Dateline Rice for Nov. 13, 2014

FEATURED ITEMS

Is there an economic rationale for socialized medicine for veterans?
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of economics, authored an op-ed about the Department of Veterans Affairs health system as an example of government intervention in health care.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/1xvZ8mQ

Oil will rise again, but it could take awhile
Though it took months for oil prices to drop to its lowest level in four years, it could take more than a year to rebound. Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about Saudi Arabia’s desire to keep prices low.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front page. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1xRz7gX
Gas prices drop but could signal problems
Cleveland Advocate (This article also appeared in Pasadena Citizen.)
http://bit.ly/1u5WvqA

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

And the best US architecture schools for 2015 are …
Rice is No. 3 on DesignIntelligence’s list of the top 10 U.S. architecture undergraduate programs and No. 7 for graduate programs.
Huffington Post
http://huff.to/1uqjD4r

Madagascar team tracks lemurs as they spread the seeds of the rainforest
Amy Dunham, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and graduate student Onja Razafindratsima are studying the positive impact lemurs have on tree populations in Madagascar. The article includes a video produced by Rice’s Brandon Martin.
ESA.org
http://bit.ly/1xROWUX

Comet landing: Philae Lander successfully reaches comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko
The European Space Agency achieved its first comet landing Wednesday. Patricia Reiff, professor of physics and astronomy, comments on the difficulty of this achievement.
International Business Times
http://bit.ly/1ugENlS

Houston Gilbert and Sullivan Society to hold concert to raise scholarship funds
The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston will present the Gilbert and Sullivan Scholarship Concert Dec. 6 in Rice’s Hamman Hall.
Examiner.com
http://exm.nr/1EzzSxg

Franklin Chang-Diaz interview
Franklin Chang-Diaz, adjunct professor of physics and astronomy, is interviewed about space travel and his personal background.
Ask Men
http://bit.ly/1xwqtFo

The blackest painting in the world
Artist Frederik de Wilde collaborated with Rice and NASA to create a hue “blacker than black” with carbon nanotubes. His painting featuring the hue is on display at Carroll/Fletcher in London.
Design Week
http://bit.ly/1xtmIAL

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Light fantastic
James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Rice campus is featured.
Texas Highways
http://bit.ly/1oRGUM5

Designer Trina Turk to headline foundation’s fashion show
Alumna Katherine Whaley ’04 will walk the runway at the annual fashion show and luncheon supporting the Spring Branch Education Foundation.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1tMzB3W

Culture scene: Nov. 13-19
Colombian violinist and conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada will use Spanish language commentary to discuss his performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony at Rice’s Stude Concert Hall.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/11lazDb

Chronicle critics offer entertainment suggestions
Deke Weaver’s “The Unreliable Bestiary” will play at Rice’s Media Center Nov. 15.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/111w1vK

Texas composers competed to provide the soundtracks to silent films
Rice Cinema is mentioned as a venue for the Houston Cinema Arts Festival.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1xBJ1oM

Rice U. offers certificate of engineering leadership
Rice will award a Certificate in Engineering Leadership to students who complete a special program offered through the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership. Kaz Karwowski, executive director of the center, is quoted.
Eagle Ford Texas (This article also appeared in Powder Bulk Solids.)
http://bit.ly/1v6h5L3

SMU, UTD, Texas Christian ranked among nation’s best MBA programs
Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business’ Master of Business Administration program is No. 25 in Bloomberg’s Businessweek’s ranking of the best full-time MBA programs in the U.S.
Dallas Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1u5TxlV
Rice MBA ranked No. 25 in US
Tomball Potpourri (This article also appeared in Spring Observer.)
http://bit.ly/1wrRjvq

McNeely: A bad day for Democrats
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 Battleground Texas’ efforts to turn Texas Democratic.
Longview News-Journal (This article also appeared in Pleasanton Express and Abilene Reporter-News.)
http://bit.ly/11ldtYA

1st of the Andrew W. Mellon undergraduate fellows in curatorial training announced by 5 major American museums
Jones College senior Jenny Cernada was selected for the Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program.
Houston Style Magazine
http://bit.ly/1EGMIMg

Geoscientists recreate ancient history and shed light on possible new oil reservoirs
Rice collaborated with four petroleum companies to fund an undergraduate research project in the Llano area in central Texas.
Mason County News
http://bit.ly/1tMLs1Q

Free weekend fun in Houston Nov. 14-16
The Chamber Music Festival performance of “Spotlight on Music with a German Accent” will be at Rice’s Duncan Recital Hall Nov. 15.
Houston on the Cheap
http://bit.ly/1wU9k9B

BROADCAST

Forgotten heroes: The Indian Army in the Great War
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, was interviewed for a program retelling the stories of soldiers from the Indian army who fought in the World War I.
BBC Radio 2
http://bbc.in/1wXCip9

Should Cannabis be legal for medical purposes?
Community leaders discussed the legalization of medical marijuana in Texas at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
My Fox Houston
http://bit.ly/1yCHEVc
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/111y9nr
KRIV-TV
http://bit.ly/11lxVbO
http://bit.ly/1pVGODZ

KWTX-TV (Waco, Texas)
Rice students created a portable medical lab that can last without electricity for three days and can be recharged by being plugged in or with a solar panel.
http://bit.ly/111ArTt

Meet the composer: Caroline Shaw
Rice alumna Caroline Shaw ’04 is featured for her music career.
WNYC.org
http://bit.ly/1uqm1Z1

KHOU-TV
Graduate student Elaine Turner receives a makeover on KHOU’s Great Day Houston.
http://bit.ly/1xScs4f

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Rice University program models more detailed evolutionary networks from genetic data
Luay Nakhleh, associate professor of computer science and assistant professor of biochemistry and cell biology, and his group have developed PhyloNet, an open-source software package that accounts for horizontal as well as vertical inheritance of genetic material among genomes. Christopher Jermaine, associate professor of computer science, is mentioned.
Science Codex (This article also appeared in Science Daily, ECN, Phys.org, e! Science News and ScienceNewsline.)
http://bit.ly/1oQy2Gs

Engineering update No. 85: Close-air support in only 6 minutes
Researchers from Rice and Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, co-developed lightweight “supercapacitors” that can be combined with regular batteries to boost the power of an electric car.
ECNMag.com
http://bit.ly/1zQtQdV

In-memory computing brings real-time intelligence to operational systems
Alumnus William Bain ’75 authored an op-ed about in-memory data grids.
InfoWorld.com
http://bit.ly/1qFu7Yx

I geni? In futuro sara’ possibile accenderli e spegnerli col pensiero
Researchers created a device that uses a person’s brainwaves to trigger a light-inducible optogenetic implant in mice. Matthew Bennett, assistant professor of biochemistry and cell biology, is quoted.
NextMe.it
http://bit.ly/1oReCBt

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Making more from less: Data driven alchemy at the Charleston Conference
Rice’s OpenStax College was mentioned at the Charleston Conference during a discussion about open educational resources.
Library Journal
http://bit.ly/1v8hOea

Goldman to become commander of NUWC Division Newport
Alumnus Howard Goldman ’87 has been named commander of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport.
Providence Business News
http://bit.ly/1pVx1hc

2014 Winthrop-Sears Medal for entrepreneurial achievement awarded to Dr. Scott Power of DuPont
Alumnus Scott Power ’78 was awarded the 2014 Winthrop-Sears Medal for entrepreneurial achievement.
MorningStar.com (This article also appeared in 4-Traders.)
http://bit.ly/1u6jbqF

Return to the moon and go to Mars
John F. Kennedy’s speech given at Rice in 1962 is referenced.
Daily Kos
http://bit.ly/1sIE87e
Editorial: Space ventures have never been easy
Gaston Gazette
http://bit.ly/113396K
Missione Rosetta, il primo sbarco sulla Cometa 45 anni dopo l’allunaggio
Ilsole24ore.com (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1xRU8Z3

SPORTS

Articles preview the upcoming Rice football game against Marshall University Nov. 15 in Huntington, W.Va.
No. 21 Marshall puts streak on line against Rice
The Sports Network (This article also appeared in Miami Herald and 18 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1ugGb7W
Rice (6-3) at (21) Marshall (9-0) (ET)
The Sacramento Bee (This article also appeared in Charlotte Observer and 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1sIPCIJ
We stand together
The Parthenon
http://bit.ly/14i9woE
http://bit.ly/111jQPu
Live in the moment — Miami will beat FSU — weekend picks
StateoftheU.com
http://bit.ly/1sIzgjs

Men’s basketball opens season Friday at Oregon State
Rice men’s basketball will play against Oregon State University Nov. 14 in Gill Coliseum.
Conference USA
http://bit.ly/1qFBoaR
Preview: Rice at Oregon State
KPRC-TV (This article also appeared in East Tennessean and 17 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1xleJbq

Blog: Stories from the field with Brinkley [Nov. 12, 2014]
Rice women’s soccer is playing against the University of Texas at Austin Nov. 14 in Austin.
TexasSports.com
http://bit.ly/112X5uU

Photos: Houston-area signing day list
Clear Creek High School student Zach Esquivel signed to Rice’s baseball team.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1uqdCos

49ers 1st half review — good times for Antoine Bethea and Vance McDonald
Alumnus Vance McDonald ’13 is featured.
SFGate.com
http://bit.ly/1ug9N5t

Men’s college basketball preview
Former Rice basketball player Sean Obi is mentioned.
East Tennessean
http://bit.ly/1qFwz1b

NEWS RELEASES

Subducting oceanic plates are thinning adjacent continents
The viscous bottom layers of the continental shelves beneath the Gibraltar arc and northeastern South America are literally being pulled off by adjacent subducting oceanic plates, according to Alan Levander, lead author of a new paper in Nature and the Carey Croneis Professor of Earth Science at Rice.
http://bit.ly/1xl6YlF

Rice U. study: Disgust leads people to lie and cheat; cleanliness promotes ethical behavior
While feelings of disgust can increase behaviors like lying and cheating, cleanliness can help people return to ethical behavior, according to a recent study by marketing experts at Rice University, Pennsylvania State University and Arizona State University. The study highlights the powerful impact emotions have on individual decision-making.
http://bit.ly/1xl6U5p