Dateline Rice for Feb. 9, 2015 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEM

Rice DE Nordstrom to tackle job in energy sector
Head football coach David Bailiff supports all-conference player Brian Nordstrom’s decision to forego his final year of eligibility to accept an engineering job with a Houston oil and gas company. Nordstrom, who joined the Rice football team as a walk-on in 2011, noted that his first priority in coming to Rice was “getting a good education.”
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the Sports section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1ESw3rE
KRIV-TV
http://bit.ly/1DUjPLr

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Is your first-grader college ready?
Elementary schools are embracing college prep and helping children understand and explore higher education options. Rice’s elementary and middle school tours, teacher resource page and classroom packets are mentioned. A student who visited campus and wants to attend Rice is quoted. The slide show includes a picture of fifth-graders from Pine Forest Elementary by Willy’s Statue with a Rice student who served as their tour guide.
New York Times (This appeared on the front of the Education Life section in Sunday’s print edition.)
http://nyti.ms/16n3pA7
Starting college prep in 1st grade
Bend Bulletin
http://bit.ly/1DXL9Z6

Volcanic ash and dust storms most likely causes of ‘milky’ rain
Researchers are still waiting on a chemical analysis of what caused a “milky rain” fall in Oregon and Washington Saturday. The articles cite Rice’s research on the ash that fell in Oklahoma and Colorado from Mount St. Helens.
National Monitor
http://bit.ly/192mAAZ
Milky ash in Washington and Oregon intrigues scientists
Wall Street OTC
http://bit.ly/1Dx4ClJ

Black students missing from elite schools sign of larger issue
The Brookings Institution studied the demographics of the most elite four-year universities across the country and found that blacks make up less than 4 percent of the undergraduate population. The article notes that enrollment of black students at Rice has increased.
San Francisco Gate
http://bit.ly/192FgAH

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Slayings leave friends bewildered
Friends and colleagues reflect on the late alumnus Israel Ahimbisibwe ’11 and his family. Elias Bongmba, the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Professor in Christian Theology and professor of religion, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front page. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1uvF5HA
Murdered family remembered in moving memorial
KTRK-TV
http://abc13.co/1z0r8hg
Vigil held for pastor and family believed to have been slain by son
Christian Today
http://bit.ly/1CLGYmj

Abbott quickly moves from Perry’s shadow
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 Gov. Greg Abbott’s need to distinguish himself from Rick Perry, the role of House speaker, the potential expansion of the program that covers college costs for veterans and their families becoming financially unstable, the public’s opinion on the bill to openly carry handguns and George P. Bush’s potential presidential run. Jones also is cited for his study on the political leanings of Texas House Committee Chairs in the 84th Legislature.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1DTPzjN
Abbott strikes a different path from Perry
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1vdxFDU
Austin watchers, area leaders mixed on consequences of Burrows’ bold first move
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (This article also appeared in Red Raiders.)
http://bit.ly/1z0DGW2
Lawmakers: Texas veterans tuition program has become ‘unsustainable’
Longview News-Journal
http://bit.ly/1zORKo9
Gun group’s tactics seen as harmful to its goals
El Paso Times
http://bit.ly/1DXty3p
George P. Bush for president?
KTRH-AM (This article also appeared on KODA-FM.)
http://bit.ly/1A5X0XP
KTSA-AM (San Antonio, Texas)
http://bit.ly/1z1dvyr
Straus again empowers Democrats, liberal Republicans
Empower Texans
http://bit.ly/1FpNuNR

Oil price drop delays vision for another Eagle Ford south of border
Manik Talwani, professor emeritus of advanced studies and research and research professor in Earth science, comments on the challenge of developing the Burgos Basin in Mexico.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1K3JgOh
Oil price slide dims hopes for Mexican replay of Eagle Ford
Longview News-Journal
http://bit.ly/1Ca5s3h

Grammys’ red carpet from a college student’s eyes
Duncan College senior Mary Anderson authored a blog post about fashion at the 2015 Grammys.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/192hMM3

Rice University buys more property in the Village
Rice purchased the property on the southeast corner of Times Boulevard and Kelvin Drive in Rice Village.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1DUd24q

Beauty of Islamic art shines in al-Sabah collection
Historian Aimée Froom, who has a joint appointment as an adjunct art professor at Rice, created a “Collections in Conversation” corner as part of the new series of Islamic culture galleries at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the Zest section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1z16Xjt

Houston book events: Feb. 8-14
Poet Brenda Hillman will give a lecture on poetry, activism and the environment at Rice’s Cherry Reading Series at Rice Memorial Chapel Feb. 12.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Dxdasw

Worms lead way to test nanoparticle toxicity
Rice University scientists use roundworm populations in low-cost, high-throughput toxicity tests for a range of nanoparticles. The tests could cut the cost of determining which nanoparticles should be studied further for applications and for their effects on the environment. Weiwei Zhong, assistant professor of biochemistry and cell biology, and Qilin Li, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and of materials science and nanoengineering, are quoted. Postdoctoral researchers Sang-Kyu Jung and alumna Xiaolei Qu ’13 are the lead authors of the paper. Co-authors are research scientist Boanerges Aleman-Meza, graduate students Tianxiao Wang and Zheng Liu and alumna Celeste Riepe ’13.
TMC Today (This article is featured in today’s newsletter.)
http://bit.ly/16Kubmj

Wealthy Houston donors pitch in to support Austin’s answer to the Rothko Chapel
Suzanne Deal Booth ’77, who funded James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Rice campus, contributed to Ellsworth Kelly’s “Austin” project.
CultureMap Houston
http://bit.ly/1DcJnoC

BROADCAST

KUT 90.5 (Austin, Texas)
James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is interviewed about the need for better batteries in electronics and vehicles and how best to store energy.
http://bit.ly/1KARnlK

WESA-FM (Pittsburgh)
American lawyer and journalist-entrepreneur Steven Brill mentions giving a talk at Rice University and being amazed by the Texas Medical Center.
http://bit.ly/1DcCzHz

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Photos of the day: Using 3-D printers to give kids a hand
Rice engineering students, in collaboration with Shriners Hospital and “Marvel Universe Live!” actors, used 3-D printers to design custom prosthetic hands for kids. Jordan Miller, assistant professor of bioengineering, is quoted. The Consumerist article includes a video produced by Rice’s Brandon Martin.
Medical Design Technology
http://bit.ly/1C9WyTq
Marvel, awesome scientists help kids build 3-D printed mechanical hands and bring out their inner superhero
The Consumerist
http://bit.ly/1z15iud
KPRC-TV
http://bit.ly/16KULvE
KTTV-TV (Los Angeles)
http://bit.ly/1vApA1C
KIII-TV (Corpus Christi, Texas)
http://bit.ly/192wp1I
KAVU-TV (Victoria, Texas)
http://bit.ly/1M6ANfg
WJZY-TV (Charlotte, N.C.)
http://bit.ly/1KGe5qS
WACH-TV (Columbia, S.C.)
http://bit.ly/1CahDgm
WRTV-TV (Indianapolis)
http://bit.ly/1A64GZZ

New deal allows Rice University to ‘test’ solar power under short-term contract
A portion of power from the 22-MW First Solar Barilla Solar Project will be sold to Rice for a two-year contract. Richard Johnson ’92, director of Rice’s Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management, is quoted.
Renewable Energy World
http://bit.ly/1AOQqo9

MDS + social media. What do we want and why?
Health care social media star Bryan Vartabedian, co-founder of the Rice collaborative Medical Futures Laboratory, will be a guest speaker on HCLDR’s weekly chat.
HCLDR
http://bit.ly/1uwfCO8

BCM adds Judge Rosenhalt, ‘Kitch’ Taub II as trustees
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal, a member of the Rice Board of Trustees, was invited to join the board of Baylor College of Medicine.
BioNews-Texas
http://bit.ly/1KAILf8

Brightcove appoints Chet Kapoor to Board of Directors
Alumnus Chet Kapoor ’97 was appointed to the Brightcove Board of Directors.
BioSpace (This article also appeared in Industrial Info, Fort Mill Times, Sun News, Townhall, Minyanville, MoneyShow.com, KMAX-TV and Regional Film and Video.)
http://bit.ly/1DxmsVE

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Rapper Bun B teaching ‘Religion and Hip-Hop’ at Texas university
Religion and Hip-Hop Culture is a new free edX online course being offered by Rice University’s Center for Digital Learning and Scholarship. Anthony Pinn, the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and professor of religious studies, and Bernard “Bun B” Freeman, the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning’s Distinguished Lecturer, will lead the course.
Christian Today
http://bit.ly/1z0QID1
A Georgia State professor is creating an entire course about Kanye West
UpRoxx.com
http://uproxx.it/16KxqKg

Book review: ‘The Teaching Brain: An Evolutionary Trait at the Heart of Education’
Writer Kathy Foster reviews “The Teaching Brain: An Evolutionary Trait at the Heart of Education,” which is co-authored by alumna Michelle Fitzpatrick ’84.
Foster Folly News
http://bit.ly/1CMdgNW

SPORTS

Gearhart leads Rice upset of W. Kentucky, 72-68
Rice men’s basketball beat Western Kentucky University 72-68 at E.A. Diddle Arena. Player Seth Gearhart scored a career-high 31 points.
KHOU.com
http://bit.ly/1KG5cOa
Gearhart’s career high 31 points carry Owls past WKU
Conference USA (This article also appeared in Memorial Examiner, Sugar Land Sun and Bellaire Examiner.)
http://bit.ly/1uwbDB3
Big 1st half, clutch free throws lift Rice to stunning win at WKU
Examiner.com
http://exm.nr/1Fq7qQp
Tops rally, but fall 72-68 to conference foe Rice
WKUHerald.com
http://bit.ly/1DcvQxr
Recap: Western KY versus Rice
The News Tribune (This article also appeared in Lexington Herald-Leader and 16 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1CLRgCK
Rice (6-15) at Western Kentucky (16-6)
Miami Herald (This article also appeared in Sacramento Bee and 18 other media outlets.)
http://hrld.us/1DYlv6u

CSNMA
Basketball player Max Guercy reflects on his team’s visit to local schools to take them holiday shopping.
http://bit.ly/1zPkn4u

Rice mourns the passing of Don Suman
Rice former head men’s basketball coach Don Suman died.
Bellaire Examiner (This article also appeared in Memorial Examiner, Fort Bend Sun and Sugar Land Sun.)
http://bit.ly/1uwarh4

Golf opens spring slate at San Antonio
Rice men’s golf is playing at the UTSA Oaks Hill Invitational Feb. 10-11. Head golf coach Justin Emil is interviewed.
Conference USA
http://bit.ly/1Abgj0n

Men’s basketball picks up 8th win
Rice basketball fell to Marshall University 69-55 at Cam Henderson Center.
Marshall Parthenon
http://bit.ly/1zBZACE
North Texas (9-12) at Marshall (7-16)
Miami Herald (This article also appeared in Macon Telegraph, Wichita Eagle, Charlotte Observer, Modesto Bee, Tri-City Herald, Beaufort Gazette and Lexington Herald Leader.)
http://hrld.us/1ve3hcl

2015 Southwest Conference HOF inductees announced
Alumnus Jose Cruz ’13 was inducted into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.
KCENTV.com
http://bit.ly/1Aba2BL

More Canadians per capita watched Super Bowl than Americans
Football player Christian Covington was invited to the NFL’s scouting combine.
Ottawa Sun (This article also appeared in Winnipeg Sun and over 100 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1uwdzth

NEWS RELEASES

The state of America’s manufacturing sector is topic at Rice’s Baker Institute Feb. 18
National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons will deliver the 2015 State of Manufacturing address at an event hosted by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Feb. 18. Timmons will highlight the continued manufacturing comeback in the Gulf Coast and throughout the United States, as well as the challenges and burdens facing manufacturing businesses of all sizes.
http://bit.ly/1vAojHZ

Rice to host Sumi Ink Club participatory art project Feb. 15, 17 and 18
Rice University will host the internationally known Sumi Ink Club for a participatory public art project at the university Feb. 15, 17 and 18. Members of the Rice and Greater Houston communities are invited to join Los Angeles-based artists in creating a drawing painted with brush and ink on the gallery walls of the Rice Media Center throughout the three days.
http://bit.ly/1uw0ikC