Dateline Rice for Aug. 24, 2015 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEM

Rice University leading national center to provide clean water for communities, energy industry
A Rice University-led consortium has won $18.5 million from the National Science Foundation to establish a national research center in Houston to develop mobile, off-grid water-treatment systems that can provide clean water to millions of people who lack it and make U.S. energy production more sustainable and cost-effective. Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who led the effort, discusses the collaboration.
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/1Ju9Im3
UTEP to partner on $18.5 million NSF grant for ERC in Houston
Texas Government Insider
http://bit.ly/1LvDJnu

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Laser turns graphene into catalyst for fuel cells
Rice University chemists who developed a unique form of graphene have found a way to embed metallic nanoparticles that turn the material into a useful catalyst for fuel cells and other applications. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/1JtIqfj
Laser-burned graphene gains metallic powers
Science Daily (This article also appeared in Controlled Environments and 12 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1LtvkRA

Ted Cruz remains a force in crowded GOP field
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 presidential hopeful Ted Cruz’s unconventional political ideologies. Jones is also quoted about Councilman Stephen Costello’s first television ads for his Houston mayor campaign, the effect of the legislature’s cut of the Moving Image Industry Incentive Program and the claims that Gov. Greg Abbott’s veto of a bill concerning ER patients was influenced by the Church of Scientology.
USA Today (This article also appeared KHOU-TV and 24 other media outlets.)
http://usat.ly/1WN9zQe
Costello to air first broadcast ads of campaign season
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in Beaumont Enterprise. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1MMFcGs
http://bit.ly/1JJ3XTo
Budget cuts hit film, video game incentive fund
The Texas Tribune
http://bit.ly/1PMpdXl
Abbott says group tied to Scientology had nothing to do with veto
San Antonio Express-News (This article also appeared in Express News.)
http://bit.ly/1hTE7Q5

Imaging software speeds up breast cancer diagnosis
New software developed by Rice University bioengineers could speed up the diagnosis of breast cancer with 90 percent accuracy and without the need for a specialist, according to new research published this week in the open-access journal Breast Cancer Research. Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, director of the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering and of Rice 360°: Institute for Global Health Technologies, and graduate student Jessica Dobbs are quoted.
Bangalore Mirror (This article also appeared in Medical Xpress, Health Management and AZO Optics.)
http://bit.ly/1PtChjz

Katrina evacuees have become part of Houston
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, comments on Houston’s response to the sudden influx of evacuees from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Klineberg also spoke at the Houston Matters Road Show about Houston’s “demographic revolution” and how it has affected the Energy Corridor.
Miami Herald (This article also appeared in Sacramento Bee and 18 other media outlets.)
http://hrld.us/1Jv6wq0
Energy Corridor development holds key to Houston’s future
Katy Rancher (This article also appeared in Cypress Creek Mirror, East Montgomery County Observer, Memorial Examiner, Magnolia Potpourri, Spring Observer and Fort Bend Sun.)
http://bit.ly/1KES8Z3

College students have discovered how to save money on textbooks
Rice University-based nonprofit OpenStax College has unveiled three new textbooks and said its growing catalog of free textbooks will save students an estimated $25 million in the coming academic year.
Chicago Daily Herald
http://bit.ly/1U12HzZ

Midwestern gasoline prices driven by problems from regional refineries
The BP refinery near Chicago shut down its largest crude distillation units for unscheduled repairs, causing oil prices to rise. Kenneth Medlock, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and lecturer of economics, comments on the normality of this occurrence.
The Columbus Dispatch
http://bit.ly/1MMwiZx

Venderá México información de aguas profundas
Miriam Grunstein, contributing expert and scholar in the Mexico Center at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about Mexico’s selling of its entire deepwater seismic data.
Reuters America Latina (An English translation is not available. This article also appeared in Forbes Mexico and 20 other media outlets.)
http://reut.rs/1JpKD7g

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Nearly 1 in 3 uninsured Texans skip needed care
Texans without health insurance are twice as likely to skip seeking primary and mental health care because of cost. That’s one of the findings of a new survey released Aug. 20 by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. Elena Marks, president and CEO of the foundation and a nonresident health policy fellow at the Baker Institute, and Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute and professor of economics, are quoted. Ho also comments on the unlikelihood of freestanding ERs being built in low-income communities.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front of Saturday’s Chronicle. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1NuOPcW
Texans without health insurance
San Antonio Express-News
http://bit.ly/1Ef1CNS
New report shows uninsured Texans are twice as likely to delay seeking primary care, mental health care
Health Canal (This article also appeared in Bellaire Examiner, Health News, Medical News Today and A Closer Look.)
http://bit.ly/1KETSBr
People without health insurance often skip primary, mental health care
Psych Central
http://bit.ly/1Jpp8nc
A promising new health care trend
Tyler Morning Telegraph (This article also appeared in My High Plains and Fort Worth Business Online.)
http://bit.ly/1KedBfl
In wealthy Texas ZIP codes, freestanding ERs find a home
Valley Morning Star
http://bit.ly/1Jf7hA8

The White House’s heroin response strategy: Bringing together public health and public safety
Katharine Neill, the Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored a blog post about the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Heroin Response Strategy initiative.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1h0W7r2

Brinkley: Katrina showed the world Houston’s big heart
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, authored an op-ed about Houston’s helpful response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which is nearing its 10-year anniversary. Brinkley is quoted from his CNN discussion about presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Houston Chronicle (This is featured on the front of the Outlook section in Sunday’s online newspaper. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1KG5iEU
http://bit.ly/1WNmFwO
Rush Limbaugh Show
http://bit.ly/1NEMICy (This broadcast also appeared on WLS-AM and 26 other outlets.)

Exploring Houston in an afternoon
James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Rice campus is included in a list of “100 Things to do in Houston Before You Die” and a list of romantic attractions in Houston.
Houston Chronicle (This is featured on the front of the Star Explore section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1JsfhwI
32 best romantic things to do in Houston, Texas
Vacation Idea
http://bit.ly/1fBaOjx

Classical music station KUHA-FM to go all-digital
KUHA 91.7-FM will move to an HD radio and digital format. The station manager would like to sell the station’s frequency and transmitter, which the University of Houston purchased from Rice University for $9.5 million.
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in DailyNews724.com. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1hBFFi1

People in business
Jeff Fleming, the Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Professor of Finance, has been named deputy dean of Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Luv8Bw
http://bit.ly/1MNkXIR

Mercury opens its 15th season in style
Alumnus Antoine Plante ’00 discusses Houston’s Mercury orchestra, which will open its 15th season at University of Houston Clear Lake and Miller Outdoor Theater.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1V3s8h6

Vintage photos show what school life was like in Texas
A slideshow of vintage photos from local universities includes student life photos at Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1MHRNcy

Jonathan Franzen and Salman Rushdie are coming to Houston
Author Sandra Cisneros will speak at Rice’s Stude Concert Hall Oct. 12.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1JtMJax

Law could bring remote doctor visits to schools
A new law going into effect Sept. 1 will allow doctors to administer routine health checks through video chat while the child is at school to save parents time and money. Quianta Moore, scholar in health policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
The Texas Tribune (This article also appeared in the Monitor, Gilmer Mirror, Education Views and My High Plains.)
http://bit.ly/1JtEknI

Algorithm clarifies ‘big data’ clusters
Rice scientists have developed a big data technique that could have an impact on health care and more. Amina Qutub, assistant professor of bioengineering, and graduate student Wendy Hu are quoted.
Texas Medical Center News
http://bit.ly/1h7wPaX
Algorithm optimizes big data clusters for medical breakthroughs
Health Data Management
http://bit.ly/1EQEU9A

Feds support new thought on speech
The National Science Foundation has funded a Rice University and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School effort to understand how the brain processes language and help people who lose the ability to communicate. Behnaam Aazhang, the J.S. Abercrombie Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is quoted. Aydin Babakhani, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is mentioned.
Texas Medical Center News
http://bit.ly/1Lur3xs

Nanotube fibers may restore electrical health to damaged hearts
Rice University and Texas Heart Institute researchers are studying the use of soft, flexible fibers made of carbon nanotubes to restore electrical conductivity to damaged heart tissue. Matteo Pasquali, the A.J. Hartsook Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, chair of the Department of Chemistry and a professor of materials science and nanoengineering and of chemistry, is quoted.
Texas Medical Center News
http://bit.ly/1I69Fr2

Neuroscientists decipher brain’s noisy code
By comparing and analyzing the signals of individual neurons in animals undergoing behavioral tests, neuroscientists at Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Geneva and University of Rochester have deciphered the code that the brain uses to make the most of its inherently “noisy” neuronal circuits. Xaq Pitkow, assistant professor of neuroscience at Baylor and assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice, is quoted.
TMC Today
http://bit.ly/1Nw9rSc

Dave McNeely: A history of Texas voting laws
Confusion over Texas’ voter photo identification requirement potentially discouraged as many as 9 percent of registered voters from going to the polls in the November 2014 elections in the Latino-majority U.S. Congressional District 23, according to a new study by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the University of Houston Hobby Center for Public Policy.
San Angelo Standard-Times (Similar articles appeared in Item Online, Longview News-Journal and The Facts.)
http://bit.ly/1WNR6mC

A midcentury montage: Art works by 3 Houston founders
William Reaves Fine Art will feature paintings and collages by alumna Leila McConnell Gadbois ’48.
Austin Monthly
http://bit.ly/1fBb16o

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Breathing new life into oil-contaminated soil
Rice University scientists are cleaning soil contaminated by oil spills in a way that saves energy and reclaims the soil’s fertility. Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is quoted and graduate student Julia Vidonish is mentioned.
The Engineer
http://bit.ly/1U22Ra8
Oil-contaminated soil finds new fertility
Inventor Spot
http://bit.ly/1MOu5N9

Kemper ‘clean coal’ project shows the costly perils of being ‘first of its kind’
Charles McConnell, executive director of Rice’s Energy and Environment Initiative, is quoted about the carbon capture, utilization and storage pilot facility that was built in Kemper, Miss.
E&E Publishing (This article also appeared in Energy Wire.)
http://bit.ly/1PMviDd

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

All change, as electro-storage powers up for a brighter future
Advances in electro-engineering mean that tomorrow’s generation of smartphones, robots and vehicles may be powered by smarter and longer-lasting devices than ever. Research by Rice University is cited, and Leela Mohana Reddy, a former researcher at Rice, is quoted.
Cowra Guardian (This article also appeared in Bunbury Mail.)
http://bit.ly/1JejQhm

California Symphony’s future looks bright with Aubrey Bergauer on board
A profile of alumna Aubrey Bergauer ’05 mentions Pierre Jalbert, professor of composition and theory at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music.
Inside Bay Area (This article also appeared in Contra Costa Times and 12 other media outlets.)
http://bayareane.ws/1JpJv3z

SPORTS

Owls’ offensive line impresses in team’s second scrimmage
The Rice football team is featured in preparation of its first game of the season. Head football coach David Bailiff, assistant football coach Chris Thurmond and players Austin Walter and Anthony Steward are quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1KG62dr

Rice sees 7-year-old as part of the team
Seven-year-old Fre’derick “Ziggy” Stoval-Redd, who was recruited by Rice football and head coach David Bailiff, is featured. Bailiff and players Nick Elder, Andrew Reue and Driphus Jackson are quoted. Player Alex Lyons is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1fzL5YN

Man behind the mask: Rice’s Ross Winship
Rice senior football player Ross Winship is featured.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Lusxb1

All 128 FBS college football teams ranked for 2015, from Ohio State to Charlotte
Sports writer Bill Connelly ranked the Rice Owls No. 74 among Division I football teams.
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/1ECR7hO

Wagner QB Andrews tries less variety, Islanders Aranda and Dale hook up twice in Green-White scrimmage
Rice football will play its first game of the season against Wagner College Sept. 5 at Rice Stadium.
Silive.com
http://bit.ly/1I5a5Ot

Texas A&M earns comeback victory over Rice
Rice women’s soccer fell to Texas A&M University 4-2.
SECSports.com (This article also appeared in KBTX-TV.)
http://bit.ly/1LrAsTE

Florida International University announces 2015-2016 schedule
Rice women’s swimming will compete at the Florida International University Dual-a-Palooza.
Swim Swam
http://bit.ly/1WO40Bc

Pack in the pros: NC State’s Turner, Rodon making marks in the MLB
Rice baseball will play against North Carolina State at the Raleigh Super Regional.
Technician Online
http://bit.ly/1fB65yn

18 facts on New York Yankees great Andy Pettitte
Will Rice College sophomore Josh Pettitte is mentioned.
Yes Network
http://bit.ly/1U8mc4a

NEWS RELEASE

Imaging software could speed breast cancer diagnosis
New software developed by Rice University bioengineers could speed up the diagnosis of breast cancer with 90 percent accuracy and without the need for a specialist, according to new research published this week in the open-access journal Breast Cancer Research.
http://bit.ly/1I5ocDr