Dateline Rice for Feb. 10, 2015

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Science envoy travels to Morocco
Peter Hotez, a fellow in disease and poverty at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is travelling to Morocco Feb. 8-14 in support of President Barack Obama’s initiative to strengthen the United States’ science and education relationships overseas.
State.gov
http://1.usa.gov/16Mppo2

NASA, Space Station partners announce future mission crew members
Alumna Peggy Whitson ’85 is scheduled to be on two of the next three International Space Station missions.
NASA.gov
http://1.usa.gov/16PhWEU
NASA announces astronaut crews for upcoming International Space Station missions
Examiner.com
http://exm.nr/1zH6dna
NASA announces future mission crew members
Space Coast Daily (This article also appeared in Aerotech News and Review, the Bahamas Weekly, Yuma News Now, Space Fellowship and Space Ref.)
http://bit.ly/1EVFsi8

NFL hires Elizabeth Nabel as 1st chief medical adviser
Elizabeth Nabel, president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and professor of medicine at Harvard, was named the first chief health and medical adviser for the NFL. Clark Haptonstall, professor in the practice of sport management and chair of the Department of Sport Management, is quoted.
USA Today (This article also appeared in Stevens Point Journal, Post-Crescent, Daily Record, Zanesville Times Recorder, Fremont News Messenger, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Sheboygan Press and FSView & Florida Flambeau.)
http://usat.ly/1zSMwrj

3-D printing paves way for prosthetics innovation
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.
CCTV America
http://bit.ly/1uzVBX1

Scott Walker’s risky college experiment
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker cut $300 million from the University of Wisconsin’s budget over the next two years. Rice is mentioned.
Bloomberg View
http://bv.ms/1ILN4GZ

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Nano-antioxidants prove their potential
PEG-HCC nanoparticles show promise for quenching the overexpression of damaging superoxides in preclinical trauma models. New tests show the process is due to catalytic turnover of reactive oxygen species. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
Texas Medical Center News (This article also appeared in Science Codex, Science Daily and Phys.org.)
http://bit.ly/1FuocOl
PEG-HCC nanoparticle can catalyze neutralization of damaging reactive oxygen species molecules
AZoNano
http://bit.ly/1Df8SWl
Nanoparticles quench damaging superoxides
Controlled Environments
http://bit.ly/1z4BooN
What are nano-antioxidants?
Science 2.0
http://bit.ly/1vgIvZL

Popular student-run Rice radio station returning to airwaves
Rice’s student-run radio station is returning to the FM airwaves by the end of this year. John Hutchinson, dean of undergraduates; Lovett College senior Sal Tijerina, station manager; and alumnus Joey Yang ’12 are quoted. President David Leebron is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the City & State section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Cdv3uP
http://bit.ly/1uAjtd1
KTRU returning to Houston airwaves
Houstonia
http://bit.ly/1AgCqm1
KTRU’s back (somewhat)
Free Press Houston
http://bit.ly/1ATDddW
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/1EVGVoC

In House District 17 runoff, Republicans draw contrast
Former Caldwell County commissioner John Cyrier has garnered support from Democrats and Republicans in his run for a seat in the Texas House. 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.
Austin American-Statesman (This article also appeared in Texas Civil Justice League.)
http://atxne.ws/1y7gMLd

Expect more tax plans in 2016
Taxes will be an inevitable issue in the upcoming campaign. Paul Brace, the Clarence L. Carter Professor of Political Science, explains the unlikelihood of a flat tax becoming a reality.
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1CdWiFt

Son of murdered Episcopal priest extradited to Houston
A son of alumnus Israel Ahimbisibwe ’11 has been arrested and charged with killing his father and other family members.
KRIV-TV
http://bit.ly/1vgBqID
Pastor’s son, 19, arrives back to Texas in custody after fleeing ‘when he beat his parents to death and fatally stabbed his 5-year-old brother’ because they discovered he lied about joining the Marines
Daily Mail (A similar article appeared in Weekly Challenger.)
http://dailym.ai/1EVCtX8

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Binding bad: Buckyballs offer environmental benefits
Treated carbon-60 molecules have the ability to recover valuable metals from liquids, including water and potential pollutants. Andrew Barron, the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Professor of Chemistry and professor of materials science, and Jones College senior Jessica Heimann are quoted. Co-authors of the paper are Rice graduate student Lauren Morrow and alumnus Robin Anderson ‘05. Robert Curl, University Professor Emeritus and the Kenneth S. Pitzer-Schlumberger Professor Emeritus of Natural Sciences, is mentioned.
Nanotechnology Now
http://bit.ly/1CPHIql
Buckyballs offer environmental benefits
Phys.org (This article also appeared in BioPortfolio, Science Daily, Space Daily and e! Science News.)
http://bit.ly/1Fuo1CR

‘Normal’ stomach on endoscopy may be anything but
A new study reveals that 30 percent of stomachs that appeared to be normal during endoscopy may have significant gastric pathology. Manoop Bhutani, adjunct professor of bioengineering, is quoted.
General Surgery News
http://bit.ly/1FuxOJ6

Does the cloud obviate disaster recovery planning?
David Kilgore, former director of technology at Rice University’s Jones School of Business, is quoted about cloud computing’s alleviation of disaster recovery.
Law Technology News
http://bit.ly/1zsDIoo

And the Lab Grammy winner is …
McMurtry College senior Sarah Nyquist is quoted about her team’s winning education video at this year’s 2015 Lab Grammy competition.
BioTechniques
http://bit.ly/195CMBo

David Andrews to join Evercore as a senior managing director in its energy group
Alumnus David Andrews ’99 joined Evercore’s Investment Banking Business as a senior managing director in its energy group.
BioSpace.com (This article also appeared in Industrial Info, Wall Street Online, 4-Traders, Sun News, MoneyShow.com, KMAX-TV, Minyanville and Townhall.)
http://bit.ly/1zT8JFS

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Beloved Community Symposium focuses on religion in race relations
Michael Emerson, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology, will be the keynote speaker at the 11th annual Beloved Community Symposium at Mercer University.
Macon Telegraph
http://bit.ly/16OSb7J

‘Tragedy and Hope’ Sunday at the Carolina
Alumnus Niccoló Muti ’11 will perform with the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle at the Carolina Theatre in North Carolina.
The Durham News
http://bit.ly/1vgrij3

SPORTS

Rice men’s golf begins play at spring opener
Rice men’s golf finished in 13th place through two rounds at the University of Texas at San Antonio Oak Hills Invitational.
Bellaire Examiner (This article also appeared in Memorial Examiner and Sugar Land Sun.)
http://bit.ly/1A9cjij

Hilltoppers split home weekend to stay tied for 1st in C-USA
Rice men’s basketball beat Western Kentucky University 72-68 at E.A. Diddle Arena.
WKU Herald
http://bit.ly/1ATnSKh

FAU Baseball looking to improve from last season
Rice baseball’s March game against Southern Mississippi is mentioned.
University Press
http://bit.ly/1AT7sl4

NEWS RELEASES

Nano-antioxidants prove their potential
PEG-HCC nanoparticles show promise for quenching the overexpression of damaging superoxides in preclinical trauma models. New tests show the process is due to catalytic turnover of reactive oxygen species.
http://bit.ly/1uAozpH

Binding bad: Buckyballs offer environmental benefits
Treated carbon-60 molecules have the ability to recover valuable metals from liquids, including water and potential pollutants. In testing various metals, Rice University researchers found that charge and ionic radius influence how the metals bind to the hydroxylated buckyballs.
http://bit.ly/1Df42IB