Dateline Rice for May 5, 2015

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

How to turn brittle stuff into bendy stuff
Theory shows it may be possible to turn brittle two-dimensional materials into superplastics simply by changing the environmental conditions around them, according to Rice researchers. Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and professor of chemistry, is quoted. Postdoctoral researcher Xiaolong Zou is mentioned.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/1Jo0t4c
From brittle to plastic in 1 breath: Rice University theorists show environments can alter 2-D materials’ basic properties
Nanotechnology Now
http://bit.ly/1OWVDlk
From brittle to plastic in 1 breath
Science Daily (This article also appeared in Controlled Environments, BrightSurf.com, Science Daily and ScienceNewsline.)
http://bit.ly/1dKoit3

America’s elite colleges prefer liberal commencement speakers by 7-to-1 margin
An article about the political affiliations of commencement speakers at elite universities in America mentions that former Secretary of State Colin Powell will be Rice’s commencement speaker.
The Daily Caller
http://bit.ly/1KcWWFQ

The world’s best 40 under-40 business school professors
Yael Hochberg, the Ralph S. O’Connor Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, was named one of the best 40 under-40 business school professors by Poets & Quants.
Poets & Quants
http://bit.ly/1D6EQQt
Babson’s Erzurumlu, Gino, Rudin ranked among world’s best 40 professors under 40
CityBizList (This article appeared in 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1F3WMCO

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Dan Wallach: 2015 electric power usage update
Dan Wallach, professor of computer science and of electrical and computer engineering, authored a guest analysis of the Texas electricity market.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1QiiIfl

Exclusive: Dean of Rice business school joins board of Houston tech startup
Bill Glick, dean of Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, joined the Houston tech startup Panton Inc.’s board.
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1Pl9lJx

Half of Harris County residents back gay marriage
According to the 2015 Kinder Houston Area Survey from Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Harris County has become increasingly progressive on social issues such as same-sex marriage. Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted.
Project Q Houston
http://bit.ly/1Jo9om3

St. Mary’s graduates’ earnings among best in US
In a new ranking from the Brookings Institution that factors in “the difference between actual alumni outcomes (like salaries) and the outcomes one would expect given a student’s characteristics and the type of institution,” Rice is No. 12 for the top-earning graduates in the country and the highest-ranked university in Texas.
San Antonio Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1buO1Ed

Los Lobos make it a memorable Cinco de Mayo
Rice’s mariachi band, Luna Llena, performed at the Miller Outdoor Theatre to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/1GWYhQK

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Real-time 3-D radar collision-avoidance system wins $5,000 top prize
A real-time 3-D radar system designed by Rice University engineering students as a concept for a next-generation collision-avoidance system for the auto industry captured the $5,000 top prize at Rice’s annual Engineering Design Showcase and could have wider applications in security screening and biomedical imaging. Gary Woods, professor in the practice of computer technology and electrical and computer engineering; Aydin Babakhani, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; McMurtry College senior Spencer Kent; Duncan College senior Galen Schmidt; and Baker College senior Jeremy Hunt are quoted.
AZO Sensors (This article also appeared in EIN News, RF Globalnet and e! Science News.)
http://bit.ly/1E4GJz0
Engineering students create real-time 3-D radar system
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1cfMaUS
Rice engineering students create real-time 3-D radar system
i-Connect007.com
http://bit.ly/1EUiQy2

Strong evidence for coronal heating theory by nanoflares
Rice participated in a groundbreaking study that revealed how the sun’s corona is heated to extreme temperatures by relatively small explosions. Stephen Bradshaw, the William V. Vietti Junior Chair of Space Physics and assistant professor of physics and astronomy, spoke about the study at the Triennial Earth-Sun Summit in Indianapolis.
Astronomy
http://bit.ly/1chxTXU
Nanoflares superheat the sun’s corona
Controlled Environments
http://bit.ly/1zK6VCD

Vulnerability of titanium to oxygen
Andrew Barron, the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Professor of Chemistry and professor of materials science, is cited for his research on removing waste from water with fullerenes.
Tribology & Lubrication Journal
http://bit.ly/1GMoSxy

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Latin American currencies rebound may help stabilize chems
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 the health of the Latin American currency values.
ICIS.com
http://bit.ly/1OX95po

Students design space-bound furniture for NASA
With help from NASA, Rice students designed furniture for habitats on the moon and planets. Lovett College senior Laura Blumenschein, Will Rice College seniors Archit Chaba, Alex Schmidt and Dan Peera are mentioned. Brown College senior Rey Amendola is quoted.
PSFK
http://bit.ly/1JNTXXH

Virtual reality gloves?
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.
Load the Game
http://bit.ly/1FMUp68

SPORTS

Langley completes staff with Colson
Rice’s new head women’s basketball coach Tina Langley announced the hiring of Sydney Colson as assistant coach.
Conference USA
http://bit.ly/1ABUGms

Merkel introduced as R-MC men’s basketball coach
Randolph-Macon College hired former assistant Josh Merkel to replace Nathan Davis as head men’s basketball coach. Head basketball coach Mike Rhoades is quoted.
NBC12.com (This article also appeared in WDAM-TV, WECT-TV and WTOC-TV.)
http://bit.ly/1dKt3D1

NEWS RELEASES

Monkey see puzzle, monkey do, monkey eat
Rice engineering students challenge Allen’s swamp monkeys at the Houston Zoo with their feeder puzzle.
http://bit.ly/1KJym0c

The value of clean air is topic at Rice’s Baker Institute May 8
Drew Shindell, a leading climate sciences expert at Duke University, will speak at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy May 8 on the importance of making informed choices about activities that cause emissions leading to climate change and poor air quality.
http://bit.ly/1GMnPNZ