Dateline Rice for Jan. 29, 2015

FEATURED ITEMS

The 100 most international universities in the world 2015
Rice University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are the only U.S. schools on Times Higher Education’s list of the top 100 international universities in the world for 2015.
Times Higher Education
http://bit.ly/187YPqJ
Rice University among 2 US schools on international ranking
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in San Antonio Express-News and Beaumont Enterprise. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1uF46L9

Where is all that excess oil going?
Some oil traders are storing excess oil until prices rise again. Kenneth Medlock III, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and lecturer of economics, explains stored oil’s potential drop in value.
NPR’s “All Things Considered” (This broadcast also appeared on KUT 90.5 and 50 other media outlets.)
http://n.pr/1yQAfo9

NPR
Gary Hale, a nonresident fellow in drug policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, discusses the technology designed to track and locate vehicles as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s enforcement strategy.
http://bit.ly/18yNIaz

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Jón Gnarr flouts naming committee – legally changing name in US
Famous Icelandic comedian, pundit and former mayor of Reykjavík Jón Gnarr legally changed his name, which used to be Jón Gnarr Kristinsson. Gnarr will begin his residence this spring as the first writer-in-residence at Rice’s Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences.
Grapevine.is
http://bit.ly/1yQxkfj
Jón Gnarr finally gets to change name
Iceland Review
http://bit.ly/1ERFipl

Christie’s State of the State address, part 2
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history and fellow in history at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s State of the State address.
Examiner.com
http://exm.nr/1BzWxdM

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Houston’s 2015 mayoral election: Voter turnout and its impact
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, authored a blog post about the upcoming 2015 Houston mayoral race.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1CCOz4N

Family fun: Mascot races and the science of poop
Rice’s Sammy the Owl mascot participated in the Mascot Race at the Children’s Museum of Houston.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1A2s0Hn

2015 Poverty Summit
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, will give a keynote presentation at the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s Poverty Summit at St. Thomas Jan. 29.
CultureMap Houston
http://bit.ly/15VL2Se
Catholic Charities urges Houstonians to kNOw poverty
Your Houston News
http://bit.ly/18yRFfa

TISD names principal for Lakewood Elementary
Deanna Porter, who is currently participating in the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program, has been selected as the principal of Lakewood Elementary School.
Tomball Potpourri
http://bit.ly/1yQwVJA

BROADCAST

WBUR-AM (Boston, Mass.)
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of economics, comments on the confusion of the Affordable Care Act.
http://bit.ly/1ERHQ6K (This broadcast also appeared on KUT 90.5 and 11 other media outlets.)

Classical 89.5 (Salisbury, Md.)
Graduate student Aaron Perdue explains his background in flute and performs in studio.
http://bit.ly/1CCQtCA

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Researchers identify materials to improve biofuel processing
Scientists identify zeolites that may be synthesized to improve ethanol and petroleum production using a sophisticated algorithm developed at Rice University. The algorithm has the power to screen candidates for specific applications from millions of possibilities. Michael Deem, the John W. Cox Professor of Biochemical and Genetic Engineering and co-author of the study, is quoted.
Ethanol Producer Magazine (This article also appeared in Biomass Magazine.)
http://bit.ly/1JNdQfa

Notch signaling: How cancer turns good cells to the dark side
Rice biophysicists reveal how cancer uses notch-signaling pathways to promote metastasis. Their computer models provide a fresh theoretical framework for scientists who study ways to target cancer progression. Eshel Ben-Jacob, a senior investigator at Rice’s Center for Theoretical Biological Physics; Herbert Levine, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Bioengineering; and José Onuchic, the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy, are quoted.
Science 2.0
http://bit.ly/1DccQNg

The latest fashion: Graphene edges can be tailor-made
Rice theorists show it may be possible to tune graphene edges by varying heat and force as graphene is fractured. Edge configurations affect graphene’s electronic and mechanical properties, which are important for applications. Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and professor of chemistry, is quoted. Postdoctoral researcher Alex Kutana is mentioned.
Space Daily (This article also appeared in One News Page.)
http://bit.ly/1DcfL8M

A new instrument to study the extreme universe – the X-ray polarimeter X-Calibur
Matthew Baring, professor of physics and astronomy, is a co-author of the paper about the X-Calibur X-ray polarimeter.
Photonics Online
http://bit.ly/1yDPufr

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

This is the face of Hispanic America: The map that explains it all
Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, is quoted about the education of the growing U.S. Hispanic population.
PennLive.com
http://bit.ly/1EREPmW

More Kurdish oil seen coming to US as disputed tanker leaves
Iraq and the Kurds agreed to start selling oil jointly after a dispute caused a tanker carrying 1 million barrels of crude to return less valuable than when it was sent. Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Hellenic Shipping News
http://bit.ly/1Bq9Uuj

Second provost candidate James Coleman visits DePaul
Former vice provost James Coleman visited DePaul University.
The DePaulia
http://bit.ly/1JIfLBy

WindSync brings dynamic performance to Ashe
WindSync, a quintet formed at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music, performed at Ashe County Arts Center in North Carolina.
Ashe Mountain Times
http://bit.ly/1yQJV1U

Organist Jason Roberts to accompany silent film ‘Steamboat Bill Jr.’ as part of Great Music at St. Bart’s series Feb. 13
Alumnus Jason Roberts ’02 will accompany the silent film “Steamboat Bill Jr.“
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/1HeM11f

Tim Phelan – from pain to performance
Alumnus Andreas Klein ’89 will perform at McMaster University Jan. 30.
The Hamilton Spectator
http://bit.ly/1DbpYCe

SPORTS

Rice baseball sweeps preseason C-USA honors
Rice baseball was unanimously voted the favorite to win the conference, and player Blake Fox was named preseason Pitcher of the Year and John Clay Reeves as preseason Player of the Year.
KHOU.com
http://bit.ly/15YM8ha
Golden Eagles picked fourth in C-USA
Hattiesburg American
http://hatne.ws/1ChkEka

Rice basketball fell to the University of Houston 59-48 at Hofheinz Pavilion.
Houston outlasts crosstown-rival Rice 59-48
CBSSports.com
http://cbsprt.co/1ERDOLB
Coogs defeat Rice 59-48
CBS Houston
http://cbsloc.al/1DcenTr
UH and Rice set to meet tonight
CBS Houston
http://cbsloc.al/1Cgf1Ta
Cougars snap 8-game skid with win over in-town rival Rice
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1CCKii1
Rice Owls fall to crosstown rival Houston Cougars, 59-48
Best College Sports News Network
http://bit.ly/1CPtAwf
Houston Cougars being a 4-game homestand with the Rice Owls tonight
Best College Sports News Network
http://bit.ly/1JNr37A
Recap: Houston versus Rice
Idaho Statesman (This article also appeared in News Tribune and 14 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/15YLIHr
Rice (6-12) at Houston (7-12)
Miami Herald (This article also appeared in Macon Telegraph and 15 other media outlets.)
http://hrld.us/18yS815

Luke Willson can be the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl x-factor
Alumnus Luke Willson ’12 will play in the Super Bowl for his second straight season. He took a break from preparing for the Super Bowl to help out at a Knights of Columbus football camp for Special Olympics in Arizona.
Bleacher Report
http://ble.ac/15VH4u0
Seahawks tight end Willson enjoying breakout year
AZCentral.com
http://bit.ly/1LlpdfP
Luke Willson coaches Special Olympians before Super Bowl
CBC News
http://bit.ly/15UEW5E

2:30 marathoner Becky Wade to write book about international running
Alumna Becky Wade ’12 signed a deal with publisher HarperCollins to write about her postgraduate fellowship experience in studying running cultures in 22 countries.
Runner’s World
http://bit.ly/18vuvGy

NEWS RELEASE

Houston artist Joseph Havel to discuss his ‘In Play’ installation at Rice Feb. 12
Houston artist Joseph Havel, director of the Glassell School of Art, will discuss his Rice University-based installation, “In Play,” Feb. 12. “In Play” sits on the front lawn of the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies’ Anderson-Clarke Center and was donated by Rice alumni Leslie and Brad Bucher, two Houston arts patrons.
http://bit.ly/1yQCQhR