Dateline Rice for July 13, 2015 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEMS

With $10 million in her pocket, Rice scientist buys a microscope
Rice researchers now have one of the most powerful microscopes in the United States. The Titan Themis will allow them to view and characterize materials with atom-scale resolution. Emilie Ringe, assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering and of chemistry, is featured for her professional background and purchase of the microscope. Edwin Thomas, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering, and Naomi Halas, the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a professor of chemistry, bioengineering, physics and astronomy, and materials science and nanoengineering, are quoted.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of City & State section in Sunday’s Chronicle and in the July 6 issue of Dateline. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1KGoebV

Lost in space
George Abbey, former director of the Johnson Space Center and the Baker Botts Senior Fellow in Space Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an op-ed about the Hubble Space Telescope and discusses the future of space travel and research in the United States.
Washington Examiner
http://washex.am/1M6gYq5
Washington Examiner Q&A: Lost in space — The vast emptiness of today’s space vision
Washington Examiner
http://washex.am/1K3Sqe8

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Kevin Costner was right! Earth could become a ‘Waterworld’ … but don’t worry, it won’t happen for another 2 billion years
Scientists at the University of Bristol used rock samples from around the world to measure the thickness of the continental crust and found that it is much thinner today than 3 billion years ago. Cin-Ty Lee, professor of Earth science, is quoted.
Daily Mail
http://dailym.ai/1IPM43h

US military drills stoke politics of suspicion in Texas
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science and fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, comments on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to dispatch the Texas State Guard to monitor the U.S. Army Special Operations Command exercise and appease theorists. He is also quoted about drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s escape from a Mexican prison, Houston Mayor Annise Parker’s plan to loosen the revenue cap for public safety and the conflicting stance Abbott could take regarding presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s comments about Mexican migration; Jones also is cited for his biennial analysis and ranking of the members of the Texas House.
Reuters (Similar articles also appeared in Daily Mail, Huffington Post, Yahoo! News and over 50 other media outlets.)
http://reut.rs/1UUoCqt
US ‘ready’ to help Mexico recapture drug lord
Voice of America (This article also appeared in Canada Standard, SofMag and Mauritania Vox.)
http://bit.ly/1M1yL0C
Amid mounting budget concerns, Parker plans to push for revenue cap change
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front page. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Txj9UN
What does Gov. Abbott think of Donald Trump’s controversial comments?
ABC 13
http://abc13.co/1HYwCRN
Rick Perry reprises sanctuary cities issue on a national stage
Austin American-Statesman
http://atxne.ws/1HCn7TM
Political and other Texas news for 7/8/2015
Pratton Texas
http://bit.ly/1LbuJCd

The global search for education: A global education for all
Former Rice President George Rupp, who was recently appointed chair of the board of directors for the International Baccalaureate, is interviewed about the needs of contemporary global education.
Huffington Post
http://huff.to/1DbURGB

As 2016 race starts, will Christie’s Jersey-bred mannerisms play in prime time?
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, is quoted about Gov. Chris Christie’s campaign personality.
New Jersey
http://bit.ly/1gxgNXJ

ABC’s ‘The Astronaut Wives Club’ episode 4 ‘Liftoff’ does the same in ratings
Episode 4 of the ABC show, “The Astronaut Wives Club” opens with President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Moon Speech” delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962.
Forbes
http://onforb.es/1HqnJMW
‘Astronaut Wives Club’ recap: Here comes Mercury
Houstonia
http://bit.ly/1gsSSZI

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Tibaldi, Klineberg: ‘Capitol’ of death penalty must rethink its use
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, co-authored an op-ed about the decrease in Harris County residents’ support of the death penalty, which cited the Kinder Institute Houston Area Survey. He also appeared on “Viva Houston!” to discuss other findings from the study. New U.S. Census data also reported that Hispanics now slightly outnumber Anglos in California, which may soon be a reality in Texas as well. Klineberg and Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, are quoted.
Houston Chronicle (This is featured on the front of the Outlook section in Sunday’s online newspaper. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1CBpeeu
Latinos soon to outnumber whites in Texas
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1HYLBLj
As California goes, so goes Texas?
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1UUJXjn
http://bit.ly/1UUWPpU
KTRK-TV
http://bit.ly/1Je0juD

Senior basketball team dominates competition
Alumni David Gibbs ’71 and John Coles ’71 are team members of a senior basketball team called Ball Hawgs, who will pursue a fourth national title at the 2015 National Senior Games in Minneapolis.
Houston Chronicle (This is featured on the front of the Sports section in Saturday’s Chronicle. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1RoUJ20

Slavery’s shadow, still visible in US schools
Heather O’Connell, postdoctoral fellow at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, authored an op-ed about the effects of slave labor on current school segregation.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1UURZc8
Slavery linked to school segregation in South
North Dallas Gazette (This article also appeared in Dallas Examiner, Realtimes Media, New Pittsburgh Courier, Atlanta Daily World, Data News Weekly and Washington Informer.)
http://bit.ly/1HSwZ1Q

Cruz stage presence homes in on the fringes of America’s pulpits
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted in an article about Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign strategy.
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in San Antonio Express-News. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1UL133l
Cruz campaigns like a moral crusader
San Antonio Express-News
http://bit.ly/1L2Ctb9

Woodlands man says his case is about voting rights, not voter fraud
Alumnus James Jenkins ’54 was prosecuted by the Texas attorney general for illegally voting against money being spent on road improvements within a Woodlands district he did not live in. Jenkins is continuing his fight against the Woodlands Road Utility District.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1K3UgvF

How 20 Texas icons got their names
The Houston Chronicle compiled a slideshow of the origins of famous Texas names. The article mentions that Rice is named for Massachusetts-born businessman William Marsh Rice, who made his fortune in Texas in the 1800s. Rice is also featured in the slideshow.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of the Star section in Saturday’s Chronicle and in the July 6 issue of Dateline. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1IEUH0k
http://bit.ly/1JQ5xQ3

Hybrid cells cause chaos around cancers
Rice researchers have built a simulation to understand how cancerous tumors manipulate blood-vessel growth. Graduate student Mohit Kumar Jolly and José Onuchic, the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy, are quoted. The late Eshel Ben-Jacob, an adjunct professor of biosciences at Rice and a senior investigator at Rice’s Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, is mentioned.
Texas Medical Center News (This article is featured in today’s newsletter from the Texas Medical Center.)
http://bit.ly/1eJiSi4
http://bit.ly/1HXWPS4

Without structure, are cellphones more of a hindrance than help?
A yearlong study of first-time smartphone users by researchers at Rice University and the U.S. Air Force found that users felt smartphones were actually detrimental to their ability to learn. Philip Kortum, assistant professor of psychology, is quoted. Graduate student Clayton Shepard and Lin Zhong, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering and of computer science, are mentioned.
Texas Medical Center News (This article is featured in today’s newsletter from the Texas Medical Center.)
http://bit.ly/1goUDa7
http://bit.ly/1HXWPS4

Texas textbook standards on Civil War concern historians, activists
New Texas textbooks that will soften the role of slavery in the Civil War and eliminate any mention of the Jim Crow laws or Ku Klux Klan have ignited criticism. Caleb McDaniel, associate professor of history, is quoted.
San Antonio Express-News
http://bit.ly/1Cu8XZ2
Por qué los nuevos libros de texto de Texas preocupan tanto a los expertos
La Voz de Houston (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1LbWxX2

The Buzz Magazine’s 2015 photo contest
Robert Flatt’s photo of a red moon above James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Rice campus was judge Carol Andrews’ choice for the Buzz Magazine’s photo contest. (Flatt is an adjunct professor in management at Rice.)
Tanglewood/River Oaks Buzz
http://bit.ly/1gxlGjv

New MTV show highlights ‘white shaming’
A new MTV show will acknowledge “white privilege” among teenagers and college kids. Anthony Pinn, the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and professor of religion, is quoted.
KTRH-AM
http://bit.ly/1LbIctw

East Texas town sees the world as a hot prospect
Alumnus Benjamin Wulf ’01 is featured. Former Rice football coach Ken Hatfield is quoted.
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/1LbwHm1

CFP names Ryan Hall director of community relations
Alumnus Ryan Hall ’02 was named director of community relations for College Football Playoff.
North Dallas Gazette
http://bit.ly/1gx9HCx

BROADCAST

KQED-FM
Alumna and author Mary Kay Zuravleff ’81 is interviewed about her book, “Man Alive!”
http://bit.ly/1GhDF2g

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

The right way to let outsiders in
Anthea Zhang, professor of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is cited for her research on the difference in appointing CEOs from the inside or outside.
Associations Now
http://bit.ly/1IVsVgg

Heat buckyballs to help environment
Rice scientists have analyzed the carbon-capture ability of materials created with enhanced C60 molecules. Andrew Barron, the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Professor of Chemistry and a professor of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
R&D Magazine
http://bit.ly/1JdKT9K
Scientists advance toward tunable carbon-capture materials
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1O67gCi

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Batavia’s millennial challenge
An article quotes an op-ed by Bill Fulton, director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, about the window of opportunity to anchor a small town with millennials.
The Batavian
http://bit.ly/1MpALh3

We need to end the silence around bisexual health
Bisexual males and females report poorer health than gays, lesbians and heterosexuals, according to a new study from sociologists at Rice University. Bridget Gorman, professor of sociology, and Justin Denney, assistant professor of sociology, are quoted.
Care2
http://bit.ly/1KVfWNg

SPORTS

Adams to be inducted into Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame
Head soccer coach Nicky Adams was selected for induction into Texas A&M University’s Letterman’s Association Hall of Fame this fall. Assistant coach Allison Martino is mentioned.
Conference USA
http://bit.ly/1M6xqqr

Rice football guard in consideration for Outland Trophy
The Football Writers Association of America placed Rice football player Andrew Reue on the initial Outland Trophy watch list.
Examiner.com
http://exm.nr/1M6x9n7

2015 C-USA preview West breakdown and picks
Rice football is profiled for their offense and defense in preparation of the upcoming season. Head coach David Bailiff and assistant football coach Chris Thurmond are mentioned.
Scout.com
http://foxs.pt/1HqO4KO

NEWS RELEASES

Rice University appoints Alison Weaver to direct Moody Center for the Arts
Alison Weaver, an art historian and former director of affiliates for the Guggenheim Museum in New York, has been named executive director of Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts.
http://bit.ly/1LbXoXQ

Rice lab synthesizes cancer-killing compound
The molecule shishijimicin A, discovered more than a decade ago in a marine animal known as a sea squirt and found to be highly toxic to cancer cells, has been synthesized by the Rice University laboratory of chemist K.C. Nicolaou.
http://bit.ly/1HD5ByL

Rice tests wireless data delivery over active TV channels
Rice University engineers have demonstrated the first system that allows wireless data transmissions over UHF channels during active TV broadcasts.
http://bit.ly/1K1Qplj

Heat buckyballs to help environment
Rice scientists have analyzed the carbon-capture ability of materials created with enhanced C60 molecules.
http://bit.ly/1CAmJJJ