Dateline Rice for June 10, 2014

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Material snags CO2 from natural gas
An Earth-friendly solution for separating carbon dioxide from natural gas at wellheads was developed in the laboratory of James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science. Tour is quoted. The Futurity and Popular Mechanics articles include a video produced by Public Affairs’ Brandon Martin.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/1ji6T6X
This black powder will make natural gas greener
Popular Mechanics
http://bit.ly/1mCyNvk
Major breakthrough for CO2 capture at natural gas sites
Bellona
http://bit.ly/1n3Ec03

Only technology can enable sustainability of both environment and economy
Charles McConnell, executive director of Rice University’s Energy and Environment Initiative, authored an op-ed about energy sustainability.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/1khCDc2

Sons of Serendip finding their sound
Alumnus Mason Morton ’10, a member of the Boston quartet Sons of Serendip, will perform with the group on the NBC show “America’s Got Talent.”
Boston Globe
http://bit.ly/1u1l4ST

HOUSTON/TEXAS

President Obama takes positive action on climate change
Ron Sass, the Harry C. and Olga Keith Wiess Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, authored a blog post about climate change.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1mCCscN

UT inquiry could help scuttle Hall impeachment
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about the attempt to impeach University of Texas regent Wallace Hall. He is also quoted about Sen. Robert Duncan’s replacement for Texas Senate District 28.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1xDmJCV
Rangel: Perry faces dilemma: Run for Senate or House?
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/Sv8K0V

Baker Institute ‘Viewpoints’ series explores potential for marijuana legalization in Texas
Nathan Jones, the Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, are mentioned for their contribution to the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s “Viewpoints” series on marijuana reform.
Spring Observer (This article also appeared in the Tomball Potpourri and Cypress Creek Mirror.)
http://bit.ly/1oQEh8C

Clear Creek Independent School District congratulates the Class of 2014
Clear Springs High School valedictorian Raymond Fang plans to attend Rice.
Bay Area Citizen
http://bit.ly/1jif6I9

BROADCAST

HISD rolling out plan to eliminate textbooks in high schools
Houston Independent School District is the first of Texas’ large districts to shift from printed textbooks to digital materials. Rice’s OpenStax College is referenced. Daniel Williamson, managing director of Rice’s Center for Digital Learning and Scholarship and project manager at OpenStax, is quoted.
KTRK-TV
http://bit.ly/SKAGyr
ABC 13
http://abc13.co/1pXAav6

Supercomputer dupes humans
A Russian program called “Eugene Goostman” passed the Turing Test, which determines if a computer is human based on text interactions. Moshe Vardi, the Karen Ostrum George Distinguished Service Professor of Computational Engineering and professor of computer science, is quoted.
KTRH-AM (This article also appeared in KPRC-AM.)
http://bit.ly/1ikwVq6
http://bit.ly/1oQnoLi
KTRK-TV
http://bit.ly/Svkn8f
KVUE-TV (Austin, Texas)
http://bit.ly/1l4pHWU

WCTI-TV (Greenville, N.C.)
Track and field head coach Jon Warren is featured.
http://bit.ly/1s2SxRf

NewsWorld-TV (Canada)
Rice’s research on stock splits is referenced.
http://bit.ly/1jia0vz

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

DNA-targeting test promises to simplify and accelerate HIV diagnosis
Rice bioengineers are developing a simple, accurate test to detect signs of HIV and its progress in patients living in low-resource settings. 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, and graduate students Zachary Crannell and Brittany Rohrman are mentioned.
The Engineer
http://bit.ly/1oQGP6C
Mobile DNA test for HIV in development
Medical News Today
http://bit.ly/1kXGIIf

Advances in light sources: Fiber lasers tune to the visible
Frequency-converted fiber lasers are replacing ring dye laser technology. Tom Killian, professor and chair of physics and astronomy, is referenced for his research on the properties of ultracold atoms.
Laser Focus World
http://bit.ly/1lkHvl4

Opening a wide window on the nano-world of surface catalysis
Scientists from Rice and the University of South Carolina have shown how to get real-time reaction information from Ag nanocatalysts that are notoriously difficult to study. Peter Nordlander, professor of physics and astronomy and in electrical and computer engineering, is mentioned.
ECNMag.com
http://bit.ly/1mC9CZU

Carbon nanotubes purified/modified to deliver chemo to pancreatic cancer cells
Pristine nanotubes developed at Rice have the potential to deliver drugs to pancreatic cancer cells and destroy them.
MedGadget
http://bit.ly/1qnHAVN

What’s the world to do about water?
The late Richard Smalley is referenced for his lecture given at Rice’s Energy & Nanotechnology Conference.
Popular Science
http://bit.ly/1qopyCN

Thin-film device eyed as power source for wearable tech
Rice chemists created a flexible material with the high energy of a battery or supercapacitor. 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 mentioned.
Design News
http://ubm.io/1kMDFl3

Change in US LNG permit process to streamline approvals: DOE official
Principal deputy assistant secretary for Fossil Energy Christopher Smith discussed the proposed changes for project approvals by the U.S. Department of Energy at Rice.
Platts.com
http://bit.ly/1lkyMzj

Il ricercatore Cnr Giovanni Pezzulo riceve il prestigioso finanziamento Human Frontiers Science Program per giovani ricercatori
Caleb Kemere, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is mentioned.
Padova News (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1l4h8vj

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Are ghosts real?
Jeffrey Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religious Studies, is featured for his commentary on the survival of a soul after death.
Beliefnet
http://bit.ly/1ikCMvi

Does the Alibaba IPO mark a new stage for Chinese companies in the US?
Yan Anthea Zhang, professor of management, is quoted about Alibaba, the largest e-commerce website in China.
CKGSB Knowledge
http://bit.ly/1mCzMfh

Top 25 colleges with the best weather
Best College Reviews included Rice in a list of the top 25 U.S. colleges with the best weather, based on days without cloud cover and warm weather activities.
Travelers Today
http://bit.ly/1qoo1N0

Melvin Tennant to address St. Peter’s AME Church’s Annual Men’s Day
Alumnus Melvin Tennant ’82 will be the keynote speaker for the 15th annual Men’s Day program at St. Peter’s AME Church in Minneapolis.
InsightNews.com
http://bit.ly/1khUsHN

Waco ISD piloting hands-on pre-K STEM program
Waco Independent School District will use STEMscopes Early Explorer to bring science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to pre-kindergarten students. The data collected from the STEM curriculum, created by Rice and Accelerate Learning, will be used to expand its reach to offer STEMscopes nationwide.
The Journal (This article also appeared in eSchool News and T.H.E. Journal.)
http://bit.ly/1nvxnpK

ISRI Convention draws large crowd, national attention
John F. Kennedy’s speech given at Rice in 1962 is referenced.
AMM.com
http://bit.ly/1oa8Fin

Multitasking Century grad enters college ‘undeclared’
Century High School graduate Taylor Jacobe plans to attend Rice this fall.
The Advocate
http://bit.ly/1oIfLZ6

Heights house gets a modern, metal update
Alumnus Palmer Schooley ’85 is featured for his renovated house in the Heights.
SeattlePI.com
http://bit.ly/1n3Pkda

Community column for June 10, 2014
Alumna Baraynia Robillard ’14 is mentioned.
The Advocate
http://bit.ly/1s2Yz4r

SPORTS

6 Mavericks professionally drafted, breaks school record
Rice tied with University of Texas at Arlington and Texas Christian University for the most draft picks in Texas.
The Shorthorn
http://bit.ly/TF8rC9

Hess, Hornberger participate in NCAA Career in Sports Forum
Rice Athletics Director Joe Karlgaard attended the 2014 NCAA Career in Sports Forum in Indianapolis.
YSUSports.com
http://bit.ly/1hEAxbo

Tulane taps Sam Houston’s Pierce as new coach
Former Rice assistant baseball coach David Pierce is the new coach at Tulane University.
USA Today (This article also appeared in NewsObserver.com and 43 other media outlets.)
http://usat.ly/1pfOy1C
Latest Texas sports
My Fox Houston (This article also appeared in KTBC-TV and KDFW-TV.)
http://bit.ly/1pB7XYA

NEWS RELEASES

Zoghbi elected to Rice University Board of Trustees
Pioneering geneticist and neurobiologist Dr. Huda Zoghbi of Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital has been elected to the Rice University Board of Trustees.
http://bit.ly/1ikU9ML

James A. and Susan G. Baker establish endowed fellowship to honor Edward and Françoise Djerejian
The Honorable James A. Baker III, the 61st U.S. secretary of state, and Susan G. Baker have generously established an endowed fellowship to honor the work of Edward Djerejian, the founding director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and his wife, Françoise.
http://bit.ly/TFlUtz