Dateline Rice for April 24, 2015

FEATURED ITEMS

Rice University official honored
University Representative Y. Ping Sun was honored at the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council’s annual Success to Significance luncheon for her contributions to the community and her inspiration to young girls. Houston City Council member Ellen Cohen presented a proclamation from Mayor Annise Parker declaring April 23 “Y. Ping Sun Day” in Houston. Rice President David Leebron is mentioned.
China Daily (This article also appeared in East Daily and World News.)
http://bit.ly/1OODJvw

CNN Live
President Barack Obama apologized for a U.S. drone strike that unintentionally killed two people being held hostage in Pakistan by al-Qaida. Douglas Brinkley, professor of history and fellow in history at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed about the impact of this incident on Obama’s legacy. The interview was done via satellite in Public Affairs’ TV studio in Allen Center.
http://bit.ly/1OPfEVp
Inusual mea culpa de Obama por la muerte de rehenes en un ataque
La Nacion (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1EnrBjF

NASA asked students to make space furniture
With help from NASA, Rice students designed furniture for habitats on the moon and planets. Lovett College senior Laura Blumenschein, Will Rice College senior Archit Chaba, Brown College senior Rey Amendola, Will Rice College senior Alex Schmidt and Will Rice College senior Dan Peera are quoted.
Futurity (This appeared as the top story on the home page.)
http://bit.ly/1GpoYNT
Modular furniture is conceived for the moon, Mars and other destinations
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1EyRNtN

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Haptic glove lets gamers feel the virtual world
Rice University engineering students created a tactile feedback glove for virtual-reality environments. Lovett College senior Thor Walker; Duncan College senior Marissa Garcia; and Brown College senior Kevin Koch are quoted. The article includes a video produced by Rice’s Brandon Martin.
Discovery News
http://bit.ly/1FkhWLE
Glove puffs up to make virtual reality feel real
Mumbai Mirror (This article also appeared in Pune Mirror.)
http://bit.ly/1GfkAOT

Gay marriage defies opinions of American majority, legal brief tells Supreme Court
Recent polls are revealing growing support for same-sex marriage. Rice is cited for its 2013 study on people’s changed opinions of gay marriage between 2006 and 2012.
The Washington Times
http://bit.ly/1aYc7qs

On campaign trail, Walker sheds light on influence of faith
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has been speaking publicly about his faith, which has resonated with Christian voters. William Martin, the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, explains the conflicting positions a Republican faces regarding religion.
Journal Sentinel
http://bit.ly/1Hwugu3

Science envoy travels to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Peter Hotez, a fellow in disease and poverty at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is traveling to the Saudi Arabia to meet with various representatives to discuss ways to strengthen the United States’ science and educational relationship overseas and with scientists and researchers in Saudi Arabia.
State.gov
http://1.usa.gov/1PvfvIY

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Galveston doctors successfully implant lab-built lung into pig
Two researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston successfully grew a functioning lung for a pig. Rice’s bubble CPAP machine, which helps increase the survival rate of newborns with severe respiratory illness, is included in a slideshow of medical developments in Texas. Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Bioengineering, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering and of Rice 360°: Institute for Global Health Technologies, and Maria Oden, professor in the practice of engineering and director of Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, are pictured.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Dkf1N5

Houston offers spots for brainiacs to let loose
Valhalla, the graduate student-run pub, and James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Rice campus are included in a slideshow of appealing hangouts for “brainiacs.”
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1HwPfNa

Woodlands group highlights healing power of drums
A small music club for autistic children has grown into an organization of child percussionists who perform at events in the Houston area. The article mentions that the percussion group Let Them Drum! has performed at Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1GqZ3YU

Students awarded by institute at Rice University for essays on religious tolerance
Two students from the John Cooper School won awards for their essay submissions to the Embracing Tolerance Contest sponsored by Rice’s Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance.
The Paper
http://bit.ly/1d8Woqo

Real Estate Center study: Texas’ senior population up 217 percent by 2050
Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, is featured for his study, “Growth in Elderly Populations: Implications for Texas Real Estate Markets,” which predicts a significant increase in senior Texas residents by 2050 that may make housing options a critical issue.
Texas A&M Today
http://bit.ly/1I4xKmB

Top 5: April 23, 2015
The 2015 Rice Studio Art + Film/Foto Senior Exhibition called “Free Forks” is included in a list of the current top exhibitions in Texas.
Glasstire
http://bit.ly/1Ezgg26

Texas Master Naturalist, Coastal Prairie Chapter, to host PhD candidate Sneck
The Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter will host alumna Michelle Sneck ’12 at its monthly program.
Katy Times (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1bAQj5w

BROADCAST

Rice University students develop pain-free shots
If the Rice University freshmen on the engineering design team Comfortably Numb have it their way, children will be less fearful and feel less pain when they go to the doctor’s office for a shot. The research team includes Greg Allison, Andy Zhang and Mike Hua. They were guided by Ann Saterbak, professor in the practice of bioengineering education, and Jane Grande-Allen, the Isabel C. Cameron Professor of Bioengineering.
KHOU.com
http://bit.ly/1PusI4O
KENS-TV (San Antonio)
http://bit.ly/1QrfWWa
WFAA-TV (Dallas)
http://bit.ly/1aYpXZT
WRDW-TV (Augusta, Ga.)
http://bit.ly/1I4KoBZ
Prototype device could make getting needles a Comfortably Numb experience
Gizmag
http://bit.ly/1EyEzgE
Making injections less painful
Today’s Medical Developments
http://bit.ly/1EyFT38

KUTV-TV (Salt Lake City)
KiLife Tech from Brigham Young University emerged as the top startup company in the Rice Business Plan Competition.
http://bit.ly/1boKoje

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

2 huge magma chambers spied beneath Yellowstone National Park
Geoscientists have found two magma chambers under Yellowstone National Park, one deeper and larger than the other. Alan Levander, the Carey Croneis Professor of Earth Science, is quoted. The article includes a video produced by Rice’s Brandon Martin.
Science AAAS
http://bit.ly/1Qrf1oD

Quantum reform
Gustavo Scuseria, the Robert A. Welch Professor of Chemistry, of Physics and Astronomy and of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, is quoted in an article about the use of quantum computers to solve quantum chemistry problems that are intractable with today’s computers.
Nature Chemistry
http://bit.ly/1EnMlYw

Photosynthesis has unique isotopic signature
Photosynthesis leaves behind a unique calling card, a chemical signature that is spelled out with stable oxygen isotopes, according to a new study in Science. The findings suggest isotopic signatures could exist for many biological and geological processes, including some that are difficult to observe with current tools. Laurence Yeung, assistant professor of Earth science, is quoted.
Phys.org (This article also appeared in Science Codex.)
http://bit.ly/1Dk4kKe

New potential discovered for double-walled nanotubes
Double-walled carbon nanotubes have unique electronic properties that may someday be tuned for semiconducting applications or for strong, highly conductive nanotube fibers, according to researchers at Rice University.
Overclockers Club
http://bit.ly/1Qrfyaj

New maps predict strength of composites
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.
Composites World
http://bit.ly/1DYCA1v

Houston 2035: War for talent, personalized textbooks and more
Richard Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and founding director of Rice’s OpenStax College, and Naomi Halas, director of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a professor of chemistry, are mentioned as presenters at Houston 2035. (Rice Provost George McLendon and Sociology Professor Stephen Klineberg, founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, are also listed under the speakers tab on the Houston 2035 website.) Xconomy
http://bit.ly/1JBLR0S

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Underestimating Marco Rubio’s diversity factor?
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 about the importance of the current presidential candidates knowing Spanish when trying to appeal to Hispanic voters.
Political Pasión
http://bit.ly/1z1o3DB

Bob Inglis: Show courage on climate change
John F. Kennedy’s speech given at Rice in 1962 is mentioned.
Greenville Online
http://grnol.co/1JBPHad

NEWS RELEASES

Rice University’s Ravi Sheth receives Hertz Fellowship
Rice University senior Ravi Sheth, a bioengineering major who just finished his term as president of the Rice Student Association, has received a prestigious 2015 Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowship Award for graduate education.
http://bit.ly/1boFWRN

Former Energy Secretary Chu, former Lockheed Martin CEO Augustine to speak at Rice’s Baker Institute April 30
Former Lockheed Martin chairman and CEO Norman Augustine and former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu will explore and discuss ways to recapture U.S. leadership in scientific research and preserve the American dream at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy April 30.
http://bit.ly/1I4Fo01

Study: Photosynthesis has unique isotopic signature
Photosynthesis leaves behind a unique calling card, a chemical signature that is spelled out with stable oxygen isotopes, according to a new study in Science. The findings suggest isotopic signatures could exist for many biological and geological processes, including some that are difficult to observe with current tools.
http://bit.ly/1boFJOg