Dateline Rice for March 17, 2014 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEM

Beyond the roar of March madness, a sea change is in the works
Rice President David Leebron, a member of the NCAA Division I board of directors, discusses changes in Division I governance policies with Chronicle staff writer David Barron. Former senior associate athletics director Steve Moniaci is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This appeared on the front page.)
http://bit.ly/ObBqL4
Rice president discusses task force, goals
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1kqm7Jw
Q-and-A with Rice president David Leebron: The changing NCAA
San Antonio Express
http://bit.ly/PIl9OL

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Tool uses LED lights to test genetic circuits
In a significant advance for the growing field of synthetic biology, Rice bioengineers have created a toolkit of genes and hardware that uses colored lights and engineered bacteria to bring both mathematical predictability and cut-and-paste simplicity to the world of genetic circuit design. Jeffrey Tabor, assistant professor of bioengineering, and Evan Olson, graduate student and lead author, are quoted.
Futurity (This appeared on the home page.)
http://bit.ly/1guEOGW
Bioengineers invent ‘light tube array,’ ‘bioscilloscope’ to test, debug genetic circuits
Innovation Toronto
http://bit.ly/1dgFG1H

This 1,800-year-old letter is from a homesick soldier
Doctoral candidate Grant Adamson translated a letter found outside a temple in the Egyptian town of Tebtunis using infrared images to read the centuries-old text. April DeConick, the Isla Carroll Turner and Percy Turner Professor of Religious Studies and department chair, is also quoted.
Futurity (This appeared on the home page.)
http://bit.ly/1qLX9bl
Ancient Egyptian soldier’s letter home deciphered
JRN.com
http://bit.ly/1ddmH8j
Rice grad student deciphers 1,800-year-old letter from Egyptian soldier
Houston Style Magazine (This article also appeared in Bellaire Examiner.)
http://bit.ly/1nyBioy
Researcher deciphers 1,800-year-old letter from Egyptian soldier
Binary CSE
http://bit.ly/1hsBmyM

This woman could turn Texas purple — and it’s not Wendy Davis
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, is quoted about the Texas primary.
The Washington Post
http://wapo.st/1fzhEz2
The brief: Will rightward tilt of senate doom two-thirds rule?
Texas Tribune
http://bit.ly/PIlVvc
Primary results suggest Texas Senate will get more conservative
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1guL959
Deuell not backing off criticism of Michael Quinn Sullivan
Dallas Morning News
http://dallasne.ws/OolDbH
Q-and-A: Michael Quinn Sullivan of Empower Texans
Dallas Morning News
http://dallasne.ws/1nrYAfY
How a Patrick win in November could help Democrats
San Antonio Express (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1nyhhyD

News survey suggests science and religion are compatible, but scientists have their doubts
Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair and Professor of Sociology, co-director of the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance and director of Rice’s Religion and Public Life Program, conducted a study that supported coexistence and introduced similarities among science and religious communities. She is also referenced for her presentation on “Faith, Science and Justice.”
Huffington Post
http://huff.to/1cQQRTZ
Science matters: 20 ways to pursue justice through science
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1lI7KQH

Down slopes, along trails, up the aisle
Alumnus Eric Sundstrom ’06 is featured.
New York Times
http://nyti.ms/1iV26NL

American students save babies’ lives with aquarium pumps
An article features Rice’s innovative engineering program designed to get students to learn about problems of rural hospitals and then find solutions. Maria Oden, director of Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen and co-director of Beyond Traditional Borders, and Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Stanley C. Moore Professor and chair of the Department of Bioengineering and director of both Beyond Traditional Borders and Rice 360°: Institute for Global Health Technologies, are quoted.
WQAD.com (This article also appeared in CNNMoney.com and 54 other affiliates.)
http://bit.ly/1p3vYoT
Premature babies being aided by low cost machines made from aquarium pumps
Growing Your Baby
http://bit.ly/1oijgUB
Breathing machines made from aquarium parts saving infant’s lives
Komando.com
http://bit.ly/1nyfppq

America movil: Death of a Mexican monopoly foretold
Ifetel announced new regulations that require America Movil to share its telecom infrastructure with competitors. Tony Payan, a fellow for Mexico studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and director of the Baker Institute’s Mexico Center, is quoted.
The Motley Fool
http://bit.ly/1icLwpb

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Renowned economist Antonio Merlo named chair of Department of Economics
Rice President David Leebron and Provost George McLendon announced the appointment of renowned economist Antonio Merlo as chair of Rice’s Department of Economics and director of the Rice Economics Initiative, a new multiyear plan to enhance economics research and teaching at Rice. Merlo has also been named the George A. Peterkin Professor of Economics. The appointments are effective July 1.
Bellaire Examiner
http://bit.ly/1kWR5M2

Could you be replaced by machines?
Christopher Bronk, fellow in information technology policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article about machines taking over the job market.
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1cQwshW

Foster: An alarm about our changing state
Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, is featured for his book “Changing Texas: Implications of Addressing or Ignoring the Texas Challenge.”
Longview News-Journal
http://bit.ly/OoDYFM

Census data show a 3rd of area’s adults without health coverage
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of economics, is quoted about the amount of uninsured Texans despite the Obama administration’s efforts.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1iVnP8q
Texas health insurance enrollment numbers lag as coverage deadline nears
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1ecis0l

23rd annual KTRU Outdoor Show
Due to rain, this year’s KTRU Outdoor Show was held in Rice’s Great Hall.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1md40cZ

Mohsin Hamid on fiction, family, TV and self-help
Mohsin Hamid and Daniel Alarcón will appear as part of the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series March 24 at Rice’s Stude Concert Hall.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1ivDvMN
Author seeks to connect with universal ideas
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/OoElA7

Bob Earthman follows calling, marks 50 years as funeral director
Alumnus James Earthman ’25 is mentioned in an article about Bob Earthman’s history as a funeral director.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1icThLX

Rice Interfaith SermonSlam
Rice students participated in the Rice Interfaith SermonSlam at Willy’s Pub.
Jewish Herald-Voice
http://bit.ly/1dgHmbD

The ultimate guide to FotoFest: 5 don’t-miss events from Houston’s international photo party
Ussama Makdisi, the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies and professor of history, and Farès el-Dahdah, professor of architecture and director of the Humanities Research Center, organized a talk on “Arabophobia” for the FotoFest Bioennial March 15 to April 27.
CultureMap
http://bit.ly/1kX1Ttz
Contemporary Arab video, photography and mixed media art featured at Houston exhibition
Arab Daily News
http://bit.ly/1gyz57l

What’s the matter with Rice?
Rice’s plan to demolish the Martel Center and replace it with grass has been put on hold due to alumni supporters.
Arts and Culture Texas
http://bit.ly/1fD8wJC
What’s the matter with Rice? Part 2
Arts and Culture Texas
http://bit.ly/1kXsabm
Protests delay planned demolition of former Rice Museum, may mean more gentle dismantling, reconstruction elsewhere
Swamplot
http://bit.ly/1iWoPop

Space still is exciting, especially now in Downtown Bryan
Rice is mentioned as part of the Space Grant Consortium.
The Eagle
http://bit.ly/1iVNGZF

Freshman experience linked to long-term success
Rice is mentioned to have reached a 96 percent rate of returning first-year students.
The Daily Cougar
http://bit.ly/1mcWwXA
Freshman experience linked to long-term success
U Wire
http://bit.ly/1iVhPg1

BROADCAST

Will you have to pay a healthcare penalty come March 31?
Marah Short, a senior research analyst at Rice’s Baker Institute’s Health Policy Forum, discusses healthcare enrollment in Texas on the National Public Radio program “Houston Matters.”
KUHF-FM
http://bit.ly/1o2TFPt

Volunteers expand search for missing Rice University student in Florida
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida is expanding the ground search for missing Martel senior Reny Jose.
KTRK-TV
http://bit.ly/Oo9N1m
Missing spring breaker’s mother still hopeful
WJHG.com
http://bit.ly/1p3ljdO
Missing spring breaker’s family asks for help
WJHG.com
http://bit.ly/1kWVWgn
Family of missing spring breaker reaches out for help
News Herald
http://bit.ly/1gytxts
With portable beach jails and extra medical staff, Florida copes with spring breakers
Canada.com
http://bit.ly/1gub8JX
Spring break in Florida: Here come the tourists
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in WRAL.com and 67 other affiliates.)
http://bit.ly/1gFzxgv

Pro-pot Republicans meet this weekend in Houston
Nathan Jones, the Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, spoke at the Republican inaugural meeting about the legalization of marijuana.
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/OoCcUV

KRIV-TV
Richard Stoll, the Albert Thomas Chair in Political Science and scholar at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed about Crimea’s potential split from Ukraine.
http://bit.ly/1fD4CjO

Dash-cam video shows Rice police beating man who stole bike
A Harris County Grand Jury did not indict Rice police officers who arrested a man last summer for stealing a bike from campus. Rice police chief Johnny Whitehead and Hanszen sophomore Joseph Formella are quoted.
KHOU-TV (This also appeared in Yahoo! Australia.)
http://bit.ly/1gg0AOk
Watch: Rice University police beat bike thief
CBS News
http://cbsn.ws/1cQNIDJ
Ups and downs
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1hs0S7g
Sunday letters: The Little Couple, Rice police officers
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1nybF7p

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

New technique to analyze conformations of complex molecular machines
Biophysicists at Rice use a miniscule machine — a protease called an FtsH-AAA hexameric peptidase — as a model to test calculations that combine genetic and structural data. José Onuchic, co-director of Rice’s Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy, and postdoctoral researchers Biman Jana and Faruck Morcos are mentioned.
Phys.org (This article also appeared in e! Science News, R&D Magazine, BioPortfolio, Bio-Medicine, ScienceDaily and Nanotechnology Now.)
http://bit.ly/1kqZncc
Big data tackles tiny molecular machines
Science 360 (This appeared on the home page.)
http://1.usa.gov/1oiiPtr

Houston schools BCM, Rice, UH get high science grades on recent US News list of best graduate programs
Rice is mentioned for its high rankings in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings for the best graduate schools in the United States.
BioNews Texas
http://bit.ly/1fRW6lX

Graphene nanoribbons an ice-melting coat for radar
James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science, is quoted in an article about the development of graphene nanoribbons.
PCIMag.com
http://bit.ly/1kCyUbT

The academic week ahead
Rice is participating in the 2014 EFMD MBA Conference in Berlin.
FT.com
http://on.ft.com/1hrT1Xn

Buy small for deep profits: Interview with Mike Breard
Alumnus Mike Breard ’63 is interviewed.
The Energy Collective (This article also appeared in Mining.com.)
http://bit.ly/1ohZWH9

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Patients are already suffering from tar sands, nurses say
A Rice study about toxins in Houston is referenced in an article about the Keystone XL.
ThinkProgress
http://bit.ly/1gurtOL
Nurses demand Secretary Kerry prove no health harm from KXL, ‘Don’t pipeline my patients’
DailyKos.com
http://bit.ly/1fS2MAy

Technologists turn on Obama
Rice signed on to a brief that represents a large group of computer science experts and professors to support the American Civil Liberties Union’s lawsuit over the NSA’s mass call records collection program.
The Beachwood Reporter
http://bit.ly/1g32DLH

UGA chefs will battle it out in national culinary challenge
Chefs from Rice will compete in the Culinary Challenge at the National Association of College and University Food Services Southern Region Conference March 26.
Red and Black
http://bit.ly/OoAm6x

Working with stupid people hazardous to health
Former fellow in mathematics and child prodigy William James Sidis is referenced.
Independent Online
http://bit.ly/1ohNOG6

SPORTS

College track: Rice’s Uke takes 8th at NCAA Indoor Championships
Rice junior thrower Claire Uke claimed eighth in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship meet. Head women’s track-and-field coach Jim Bevan is quoted.
Humble Observer (This article also appeared in Atascocita Observer.)
http://bit.ly/1gypcq8

Rice baseball: Owls nip FIU in extras 3-2
Rice men’s baseball won against Florida International University 3-2 at the Conference USA opener. Juniors Zech Lemond and Matt Ditman and senior Michael Aquino are mentioned.
College Baseball Central
http://bit.ly/1icUAdV

Ben Braun resigns as head coach at Rice after six seasons, 63-128 record
Head basketball coach Ben Braun is stepping down after six years of coaching at Rice.
NCAA.com
http://bit.ly/Nnmfxh

Photo: Rice University’s alternate jerseys are pretty cool
Rice’s baseball jerseys are commended for their design.
CBSSports.com
http://cbsprt.co/PIIgbP

RGV capsules: Gamboa, La Fiera clinch spots in league, cup finals
Rice men’s tennis won against University of Texas-Pan American 6-0 at the Galleria Tennis & Athletic Club.
Brownsville Herald
http://bit.ly/1ohWnRl

Anthony Rendon bulks up in preparation for Washington Nationals season
Alumnus Anthony Rendon ’12 is featured.
The Washington Post
http://wapo.st/OomR6R

NEWS RELEASES

Shepherd School Opera and Chamber Orchestra to present ‘Albert Herring’
The Shepherd School of Music’s Opera Department and Chamber Orchestra will present its spring opera, Benjamin Britten’s “Albert Herring,” March 28 and 30 and April 1. The production will be directed by Richard Bado, director of Rice’s Opera Studies Program, and staged by guest director Brad Dalton.
http://bit.ly/1lIkxm9

The politics of reform in China topic at Rice’s Baker Institute March 24
The politics of reform in China and the country’s global dreams will be the topic of a March 24 discussion at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The event is co-sponsored by the institute’s China Studies Program and Rice’s Chao Center for Asian Studies.
http://bit.ly/1fD4S2k