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Eye on
People

THE MAGAZINE OF THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AT RICE UNIVERSITY

Project Gateway
The School of Social Sciences at Rice provides students
welcomes continued growth with tools for the
real world

Rice social scientists

establish new
ties to Houston

Innovative projects
are underway among
Social Sciences
faculty members
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Dear Friends of the Social Sciences:

2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 0

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
THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AT RICE UNIVERSITY

S P O T L I G H T

New Ph.D.
Programin
Urban Research
CLOSEUP
Center of Houston
Harlan Program
in State Politics
Gateway
to the
Real
bulletin outlines some of these new initiatives.
Through a generous grant from the Houston Endowment, the Sociology Department will
Sociology
2 4 6 World
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.
8
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
INNOVATIONS
provide an expanded understanding of Houston’s growth and how Houstonians view their city.
Close Up is produced by
We are also pleased to announce the creation of the Harlan
Program for the Study of State Campaigns and Elections Multi-Racial the School of Social Sciences

which will provide curriculum, an archive, and outreach

Ties Between Family Experiences at Rice University

for the study of state government and elections.

Africa and African- inNeighborhoods Correspondence
American Cultural
Our undergraduate Gateway Program is in its
second year with avid student participation. We Heritage 16 School of Social Sciences, MS-27
Rice University

hope this program will eventually involve every

social science major at Rice in a project that gets
12 PO Box 1892
Houston, Texas 77251-1892
http://socialsciences.rice.edu
students out of the classroom and into the real
world—through independent research projects, Editor
internships, and international experiences. Lisa Birenbaum
This Social Sciences bulletin also focuses on several
The Dilemma of
innovative projects that are underway among our faculty—
Energy Security and Contributors

these include programs on Africa and African America, European Climate Change Lisa Birenbaum

Democracy,
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
Representation, Enhancing Student Learning 20 Franz Brotzen
Lyn Ragsdale

are undertaking, there are many other exciting research endeavors they are conducting.
and European in the Classroom Abbey Shaunessy
Heather Willrich Stern
We invite you to experience the insights, innovations, and expertise that make up the School Parliaments 18
of Social Sciences at Rice University. 14 Photography
Ipek Martinez

Design and Art Direction

INDIVIDUALS
Sulewski Design
Lyn Ragsdale
Dean
Awards, Journals,
New Endowed Chairs New Faculty,
22 Retirees
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S P O T L I G H T
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.
H
ow does racial and ethnic
diversity shape a city and
its schools, churches, and
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 neighbor-
hood? 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
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settings and fail in others.
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
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
E O N P E O
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.
vitality are also faced by other
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
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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S P O T L I G H T

THE HOUSTON AREA SURVEY, CONDUCTED BY PROFESSOR

STEPHEN KLINEBERG OF RICE’S SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT, IS THE

Urban Research NATION’S LONGEST RUNNING STUDY OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES IN A

SINGLE METROPOLITAN AREA.

Centerof Houston
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.

D
id you know that Houston is the most diverse conducted by Professor Stephen Klineberg of Rice’s
of America’s large cities—a true “multi-ethnic Sociology Department, is the nation’s longest running study
melting pot?” In 2007, 39 percent of of public attitudes in a single metropolitan area. In order to
Houstonians identified provide a permanent home for the survey, Rice is launching
themselves as Hispanic, 36 the new Urban Research Center of Houston.
percent as Anglo, 18 percent
This Center will expand the Houston Area Survey and enhance its value to Houstonians in the following ways:
as African-American, and
6 percent as Asian. Did you • Its new interactive web • It will make readily • Its research will inform • It will also initiate more
know that 90 percent of site, http://urc.rice.edu, available in-depth the region’s economic focused surveys and
Houstonians consider Houston to be a better place will offer community empirical information development organiza- research projects that are
to live than other cities in America? At the same time, access to the current required for effective tions in their efforts significant to Houston’s
Houstonians also see the challenges ahead. If you survey and all past surveys. strategic planning to identify new growth businesses, government
are a Houstonian, you probably would not be surprised by public, non-profit, opportunities in key officials, neighborhood
by this number: a near majority of residents consis- and corporate entities. industries. groups, faith-based and
tently see traffic as one of the city’s biggest problems. educational institutions,
All of these many results can be found in the and non-profit agencies.
Houston Area Survey which for the past 27 years
has asked residents of the Houston metro area A community thrives when the voices of its residents inform
what they think about their city and has mapped the the vision of its future. The Urban Research Center of Houston
city’s amazing growth. The Houston Area Survey, at Rice will be there to listen to Houston’s many voices.

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S P O T L I G H T

PEOPLE ARE OFTEN ELECTED TO POSITIONS

THAT THEY KNOW LITTLE ABOUT. THE

Harlan Program PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP PEOPLE

UNDERSTAND STATE POLITICS AND
ACHIEVE BETTER POLICY MAKING.

in State Politics
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.

T
his Program will focus on
politics and policy making in
the American states. Harlan’s
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 communi-
cations—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
later ran for Congress twice from
San Antonio and regularly wrote a
political column for the San Antonio
Express-News.
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
anywhere else in the U.S. In addition, national conference of state politics
the Program will permit the training
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
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
experts in Houston in 2012.

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Gateway to the Real World
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S P O T L I G H T
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.
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
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
E Y E O N P
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 THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF PROJECT GATEWAY IS TO INVOLVE
received eight applications in its inaugural year and ALL SOCIAL SCIENCES STUDENTS WITH EACH OF THE PROJECT’S
selected three students to pursue their independent
THREE PROGRAMS SO WHEN THEY ARE READY TO PURSUE THEIR NEXT
ENDEAVORS, THEY ARE ARMED WITH THE TOOLS TO MAKE THEM
research projects. Their topics have included “How COMPETITIVE FOR ANY MARKET.
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.
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G A T E W A Y T O T H E R E A L W O R L D

Meet the Students. Here are some of the stories of the students who have participated in the three programs of Project Gateway.
Andrew Thompson, a Psychology major from Hanszen College,
Social Sciences Undergraduate explored “How Should Students Organize Their Study Time?
Shireen Nasir, a Political Science major from Brown College,
focused on a study entitled “Improving the Role of Women
International Ambassadors
Research Enterprise (SSURE) The Role of Distributed Practice and Self-Testing in Learning in the Public Sphere of Pakistan.” Shireen traveled to Karachi The School of Social Sciences selects Inter-
The School of Social Sciences provides an Foreign Language Vocabulary” with Dr. Jessica Logan. He was and Islamabad to interview prominent women in politics, national Ambassadors who initiate dialogues
undergraduate research program which also selected to present his research at the National Conference academia, and business first hand. with alumni, local officials and university
on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). “These are experiences that you just cannot gain from
selects students to work on their own research “SSURE provided me with a tremendous opportunity to perform cognitive a textbook. Furthermore, the close relationship I developed with my research
officials to enhance their learning process
projects and provides stipends based on the psychology research with a faculty member at Rice. Not only did it allow me to mentor, Dr. Balabanlilar, gave me the motivation and expertise to feel confident while studying abroad, and then report their
budgets they submit. understand the role of spacing and testing effects in memory, but it has given me about my work. The SSURE program allows students in the social sciences field to experiences to students upon their return.
many new ideas for future research projects.” truly explore their research interests.”
Student Project Student Location
Jasmine Bright “Cultural Adaptation of Burmese Refugee Conner Boyd Madrid, Spain
Families in Houston, Texas” Ariela Schachter, a Sociology major from Baker College, explored Andrew Patterson, an Economics major from Jones College, is
the topic “Accessing Health Care: A Latino Immigrant Experience” researching "Southern Economic Trends and Public Education" Pamela Cosio Aix-en-Provence, France
Shireen Nasir “Improving the Role of Women in the Mallory Johnson Cairo, Egypt
Public Sphere of Pakistan” with Dr. Roland Smith as her advisor. with Dr. Peter Mieszkowski.
Shireen Nasir Ankara, Turkey
Catherine Ott-Holland “Cross-Cultural Communications in the Workplace” “Houston provides an ideal locale for researching the experiences “My experience with SSURE and other undergraduate research
Adnan Poonawala Prague, Czech Republic
Andrew Patterson “Southern Economic Trends and Public Education” of latino immigrant children within our current health care system. in the social sciences has been invaluable because of the
Steffi Russell-Egbert Geneva, Switzerland
Ariela Schachter “Accessing Health Care: A Latino Immigrant Experience” With the support of the SSURE program, I was able to volunteer willingness of my professors to dedicate time to questions and
Andrew Thompson “How Should Students Organize Their Study Time?” several mornings a week with a local community health outreach organization in order exploration of research methodology. My exploration of public education and the Adnan Poonawala, an Economics major from Hanszen College,
to observe first hand the barriers parents are facing as they attempt to find affordable South over the summer will undoubtedly lead to more inquiry, and I am confident that studied in Prague, Czech Republic.
health care for their children.” the Rice University School of Social Sciences will be there to prepare me for the task.” “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.”
Allison Pye, a Policy Studies major from Martel College, who is Adam Benaroya, a Mathematical Economic Analysis and
Internships interested in nutrition-related research, worked as an intern in Managerial Studies major from Wiess College, interned at
The School of Social Sciences offers an the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of the MTV Networks/Spike TV during the summer of 2008. Pamela Cosio, a Psychology major from Hanszen College,
opportunity for students to earn course credit Medicine. She was able to analyze data on child obesity research “My major learning experience was acting as a production is studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France.
and observe pediatric medicine first hand. assistant at many shoots. I was responsible for preparing the “I look forward to overcoming language barriers and
for completing internships in organizations “Most people seem to think that medicine is strictly about set, purchasing necessary items, and making runs between gaining skills that will help me grow as a person and help
that provide rewarding educational and the biosciences, but being a physician or an employee in health care is so much more the shoot location and Spike’s headquarters. My major career goal in taking this me become better suited for the business world.”
professional experiences. than that. In addition to the natural sciences, the social sciences are important in position was to learn more about the television industry.”
the medical field because patient interaction is something you cannot learn in a basic Mallory Johnson, a Political Science and History major from
Student Internship
Jackie Ammons UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland) science course.” Robert Dahnke, a Political Science major from Martel College, Jones College, studied abroad in Cairo, Egypt.
Adam Benaroya MTV Networks/Spike TV interned at Hubbard Pegman & Whitney law firm in London, “Studying abroad is all about perspective. Being an
Robert Dahnke Hubbard Pegman & Whitney Tyler Raugh, a Math/Economics major from Jones College, England during the Fall 2007 semester. Robert also completed international ambassador enabled me to reach out to people
Murat Konuk Merrill Lynch interned at Merrill Lynch during the Spring 2008 semester. three courses from professors at the London School of I might never have encountered otherwise and I was able to
Timothy Patuwo Merrill Lynch “One of the greatest strengths of my internship experience Economics during his time in the United Kingdom. take advantage of unique circumstances.”
Allison Pye Children’s Nutrition Research Center, was the chance to do the same work as a first year analyst. I was “In general, I worked in the personal injury litigation
Baylor College of Medicine responsible for conducting research on investing strategies, department at Hubbard Pegman & Whitney, but I also worked in wills and probate
Tyler Raugh Merrill Lynch Steffi Russell-Egbert, a Mathematics and Economics major from
investment funds, and market conditions. Through this, and their property department. I was exposed to a fairly wide cross-section as
Atif Riaz Merrill Lynch Hanszen College, is studying abroad in Geneva, Switzerland.
I learned important vocabulary and interesting facts through seemingly mundane those are the three principal departments at the firm. I learned a great deal
Mario Samos Merrill Lynch “I am most excited about the opportunity to experience
activities. Newly armed with key investment terms, I can decipher once coded about the British legal system, business operations in Britain, and British society
Christine Shaheen Telemus Capital Partners, LLC a different way of life, to see the world through another
and complicated conversations.” in general - all through my internship.”
Jordan Shanker Merrill Lynch culture’s eyes.”

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I N N O V A T I O N S

Ties between Africa “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
and African-American PEOPLE IN ANOTHER.” SUSAN MCINTOSH, PROFESSOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY

CulturalHeritage
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.

T
oday, despite encroachment
by Houston’s fast-paced
growth, Freedman’s Town is
the only remaining historic district in
the United States settled by previously sponsored by
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 archaeolo-
gists 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 opportu-
nity to get a glimpse of urban African- Assistant Professor of Anthropology,
American archaeology. The students,
working in conjunction with the Yates
Community Susan McIntosh,
Archaeology Professor of
Project (YCAP), Anthropology,
which is focuses on
West Africa.
the Rutherford Students spend
B.H. Yates 2 months
Museum, have uncovered china, working in Africa, beginning with a
bottles, cookery, buttons, buckles, and cultural orientation and then pursuing
toys which provide intensive digging at one of several sites.
evidence of the resi- There the students uncover what life
dents' historical past. was like in urban societies from 200
In addition to AD to 1500 AD as they dig through
this class, the Rice artifacts found in homes, mosques,
Archaeological Field and public places. Through these two
School in Africa programs, students are able to make
readies the students connections between African culture
to work in sites at and African-American culture.
Goree Island, an Professor McIntosh explains, “This
island off the Senegal coast in West is one of the only opportunities of
Africa, and on the Swahili coast in its kind in the world which permits
Tanzania in East Africa. Jeffrey Fleisher, students to examine the origins of
culture in one country and its
concentrates his research along implication for the lives of people
the east coast of Africa, while in another.”

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I N N O V A T I O N S
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?
A
ssociate Professor of Political
Science Lanny Martin is
set to answer this question
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,
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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,
E O N P E O
the Green Left, and the
Party for Animals. These
parties often continue to
represent their base of
PROFESSOR MARTIN EXAMINES
supporters who may HOW SMALL POLITICAL PARTIES
have views that are quite IN AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, DENMARK,
opposite the wishes of the
GERMANY, LUXEMBOURG, THE
NETHERLANDS, AND SWEDEN
majority. Martin says that “one of the ARE OFTEN KEY PARTNERS IN
most rewarding parts of the project is FORMING A GOVERNMENT, BUT
working with a research team which
DO NOT ALWAYS ACT TO REFLECT
MAJORITY OPINION.
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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I N N O V A T I O N S
Multi-Racial Family
Experiences in
Neighborhoods
In America, an estimated 7 percent of all married couples
are composed of two racially distinct partners.
B
ased on categorizations in
the U.S. Census, this figure
involves marriages between
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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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
E O N P E O
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 PRESTIGIOUS WOODROW WILSON
NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION CAREER
ENHANCEMENT AWARD.
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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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,
“WE HOPE THAT BY UNDERSTANDING HOW COURSES ARE TAUGHT, WE WILL BE ABLE TO IMPROVE WHAT STUDENTS LEARN.”
JESSICA LOGAN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY
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.

J
essica Logan, Assistant
Professor of Psychology,
received a major three-year
$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
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

HARTLEY SUGGESTS THAT THE REAL WAY TO PROMOTE ENERGY

SECURITY AND ALSO REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS

The DilemmaofEnergy SIMULTANEOUSLY IS THROUGH AN ENERGY TAX THAT WOULD

INCREASE ENERGY EFFICIENCY. THIS TAX WOULD ENCOURAGE
CONSUMERS TO USE LESS ENERGY AND THE REVENUE COULD

Security and ClimateChange

On many television news shows, there is considerable coverage
BE USED TO DEVELOP NON-FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY SOURCES
AND MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE PROBLEMS.

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.”

E
conomics Professor Peter Hartley shale. But these fuels Western Europe, and
and his co-author Kenneth Medlock, actually produce more North-East Asia on both
Adjunct Assistant Professor of carbon dioxide than the Middle East and
Economics and Fellow in Energy Studies does refined oil. This the former Soviet Union
at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public would only lead to states as these areas
Policy, have a new study which suggests greater problems of contain some of the
that Prime Minister Blair was right: many climate change as world’s richest remaining
policies aimed at ameliorating one more carbon dioxide is emitted into natural gas resources.” Hartley
of these problems will likely the atmosphere. suggests that the real way to
worsen the other. Professor Hartley also shows promote energy security and also
In his research, that moving to an increased use reduce carbon dioxide emissions
Professor Hartley of natural gas does not solve the simultaneously is through an energy
shows that if the dilemma either. While using natural tax that would increase energy
United States moves away gas reduces climate change concerns, efficiency. This tax would encourage
from reliance on foreign it does nothing to create greater consumers to use less energy and
oil, it could turn to energy security. Hartley observes the revenue could be used to develop
domestic supplies of that “An increase in demand for non-fossil fuel energy sources and
fossil fuels, such as natural gas would actually exacerbate mitigate climate change problems.
coal, tar sands, and oil the reliance of the United States,

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I N D I V I D U A L S
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.”
E Y E O N P
22
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.”
E O P L E
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.”
New Endowed Chairs
Lanny Martin, Associate Professor of Keith Hamm
Political Science, received a National Thomas Cooke and Mary Elizabeth Edwards
Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant Memorial Chair in American Government
for “Government Policy Responsiveness in Peter Hartley
Multiparty Parliamentary Democracies.” George and Cynthia Mitchell Chair in Sustainable
Development and Environmental Economics
Randi Martin, Elma W. Schneider Professor
of Psychology, received a National Institutes Steve Murdock
of Health (NIH) award for “Short-term Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Sociology
Memory and Syntactic Deficits in Aphasia.”
Robin Sickles
Fred Oswald, Associate Professor of Reginald Henry Hargrove Chair of Economics
Psychology, received an award from the
George Zodrow
U.S. Navy for “SYRUS-Individual Differences Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Economics
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.”
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I N D I V I D U A L S
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.
24
Journal of Experimental
Psychology:
Learning, Memory,
and Cognition
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).
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 state-
owned 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.
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 state-
of-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.
New Faculty
Since 2008, the School of Social Sciences has hired ten
new faculty members. They are:
Dominic Boyer
(Ph.D., University of Chicago)
Associate Professor of Anthropology Associate Professor of Psychology
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.
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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School of Social Sciences, MS #27

Rice University
PO Box 1892
Houston, TX 77251-1892

http://socialsciences.rice.edu

School of Social Sciences Department Chairs Center and Program Directors Social Sciences Advisory Board

Lyn Ragsdale Eugenia Georges Michael Emerson Doyle Arnold ‘70

Dean Anthropology The Center on Race, Religion, Michael Bahorich
and Urban Life ( CORRUL) Vicki Bretthauer ‘79
Ipek Martinez Mahmoud El-Gamal
Robert Clarke ‘63
Assistant Dean Economics Suzanne Kemmer
Sandra Godfrey ‘88
Cognitive Sciences
Lisa Birenbaum Rick Wilson John P. Hansen ‘71
Manager of Communications Political Science Keith Hamm The Honorable W.P. Hobby ‘53
and Academic Affairs Harlan Program William G. Nelson, IV ‘65
Stephan Motowidlo
in State Politics George A. Peterkin, Jr.
Heather Willrich Stern Psychology
Randa Duncan Williams ‘85
Manager of Grant Administration Richard Stoll
Elizabeth Long Michael Zilkha
Managerial Studies
Abbey Shaunessy Sociology
Social Sciences Coordinator Don Ostdiek
Policy Studies

Peter Hartley
Shell Center for
Sustainability

Stephen Klineberg
Urban Research
Center of Houston