Dateline Rice for Aug. 1, 2014

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

A new college ranking has some familiar caveats
Rice is the highest-ranked Texas university at No. 32 on Forbes’ list of America’s top colleges and No. 20 on Time magazine’s list of best colleges for your money.
CBS News
http://cbsn.ws/1nSazCp
Tops in Texas: Rice University up, University of Houston down on best college lists
CultureMap
http://bit.ly/1uOzY4x
Texas A&M and Rice University trump UT on new best colleges lists
CultureMap Austin
http://bit.ly/1rWxrn2
Forbes: Rice University best college in Texas
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/1qu96Ag
Texas colleges rank at the top
Fox 29 (San Antonio)
http://bit.ly/1odaDMG

Book review: ‘Chasing Shadows’ and ‘The Nixon Tapes’
Washington Post writer David Greenberg reviews “The Nixon Tapes” by Douglas Brinkley, professor of history and fellow in history at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and Texas A&M University historian Luke Nichter. Brinkley will also discuss “Politics, Climate Change and History” at the 11th American Renewable Energy Day Summit and appear on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” [Editor’s note: Brinkley changed his plans and will not be appearing on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.”]
Washington Post
http://wapo.st/1ljsv43
TV highlights: ‘The Killing’ returns for its final season on Netflix
Washington Post
http://wapo.st/1ljuple
News in brief
Aspen Daily News
http://bit.ly/1odIbdm

Banning the burqa: Liberation or oppression?
Graduate student Rainer Ebert authored an op-ed about burqa legislation in France.
BDNews24.com
http://bit.ly/1oe1e7y

DNA may shape political affiliations: Experts
John Alford, associate professor of political science, is featured for his collaborative research on political bias.
Economic Times (This article also appeared in Science Codex, Phys.org, ScienceNewsline and DailyNewsEn.com.)
http://bit.ly/1qyfird

Editorial: For too many gays, ‘tolerance’ is a 1-way street
Some heterosexual business school students have reportedly attended career fairs for lesbian, gay and bisexual students. The Jones Graduate School of Business advises students to learn about the organizations hosting the conference before making a decision to attend. Rice MBA students attend such conferences at their own expense.
Washington Times
http://bit.ly/1kb1rJg

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Local GOP flush with cash under new leader
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 Harris County Republican Party’s financial improvement and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s unwavering legislation opposition. He is also cited for his Liberal-Conservative index.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the City/State section and also in San Antonio Express-News.)
http://bit.ly/1s9SNux
House border bill implodes, and Ted Cruz stands amid wreckage (+ video)
Christian Science Monitor (This article also appeared in Yahoo! News.)
http://bit.ly/1zDe6bz
Premature promotion talk
Agenda Wise
http://bit.ly/UQi5BN

Democratic opponent to county judge abandons race
Democrat Ahmad Hassan ended his campaign for Harris County judge against Harris County Judge Ed Emmett ’71 to allow for Emmett to finish projects vital to the community.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/WRptPo

New law hampers Galveston Bay storm study
A spending law recently passed by Congress is making it difficult to decide on the best way to protect the Texas coast from future storms. Rice’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center’s proposed Centennial Gate, which would protect the Houston Ship Channel, is competing against the Ike Dike as a solution.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1zD6buB

What to watch for: Obamacare appeals
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 Texans potentially losing their subsidies if the legal challenge facing the Affordable Care Act is upheld.
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1zDo3pt

Reinventing Rice Village
Rice Design Alliance’s young professionals group rdAGENTS is challenging teams to produce renovation plans for a selected site in Rice Village. Mary Beth Woiccak, the Rice Design Alliance’s assistant director for programs, is quoted.
Houstonia Magazine
http://bit.ly/1ogMy33

Ebola virus outbreak worsens as area medical officials are on alert
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning to avoid traveling to West Africa, due to its severe outbreak of the Ebola virus. Peter Hotez, a fellow in disease and poverty at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Spring Observer (This article also appeared in Cleveland Advocate and Tomball Potpourri.)
http://bit.ly/1qxVXXd

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Researchers uncover clues to flu’s mechanisms
Researchers from Rice and Baylor College of Medicine used computer simulations to study flu viruses, which may lead to a vaccine cure. José Onuchic, co-director of the center and Rice’s Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy, contributed to the research.
Medical Xpress (This article also appeared in Science Daily, Science Codex, BioPortfolio, HealthCanal, Innovations Report, News-Medical and Infection Control Today.)
http://bit.ly/1xKbLsh
How flu virus infects host cells
India Tribune (This article also appeared in New Kerala.)
http://bit.ly/1sbtVDI

Superconductors: Physical link to strange electronic behavior
A Rice-led team of U.S., German and Chinese physicists published the first evidence of a link between magnetic properties and the material’s tendency to become a better conductor of electricity. Pengcheng Dai, professor of physics and astronomy; Andriy Nevidomskyy, assistant professor of physics and astronomy; and Qimiao Si, the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy, are quoted.
Space Daily (This article also appeared in Science 2.0, Science Codex, Innovations Report, DailyNewsEn.com, Nanotechnology Now and Phys.org.)
http://bit.ly/UQm29y

This 1-D graphene switches from conductor to insulator when it stretches
Rice researchers found that stretching carbyne by 3 percent can change its properties, which may be useful for mechanically activated electronics and optics. Postdoctoral researcher Vasilii Artyukhov is mentioned.
Gizmodo Australia (This article also appeared in Science Alert and Yahoo!.)
http://bit.ly/1rWtbUt

DiBS’ BioWheel aims to paint a dynamic picture of life sciences data
Rice researchers developed a software called Data is Beautiful Solutions to help health care researchers visualize data on patient demographics, disease and treatment options. Amina Qutub, assistant professor of bioengineering, and Duncan College senior Alex Bisberg are quoted. Graduate student Wendy Hu is mentioned.
Xconomy
http://bit.ly/1ogBdQD

The discovery of buckyballs
Scientist Sir Harry Kroto, Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Robert Curl and the late Richard Smalley are mentioned for their paper “C60 Buckminsterfullerene” and their Nobel Prize in chemistry in a blog post about the origin of buckyballs.
Chemistry World
http://rsc.li/UFFpCt

Taking great ideas from the lab to the fab
The National Science Foundation announced the first InTrans award of $3 million to a team of researchers who are designing customizable computing technologies for health care use. The research team includes experts in electrical engineering and medicine from Rice.
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1kb3HQI

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

For discussion: Urban education expert says we need to stop blaming black parents for underachievement
An op-ed cites research by Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research that recently found that African-Americans are most likely to value a postsecondary education as important to becoming successful, followed by Asians and Latinos.
Bossip (This article also appeared in York Dispatch.)
http://bit.ly/XoX0jS

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Talent
The importance of practice versus inborn talent is the focus of a research paper co-authored by Fred Oswald, department chair and professor of psychology.
Punch
http://bit.ly/1kb6hpN

SPORTS

WSBT-TV (South Bend, Ind.)
Notre Dame will play its first game on its new FieldTurf against the Rice Owls.
http://bit.ly/UQoeOm (Similar broadcasts appeared in 10 other media outlets.)

NEWS RELEASES

Researchers uncover clues to flu’s mechanisms
A flu virus acts like a Trojan horse as it attacks and infects host cells. Scientists at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have acquired a clearer view of the well-hidden mechanism involved.
http://bit.ly/1s9dXJr

Baker Institute expert available to comment on Ebola virus outbreak
Sierra Leone’s president has declared a state of emergency over the largest outbreak of the Ebola virus in history. Dr. Peter Hotez, the fellow in disease and poverty at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is available to comment on the outbreak and its implications.
http://bit.ly/1u75CGx

Study finds physical link to strange electronic behavior
Scientists have new clues this week about one of the baffling electronic properties of the iron-based high-temperature superconductor barium iron nickel arsenide. A Rice University-led team of U.S., German and Chinese physicists has published the first evidence, based on sophisticated neutron measurements, of a link between magnetic properties and the material’s tendency, at sufficiently low temperatures, to become a better conductor of electricity in some directions than in others.
http://bit.ly/1zDrwUZ

Liberals and conservatives: Hardwired to disagree?
Are liberals and conservatives hardwired to disagree? New research from Rice University and the University of Nebraska suggests that this may be the case.
http://bit.ly/1uPfbxM