Dateline Rice for July 22, 2013 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEMS

Faster than the speed of light?
Alumni Howard G. White ’08 leads a team of NASA scientists who are trying to determine whether faster-than-light travel — warp drive — might someday be possible.
New York Times
http://nyti.ms/1dQsWPc

Hydrogen gets graphene ‘onion rings’ to grow
James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science, and Boris Yakobson, Karl F. Hasselman Chair of mechanical engineering and materials science and professor of chemistry, are quoted in an article about growing synthesized graphene nanoribbons.Graduate student Zheng Yan is mentioned.
Futurity.org (This article also appeared in Robaid.com and Domain B.)
http://bit.ly/160lr5d
Graphene ‘onion rings’ have delicious potential
Nano Magazine U.K. (This article also appears in e! Science News, Science Newsline and Innovations Report.)
http://bit.ly/16UI6PE

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Historian: Trayvon Martin will be a dark moment in U.S. history, Obama now part of that story
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history and fellow in history at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, comments on President Obama’s speech on the Trayvon Martin trial and race in America.
The Lead/CNN.com
http://bit.ly/18yC1z9

Nick Rischbieth continuará en la presidencia del BCIE
Alumnus Nick Rischbieth ’77 has been re-elected president of the Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica.
Processo Digital (This article also appeared in the El Diario de Hoy and La Tribuna.) (English translations of these articles were unavailable.)
http://bit.ly/12c1LOU

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Local politicians already have more than $6 million in the bank for 2014 elections
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and fellow in political science at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, comments on candidates’ preparations for the upcoming Texas political races.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
http://bit.ly/16UIyNH

George P. Bush starts small amid high expectations
Alumnus George P. Bush ’98 is raising money for his upcoming campaign to become Texas land commissioner.
News Day (This article also appeared in KHOU.com, the El Paso Times, the Denver Post, Fox News Latino, the Farmington Daily News (N.M.), the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Gainesville Sun (Fla.) and Bay News 9.)
http://bit.ly/12H4L0s
George P. Bush to visit Llano Aug 1
Alumnus George P. Bush ’98 will be guest speaker at the Llano Tea Party’s Aug. 1 program.
The Llano News
http://www.llanonews.com/news/111392/

From science to art: New exhibit features sculptures from test tubes to explore foundation of life
Alumna Vinita Israni ’13 and Wiess College senior Linh Tran Do have a new installation, “Submerged: Origin of Species”, that debuts at Fresh Arts on July 24.
Culturemap.com
http://bit.ly/119qn8j

BROADCAST/WEBCAST

KRIV-TV
Nate Jones, the Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, discussed the arrest and capture of Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, the notorious leader of the Mexican Zetas drug cartel.
http://bit.ly/1bWld3P

KTRK-TV ‘Viva Houston’
Ruth Lopez Turley, associate professor of sociology and director of the Houston Education Research Consortium, discusses the achievement gaps among various demographic groups of youths in Houston.
http://bit.ly/12YmPa5

CSNHouston.com
Dr. Paul Padley, professor of physics and astronomy, discusses some of the science behind Adam Moffat’s rocket volley in the Dynamos vs. New England game that was played on July 13.
http://bit.ly/137UHh6

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Rice researchers part of new LHC discovery
Paul Padley, a professor of physics and astronomy, is quoted in an article about a discovery facilitated by Rice University’s contribution to the Large Hadron Collider and how it will impact scientists’ search for dark matter in the universe. Rice physics instructor Laria Redjimi is mentioned.
Eurekalert! (This story also appears in the Science Codex.)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/ru-rrp071913.php

Natcore Technology and Rice University researchers claim first fabrication of flexible thin film solar cell with solution process
Scientists of Natcore Technology Inc. in collaboration with researchers at Rice University in Houston have successfully fabricated an inorganic flexible thin film solar cell by solution process.
Compound Semi
http://www.compoundsemi.com/news/?id=123139

New clues illuminate Alzheimer’s roots
Angel Martí, associate professor of chemistry and bioengineering, is quoted in an article about how scientists have figured out how synthetic molecules designed at Rice latch onto the amyloid peptide fibrils thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
News Room America (This article also appears in Chemical and Engineering News.)
http://bit.ly/136SYs9

Silicon oxide memories transcend a hurdle
A team of Rice researchers led by James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science, has built a 1-kilobit rewritable silicon oxide device with diodes that eliminate data-corrupting crosstalk.
Materials Today
http://bit.ly/1dQ2ntj

Graphene enables nanotube growth on a variety of substrates
A single layer of graphene can enable the growth of forests of carbon nanotubes on virtually any substrate, according to researchers at Rice University and the Honda Research Institute USA.
Performance Materials
http://www.performance-materials.net/htm/f20130718.520671.htm

AP exams and personality traits help predict long-term success in college
Long-term success in college may be better predicted with Advanced Placement exams and personality traits in combination with standard admission practices, according to new research from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Rice University.
Education Research Report
http://bit.ly/160ESeb

Unique uses for solar power
The “solarclave” developed by Rice University uses a parabolic mirror to focus sunlight on an apparatus that contains water or another aqueous solution and turns it into steam.
Renewable Energy World
http://bit.ly/13YSV8q

4G didn’t pan out for Intel, so now it’s looking ahead to 5G
Rice is a member of the Intel Strategic Research Alliance, bringing university labs and carriers together to focus on the development of 5G technologies.
Gigacom
http://bit.ly/18vhLLf
Intel, universities explore 5G wireless communication technologies.
Xbitlabs.com
http://bit.ly/1bWLcYR

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Rice University gets 6 new tons of sculpture!
Houston’s Rice University has installed its latest public art project, Mark di Suvero’s sculpture “Po-um (Lyric).”
Glasstire.com
http://glasstire.com/2013/07/19/rice-university-gets-six-more-tons-of-sculpture/

Student team hopes to taste zero gravity today
A team of Rice students is performing experiments on electromagnetic position sensing in microgravity.
Space.com
http://www.space.com/22028-zero-gravity-nasa-student-science-flight.html
Student engineers spark zero-gravity fires on weightless wild ride
Yahoo! News (This article also appears in Yahoo! Markoob and Yahoo! Canada.)
http://bit.ly/18ysQyB
Students, teachers to hitch ride on NASA’s ‘vomit comet’ for weightless science
Rocket News
http://bit.ly/12HpyRG

Summer festival of sacred music to continue with Dvorak’s mass in D at St. Bart’s, 8/4
Ken Cowan, associate professor of organ at the Shepherd School of Music, will be a guest organist at a performance of Antonín Dvorák’s Mass in D, Op. 86 for SATB choir, SATB soloists and organ.
Broadway World.com
http://bit.ly/12H5bnB

Resurrecting the not-dead-yet
Rice alumnus Eric Hewitt is quoted in an article about the growing popularity of learning the Latin language.
EWTN
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=126187

Nonprofit chooses Accra for 21st century library
Librii, a nonprofit group formed at the Rice University, is proposing to build the first self-sustaining library integrating traditional concept of a library with high-powered wireless technology.
The Finder
http://bit.ly/12HdAaz

US patents awarded to inventors in Massachusetts
Rice University has been assigned a patent developed by four co-inventors for a “method and apparatus for automatic gain control for nonzero saturation rates.”
TMC.net
http://europe.tmcnet.com/news/2013/07/20/7290367.htm

We salute Capt. Plummer, with two ‘Enduring Freedom’ tours, deployed to Southwest Asia
Rice alumnus Michael Plummer ’09 has served two tours of duty during “Operation Enduring Freedom” as both a pilot and tactics officer. He received three air medals for meritorious achievement in aerial flight.
The Daily Jeffersonian (Cambridge, Ohio)
http://bit.ly/1bWFyWH

Campus briefs
Several Round Rock students graduated from Rice University May 11.
Statesman.com
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/campus-briefs/nYw9J/

Rancho Santa Fe residents earn Girl Scout Gold Award
Rice is mentioned in an article about two Santa Fe residents who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Rancho Santa Fe Review (Calif.)
http://bit.ly/16UWGGP

SPORTS

Are Rice fans too smart for their own good?
A columnist discusses Rice sports fans.
Houston Press
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2013/07/rice_owls_fans.php

Final countdown
Jeremy Eddington prepares for his senior season at Rice, training to play a new position as half-back.
The Paris Times (Paris, Texas)
http://bit.ly/12H7erO

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (San Francisco)
Former Rice football player Vance McDonald is profiled.
Comcast SportsNet
http://bit.ly/13YCLM1

The Rumble
Rice alumnus Emmy Andujar has spent the summer playing with the Puerto Rican National (Basketball) Team.
New York Post (This article also appears in Jasper Jottings (Manhattan University).)
http://bit.ly/12c24Jm

Luetge returns to his Texas roots
Former Rice athlete Luca Luetge will play in the July 21 Astros game against the Mariners.
MLB.com
http://atmlb.com/15C4fDa

NEWS RELEASES

New clues illuminate Alzheimer’s roots
Scientists at Rice University and the University of Miami have figured out how synthetic molecules designed at Rice latch onto the amyloid peptide fibrils thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease. Their discovery could point the way toward therapies to halt or even reverse the insidious disease.
https://news2.rice.edu/2013/07/22/new-clues-illuminate-alzheimers-roots/

Off-grid sterilization with Rice U.’s ‘solar steam’
Rice University nanotechnology researchers have unveiled a solar-powered sterilization system that could be a boon for more than 2.5 billion people who lack adequate sanitation.
https://news2.rice.edu/2013/07/22/off-grid-sterilization-with-rice-u-s-solar-steam/