston.
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Houstonians identified themselves as Hispanic, 36 percent as Anglo, 18 percent as African-American, and 6 percent as Asian. Did you know that 90 percent of Houstonians consider Houston to be a better place to live than other cities in America? At the same time, Houstonians also see the challenges ahead. If you are a Houstonian, you probably would not be surprised by this number: a near majority of residents consistently see traffic as one of the city’s biggest problems. All of these many results can be found in the Houston Area Survey which for the past 27 years has asked residents of the Houston metro area what they think about their city and has mapped the city’s amazing growth. The Houston Area Survey,
This Center will expand the Houston Area Survey and enhance its value to Houstonians in the following ways:
• Its new interactive web site, http://urc.rice.edu, will offer community access to the current survey and all past surveys. • It will make readily available in-depth empirical information required for effective strategic planning by public, non-profit, and corporate entities. • Its research will inform the region’s economic development organizations in their efforts to identify new growth opportunities in key industries. • It will also initiate more focused surveys and research projects that are significant to Houston’s businesses, government officials, neighborhood groups, faith-based and educational institutions, and non-profit agencies.
A community thrives when the voices of its residents inform the vision of its future. The Urban Research Center of Houston at Rice will be there to listen to Houston’s many voices.
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Harlan Program in State Politics
PEOPLE ARE OFTEN ELECTED TO POSITIONS THAT THEY KNOW LITTLE ABOUT. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND STATE POLITICS AND ACHIEVE BETTER POLICY MAKING.
Rice alumnus Douglas Harlan (’64) who died November 7, 2008 after a long illness loved politics, especially state and local politics. He had a life-long goal to make government function better. To that end, Harlan established the Douglas S. Harlan Program in State Elections, Campaigns, and Politics through a $1.3 million gift to Rice.
his Program will focus on politics and policy making in the American states. Harlan’s later ran for Congress twice from San Antonio and regularly wrote a political column for the San Antonio Express-News. of graduate and undergraduate students in state politics. Lastly, the Harlan Program will establish a certificate program through which newly elected officials can learn about the key aspects of their jobs such as bonding, budgeting, taxation, and state regulations. Harlan saw this as especially valuable training suggesting that “People are often elected to positions The Harlan Program will create an archive on state politics, including an array of materials on state campaigns, elections, laws, and court decisions that are not available that they know little about.” The Program is designed to help people understand state politics and achieve better policy making. The Harlan Program will host a
interest in state politics began when he worked for Senator John Tower who was the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas. Harlan recalled, “I was the press assistant, officially, but what I really did was answer all of the kook mail.” He often responded to some of the most unexpected communications—for example, a request from the National Nudist Association asking Tower, a conservative Republican, to speak at the group's annual convention. Harlan’s employment with Tower sparked his interest in politics. Harlan
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anywhere else in the U.S. In addition, national conference of state politics the Program will permit the training experts in Houston in 2012.
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Gateway to the Real World
While Rice students have an exciting, rewarding time as undergraduates, getting their degrees is still a means to an end: they inevitably must go out into the “real world” by beginning a career or going to graduate school, law school, medical school, or business school.
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ut how to get into the real world is often a challenging expedition with many students asking the question “What can I do with my
Advisor, Political Science Professor Dr. Richard Stoll. While Project Gateway is only in its second year, initial response from students has been positive. The SSURE received eight applications in its inaugural year and selected three students to pursue their independent research projects. Their topics have included “How Should Students Study?” “Accessing Health Care: A Latino Immigrant Experience,” and “Improving the Role of Women in the Public Sphere of Pakistan.” The International Ambassador Program has sent students to such countries as the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey, while in the Social Sciences Internship Program a number of students have interned with Fortune 500 companies. “It’s easy to teach general concepts in the classroom, but when you can put those concepts into practice, you can really accomplish quality research and participation,” said Professor Stoll. The ultimate goal of Project Gateway is to involve all Social Sciences students with each of the project’s three programs so when they are ready to pursue their next endeavors, they are armed with the tools to make them competitive for any market.
degree?” For many Social Sciences students the answer to this question has come in the form of Project Gateway. Established in Fall 2007, Project Gateway enhances Social Sciences students’ education with real-world experience outside the classroom. This project encompasses three elements: the Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Enterprise (SSURE), the Social Sciences Internship Program, and the International Ambassador Program. SSURE offers students the opportunity to conduct their own independent research project with the help of a faculty member. The Internship Program offers students an opportunity to work for a company, government agency, or non-profit organization. The International Ambassador Program sends Social Sciences majors to a foreign country where they meet Rice alumni who live there and where they interview and learn from civic leaders in the area. “Project Gateway stems from the commitment by President Leebron to involve students on the international stage as well as get them involved in the cultural aspects of the Houston area,” said Gateway
THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF PROJECT GATEWAY IS TO INVOLVE ALL SOCIAL SCIENCES STUDENTS WITH EACH OF THE PROJECT’S THREE PROGRAMS SO WHEN THEY ARE READY TO PURSUE THEIR NEXT ENDEAVORS, THEY ARE ARMED WITH THE TOOLS TO MAKE THEM COMPETITIVE FOR ANY MARKET.
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Meet the Students. Here are some of the stories of the students who have participated in the three programs of Project Gateway.
Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Enterprise (SSURE)
The School of Social Sciences provides an undergraduate research program which selects students to work on their own research projects and provides stipends based on the budgets they submit.
Student Jasmine Bright Shireen Nasir Catherine Ott-Holland Andrew Patterson Ariela Schachter Andrew Thompson Project “Cultural Adaptation of Burmese Refugee Families in Houston, Texas” “Improving the Role of Women in the Public Sphere of Pakistan” “Cross-Cultural Communications in the Workplace” “Southern Economic Trends and Public Education” “Accessing Health Care: A Latino Immigrant Experience” “How Should Students Organize Their Study Time?” Andrew Thompson, a Psychology major from Hanszen College, explored “How Should Students Organize Their Study Time? The Role of Distributed Practice and Self-Testing in Learning Foreign Language Vocabulary” with Dr. Jessica Logan. He was also selected to present his research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). “SSURE provided me with a tremendous opportunity to perform cognitive psychology research with a faculty member at Rice. Not only did it allow me to understand the role of spacing and testing effects in memory, but it has given me many new ideas for future research projects.” Ariela Schachter, a Sociology major from Baker College, explored the topic “Accessing Health Care: A Latino Immigrant Experience” with Dr. Roland Smith as her advisor. “Houston provides an ideal locale for researching the experiences of latino immigrant children within our current health care system. With the support of the SSURE program, I was able to volunteer several mornings a week with a local community health outreach organization in order to observe first hand the barriers parents are facing as they attempt to find affordable health care for their children.” Allison Pye, a Policy Studies major from Martel College, who is interested in nutrition-related research, worked as an intern in the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. She was able to analyze data on child obesity research and observe pediatric medicine first hand. “Most people seem to think that medicine is strictly about the biosciences, but being a physician or an employee in health care is so much more than that. In addition to the natural sciences, the social sciences are important in the medical field because patient interaction is something you cannot learn in a basic science course.” Tyler Raugh, a Math/Economics major from Jones College, interned at Merrill Lynch during the Spring 2008 semester. “One of the greatest strengths of my internship experience was the chance to do the same work as a first year analyst. I was responsible for conducting research on investing strategies, investment funds, and market conditions. Through this, I learned important vocabulary and interesting facts through seemingly mundane activities. Newly armed with key investment terms, I can decipher once coded and complicated conversations.” Shireen Nasir, a Political Science major from Brown College, focused on a study entitled “Improving the Role of Women in the Public Sphere of Pakistan.” Shireen traveled to Karachi and Islamabad to interview prominent women in politics, academia, and business first hand. “These are experiences that you just cannot gain from a textbook. Furthermore, the close relationship I developed with my research mentor, Dr. Balabanlilar, gave me the motivation and expertise to feel confident about my work. The SSURE program allows students in the social sciences field to truly explore their research interests. ” Andrew Patterson, an Economics major from Jones College, is researching "Southern Economic Trends and Public Education" with Dr. Peter Mieszkowski. “My experience with SSURE and other undergraduate research in the social sciences has been invaluable because of the willingness of my professors to dedicate time to questions and exploration of research methodology. My exploration of public education and the South over the summer will undoubtedly lead to more inquiry, and I am confident that the Rice University School of Social Sciences will be there to prepare me for the task.” Adam Benaroya, a Mathematical Economic Analysis and Managerial Studies major from Wiess College, interned at the MTV Networks/Spike TV during the summer of 2008. “My major learning experience was acting as a production assistant at many shoots. I was responsible for preparing the set, purchasing necessary items, and making runs between the shoot location and Spike’s headquarters. My major career goal in taking this position was to learn more about the television industry.” Robert Dahnke, a Political Science major from Martel College, interned at Hubbard Pegman & Whitney law firm in London, England during the Fall 2007 semester. Robert also completed three courses from professors at the London School of Economics during his time in the United Kingdom. “In general, I worked in the personal injury litigation department at Hubbard Pegman & Whitney, but I also worked in wills and probate and their property department. I was exposed to a fairly wide cross-section as those are the three principal departments at the firm. I learned a great deal about the British legal system, business operations in Britain, and British society in general - all through my internship.”
International Ambassadors
The School of Social Sciences selects International Ambassadors who initiate dialogues with alumni, local officials and university officials to enhance their learning process while studying abroad, and then report their experiences to students upon their return.
Student Conner Boyd Pamela Cosio Mallory Johnson Shireen Nasir Adnan Poonawala Steffi Russell-Egbert Location Madrid, Spain Aix-en-Provence, France Cairo, Egypt Ankara, Turkey Prague, Czech Republic Geneva, Switzerland
Internships
The School of Social Sciences offers an opportunity for students to earn course credit for completing internships in organizations that provide rewarding educational and professional experiences.
Student Jackie Ammons Adam Benaroya Robert Dahnke Murat Konuk Timothy Patuwo Allison Pye Tyler Raugh Atif Riaz Mario Samos Christine Shaheen Jordan Shanker Internship UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland) MTV Networks/Spike TV Hubbard Pegman & Whitney Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch Telemus Capital Partners, LLC Merrill Lynch
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Adnan Poonawala, an Economics major from Hanszen College, studied in Prague, Czech Republic. “I acquired a perspective that was unique and one that I would not have received here in the States. It definitely added to my study abroad experience in Prague.” Pamela Cosio, a Psychology major from Hanszen College, is studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France. “I look forward to overcoming language barriers and gaining skills that will help me grow as a person and help me become better suited for the business world.” Mallory Johnson, a Political Science and History major from Jones College, studied abroad in Cairo, Egypt. “Studying abroad is all about perspective. Being an international ambassador enabled me to reach out to people I might never have encountered otherwise and I was able to take advantage of unique circumstances.” Steffi Russell-Egbert, a Mathematics and Economics major from Hanszen College, is studying abroad in Geneva, Switzerland. “I am most excited about the opportunity to experience a different way of life, to see the world through another culture’s eyes.”
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Ties between Africa and African-American CulturalHeritage
the only remaining historic district in enslaved people that continues to be inhabited by their descendants. It offers not only a link to Houston’s past, but a bridge from African America to Africa. Rice archaeologists are working to document life in Freedman’s Town from the late 1800s onward and understand its links to African cultural heritage. Rice undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the “Archaeological Field Technique” course have the opportuAmerican archaeology. The students, working in conjunction with the Yates
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“THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY OPPORTUNITIES OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD WHICH PERMITS STUDENTS TO EXAMINE THE ORIGINS OF CULTURE IN ONE COUNTRY AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN ANOTHER.” SUSAN MCINTOSH, PROFESSOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY
After the Civil War, Houston’s “Freedman’s Town” was settled by newly freed African-Americans leaving the enslavement of the plantations and drawn to the community and opportunities of Houston.
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oday, despite encroachment by Houston’s fast-paced growth, Freedman’s Town is
Community Archaeology Project (YCAP), which is the Rutherford B.H. Yates Museum, have uncovered china, toys which provide evidence of the residents' historical past. In addition to this class, the Rice Archaeological Field School in Africa readies the students to work in sites at Goree Island, an island off the Senegal coast in West Africa, and on the Swahili coast in
Susan McIntosh, Professor of Anthropology, focuses on West Africa. Students spend 2 months working in Africa, beginning with a intensive digging at one of several sites. There the students uncover what life was like in urban societies from 200 AD to 1500 AD as they dig through artifacts found in homes, mosques, and public places. Through these two programs, students are able to make connections between African culture and African-American culture. Professor McIntosh explains, “This is one of the only opportunities of its kind in the world which permits culture in one country and its implication for the lives of people in another.”
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the United States settled by previously sponsored by
bottles, cookery, buttons, buckles, and cultural orientation and then pursuing
Tanzania in East Africa. Jeffrey Fleisher, students to examine the origins of concentrates his research along the east coast of Africa, while
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nity to get a glimpse of urban African- Assistant Professor of Anthropology,
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Democracy,Representation, and European Parliaments
How do citizens’ preferences affect what legislatures do? At the heart of representative government is the idea that elected members of a legislative body should follow citizens’ preferences. Yet, do they?
ssociate Professor of Political Science Lanny Martin is set to answer this question and Sweden are often key partners in forming a government, but do not always act to reflect majority opinion. Instead, they continue to represent the narrower views of their key supporters. Unlike the United States where there are two main political parties, in most European countries there are many parties which represent various aspects of the political spectrum, different regions of a country, and, in some cases, different religions. So, for instance, there are twelve parties with seats in the two houses of the Dutch Parliament, including such parties as the Christian Democratic Appeal, the Labour Party, the Green Left, and the Party for Animals. These parties often continue to represent their base of supporters who may have views that are quite opposite the wishes of the majority. Martin says that “one of the most rewarding parts of the project is working with a research team which includes Rice graduate students and undergraduate and law students from each country being studied.” Each research team collects data on the legislation that political parties introduce into parliaments. The study promises to have major implications not just for understanding European parliaments but also other parliaments throughout the world.
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regarding European parliaments. Martin was awarded a major $625,000 three-year CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation which supports early career development activities of top people in a field of study. Martin is one of only five people who have received an NSF CAREER grant in political science in the entire country during the 10 years of the program. Professor Martin examines how small political parties in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands,
PROFESSOR MARTIN EXAMINES HOW SMALL POLITICAL PARTIES IN AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, DENMARK, GERMANY, LUXEMBOURG, THE NETHERLANDS, AND SWEDEN ARE OFTEN KEY PARTNERS IN FORMING A GOVERNMENT, BUT DO NOT ALWAYS ACT TO REFLECT MAJORITY OPINION.
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Multi-Racial Family Experiences in Neighborhoods
DO THESE MULTI-RACIAL FAMILIES EXPERIENCE THE SAME DEGREE OF SEGREGATION AS SINGLERACE FAMILIES DO? THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT RICE SOCIOLOGIST JENIFER BRATTER WILL ANSWER AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE PRESTIGIOUS WOODROW WILSON NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION CAREER ENHANCEMENT AWARD.
In America, an estimated 7 percent of all married couples are composed of two racially distinct partners.
ased on categorizations in the U.S. Census, this figure involves marriages between prestigious Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Career Enhancement Award. Bratter’s initial work on the topic has uncovered that the largest racial and ethnic groups in the United States tend to intermarry the least, while the smallest groups tend to intermarry the most. There are differences by age, gender, and whether or not the person was born in the U.S. For instance, white men are the least likely of any group to have non-white spouses. In the current phase of her research, Professor Bratter is looking at the ways race matters in the lives of individuals who cross the color line. She will investigate how race affects the residential patterns of multi-racial families by exploring if these families tend to reside in predominantly white, black, or other racial neighborhoods. She will also forecast where residential trends are headed. In addition, Professor Bratter’s research will assess what the socio-economic implications are for multi-racial couples who reside in specific neighborhoods and for their children’s future.
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any of the following racial partners: white, African-American, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander. Such a figure varies across the country, with more than 10 percent of couples in California and Texas being of mixed races with lesser percentages in states like Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Do these multi-racial families experience the same degree of segregation as single-race families do? This is the question that Rice Sociologist Jenifer Bratter will answer as the recipient of the
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Enhancing Student Learning in the Classroom
As students, we all remember sitting through boring courses, watching the clock, and waiting for the class to end. We may not have been aware of the significant research being conducted on how people learn which could have been used to create better experiences for students in college classrooms.
“WE HOPE THAT BY UNDERSTANDING HOW COURSES ARE TAUGHT, WE WILL BE ABLE TO IMPROVE WHAT STUDENTS LEARN.”
JESSICA LOGAN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY
$150,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation to bring her research on learning, literally, into the classroom. Professor Logan is the first Rice faculty member ever to receive one of these prestigious Teagle Foundation awards. She will use cutting-edge concepts from cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology and a
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essica Logan, Assistant Professor of Psychology, received a major three-year
multi-disciplinary team to conduct her research. Professor Logan’s research is at least partially inspired by Rice’s distinctive student body. Rice students are more interested in interactive learning than simply listening to a lecture or absorbing information for the sake of passing an exam. Through Professor Logan’s research, several new teaching methods are being considered for
Rice classrooms. A consortium of professors, students, and administrators will implement those best suited to the courses being taught. The research team, led by Professor Logan, will then evaluate student performance in the new course structures to determine whether they improve learning. Professor Logan states “We hope that by understanding how courses are taught, we will be able to improve what students learn.”
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On many television news shows, there is considerable coverage of two topics: dependence on foreign oil and climate change. While often the two topics are treated separately, they are, as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair once called them “two sides of the same coin.”
The DilemmaofEnergy Security and ClimateChange
conomics Professor Peter Hartley shale. But these fuels Western Europe, and North-East Asia on both the Middle East and the former Soviet Union states as these areas contain some of the world’s richest remaining natural gas resources.” Hartley suggests that the real way to promote energy security and also reduce carbon dioxide emissions simultaneously is through an energy tax that would increase energy and his co-author Kenneth Medlock, actually produce more Adjunct Assistant Professor of carbon dioxide than does refined oil. This
HARTLEY SUGGESTS THAT THE REAL WAY TO PROMOTE ENERGY SECURITY AND ALSO REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY IS THROUGH AN ENERGY TAX THAT WOULD INCREASE ENERGY EFFICIENCY. THIS TAX WOULD ENCOURAGE CONSUMERS TO USE LESS ENERGY AND THE REVENUE COULD BE USED TO DEVELOP NON-FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY SOURCES AND MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE PROBLEMS.
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Economics and Fellow in Energy Studies
at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public would only lead to Policy, have a new study which suggests that Prime Minister Blair was right: many policies aimed at ameliorating one of these problems will likely worsen the other. greater problems of climate change as more carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere. Professor Hartley also shows
In his research, that moving to an increased use Professor Hartley shows that if the United States moves away from reliance on foreign oil, it could turn to domestic supplies of fossil fuels, such as coal, tar sands, and oil of natural gas does not solve the dilemma either. While using natural
gas reduces climate change concerns, efficiency. This tax would encourage it does nothing to create greater energy security. Hartley observes that “An increase in demand for natural gas would actually exacerbate the reliance of the United States, consumers to use less energy and the revenue could be used to develop non-fossil fuel energy sources and mitigate climate change problems.
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Awards
John Alford, Associate Professor of Political Science, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for “Genes and Politics: Providing the Necessary Data” and an NSF grant for “Investigating the Genetic Basis of Economic Behavior.” Jenifer Bratter, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received the 2009 Career Enhancement Fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Michael Byrne, Associate Professor of Psychology, received an Office of Naval Research grant for “Systematic Error and Slowdown in the Execution of Isomorphic Routine Procedures.” Royce Carroll, Assistant Professor of Political Science, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for “How Nominations Affect Government Formation” and a Dirksen Congressional Center Award in conjunction with the University of Arizona for “Changing Congressional Rhetoric, Polarization, and the Breakdown of Organizational Parties in the U.S. House of Representatives.” Elaine Ecklund, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for “Perceptions of Women in Academic Science” and a Russell Sage Foundation grant with Michael Emerson, Professor of Sociology, for “Religion and the Changing Face of American Civic Life.” Michael Emerson, Allyn R. & Gladys M. Cline Professor of Sociology and Director of CORRUL, received a Russell Sage Foundation grant with Elaine Ecklund, Assistant Professor of Sociology, for “Religion and the Changing Face of American Civic Life,” and the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching. His book, People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States, received the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award from the American Sociological Association, Racial and Ethnic Minorities Section. Previously, it was named one of Choice’s “Outstanding Academic Titles” for 2006. Bridget Gorman, Associate Professor of Sociology, received the George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Holly Heard, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received a National Center for Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University grant for “Family Instability and Adolescent Educational Success: The Cumulation and Timing of Family Transitions Across Childhood.” Mikki Hebl, Associate Professor of Psychology, received the Charles R. Duncan Achievement Award for Outstanding Faculty and the Nicolas Salgo Distinguished Teaching Award. Rachel Kimbro, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received an award from the Center for Poverty Research at the University of Kentucky for “Poverty, Race/Ethnicity, and Children's Overweight and Obesity: Setting a Course for Lifelong Disparities.” Phil Kortum, Professor in the Practice of Psychology, received an Exxon Mobil Award for “Software Ergonomics Assessment Tools.” Stephen Klineberg, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Urban Research Center of Houston, received the George R. Brown Prize for Superior Teaching and the George R. Brown Certificate of Highest Merit – Lifetime Teaching Award. David Lane, Associate Professor of Psychology, received a University of Texas Health Science Center Award to participate in their NIH grant for “ADHD Symptoms in Autism: Cognition, Behavior, Treatment.” Ashley Leeds, Albert Thomas Associate Professor of Political Science, received the Karl Deutsch Award for outstanding international relations scholar under the age of 40. Michael Lindsay, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received the Best Article Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion for his paper “Evangelicals in the Power Elite: Elite Cohesion Advancing a Movement.” His book, Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite, received the Best Book Award from the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action. Previously, the book received the “Best Book of 2007” award by Publishers Weekly and the Christianity Today Book Award in 2008. Jessica Logan, Assistant Professor of Psychology, received a Teagle Foundation grant for “Implementing and Evaluating the Use of Distributed Practice and Self-Testing in the Classroom.” Melissa Marschall, Associate Professor of Political Science, received a Russell Sage Foundation grant for “Immigrant Civic Engagement and Political Participation.” Lanny Martin, Associate Professor of Political Science, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant for “Government Policy Responsiveness in Multiparty Parliamentary Democracies.” Randi Martin, Elma W. Schneider Professor of Psychology, received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) award for “Short-term Memory and Syntactic Deficits in Aphasia.” Fred Oswald, Associate Professor of Psychology, received an award from the U.S. Navy for “SYRUS-Individual Differences in Multitasking Performance: Integrating Physiological and Psychological Measures of Adaptability.” James Pomerantz, Professor of Psychology, received an award from the Spencer Foundation to participate in Princeton University’s research entitled “A Multi-year Study of Undergraduates Writing Performance.” Robert Stein, Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, received a grant from the Pew Charitable Trust for “Increasing Turnout Among the Less Engaged: A Pilot Study of Election Day Vote Centers.” Randolph Stevenson, Associate Professor of Political Science, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for “Political Context and Political Knowledge in Modern Democracies.”
New Endowed Chairs
Keith Hamm Thomas Cooke and Mary Elizabeth Edwards Memorial Chair in American Government Peter Hartley George and Cynthia Mitchell Chair in Sustainable Development and Environmental Economics Steve Murdock Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Sociology Robin Sickles Reginald Henry Hargrove Chair of Economics George Zodrow Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Economics
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Journals
American Journal of Political Science
During major political events, such as the presidential election, political scientists are at work analyzing outcomes to increase our understanding of political behavior. The culmination of landmark research in the field of political science can be found in the American Journal of Political Science. Rick K. Wilson, Herbert S. Autrey Professor of Political Science, has just been named editor of this leading journal. The journal is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Midwest Political Science Association and covers all major areas of political science – American politics, comparative politics, international relations, methodology, and theory. As the editor of this journal, Professor Wilson is looking forward to choosing the very best scientific work for publication. Professor Wilson’s own research uses experimental methods to explore strategic choice by political and economic actors. This research is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and is facilitated by the Rice University Behavioral Research Laboratory. Dr. Wilson is also an expert on the evolution of American political institutions. How the brain functions is a mystery to most of us. To unravel some of the mystique, psychologists studying cognition look to experimental studies found in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition edited by Randi Martin, the Elma W. Schneider Professor of Psychology. This bimonthly journal includes some of the most influential studies in cognitive psychology and covers basic processes of cognition, learning, memory, imagery, concept formation, problem solving, decision making, thinking, reading, and language processing. Even though it may seem that the journal encompasses the whole spectrum of cognitive sciences, as editor, Professor Martin would like to see the journal increase coverage of cognitive neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience, growing fields of study. Professor Martin has been using neuroimaging to enhance her own research on language processing. In 2001, Professor Martin was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and most recently, she has been elected a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Psychologists (SEP).
New Faculty
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition Journal of Productivity Analysis
Increased productivity is important to society because it can improve living standards and create income. The Journal of Productivity Analysis edited by Robin Sickles, the Reginald Henry Hargrove Chair of Economics, recommends managerial strategies and public policy to enhance productivity. This eminent journal which is published six times per year includes theoretical and applied research addressing the measurement, analysis, and improvement of productivity. A recent article in the journal discusses productivity and efficiency on stateowned enterprises in China. It is the official journal of the Productivity Analysis Research Network. Professor Sickles is excited that he will be bringing the North American Productivity Workshop to Rice University in 2010 and 2012 and that special issues of the journal will be based on state-of-the-art research presented at the two conferences. Professor Sickles’ own research focuses on applied econometrics. In addition, Professor Sickles was elected as a Fellow of the Journal of Econometrics and elected as an officer of the American Statistical Association.
Retirees
Peter Mieszkowski After 27 years at Rice University, Professor of Economics Peter Mieszkowski will retire at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. Dr. Mieszkowski has served in academia since 1962 when he began his career at Yale University after completing his Ph.D. in Economics at Johns Hopkins University. Mieszkowski’s research at Rice University has mainly focused on the subject of public urban economics, taxation, and a recent focus on oil and gas governance. Among his many achievements, he has authored two books and numerous articles, has served as the Director of the Center for the Study of Institutions and Values, and as advisor to the honorary Omicron Delta Epsilon. David Schneider After 21 years at Rice University, Psychology Professor David Schneider will retire at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. During his tenure at Rice, Dr. Schneider served as the Psychology Department Chair, the Division Advisor for Social Sciences students at Hanszen College, and taught over 25 psychology courses. He has authored numerous articles and four books including The Psychology of Stereotyping. Professor Schneider’s research deals with the categorization of people, in particular the nature of “compound categories.” Schneider’s research has examined how some categories lead to stereotypes and these dominate how people perceive others, no matter the content of the other category.
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National Tax Journal
Taxation is an issue that affects society in many ways, with significant effects on individuals and families at all income levels and on all business entities. One of the premier journals in the fields of taxation, public finance, and economics is the National Tax Journal. George Zodrow, the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Economics and a leading expert on tax policy and tax reform, is its editor. This peer-reviewed journal is published quarterly by the National Tax Association. Recent issues have explored topics ranging from the effects of taxes on economic growth to compliance issues raised by the earned income tax credit. When asked about his experience as editor, Professor Zodrow replied, “My work as editor thus far has been both challenging and rewarding, and it has been a pleasure evaluating the stateof-the-art research that is published in the journal.” Besides being editor of a top journal, Professor Zodrow is a Rice Scholar in the Tax and Expenditure Policy Program at the Baker Institute for Public Policy. He also holds an appointment as an International Research Fellow at the Centre on Business Taxation at Oxford University.
Since 2008, the School of Social Sciences has hired ten new faculty members. They are:
Dominic Boyer (Ph.D., University of Chicago) His work is on media and knowledge with a particular focus on Europe. Elaine Ecklund (Ph.D., Cornell University) Assistant Professor of Sociology Her work is on religion and its importance cross-culturally and among scientists. Tarek Elhaik (Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley) Assistant Professor of Anthropology His work is on aesthetics and the cultural importance of film. Songying Fang (Ph.D., University of Rochester) Assistant Professor of Political Science Her work is on the effect of international institutions on dispute settlements in international relations. Cymene Howe (Ph.D., University of New Mexico) Assistant Professor of Anthropology Her work is on sexuality and gender identity in Latin America. Fred Oswald (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) His work is in industrial/ organizational psychology with a focus on testing. Natalia M. Sizova (Ph.D., Duke University, expected May 2009) Assistant Professor of Economics Her work is in the econometrics of finance. Ted Temzelides (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) Professor of Economics His work is in macro-economics, specifically monetary exchange. Anton Villado (Ph.D., Texas A&M University) Assistant Professor of Psychology His work is in industrial/ organizational psychology, specifically training in the workplace. Siyang Xiong (Ph.D., Northwestern University, expected July 2009) Assistant Professor of Economics His work is in micro-economics, specifically game theory and strategic approximation in incomplete information games.
Associate Professor of Anthropology Associate Professor of Psychology
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School of Social Sciences, MS #27
Rice University PO Box 1892 Houston, TX 77251-1892 http://socialsciences.rice.edu
School of Social Sciences Lyn Ragsdale Dean Ipek Martinez Assistant Dean Lisa Birenbaum Manager of Communications and Academic Affairs Heather Willrich Stern Manager of Grant Administration Abbey Shaunessy Social Sciences Coordinator
Department Chairs Eugenia Georges Anthropology Mahmoud El-Gamal Economics Rick Wilson Political Science Stephan Motowidlo Psychology Elizabeth Long Sociology
Center and Program Directors Michael Emerson The Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life ( CORRUL) Suzanne Kemmer Cognitive Sciences Keith Hamm Harlan Program in State Politics Richard Stoll Managerial Studies Don Ostdiek Policy Studies Peter Hartley Shell Center for Sustainability Stephen Klineberg Urban Research Center of Houston
Social Sciences Advisory Board Doyle Arnold ‘70 Michael Bahorich Vicki Bretthauer ‘79 Robert Clarke ‘63 Sandra Godfrey ‘88 John P. Hansen ‘71 The Honorable W.P. Hobby ‘53 William G. Nelson, IV ‘65 George A. Peterkin, Jr. Randa Duncan Williams ‘85 Michael Zilkha
Eye on People
THE MAGAZINE OF THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AT RICE UNIVERSITY
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The School of Social Sciences at Rice welcomes continued growth
Project Gateway provides students with tools for the real world Rice social scientists establish new ties to Houston Innovative projects are underway among Social Sciences faculty members
Dear Friends of the Social Sciences:
This completes my third year as Dean of the School of Social Sciences. It has been an exciting time for the School. While we remain the smallest school at Rice teaching the largest number of students, we have grown. Over the past three years, eighteen new faculty have joined our five departments – Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Next year, we will welcome three more faculty members. While the School continues to grow in faculty size, it is also growing in other ways which enhance the excellence of Rice Social Sciences. This bulletin outlines some of these new initiatives. Through a generous grant from the Houston Endowment, the Sociology Department will inaugurate a new Ph.D. program which will begin admitting students in Fall 2011. This program will focus on urban sociology and the city of Houston as a laboratory for research. The Houston Area Survey, a study which for twenty-seven years has charted the public attitudes of Houstonians, is enlarging as the Urban Research Center of Houston. This new Center will provide an expanded understanding of Houston’s growth and how Houstonians view their city. We are also pleased to announce the creation of the Harlan Program for the Study of State Campaigns and Elections which will provide curriculum, an archive, and outreach for the study of state government and elections. Our undergraduate Gateway Program is in its second year with avid student participation. We hope this program will eventually involve every social science major at Rice in a project that gets students out of the classroom and into the real world—through independent research projects, internships, and international experiences. This Social Sciences bulletin also focuses on several innovative projects that are underway among our faculty— these include programs on Africa and African America, European parliaments, classroom learning, and the tradeoffs between energy security and climate change. While we have space in this magazine for only a few of the many projects our Social Sciences faculty are undertaking, there are many other exciting research endeavors they are conducting. We invite you to experience the insights, innovations, and expertise that make up the School of Social Sciences at Rice University.
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THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AT RICE UNIVERSITY
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New Ph.D. Programin Sociology
Urban Research Center of Houston
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Harlan Program in State Politics
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INNOVATIONS
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Gateway to the Real World
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Ties Between Africa and AfricanAmerican Cultural Heritage
Multi-Racial Family Experiences inNeighborhoods
Close Up is produced by the School of Social Sciences at Rice University Correspondence School of Social Sciences, MS-27 Rice University PO Box 1892 Houston, Texas 77251-1892 http://socialsciences.rice.edu Editor
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Democracy, Representation, Enhancing Student Learning and European in the Classroom Parliaments
The Dilemma of Energy Security and Climate Change
Lisa Birenbaum Contributors Lisa Birenbaum Franz Brotzen Lyn Ragsdale Abbey Shaunessy Heather Willrich Stern Photography Ipek Martinez Design and Art Direction
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Lyn Ragsdale Dean
Awards, New Endowed Chairs
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Journals, New Faculty, Retirees
Sulewski Design
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New Ph.D.Program in Sociology
Population change, economic growth, and social problems are at the heart of life in the world’s urban centers.
ow does racial and ethnic diversity shape a city and its schools, churches, and settings and fail in others. vitality are also faced by other Rice’s Sociology Department will urban centers around the world.” be at the forefront of these discussions as the result of a $6.4 million grant from the Houston Endowment that will establish the first Ph.D. program in sociology in Houston. The new This is a major step for the Rice Sociology Department which has long been known as one of the best undergraduate departments on campus. The Department has nationally-known experts on race and ethnicity, health and environmentalism, religion, demography, and elites who will now bring that expertise to the Ph.D. program. Using Houston as an graduate program will feature an innovative focus on Houston in the context of a broader exploration of major urban settings. In announcing the Houston Endowment gift, Rice President David Leebron commented that “The widespread challenges and opportunities that come with Houston’s growth and economic
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RICE’S SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT WILL BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AS THE RESULT OF A $6.4 MILLION GRANT FROM THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT THAT WILL ESTABLISH THE FIRST PH.D. PROGRAM IN SOCIOLOGY IN HOUSTON. THE NEW GRADUATE PROGRAM WILL FEATURE AN INNOVATIVE FOCUS ON HOUSTON IN THE CONTEXT OF A BROADER EXPLORATION OF MAJOR URBAN SETTINGS.
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government offices? Do city leaders address 21st Century problems head on or do they leave the problems for future generations? How does a city’s commitment to the environment, or the lack thereof, affect the health of its citizens, regardless of their wealth or neighborhood? These questions face urban centers throughout the world, including Bombay, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Shanghai, and others. While the answers differ across these cities, the world’s urban centers are important foci for research. They are, in effect, laboratories for considering how certain solutions to urban problems work in some
urban research laboratory will make it unique among Ph.D. programs in the U.S. To attract top students, the program will be built around a mentorship/ apprenticeship experience that will permit students to work closely with individual faculty on their on-going research projects. The program will admit its first students in 2011.
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Urban Research Centerof Houston
THE HOUSTON AREA SURVEY, CONDUCTED BY PROFESSOR STEPHEN KLINEBERG OF RICE’S SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT, IS THE NATION’S LONGEST RUNNING STUDY OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES IN A SINGLE METROPOLITAN AREA.
Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States. Only New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are larger. While many people know this ranking about Houston, they may not think about all of the other facets that go into making Houston one of the largest urban centers in the country.
id you know that Houston is the most diverse of America’s large cities—a true “multi-ethnic melting pot?” In 2007, 39 percent of conducted by Professor Stephen Klineberg of Rice’s Sociology Department, is the nation’s longest running study of public attitudes in a single metropolitan area. In order to provide a permanent home for the survey, Rice is launching the new Urban Research Center of Houston.
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Houstonians identified themselves as Hispanic, 36 percent as Anglo, 18 percent as African-American, and 6 percent as Asian. Did you know that 90 percent of Houstonians consider Houston to be a better place to live than other cities in America? At the same time, Houstonians also see the challenges ahead. If you are a Houstonian, you probably would not be surprised by this number: a near majority of residents consistently see traffic as one of the city’s biggest problems. All of these many results can be found in the Houston Area Survey which for the past 27 years has asked residents of the Houston metro area what they think about their city and has mapped the city’s amazing growth. The Houston Area Survey,
This Center will expand the Houston Area Survey and enhance its value to Houstonians in the following ways:
• Its new interactive web site, http://urc.rice.edu, will offer community access to the current survey and all past surveys. • It will make readily available in-depth empirical information required for effective strategic planning by public, non-profit, and corporate entities. • Its research will inform the region’s economic development organizations in their efforts to identify new growth opportunities in key industries. • It will also initiate more focused surveys and research projects that are significant to Houston’s businesses, government officials, neighborhood groups, faith-based and educational institutions, and non-profit agencies.
A community thrives when the voices of its residents inform the vision of its future. The Urban Research Center of Houston at Rice will be there to listen to Houston’s many voices.
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Harlan Program in State Politics
PEOPLE ARE OFTEN ELECTED TO POSITIONS THAT THEY KNOW LITTLE ABOUT. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND STATE POLITICS AND ACHIEVE BETTER POLICY MAKING.
Rice alumnus Douglas Harlan (’64) who died November 7, 2008 after a long illness loved politics, especially state and local politics. He had a life-long goal to make government function better. To that end, Harlan established the Douglas S. Harlan Program in State Elections, Campaigns, and Politics through a $1.3 million gift to Rice.
his Program will focus on politics and policy making in the American states. Harlan’s later ran for Congress twice from San Antonio and regularly wrote a political column for the San Antonio Express-News. of graduate and undergraduate students in state politics. Lastly, the Harlan Program will establish a certificate program through which newly elected officials can learn about the key aspects of their jobs such as bonding, budgeting, taxation, and state regulations. Harlan saw this as especially valuable training suggesting that “People are often elected to positions The Harlan Program will create an archive on state politics, including an array of materials on state campaigns, elections, laws, and court decisions that are not available that they know little about.” The Program is designed to help people understand state politics and achieve better policy making. The Harlan Program will host a
interest in state politics began when he worked for Senator John Tower who was the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas. Harlan recalled, “I was the press assistant, officially, but what I really did was answer all of the kook mail.” He often responded to some of the most unexpected communications—for example, a request from the National Nudist Association asking Tower, a conservative Republican, to speak at the group's annual convention. Harlan’s employment with Tower sparked his interest in politics. Harlan
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anywhere else in the U.S. In addition, national conference of state politics the Program will permit the training experts in Houston in 2012.
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Gateway to the Real World
While Rice students have an exciting, rewarding time as undergraduates, getting their degrees is still a means to an end: they inevitably must go out into the “real world” by beginning a career or going to graduate school, law school, medical school, or business school.
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ut how to get into the real world is often a challenging expedition with many students asking the question “What can I do with my
Advisor, Political Science Professor Dr. Richard Stoll. While Project Gateway is only in its second year, initial response from students has been positive. The SSURE received eight applications in its inaugural year and selected three students to pursue their independent research projects. Their topics have included “How Should Students Study?” “Accessing Health Care: A Latino Immigrant Experience,” and “Improving the Role of Women in the Public Sphere of Pakistan.” The International Ambassador Program has sent students to such countries as the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey, while in the Social Sciences Internship Program a number of students have interned with Fortune 500 companies. “It’s easy to teach general concepts in the classroom, but when you can put those concepts into practice, you can really accomplish quality research and participation,” said Professor Stoll. The ultimate goal of Project Gateway is to involve all Social Sciences students with each of the project’s three programs so when they are ready to pursue their next endeavors, they are armed with the tools to make them competitive for any market.
degree?” For many Social Sciences students the answer to this question has come in the form of Project Gateway. Established in Fall 2007, Project Gateway enhances Social Sciences students’ education with real-world experience outside the classroom. This project encompasses three elements: the Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Enterprise (SSURE), the Social Sciences Internship Program, and the International Ambassador Program. SSURE offers students the opportunity to conduct their own independent research project with the help of a faculty member. The Internship Program offers students an opportunity to work for a company, government agency, or non-profit organization. The International Ambassador Program sends Social Sciences majors to a foreign country where they meet Rice alumni who live there and where they interview and learn from civic leaders in the area. “Project Gateway stems from the commitment by President Leebron to involve students on the international stage as well as get them involved in the cultural aspects of the Houston area,” said Gateway
THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF PROJECT GATEWAY IS TO INVOLVE ALL SOCIAL SCIENCES STUDENTS WITH EACH OF THE PROJECT’S THREE PROGRAMS SO WHEN THEY ARE READY TO PURSUE THEIR NEXT ENDEAVORS, THEY ARE ARMED WITH THE TOOLS TO MAKE THEM COMPETITIVE FOR ANY MARKET.
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Meet the Students. Here are some of the stories of the students who have participated in the three programs of Project Gateway.
Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Enterprise (SSURE)
The School of Social Sciences provides an undergraduate research program which selects students to work on their own research projects and provides stipends based on the budgets they submit.
Student Jasmine Bright Shireen Nasir Catherine Ott-Holland Andrew Patterson Ariela Schachter Andrew Thompson Project “Cultural Adaptation of Burmese Refugee Families in Houston, Texas” “Improving the Role of Women in the Public Sphere of Pakistan” “Cross-Cultural Communications in the Workplace” “Southern Economic Trends and Public Education” “Accessing Health Care: A Latino Immigrant Experience” “How Should Students Organize Their Study Time?” Andrew Thompson, a Psychology major from Hanszen College, explored “How Should Students Organize Their Study Time? The Role of Distributed Practice and Self-Testing in Learning Foreign Language Vocabulary” with Dr. Jessica Logan. He was also selected to present his research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). “SSURE provided me with a tremendous opportunity to perform cognitive psychology research with a faculty member at Rice. Not only did it allow me to understand the role of spacing and testing effects in memory, but it has given me many new ideas for future research projects.” Ariela Schachter, a Sociology major from Baker College, explored the topic “Accessing Health Care: A Latino Immigrant Experience” with Dr. Roland Smith as her advisor. “Houston provides an ideal locale for researching the experiences of latino immigrant children within our current health care system. With the support of the SSURE program, I was able to volunteer several mornings a week with a local community health outreach organization in order to observe first hand the barriers parents are facing as they attempt to find affordable health care for their children.” Allison Pye, a Policy Studies major from Martel College, who is interested in nutrition-related research, worked as an intern in the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. She was able to analyze data on child obesity research and observe pediatric medicine first hand. “Most people seem to think that medicine is strictly about the biosciences, but being a physician or an employee in health care is so much more than that. In addition to the natural sciences, the social sciences are important in the medical field because patient interaction is something you cannot learn in a basic science course.” Tyler Raugh, a Math/Economics major from Jones College, interned at Merrill Lynch during the Spring 2008 semester. “One of the greatest strengths of my internship experience was the chance to do the same work as a first year analyst. I was responsible for conducting research on investing strategies, investment funds, and market conditions. Through this, I learned important vocabulary and interesting facts through seemingly mundane activities. Newly armed with key investment terms, I can decipher once coded and complicated conversations.” Shireen Nasir, a Political Science major from Brown College, focused on a study entitled “Improving the Role of Women in the Public Sphere of Pakistan.” Shireen traveled to Karachi and Islamabad to interview prominent women in politics, academia, and business first hand. “These are experiences that you just cannot gain from a textbook. Furthermore, the close relationship I developed with my research mentor, Dr. Balabanlilar, gave me the motivation and expertise to feel confident about my work. The SSURE program allows students in the social sciences field to truly explore their research interests. ” Andrew Patterson, an Economics major from Jones College, is researching "Southern Economic Trends and Public Education" with Dr. Peter Mieszkowski. “My experience with SSURE and other undergraduate research in the social sciences has been invaluable because of the willingness of my professors to dedicate time to questions and exploration of research methodology. My exploration of public education and the South over the summer will undoubtedly lead to more inquiry, and I am confident that the Rice University School of Social Sciences will be there to prepare me for the task.” Adam Benaroya, a Mathematical Economic Analysis and Managerial Studies major from Wiess College, interned at the MTV Networks/Spike TV during the summer of 2008. “My major learning experience was acting as a production assistant at many shoots. I was responsible for preparing the set, purchasing necessary items, and making runs between the shoot location and Spike’s headquarters. My major career goal in taking this position was to learn more about the television industry.” Robert Dahnke, a Political Science major from Martel College, interned at Hubbard Pegman & Whitney law firm in London, England during the Fall 2007 semester. Robert also completed three courses from professors at the London School of Economics during his time in the United Kingdom. “In general, I worked in the personal injury litigation department at Hubbard Pegman & Whitney, but I also worked in wills and probate and their property department. I was exposed to a fairly wide cross-section as those are the three principal departments at the firm. I learned a great deal about the British legal system, business operations in Britain, and British society in general - all through my internship.”
International Ambassadors
The School of Social Sciences selects International Ambassadors who initiate dialogues with alumni, local officials and university officials to enhance their learning process while studying abroad, and then report their experiences to students upon their return.
Student Conner Boyd Pamela Cosio Mallory Johnson Shireen Nasir Adnan Poonawala Steffi Russell-Egbert Location Madrid, Spain Aix-en-Provence, France Cairo, Egypt Ankara, Turkey Prague, Czech Republic Geneva, Switzerland
Internships
The School of Social Sciences offers an opportunity for students to earn course credit for completing internships in organizations that provide rewarding educational and professional experiences.
Student Jackie Ammons Adam Benaroya Robert Dahnke Murat Konuk Timothy Patuwo Allison Pye Tyler Raugh Atif Riaz Mario Samos Christine Shaheen Jordan Shanker Internship UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland) MTV Networks/Spike TV Hubbard Pegman & Whitney Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch Telemus Capital Partners, LLC Merrill Lynch
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Adnan Poonawala, an Economics major from Hanszen College, studied in Prague, Czech Republic. “I acquired a perspective that was unique and one that I would not have received here in the States. It definitely added to my study abroad experience in Prague.” Pamela Cosio, a Psychology major from Hanszen College, is studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France. “I look forward to overcoming language barriers and gaining skills that will help me grow as a person and help me become better suited for the business world.” Mallory Johnson, a Political Science and History major from Jones College, studied abroad in Cairo, Egypt. “Studying abroad is all about perspective. Being an international ambassador enabled me to reach out to people I might never have encountered otherwise and I was able to take advantage of unique circumstances.” Steffi Russell-Egbert, a Mathematics and Economics major from Hanszen College, is studying abroad in Geneva, Switzerland. “I am most excited about the opportunity to experience a different way of life, to see the world through another culture’s eyes.”
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Ties between Africa and African-American CulturalHeritage
the only remaining historic district in enslaved people that continues to be inhabited by their descendants. It offers not only a link to Houston’s past, but a bridge from African America to Africa. Rice archaeologists are working to document life in Freedman’s Town from the late 1800s onward and understand its links to African cultural heritage. Rice undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the “Archaeological Field Technique” course have the opportuAmerican archaeology. The students, working in conjunction with the Yates
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“THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY OPPORTUNITIES OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD WHICH PERMITS STUDENTS TO EXAMINE THE ORIGINS OF CULTURE IN ONE COUNTRY AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN ANOTHER.” SUSAN MCINTOSH, PROFESSOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY
After the Civil War, Houston’s “Freedman’s Town” was settled by newly freed African-Americans leaving the enslavement of the plantations and drawn to the community and opportunities of Houston.
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oday, despite encroachment by Houston’s fast-paced growth, Freedman’s Town is
Community Archaeology Project (YCAP), which is the Rutherford B.H. Yates Museum, have uncovered china, toys which provide evidence of the residents' historical past. In addition to this class, the Rice Archaeological Field School in Africa readies the students to work in sites at Goree Island, an island off the Senegal coast in West Africa, and on the Swahili coast in
Susan McIntosh, Professor of Anthropology, focuses on West Africa. Students spend 2 months working in Africa, beginning with a intensive digging at one of several sites. There the students uncover what life was like in urban societies from 200 AD to 1500 AD as they dig through artifacts found in homes, mosques, and public places. Through these two programs, students are able to make connections between African culture and African-American culture. Professor McIntosh explains, “This is one of the only opportunities of its kind in the world which permits culture in one country and its implication for the lives of people in another.”
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the United States settled by previously sponsored by
bottles, cookery, buttons, buckles, and cultural orientation and then pursuing
Tanzania in East Africa. Jeffrey Fleisher, students to examine the origins of concentrates his research along the east coast of Africa, while
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nity to get a glimpse of urban African- Assistant Professor of Anthropology,
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Democracy,Representation, and European Parliaments
How do citizens’ preferences affect what legislatures do? At the heart of representative government is the idea that elected members of a legislative body should follow citizens’ preferences. Yet, do they?
ssociate Professor of Political Science Lanny Martin is set to answer this question and Sweden are often key partners in forming a government, but do not always act to reflect majority opinion. Instead, they continue to represent the narrower views of their key supporters. Unlike the United States where there are two main political parties, in most European countries there are many parties which represent various aspects of the political spectrum, different regions of a country, and, in some cases, different religions. So, for instance, there are twelve parties with seats in the two houses of the Dutch Parliament, including such parties as the Christian Democratic Appeal, the Labour Party, the Green Left, and the Party for Animals. These parties often continue to represent their base of supporters who may have views that are quite opposite the wishes of the majority. Martin says that “one of the most rewarding parts of the project is working with a research team which includes Rice graduate students and undergraduate and law students from each country being studied.” Each research team collects data on the legislation that political parties introduce into parliaments. The study promises to have major implications not just for understanding European parliaments but also other parliaments throughout the world.
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regarding European parliaments. Martin was awarded a major $625,000 three-year CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation which supports early career development activities of top people in a field of study. Martin is one of only five people who have received an NSF CAREER grant in political science in the entire country during the 10 years of the program. Professor Martin examines how small political parties in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands,
PROFESSOR MARTIN EXAMINES HOW SMALL POLITICAL PARTIES IN AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, DENMARK, GERMANY, LUXEMBOURG, THE NETHERLANDS, AND SWEDEN ARE OFTEN KEY PARTNERS IN FORMING A GOVERNMENT, BUT DO NOT ALWAYS ACT TO REFLECT MAJORITY OPINION.
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I N N O V A T I O N S
Multi-Racial Family Experiences in Neighborhoods
DO THESE MULTI-RACIAL FAMILIES EXPERIENCE THE SAME DEGREE OF SEGREGATION AS SINGLERACE FAMILIES DO? THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT RICE SOCIOLOGIST JENIFER BRATTER WILL ANSWER AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE PRESTIGIOUS WOODROW WILSON NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION CAREER ENHANCEMENT AWARD.
In America, an estimated 7 percent of all married couples are composed of two racially distinct partners.
ased on categorizations in the U.S. Census, this figure involves marriages between prestigious Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Career Enhancement Award. Bratter’s initial work on the topic has uncovered that the largest racial and ethnic groups in the United States tend to intermarry the least, while the smallest groups tend to intermarry the most. There are differences by age, gender, and whether or not the person was born in the U.S. For instance, white men are the least likely of any group to have non-white spouses. In the current phase of her research, Professor Bratter is looking at the ways race matters in the lives of individuals who cross the color line. She will investigate how race affects the residential patterns of multi-racial families by exploring if these families tend to reside in predominantly white, black, or other racial neighborhoods. She will also forecast where residential trends are headed. In addition, Professor Bratter’s research will assess what the socio-economic implications are for multi-racial couples who reside in specific neighborhoods and for their children’s future.
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any of the following racial partners: white, African-American, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander. Such a figure varies across the country, with more than 10 percent of couples in California and Texas being of mixed races with lesser percentages in states like Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Do these multi-racial families experience the same degree of segregation as single-race families do? This is the question that Rice Sociologist Jenifer Bratter will answer as the recipient of the
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I N N O V A T I O N S
Enhancing Student Learning in the Classroom
As students, we all remember sitting through boring courses, watching the clock, and waiting for the class to end. We may not have been aware of the significant research being conducted on how people learn which could have been used to create better experiences for students in college classrooms.
“WE HOPE THAT BY UNDERSTANDING HOW COURSES ARE TAUGHT, WE WILL BE ABLE TO IMPROVE WHAT STUDENTS LEARN.”
JESSICA LOGAN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY
$150,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation to bring her research on learning, literally, into the classroom. Professor Logan is the first Rice faculty member ever to receive one of these prestigious Teagle Foundation awards. She will use cutting-edge concepts from cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology and a
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essica Logan, Assistant Professor of Psychology, received a major three-year
multi-disciplinary team to conduct her research. Professor Logan’s research is at least partially inspired by Rice’s distinctive student body. Rice students are more interested in interactive learning than simply listening to a lecture or absorbing information for the sake of passing an exam. Through Professor Logan’s research, several new teaching methods are being considered for
Rice classrooms. A consortium of professors, students, and administrators will implement those best suited to the courses being taught. The research team, led by Professor Logan, will then evaluate student performance in the new course structures to determine whether they improve learning. Professor Logan states “We hope that by understanding how courses are taught, we will be able to improve what students learn.”
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I N N O V A T I O N S
On many television news shows, there is considerable coverage of two topics: dependence on foreign oil and climate change. While often the two topics are treated separately, they are, as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair once called them “two sides of the same coin.”
The DilemmaofEnergy Security and ClimateChange
conomics Professor Peter Hartley shale. But these fuels Western Europe, and North-East Asia on both the Middle East and the former Soviet Union states as these areas contain some of the world’s richest remaining natural gas resources.” Hartley suggests that the real way to promote energy security and also reduce carbon dioxide emissions simultaneously is through an energy tax that would increase energy and his co-author Kenneth Medlock, actually produce more Adjunct Assistant Professor of carbon dioxide than does refined oil. This
HARTLEY SUGGESTS THAT THE REAL WAY TO PROMOTE ENERGY SECURITY AND ALSO REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY IS THROUGH AN ENERGY TAX THAT WOULD INCREASE ENERGY EFFICIENCY. THIS TAX WOULD ENCOURAGE CONSUMERS TO USE LESS ENERGY AND THE REVENUE COULD BE USED TO DEVELOP NON-FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY SOURCES AND MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE PROBLEMS.
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Economics and Fellow in Energy Studies
at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public would only lead to Policy, have a new study which suggests that Prime Minister Blair was right: many policies aimed at ameliorating one of these problems will likely worsen the other. greater problems of climate change as more carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere. Professor Hartley also shows
In his research, that moving to an increased use Professor Hartley shows that if the United States moves away from reliance on foreign oil, it could turn to domestic supplies of fossil fuels, such as coal, tar sands, and oil of natural gas does not solve the dilemma either. While using natural
gas reduces climate change concerns, efficiency. This tax would encourage it does nothing to create greater energy security. Hartley observes that “An increase in demand for natural gas would actually exacerbate the reliance of the United States, consumers to use less energy and the revenue could be used to develop non-fossil fuel energy sources and mitigate climate change problems.
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Awards
John Alford, Associate Professor of Political Science, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for “Genes and Politics: Providing the Necessary Data” and an NSF grant for “Investigating the Genetic Basis of Economic Behavior.” Jenifer Bratter, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received the 2009 Career Enhancement Fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Michael Byrne, Associate Professor of Psychology, received an Office of Naval Research grant for “Systematic Error and Slowdown in the Execution of Isomorphic Routine Procedures.” Royce Carroll, Assistant Professor of Political Science, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for “How Nominations Affect Government Formation” and a Dirksen Congressional Center Award in conjunction with the University of Arizona for “Changing Congressional Rhetoric, Polarization, and the Breakdown of Organizational Parties in the U.S. House of Representatives.” Elaine Ecklund, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for “Perceptions of Women in Academic Science” and a Russell Sage Foundation grant with Michael Emerson, Professor of Sociology, for “Religion and the Changing Face of American Civic Life.” Michael Emerson, Allyn R. & Gladys M. Cline Professor of Sociology and Director of CORRUL, received a Russell Sage Foundation grant with Elaine Ecklund, Assistant Professor of Sociology, for “Religion and the Changing Face of American Civic Life,” and the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching. His book, People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States, received the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award from the American Sociological Association, Racial and Ethnic Minorities Section. Previously, it was named one of Choice’s “Outstanding Academic Titles” for 2006. Bridget Gorman, Associate Professor of Sociology, received the George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Holly Heard, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received a National Center for Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University grant for “Family Instability and Adolescent Educational Success: The Cumulation and Timing of Family Transitions Across Childhood.” Mikki Hebl, Associate Professor of Psychology, received the Charles R. Duncan Achievement Award for Outstanding Faculty and the Nicolas Salgo Distinguished Teaching Award. Rachel Kimbro, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received an award from the Center for Poverty Research at the University of Kentucky for “Poverty, Race/Ethnicity, and Children's Overweight and Obesity: Setting a Course for Lifelong Disparities.” Phil Kortum, Professor in the Practice of Psychology, received an Exxon Mobil Award for “Software Ergonomics Assessment Tools.” Stephen Klineberg, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Urban Research Center of Houston, received the George R. Brown Prize for Superior Teaching and the George R. Brown Certificate of Highest Merit – Lifetime Teaching Award. David Lane, Associate Professor of Psychology, received a University of Texas Health Science Center Award to participate in their NIH grant for “ADHD Symptoms in Autism: Cognition, Behavior, Treatment.” Ashley Leeds, Albert Thomas Associate Professor of Political Science, received the Karl Deutsch Award for outstanding international relations scholar under the age of 40. Michael Lindsay, Assistant Professor of Sociology, received the Best Article Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion for his paper “Evangelicals in the Power Elite: Elite Cohesion Advancing a Movement.” His book, Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite, received the Best Book Award from the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action. Previously, the book received the “Best Book of 2007” award by Publishers Weekly and the Christianity Today Book Award in 2008. Jessica Logan, Assistant Professor of Psychology, received a Teagle Foundation grant for “Implementing and Evaluating the Use of Distributed Practice and Self-Testing in the Classroom.” Melissa Marschall, Associate Professor of Political Science, received a Russell Sage Foundation grant for “Immigrant Civic Engagement and Political Participation.” Lanny Martin, Associate Professor of Political Science, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant for “Government Policy Responsiveness in Multiparty Parliamentary Democracies.” Randi Martin, Elma W. Schneider Professor of Psychology, received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) award for “Short-term Memory and Syntactic Deficits in Aphasia.” Fred Oswald, Associate Professor of Psychology, received an award from the U.S. Navy for “SYRUS-Individual Differences in Multitasking Performance: Integrating Physiological and Psychological Measures of Adaptability.” James Pomerantz, Professor of Psychology, received an award from the Spencer Foundation to participate in Princeton University’s research entitled “A Multi-year Study of Undergraduates Writing Performance.” Robert Stein, Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, received a grant from the Pew Charitable Trust for “Increasing Turnout Among the Less Engaged: A Pilot Study of Election Day Vote Centers.” Randolph Stevenson, Associate Professor of Political Science, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for “Political Context and Political Knowledge in Modern Democracies.”
New Endowed Chairs
Keith Hamm Thomas Cooke and Mary Elizabeth Edwards Memorial Chair in American Government Peter Hartley George and Cynthia Mitchell Chair in Sustainable Development and Environmental Economics Steve Murdock Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Sociology Robin Sickles Reginald Henry Hargrove Chair of Economics George Zodrow Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Economics
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Journals
American Journal of Political Science
During major political events, such as the presidential election, political scientists are at work analyzing outcomes to increase our understanding of political behavior. The culmination of landmark research in the field of political science can be found in the American Journal of Political Science. Rick K. Wilson, Herbert S. Autrey Professor of Political Science, has just been named editor of this leading journal. The journal is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Midwest Political Science Association and covers all major areas of political science – American politics, comparative politics, international relations, methodology, and theory. As the editor of this journal, Professor Wilson is looking forward to choosing the very best scientific work for publication. Professor Wilson’s own research uses experimental methods to explore strategic choice by political and economic actors. This research is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and is facilitated by the Rice University Behavioral Research Laboratory. Dr. Wilson is also an expert on the evolution of American political institutions. How the brain functions is a mystery to most of us. To unravel some of the mystique, psychologists studying cognition look to experimental studies found in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition edited by Randi Martin, the Elma W. Schneider Professor of Psychology. This bimonthly journal includes some of the most influential studies in cognitive psychology and covers basic processes of cognition, learning, memory, imagery, concept formation, problem solving, decision making, thinking, reading, and language processing. Even though it may seem that the journal encompasses the whole spectrum of cognitive sciences, as editor, Professor Martin would like to see the journal increase coverage of cognitive neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience, growing fields of study. Professor Martin has been using neuroimaging to enhance her own research on language processing. In 2001, Professor Martin was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and most recently, she has been elected a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Psychologists (SEP).
New Faculty
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition Journal of Productivity Analysis
Increased productivity is important to society because it can improve living standards and create income. The Journal of Productivity Analysis edited by Robin Sickles, the Reginald Henry Hargrove Chair of Economics, recommends managerial strategies and public policy to enhance productivity. This eminent journal which is published six times per year includes theoretical and applied research addressing the measurement, analysis, and improvement of productivity. A recent article in the journal discusses productivity and efficiency on stateowned enterprises in China. It is the official journal of the Productivity Analysis Research Network. Professor Sickles is excited that he will be bringing the North American Productivity Workshop to Rice University in 2010 and 2012 and that special issues of the journal will be based on state-of-the-art research presented at the two conferences. Professor Sickles’ own research focuses on applied econometrics. In addition, Professor Sickles was elected as a Fellow of the Journal of Econometrics and elected as an officer of the American Statistical Association.
Retirees
Peter Mieszkowski After 27 years at Rice University, Professor of Economics Peter Mieszkowski will retire at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. Dr. Mieszkowski has served in academia since 1962 when he began his career at Yale University after completing his Ph.D. in Economics at Johns Hopkins University. Mieszkowski’s research at Rice University has mainly focused on the subject of public urban economics, taxation, and a recent focus on oil and gas governance. Among his many achievements, he has authored two books and numerous articles, has served as the Director of the Center for the Study of Institutions and Values, and as advisor to the honorary Omicron Delta Epsilon. David Schneider After 21 years at Rice University, Psychology Professor David Schneider will retire at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. During his tenure at Rice, Dr. Schneider served as the Psychology Department Chair, the Division Advisor for Social Sciences students at Hanszen College, and taught over 25 psychology courses. He has authored numerous articles and four books including The Psychology of Stereotyping. Professor Schneider’s research deals with the categorization of people, in particular the nature of “compound categories.” Schneider’s research has examined how some categories lead to stereotypes and these dominate how people perceive others, no matter the content of the other category.
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National Tax Journal
Taxation is an issue that affects society in many ways, with significant effects on individuals and families at all income levels and on all business entities. One of the premier journals in the fields of taxation, public finance, and economics is the National Tax Journal. George Zodrow, the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Economics and a leading expert on tax policy and tax reform, is its editor. This peer-reviewed journal is published quarterly by the National Tax Association. Recent issues have explored topics ranging from the effects of taxes on economic growth to compliance issues raised by the earned income tax credit. When asked about his experience as editor, Professor Zodrow replied, “My work as editor thus far has been both challenging and rewarding, and it has been a pleasure evaluating the stateof-the-art research that is published in the journal.” Besides being editor of a top journal, Professor Zodrow is a Rice Scholar in the Tax and Expenditure Policy Program at the Baker Institute for Public Policy. He also holds an appointment as an International Research Fellow at the Centre on Business Taxation at Oxford University.
Since 2008, the School of Social Sciences has hired ten new faculty members. They are:
Dominic Boyer (Ph.D., University of Chicago) His work is on media and knowledge with a particular focus on Europe. Elaine Ecklund (Ph.D., Cornell University) Assistant Professor of Sociology Her work is on religion and its importance cross-culturally and among scientists. Tarek Elhaik (Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley) Assistant Professor of Anthropology His work is on aesthetics and the cultural importance of film. Songying Fang (Ph.D., University of Rochester) Assistant Professor of Political Science Her work is on the effect of international institutions on dispute settlements in international relations. Cymene Howe (Ph.D., University of New Mexico) Assistant Professor of Anthropology Her work is on sexuality and gender identity in Latin America. Fred Oswald (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) His work is in industrial/ organizational psychology with a focus on testing. Natalia M. Sizova (Ph.D., Duke University, expected May 2009) Assistant Professor of Economics Her work is in the econometrics of finance. Ted Temzelides (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) Professor of Economics His work is in macro-economics, specifically monetary exchange. Anton Villado (Ph.D., Texas A&M University) Assistant Professor of Psychology His work is in industrial/ organizational psychology, specifically training in the workplace. Siyang Xiong (Ph.D., Northwestern University, expected July 2009) Assistant Professor of Economics His work is in micro-economics, specifically game theory and strategic approximation in incomplete information games.
Associate Professor of Anthropology Associate Professor of Psychology
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School of Social Sciences, MS #27
Rice University PO Box 1892 Houston, TX 77251-1892 http://socialsciences.rice.edu
School of Social Sciences Lyn Ragsdale Dean Ipek Martinez Assistant Dean Lisa Birenbaum Manager of Communications and Academic Affairs Heather Willrich Stern Manager of Grant Administration Abbey Shaunessy Social Sciences Coordinator
Department Chairs Eugenia Georges Anthropology Mahmoud El-Gamal Economics Rick Wilson Political Science Stephan Motowidlo Psychology Elizabeth Long Sociology
Center and Program Directors Michael Emerson The Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life ( CORRUL) Suzanne Kemmer Cognitive Sciences Keith Hamm Harlan Program in State Politics Richard Stoll Managerial Studies Don Ostdiek Policy Studies Peter Hartley Shell Center for Sustainability Stephen Klineberg Urban Research Center of Houston
Social Sciences Advisory Board Doyle Arnold ‘70 Michael Bahorich Vicki Bretthauer ‘79 Robert Clarke ‘63 Sandra Godfrey ‘88 John P. Hansen ‘71 The Honorable W.P. Hobby ‘53 William G. Nelson, IV ‘65 George A. Peterkin, Jr. Randa Duncan Williams ‘85 Michael Zilkha
