Dateline Rice for March 2, 2015 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEMS

Rice was mentioned in stories featured on the front of the Business section in Saturday’s and Sunday’s Houston Chronicle.
Contest can help veterans lead the way in business
Rice hosted the Houston Veterans Business Battle in conjunction with the Rice Veterans in Business Association.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1ByC3Uz
KPRC-TV
http://bit.ly/1GI2RBF
http://bit.ly/1GI4gbB

Banks reach out to a wealth of diverse communities
Carol Wyatt, who faced trouble with estate planning for her same-sex relationship, started the “Just Get It Done” project that includes contacts for attorneys and resources to help same-sex couples complete their paperwork. Brian Riedel, assistant director of Rice’s Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (This article appeared online last week and was in the print edition Sunday. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1EuDh3Y

KHOU-TV
A two-part interview with head coach David Bailiff about Rice’s football team is followed by a KHOU commentary about how Rice gives priority to “student” in its “student-athletes.”
http://bit.ly/1wKUKOZ (Part 1)
http://bit.ly/1DwRdX3 (Part 2)
http://bit.ly/1aIPcA7

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

As oil prices fall, Houston shudders
Houston, known for being the energy capital of America, is yet again facing risks within the energy sector, due to low oil prices. Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an opinion piece in the Sunday New York Times and also in a report on Texas Public Radio.
New York Times
http://nyti.ms/1K85HWd
Fronteras: Oilfield theft, pipeline battles and honoring a hero for Texas Independence
Texas Public Radio
http://bit.ly/1wKiGln

We could save students a billion dollars on textbooks
A new report from Student Public Interest Research Groups called “Open Textbooks: The Billion-Dollar Solution” found that traditional textbooks replaced with an open textbook saved a student an average of $128 per course. Rice’s OpenStax College could replace more than 10 million traditional textbooks and generate a billion dollars in savings.
Huffington Post
http://huff.to/1GHGlJp

Youth address global poverty in Gülen Institute’s essay contest
Rice students participated in an essay contested by the Gülen Institute, a U.S.-based civil society group.
Today’s Zaman
http://bit.ly/1APgHBq

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Subsidy case may affect health costs for millions
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 potential effect of the subsidy court ruling against the Affordable Care Act.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1aIN4bv

Ezra Charles tells the story of boogie woogie
Alumnus Ezra Charles ’66 is featured for the unique style of his band, The Ezra Charles Band.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1wEgvpc

Texas GOP looks to cut influence of heavily Democratic Travis County’s judges
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and fellow in political science at Rice University’s Baker Institute, comments on the Texas GOP’s opposition to Democratic influence on their policies.
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/1M1zkEa

BROADCAST

Oil crash affects Texas energy sectors
CNC News explores the effect low crude oil prices have had on Houston. William Arnold, professor in the practice of management at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, explains the drop in prices.
CNC News
http://bit.ly/1M3JRAM

WJHG-TV (Panama City, Fla.)
March 3 marks one year since Rice student Reny Jose went missing while on spring break in Florida.
http://bit.ly/1M3Kw5a

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

A step closer to explaining high-temperature superconductivity?
Rice University physicist Randy Hulet and his collaborators have used ultracold lithium atoms to create a state of matter that may help solve some of the mysteries of high-temperature superconductivity. Their results are described this week in the journal Nature. Hulet is the Fayez Sarofim Professor of Physics and Astronomy.
Science AAAS
http://bit.ly/1AWBXUJ

Is #TheDress white and gold or blue and black? Rice University expert on visual perception weighs in
On Feb. 26, a picture of a cocktail dress originally uploaded to the blog Tumblr swept the Internet and managed to divide the population over a simple question: What color is the dress? Some viewers saw gold and white while others insisted the dress is blue and black. Some people claimed they could see either interpretation, but only one of them at a time. It made people stop and ask, “What exactly is going on with this image?” James Pomerantz, professor of psychology, explains the illusion.
Health Canal
http://bit.ly/1wDGFbL

Aerogel catalyst shows promise for fuel cells
Rice researchers have made aerogels of graphene nanoribbons, modified with boron and nitrogen, that are more efficient catalysts than expensive platinum for fuel cells. Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Materials Science and NanoEngineering and of chemistry, is quoted. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, and Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and professor of chemistry, are mentioned.
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1BPA7bT

Learning from the masters
Rice’s Laboratory for Nanophotonics created a color-display technology, which may aid in the development of artificial camouflaging “squid skin.” Stephan Link, associate professor of chemistry and of electrical and computer engineering, is mentioned.
Chemistry World
http://rsc.li/1BPEmUV

Local media have positive slant toward local businesses
When local news media report about hometown companies, they use fewer negative words than when reporting about nonlocal companies, according to research by business experts at Rice University and the University of Texas at Dallas. Alex Butler, professor of finance, is quoted.
Science Codex (This article also appeared in Phys.org and e! Science News.)
http://bit.ly/1Ck26Qv

Wealth inequality directly related to automation, says new study
Dagobert Brito, the George A. Peterkin Professor of Political Economy, and Robert Curl, University Professor Emeritus and the Kenneth S. Pitzer-Schlumberger Professor Emeritus of Natural Sciences, are cited for their study on income equality and social mobility.
ValueWalk
http://bit.ly/1EarUh0

Graphene shown to neutralize cancer stem cells
Researchers at the University of Manchester found that flaked graphene oxide combat six kinds of cancer cells. The late Richard Smalley is mentioned.
Extreme Tech
http://bit.ly/1BPLwbA

Academic leaders on the troubled future of biomedical research
The American Association for the Advancement of Science will host a panel discussion about a report called “Restoring the Foundation” at Rice in April.
Lab Manager (This article also appeared in Bioscience Technology.)
http://bit.ly/1aIQ3k5

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Onuchic minicourse on energy landscape in biophysics
José Onuchic, the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy, will lead a minicourse on energy landscape in biophysics at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Universidade Estadual Paulista.
Planeta Universitario
http://bit.ly/1K8sfGe

SPORTS

College baseball: Pettitte, Stephens brighten Rice’s split with Stanford
Will Rice College sophomore Josh Pettitte and Hanszen College junior Jordan Stephens are featured for their performance a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Head coach Wayne Graham is quoted. Lovett College sophomore Jon Duplantier is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1EFvXm4

No. 14 Owls give Orewiler plenty of support in win over Stanford
Rice baseball beat Stanford University 12-1 at Reckling Park. Player John Clay Reeves is pictured.
Houston Chronicle (Similar articles appeared in 78 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1ByjP5t
College baseball top 25 scores: Virginia, UCF remain unbeaten
College Baseball Central
http://bit.ly/1DKuMQF
College baseball notebook: Week 3
Baseball Essential
http://bit.ly/1DwjFYV
KPRC-TV
http://bit.ly/1F1H8Uc
http://bit.ly/1wEnEWp
http://bit.ly/1AQ8rBd
http://bit.ly/1E9VzJ0
KTRK-TV
http://bit.ly/1GI28QV
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/1K8PjEV

Charlotte edges past Rice for 77-76 win
Rice men’s basketball fell to the University of North Carolina 77-76 at Tudor Fieldhouse. Players Terrence Williams, Marcus Jackson, Bishop Mency and Seth Gearhart are mentioned.
CBSSports.com
http://cbsprt.co/1zzO7ix
Late basket lifts Charlotte past men’s basketball
Conference USA
http://bit.ly/1EaBTmL
49ers get revenge by stealing senior night win at Rice
Examiner.com
http://exm.nr/1zzR7LW
Recap: Rice versus Charlotte
The Telegraph (This article also appeared in Macon and 18 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1B25Wur
Late basket lifts Charlotte past Owls men, 77-76
Bellaire Examiner (This article also appeared in Sugar Land Sun.)
http://bit.ly/1zSKmWE

Niner women win 3rd straight on Senior Night
Rice women’s basketball fell to the University of North Carolina 74-59 at Halton Arena.
Niner Times
http://bit.ly/1GHj5Lu

Economou paces golfers in Querencia Cabo Collegiate opener
Rice men’s golf competed at the Querencia Cabo Collegiate and finished in 14th place at Querencia Golf Club. Golfers Tommy Economou, Alex Levy, Mitchell Meissner, James Lee and Kevin Reilly are mentioned.
The Katy Rancher (This article also appeared in Bellaire Examiner, Memorial Examiner, Fort Bend Sun, Sugar Land Sun and Big Ten Conference.)
http://bit.ly/1zSzhoo

Weekend sports recap: Feb. 27-March 1
Rice men’s baseball will play against Texas Christian University March 3 at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth.
TCU360.com
http://bit.ly/1EG63Pk

After years of bouncing around, David Aardsma hopes to find home with Dodgers
Alumnus David Aardsma ’05, who was recently signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, is featured.
Baltimore Sun
http://bsun.md/1F1LoTD
Bill Plaschke: Dodgers’ pitcher wants more than name recognition
GoErie.com (This article also appeared in Fresno Bee and 21 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1wE68BT

NEWS RELEASES

Aerogel catalyst shows promise for fuel cells
Rice researchers have made aerogels of graphene nanoribbons, modified with boron and nitrogen, that are more efficient catalysts than expensive platinum for fuel cells.
http://bit.ly/1CjPPeX

Is #TheDress white and gold or blue and black? Rice University expert on visual perception weighs in
On Feb. 26, a picture of a cocktail dress originally uploaded to the blog Tumblr swept the Internet and managed to divide the population over a simple question: What color is the dress? Some viewers saw gold and white while others insisted the dress is blue and black. Some people claimed they could see either interpretation, but only one of them at a time. It made people stop and ask, “What exactly is going on with this image?”
http://bit.ly/1F1E1f0

Local media have positive slant toward local businesses, Rice University expert finds
When local news media report about hometown companies, they use fewer negative words than when reporting about nonlocal companies, according to research by business experts at Rice University and the University of Texas at Dallas.
http://bit.ly/1DKKGKM