Dateline Rice for March 18, 2015

FEATURED ITEMS

Rice President David Leebron discusses the state of the university
President David Leebron answers questions about Rice University and issues in higher education as the featured guest on a public radio program.
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/1AFq57r

Nueva vicerrectora de Rice encarna compromiso con la diversidad
Marie Lynn Miranda, Rice’s new provost, is profiled in a Q&A in the Spanish-language weekly newspaper distributed by the Houston Chronicle.
La Voz de Houston (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1GoFigS

Incarnate Word Academy to raze historic building despite protests
Stephen Fox, lecturer of architecture, is quoted in a front-page story about the demolition of Incarnate Word Academy’s 110-year-old downtown school building, which was designed by famed 19th-century architect Nicholas Clayton.
Houston Chronicle (This story appeared on the front page. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1xxLrlG

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Age is no barrier for astronaut Peggy Whitson
Alumna Peggy Whitson ’85, who is scheduled to be on two of the next three International Space Station missions, is profiled.
USA Today (This article also appeared on CentralOhio.com, Guam Pacific Daily News, Des Moines Register and the Iowa City Press-Citizen.)
http://usat.ly/1DAAdUU

Houston’s Annise Parker, a gay mayor in a red state, ponders political future
Houston Mayor and alumna Annise Parker ’78 is featured. The article mentions she studied anthropology, psychology and sociology and helped found a gay student group on campus. Robert Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted.
Washington Post
http://wapo.st/1CsKyAT

Eye exam on the go with this portable device
Researchers at Rice University have a developed the mobileVision device that when paired with a smartphone gives detailed images of the eye without artificially dilating the pupil. Rice research engineer Adam Samaniego ’12; graduate student Vivek Boominathan; Ashutosh Sabharwal, a professor of electrical and computer engineering; and Ashok Veeraraghavan, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, are mentioned.
Futurity.org
http://bit.ly/1GY4yug
Minimal device maxes eye imaging
Gadget Web (This article also appeared in Medical Xpress.)
http://bit.ly/1HZvIlP

Symmetry affects how graphene islands take shape
Research led by Rice detailed the subtle interplay between carbon and substrate atoms in the growth of graphene. The results may lead to finer control over the growth of graphene films for applications. Postdoctoral researcher Vasilii Artyukhov and Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and professor of chemistry, are quoted.
Futurity.org
http://bit.ly/1MJVKvV
Geometric relationship between graphene and substrate determines shape of emerging islands
AZO Nano (Similar articles also appeared on domain-B, One News Page, e!Science News, Bright Surf, Phys.org and ScienceNewsline.)
http://bit.ly/191wuSA

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Golden dragons and glamorous gowns reflect Asian pride at record-breaking Tiger Ball
University Representative Y. Ping Sun, Rice President David Leebron, Rice Trustee Albert Chao and his wife, Anne, co-chaired the Asia Society Texas Center’s annual Tiger Ball March 12.
CultureMap
http://bit.ly/1HVEwZV

Rice takes its religion and hip-hop course worldwide
Religion and Hip-Hop Culture is a new free edX online course being offered by Rice’s Center for Digital Learning and Scholarship. Anthony Pinn, the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and professor of religion, and Bernard “Bun B” Freeman, the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning’s Distinguished Lecturer, will lead the course.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/19zwtXx

Bill would make private university police reports public
Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, filed a bill that would require private university police departments to obey requests under the Texas Public information Act. Rice is mentioned
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News.)
http://bit.ly/1xxM3ry
Senate bill impacts private university police records
KPRC-TV
http://bit.ly/1xxMd2b
Maintaining open government requires vigilance
San Antonio Express-News
http://bit.ly/1AFgdua
Open government is good government
Beaumont Enterprise
http://bit.ly/1BPMGAP

Report: America in ‘white decline’
A report in The Economist predicts that, based on current trends, whites will be a minority in the U.S. by 2044. Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted.
KTRH 740-AM
http://bit.ly/1GoGgK8

Pianists Yurie Farnsworth takes Young Texas Artists Grand Prize
Young Texas Artists Music Competition 2015 winners announced Brown College junior Yurie Farnsworth won the Gold Medal in the Piano Division and the 2015 YTA Grand Prize for her performance of Concerto No. 1 for Piano in B-flat minor, Op. 23 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky at the 31st annual Young Texas Artists Music Competition at the Crighton Theatre in Conroe.
The Courier
http://bit.ly/18X3T0X

BROADCAST

Colin Powell to speak at Rice graduation
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell will be Rice’s commencement speaker. The report includes a quote from Rice President David Leebron that appeared in the Rice Thresher.
KHOU-TV (This report also appeared on Texas Cable News, Dallas.)
http://tinyurl.com/mhonh2d

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Researchers seek to make mini-guts mimic life
Rice University bioengineers are teaming with colleagues from Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center to apply the latest techniques in tissue engineering toward the study of one of the most common and deadly human illnesses — the stomach flu.
EndoNurse
http://bit.ly/1bfaYvt

Using dimensionless maps to predict the stiffness, strength and toughness of structures
Inspired by seashells, Rice researchers create a design map that predicts the strength, stiffness and toughness of composite materials. Rouzbeh Shahsavari, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, and graduate student Navid Sakhavand are quoted.
AZO Materials  (Similar articles appeared in Extreme Tech.)
http://bit.ly/1GogyFw

Green panel slams Nicaragua Canal plan
Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, spoke March 17 in Washington, D.C., on a panel hosted by the Inter-American Dialogue titled “What’s Happening with the Nicaragua Canal.”
HIS Maritime 360
http://bit.ly/1F3lTF9

Michael Graves, dead at 80
World-famous architect Michael Graves, who designed a campus master plan for Rice University, died March 12 at his home in Princeton, N.J. He was 80.
Architect Magazine
http://bit.ly/19zDyHq
Postmodern architect Graves, who had Target goods line, dies
KRHD-TV (This article also appeared on WAVE-TV.)
http://bit.ly/1MNEPa3
Remembrance: Michael Graves
Boutique Design
http://bit.ly/1H1YYul

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Trainee vicars to get science lessons to help them understand the modern world
The Church of England is to send its trainee priests on science courses to ensure they understand the modern world properly. Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair and Professor of Sociology, co-director of the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance and director of Rice’s Religion and Public Life Program, is mentioned.
Christianity Today
http://bit.ly/1FzNexC

Robotics and intelligent systems math professor Raul Rojas joins College of Science
Alumnus Raul Rojas Gonzalez ’02 has been named a professor of mathematics and statistics at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Nevada Today
http://bit.ly/1O6aYNn

Las mujeres y las TICs en Andalucía (capítulo 3): Entrevista a Eva Bravo
The University of Seville’s Eva Bravo spoke on how women use technology today to enhance the lives of their fellow citizens. Bravo co-coordinates virtual tutorials with Victoria Arbizu-Sabater, a senior lecturer of Spanish in the School of Humanities’ Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication.
Andalucía es Digital (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1B0SWSJ

SPORTS

Ex Randolph-Macon coach brings optimism, energy to Rice
Men’s basketball head coach Mike Rhoades is profiled.
Richmond Times Dispatch
http://bit.ly/1F2ZUxS

Rice coach Greg Williams retires
Rice University head women’s basketball coach Greg Williams announced that he will retire from coaching after 10 seasons of guiding the women’s program at his alma mater.
ESPN
http://es.pn/1GoLi9s
Rice women’s basketball coach retires
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1FAvoKK
Rice women’s coach Williams retires after 10 seasons
KHOU.com
http://bit.ly/1DAzALi

College baseball: UH’s Romero throws 6 sharp innings in 8-3 win over Rice
Rice baseball lost to the University of Houston 8-3 March 17.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1AFsor6
University of Houston takes game 1 of the Silver Glove Series
Baseball Essential
http://bit.ly/1x0wX34

For Harvard’s Zach Yoshor, March Madness mixes with Shabbat-playing unease
An article on Harvard basketball player Zach Yoshor mentions that he caught the attention of a former Rice assistant basketball coach.
Jewish Journal (This article also appeared in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.)
http://bit.ly/1By7gSB

NEWS RELEASES

Gen. Colin Powell to speak at Rice University commencement
Retired Gen. Colin Powell, former secretary of state and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will deliver the commencement address at Rice University May 16.
https://news2.rice.edu/?p=72868

Rice expert available to discuss good news, bad news about income equality in Houston
There’s good news and bad news about income equality in Houston, according to a new study from the Brookings Institute. Kyle Shelton, a postdoctoral research fellow at Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, examined the study in a new blog and is available to discuss it with members of the media.
https://news2.rice.edu/?p=72871

Rice fine-tunes quantum dots from coal
The size of graphene quantum dots made from coal can be finely tuned in a single step for electronic and fluorescent properties, according to scientists at Rice University.
https://news2.rice.edu/?p=72839

Minimal device maximizes macula imaging
Rice University engineers have developed a self-use mobile system to capture high-resolution images of a patient’s macula without dilation in advance. The device is intended for use in low-resource settings.
https://news2.rice.edu/?p=72790