Dateline Rice for Oct. 28, 2014

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

This ‘sticky’ process builds collagen fibers
Rice researchers published two detailed papers on how collagen fibers self-assemble. Jeffrey Hartgerink, professor of chemistry and of bioengineering, is quoted. Graduate students Katherine Jochim, Abihishek Jalan, Biplab Sarkar and alumna Lesley O’Leary ’10 are mentioned.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/1sA8Ejd
‘Sticky’ ends start synthetic collagen growth
Phys.org (This article also appeared in R&D Mag, Bio-Medicine, BioPortfolio, Science Codex and HealthCanal.)
http://bit.ly/1rS0Ji4

The most loved statues on college campuses
Rice’s statue of its founder William Marsh Rice is included in a list of statues that are special to their schools.
Huffington Post
http://huff.to/1tfanjb

Teen wins US peace prize for 100 Men Reading program
Rice’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies is cited for its “The 30 Million Word Gap” study in an article about early childhood development.
USA Today (This article also appeared in KHOU-TV and 33 other media outlets.)
http://usat.ly/131hRMM

It’s clear: Internet consumers want more access, choice
A Rice professor is used as an example of someone who would benefit from high-speed Internet that delivers more content in an op-ed about the United States’ improvement in Internet connections.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/1wEcLCs

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Crude to fall to $70 next year, report predicts
Goldman Sachs reported that U.S. benchmark crude prices will fall to $70 per barrel in 2015. Kenneth Medlock III, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and lecturer of economics, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front page. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1zEefPj
Gas at $3 carries rewards — and risks
Yahoo! Finance (This article also appeared in the Wall Street Journal.)
http://yhoo.it/1oW5prK
Shale boom shrugs off falling prices
Washington Examiner
http://washex.am/1vb0ks6

Texas near bottom of the heap in ‘political engagement,’ in other words, voting
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, comments on Texas’ No. 48 ranking in political engagement according to WalletHub.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1xAQtyh

Wisconsin US House candidate biographies
Alumnus Chris Rockwood ’85 is profiled.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1tfjqkf

Sally Ride Science Festival gears females toward STEM careers
Rice hosted a Sally Ride Science Festival on campus Oct. 25. Patricia Reiff, professor of physics and astronomy, is quoted.
CW39
http://bit.ly/ZREeTc

Cruz still Texans’ choice, but Perry gains ground
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, comments on Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Ted Cruz’s need to appeal to non-Texans for the 2016 presidential election, the insurance debate among candidates for House District 23, Sen. Wendy Davis’ recent church visits and President of Bolivia Evo Morales’ re-election.
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1waUnj5
HD-23 rivals hope insurance debate pays dividends
The Texas Tribune (This article also appeared in Concho Valley and Permian Basin.)
http://bit.ly/1nNp8ZO
Wendy Davis visits 6 Houston-area churches
Austin American-Statesman
http://bit.ly/1tBRZ3Y
Bolivia: Morales re- election
Watch (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1DqZcFj

Rice University best college in Texas, new ranking says
Rice is included in a slideshow of the top Texas universities according to USA Today’s blog College Factual.
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1nNqkML
Find out how Texas colleges measure up in latest ranking
Beaumont Enterprise
http://bit.ly/ZWztaX

UT Southwestern professor Kimberly Reynolds awarded by Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Alumna Kimberly Reynolds ’01 was awarded one of fourteen Moore Investigators in Data-Driven Discovery grants from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Science Program.
Bio-News Texas
http://bit.ly/1tBLgHk

Former Dallas mayor Starke Taylor Jr. dead at 92
Alumnus Austin Starke Taylor Jr. ’43 died.
Kera News (This article also appeared in the Dallas Morning News.)
http://bit.ly/1wIU7cN

BROADCAST

Germany marks 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall
The dedication of the piece of the Berlin Wall at Rice’s James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy is pictured.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1wzq0lt

Housing in Houston, political roundtable and sports Monday: Houston Matters for Monday, Oct. 27, 2014
Paul Brace, the Clarence L. Carter Professor of Political Science, discusses the governor and lieutenant governor campaigns.
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/1DrbX2z

WBFO-FM (Buffalo, N.Y.)
Tony Payan, the Baker Institute’s Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the institute’s Mexico Center, is quoted about Mexico’s shale production.
http://bit.ly/ZYMws6 (This also appeared on WBUR-FM and WDDE-FM.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Rice team sets sights on better voting machine
Rice computer security experts are working with collaborators to design a secure voting system that is cheaper and simpler to use than current voting machines. Phil Kortum, assistant professor of psychology; Dan Wallach, professor of computer science and of electrical and computer engineering; and Michael Byrne, professor of psychology, are quoted. Postdoctoral research fellow Claudia Acemyan is mentioned.
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1v9Jlqj

The untapped value of overseas experience
Haiyang Li, professor of strategic management, is cited for his research on the ventures of returnees and locals of China.
Strategy + Business
http://bit.ly/ZWPXQc

Houston meets the Xconomists, spotlights energy, biotech innovation
Rice is mentioned as a sponsor of Xconomy’s “Meet the Xconomists” event.
Xconomy
http://bit.ly/1szStCu

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

MTA taps NTSB for new safety czar
Alumnus David Mayer ’90 has been named the National Transportation Safety Board’s Chief Safety Officer.
Railway Age
http://bit.ly/1waSTFw

SPORTS

Panthers have four games left to get it together
Rice football will play against Florida International University Nov. 1 in Miami.
FIUSM.com
http://bit.ly/ZWGyZ7

NEWS RELEASES

‘When We Were Free to Be’ – Marlo Thomas’ iconic book topic of Rice lecture Nov. 12
Cultural historian Lori Rotskoff will discuss how a 1972 children’s record, book and TV special by actress and social activist Marlo Thomas, “Free to Be,” still speaks to families today as part of Rice University’s Gray/Wawro Lecture Series Nov. 12.
http://bit.ly/1tBTxek

Rice’s Shell Center for Sustainability to host ‘How Sustainable is the Texas Coast? Are We in a State of Denial?’ Oct. 29
Rice University’s Shell Center for Sustainability will host “How Sustainable is the Texas Coast? Are We in a State of Denial?” Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Duncan Hall’s McMurtry Auditorium on the Rice campus.
http://bit.ly/ZYMd0o

Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley available to discuss Berlin Wall anniversary
Rice University presidential historian and editor of “The Reagan Diaries” Douglas Brinkley is available for news media interviews to discuss the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The wall fell Nov. 9, 1989.
http://bit.ly/1wE1795