Dateline Rice for Aug. 19, 2013 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEMS

Stringed instruments, including the heart
Musicians and Rice alumni Megan Ruth Levin ’05 and Shawn Christopher Conley ’05 married Aug. 17 in New York. The couple met in 2001 on their first day as Rice freshmen and are quoted in this feature.
New York Times
http://nyti.ms/12ifx0e

KPRC-TV
New students arrived at Rice to move into the residential colleges and begin O-Week.
http://bit.ly/1cZM8xC (click broadcast)
KTRK-TV
http://bit.ly/17XWmYj (click broadcast)
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/13z89R1 (click broadcast)
KRIV-TV
http://bit.ly/17E1WAd (click broadcast)

Big clock to tick under Big Skies for 10,000 years
Ned Thomas, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering, professor in mechanical engineering and materials science and in chemical and biomolecular engineering, comments on the plans of Jeff Bezos to build in West Texas a massive clock that would tick for 10,000 years.
Houston Chronicle (subscription required) (This article appeared on the front page of Sunday’s paper.)
http://bit.ly/1bJCqfN

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Arab revolutions: Ignoring a potential catastrophe
Peter Hotez, fellow in disease and poverty at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, writes that recent conflicts in northern Africa and the Middle East may have destabilized public health control measures to a point where several tropical diseases have emerged and sickened large populations in the region.
Yahoo!Maktoob
http://yhoo.it/16WbFSm
Al-Jazeera English
http://aje.me/16gviWb
Al-Jazeera Magazine
http://aje.me/16C2Y3g

Toylike blocks make lightweight, strong structures
James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science, comments on the invention of a carbon-fiber skeleton of Tinkertoy-like building blocks that is 10 times as stiff as structures of similar densities.
ScienceNews.org
http://bit.ly/14QVQQN

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Mexican kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero’s release fuels anger
Tony Payan, fellow in Mexican studies and director of the Mexico Center at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, commented on the release of a Mexican drug “godfather” convicted in the killing of a U.S. drug enforcement official.
El Paso Times (The article also appeared in Las Cruces Sun News [N.M].)
http://bit.ly/19r1BmG

Tejanos enthusiastically endorse Mayor Annise Parker
Harris County Tejano Democrats endorsed incumbent Houston Mayor Annise Parker ’78.
GuidryNews.com
http://bit.ly/1cTvnVS

As for Sen. Ted Cruz, call him Canadian
The editorial blog notes that U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has ties to Rice. Cruz’s mother is Rice alumna Eleanor Darragh ’56.
Dallas Morning News
http://dallasne.ws/12bdsDb

Upcoming classical music events
Rice will be the venue for several classical music performances and a reading during the 2013-2014 arts season in Houston.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/14tKFrf
Upcoming readings
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1bM283p
Local arts venues
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/19t2HOw

Neil LaBute’s ‘In a Forest, Dark and Deep’ doesn’t seem so deep
Theater critic and Rice alumnus Lawson Taitte ’66 reviews a regional premiere.
DallasNews.com
http://dallasne.ws/19telcc

BROADCAST/WEBCAST

KTRK-TV
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, discussed the early start to negative campaign ads in the Houston mayoral race.
http://bit.ly/16SkGM5 (click broadcast)
Yahoo!News
http://yhoo.it/1eWJZiQ

KRIV-TV
Will Rice college senior Vivas Kumar was interviewed about Rice’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders, whose members have traveled to Nicaragua, El Salvador and South America to create engineering solutions for infrastructure needs.
http://bit.ly/1akhAG4 (click broadcast)

Kingsville piano professor opens VC guest and faculty recital series
Pianist and Rice alumnus Joachim Reinhuber ’92 will perform at Victoria College Sept. 17.
Victoria Advocate
http://bit.ly/19t2QBN

KHOU-TV
The Houston Fire Department secured and removed a naked man who refused to leave the roof of Rice’s Sewall Hall Aug. 16.
http://bit.ly/14PeX6X (click broadcast)
KPRC-TV
http://bit.ly/16ZMH6r (click broadcast)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Supermaterial is stronger than graphene and diamonds
Large flakes of graphene oxide are the essential ingredient in a new recipe for robust carbon fiber created at Rice. 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 Rice graduate student Changsheng Xiang are quoted.
PaceToday.com (Similar stories appeared in AZoM, Slashdot, ExtremeTech.com, Dragon’s Tales, Mining.com, Dvice.com, TopNews.net and PACE.)
http://bit.ly/16ZKhET

Novel spectrometer measures vibrations between atoms to determine 3-D form of molecules
A Rice laboratory has improved upon its ability to determine molecular structures in three dimensions in ways that challenge long-used standards. Junrong Zheng, assistant professor of chemistry, is quoted.
AzoNanotechnology
http://bit.ly/19mFI    F4

More extreme weather expected due to climate change
Ronald Sass, a fellow in global climate change at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in this article about the impact of climate change on the widespread heat waves across the globe this year.
Businessmirror.com
http://bit.ly/16C4ja6
What’s the weather like?
Frontier Post (Pakistan)
http://bit.ly/1cZopOk

Science briefs
Volker Rudolf, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, is quoted in this article about a Rice study that found that natural ecosystems are likely to be more sensitive to change than previously thought.
NewsObserver.com
http://bit.ly/17XPwSH

Career building 101: Do what you love
Rice alumnus Clint D. Carlson ’79 , a board member of Rice’s Management Co. and the Jones Graduate School of Business, is interviewed about his hedge fund firm and investment career.
PiOnline.com
http://bit.ly/17XO8Q1

A look at movers and shakers in tech and biotech
Edwards Wildman’s Intellectual Property Practice Group in Boston named Rice alumnus Christopher Cowles ’92 an associate in the firm’s Boston office.
Boston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/19t3cYY

Hires and promotions
Rice alumnus Brent Behm ’09 has joined Dabbert Custom Homes in Fargo, N.D., as a designer and draftsman.
InForum.com (Fargo-Moorhead, N.D.)
http://bit.ly/16oM8Ch

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Student news
Rice alumna Lindsey Anderson ’13 is noted for receiving her doctorate in applied physics.
Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah)
http://bit.ly/17XGdSH

Kaiser High School will host college symposium night Aug. 22
Rice will be represented at a college symposium at Kaiser High School in Fontana, Calif., Aug. 22.
Fontana Herald News (Fontana, Calif.)
http://bit.ly/1akcPfq

Why are soccer balls made of hexagons?
The article mentions the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry won by Rice scientists Robert Curl and the late Richard Smalley for discovering a spherical molecule made of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons.
MentalFloss.com
http://bit.ly/1bD7C0k

SPORTS

Rice coming off 1st winning season since 2008
Rice football head coach David Bailiff is quoted in this preview of the Owls’ 2013 season. Several players are mentioned.
Yahoo! Sports (This article also appeared in 22 other news outlets and five broadcast outlets.)
http://yhoo.it/12dNn6v

KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/1de4f1wManziel busy in Texas A&M scrimmage
The Owls’ football opener Aug. 31 against Texas A&M and Aggie quarterback Johnny Manziel is mentioned.
FoxSports.com
http://bit.ly/14VsUXZ

Aggies begin season No. 7 in AP poll, tying for highest start since 1999
Houston Chronicle (Stories mentioning Rice’s opener against Texas A&M appeared in 76 other news outlets and six broadcast outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1dlF65a
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/1de4f1w
Manziel busy in Texas A&M scrimmage
The Owls’ football opener Aug. 31 against Texas A&M and Aggie quarterback Johnny Manziel is mentioned.
FoxSports.com
http://bit.ly/14VsUXZ
Aggies begin season No. 7 in AP poll, tying for highest start since 1999
Houston Chronicle (Stories mentioning Rice’s opener against Texas A&M appeared in 76 other news outlets and six broadcast outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1dlF65a