Dateline Rice for July 24, 2013

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Fire breaks out on evacuated Gulf gas well; no injuries reported
Ken Medlock, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics at Rice University’s Baker Institute, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies and adjunct assistant professor in economics, is quoted an article about a fire on an offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in the Las Vegas Sun, the El Paso Times, the Denver Post, KRHD-TV, KPTV-TV and more than 100 other outlets.)
http://bit.ly/12LDg63
44 rescued from Gulf of Mexico rig off Louisiana coast; no injuries but natural gas flowing
The Penticton Herald (Canada)
http://bit.ly/13
47 rescued from Gulf of Mexico rig after natural gas blowout
NBCnews.com (This article also appeared in the Beaumont Enterprise, the Shreveport Times, the Columbus Dispatch, Fox 10 TV and more than 25 other outlets.)
http://nbcnews.to/1dVbGs4
Authorities see no sheen near burning Gulf rig
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (This article also appeared in CBSnews.com, Channel One.com, MyFoxDFW.com, KFVS-TV and more than 25 other outlets.)
http://bit.ly/135sKdn
Natural gas rig explodes, burns
Tyler Morning Telegraph
http://bit.ly/134PDha
Workers evacuate before fire at natural gas well in Gulf
PilotOnline.com
http://hamptonroads.com/2013/07/workers-evacuate-fire-natural-gas-well-gulf
Louisiana drilling rig blowout causes evacuation of 47 workers
The Guardian U.K.
http://bit.ly/1bhgNqh

Threat of climate change to human health
Ronald Sass, a fellow in global climate change at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is mentioned in an article about global climate change.
Whitehouse.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/07/17/threat-climate-change-human-health

No less than an act of war
Andrew Bowen, Baker Institute scholar for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, has written an article about the prospects of American intervention in Syria.
The Majalla
http://www.majalla.com/eng/2013/07/article55243736

Scenario puts energy, politics in hackers’ crosshairs
Christopher Bronk, a fellow in information technology policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article about cyber warfare.
Defense News
http://bit.ly/1c2FFAc

The ex-presidents club: Lots of life left after White House
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history and fellow in history at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article on U.S. presidents and the lives they lead after leaving office.
The Hawaiian Tribune (This article also appeared in the Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram, the Columbia Missourian, the Greenfield Daily Reporter, WGCL-TV and more than 10 other outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1c2NSEg
There’s plenty of life to be lived after the White House
Yakima Herald (Wash.) (This article also appeared in the Lake Wylie Pilot.)
http://bit.ly/15IXn6W

Strategize 1st for a smooth college admissions process
Will Rice College sophomore Michael Zhou is quoted in an article about the college admissions process.
US News and World Report
http://bit.ly/18CSsKG

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Woman killed in downtown train accident was Rice student
Rice student Vivian Ziwei Guan was killed Monday morning in a MetroRail accident in downtown Houston.
Houston Chronicle (This story also appeared in Culturemap.com.)
http://bit.ly/11dJ76p
Bicyclist killed by Metro train was 20-year-old Rice student
KHOU.com
http://bit.ly/142YVwP
Woman hit, killed in Metro light rail accident identified
News 92 FM
http://bit.ly/143RwWT
KTRK-TV
http://bit.ly/13cFRFV
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/1435oAC
KPRC-TV
http://bit.ly/1dUHYmM

Texas lawmakers have one week to pass transportation bill
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science and fellow in urban politics at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article about transportation funding in Texas.
88.7 KUHF News
http://bit.ly/15fO6nQ

Summer reading assignments: Heights history sources plentiful online
Rice’s Center for Teaching, Technology and Learning and Stephen Fox, lecturer in architecture, are mentioned in an article on Heights history archives.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/12LzUQl

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Solar steam — Off-grid solar-powered sterilization system created
Naomi Halas, the Stanley C. Moore Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of Rice’s Laboratory for Nanophotonics and professor of physics and astronomy, chemistry and biomedical engineering, and Peter Nordlander, professor of physics and astronomy and in electrical and computer engineering, are quoted in an article about a solar-powered autoclave.
Clean Technica (This article also appeared in Green Building Elements and EndoNurse.com.)
http://bit.ly/143nrqp
Solar steam sterilization system could clean up in the developing world
Eco-Business.com
http://bit.ly/12Lnk3R
Solar steam system sterilizes water
Laboratory Equipment.com
http://bit.ly/18CC1hB
Solar-powered sterilization technology to solve sanitation problem
EcoSeed.com
http://bit.ly/16ZvFSF
Solar-powered sterilization system could be boon for people who lack adequate sanitation
News Medical
http://bit.ly/11dMiew

New clues illuminate Alzheimer’s roots
Angel Martí, associate professor of chemistry and bioengineering, is mentioned in an article on how synthetic molecules designed at Rice latch onto the amyloid peptide fibrils thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
R&Dmag
http://bit.ly/168BKgq
Ruthenium plays key role in Alzheimer’s research
Platinum Today
http://bit.ly/1bNjPSL

Do vegetables have internal clocks?
Researchers at Rice University and the University of California at Davis say that many vegetables maintain internal clocks even after being harvested and might be healthier because of it. Janet Braam, professor and chair of biochemistry and cell biology, is quoted.
Inside Grower
http://www.ballpublishing.com/insidegrower/Newsletter.aspx?article=1231

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, have successfully fabricated an inorganic flexible thin film solar cell by solution process.
EFYtimes.com
http://www.efytimes.com/e1/fullnews.asp?edid=111631

2013 Innovators Awards
Kamran Khan, vice provost for information technology, was one of the judges for the 2013 Campus Technology Innovators Awards.
Campus Technology
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/07/23/2013-innovators-awards.aspx

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Region: Inland students graduate from universities
Silvia Sanchez of Fontana, Calif., graduated from Rice in May..
The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.)
http://bit.ly/14302MR

US visiting fellow visits SIIS
Aynne Kokas, a fellow in Chinese media at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and a postdoctoral fellow at Rice’s Chao Center for Asian Studies, recently concluded a visiting fellowship at Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.
Shanghai Institutes for International Studies
http://en.siis.org.cn/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=1&id=1262

Ward Polzin named senior executive adviser of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.
Rice alumnus Ward Polzin ’86 has been named senior executive adviser at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.
Equities.com
http://bit.ly/143XiaS

Former PepsiCo exec joins NVIDIA
Article mentions that Edward Djerejian, founding director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, has been appointed chairman of Occidental Petroleum.
NACD Directorship.com
http://www.directorship.com/boardroom-appointments-07-23-13/

SPORTS

Rice basketball staff adds two more assistant coaches
Head men’s basketball coach Ben Braun announced the addition of assistant coaches Brian Eskildsen and Adam Gierlach.
Bellaire-River Oaks-West University Examiner
http://bit.ly/12iAj1M

Wilson braces for 1st training camp
Rice alumnus Luke Wilson is at the Seahawks’ training camp.
The Windsor Star (Canada)
http://bit.ly/1bNcuCC