Dateline Rice for Jan. 22, 2016

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

The Donald Trump programming language is not for dummies or losers
Duncan College juniors Sam Shadwell and Chris Brown are quoted about the programming language “TrumpScript” they created during HackRice last weekend.
Yahoo! News (This article also appeared in Yahoo! Canada, MyInforms and The Verge.)
http://yhoo.it/1lCcb4v
‘TrumpScript’ is Donald Trump in a programming language
Motherboard
http://bit.ly/1K07ld9
There’s a Donald Trump programming language
Gizmodo
http://bit.ly/1VdZnOa
‘TrumpScript’ will make programming great again
Mashable
http://on.mash.to/20jqWZM
‘TrumpScript’ is a programming language that thinks and acts like Donald
The Next Web
http://bit.ly/1WAYG2t
‘TrumpScript,’ un lenguaje de programación inspirado en Donald Trump y sus ‘peculiaridades’
wwwhat’s new (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1NplM5i
Donald Trump wird mit eigener Programmiersprache ‘geehrt’
WinFuture (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1UgjBqe

Can Wheaton College survive its never-ending controversy over Muslim and Christian worship?
Alumna Larycia Hawkins ’94 vowed to wear a hijab to Wheaton College, where she is on faculty, during Advent as support for Muslims. The college placed her on administrative leave. This article analyzes Wheaton’s options for resolving the matter.
The Washington Post
http://wapo.st/1lC4ag6

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Chamber music concert bids adieu to symphony concertmaster
A Jan. 25 chamber-music concert in the Shepherd School of Music’s Duncan Recital Hall will feature Frank Huang, artist teacher of violin, who has been named concertmaster for the New York Philharmonic, and some of his colleagues. Brinton Averil Smith, associate professor of cello, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the Star Living section in the Jan. 22 print edition.)
http://bit.ly/1nq4mAZ

FotoFest 16 will tackle world’s ‘Changing Circumstances’
Rice’s Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences and the Rice Building Workshop are mentioned as partners of the 16th biennial FotoFest, which will consist of more than 100 independently organized exhibitions around Houston March 12-April 24.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article also appeared in My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/1lCmsh8
http://bit.ly/1PHKlMv

Veil of secrecy on new commissioner to be lifted Friday even as Sen. Ellis says he plans to run for the seat
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett ’71 will introduce his short-term pick to replace the late El Franco Lee as Precinct 1 Commissioner Jan. 22. The article recounts how Emmett appointed alumnus Jack Cagle ’83 to Commissioners Court in 2011.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the City & State section in the Jan. 22 print edition.)
http://bit.ly/1Kutzi7

Poll: Voters are angry
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, discusses the Rasmussen Reports poll that says 67 percent are angry at the current federal government policies. Jones is also quoted about Sen. Ted Cruz’s eligibility to be president, given that he was born in Canada.
Newsradio 740 KTRH
http://bit.ly/1K1cRfv
http://bit.ly/23jfD6m
¿Importa que Ted Cruz haya nacido en Canadá?
Univision (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1PaHP56

McRaven defends UT System’s Houston expansion
The University of Texas System will pay about $450 million over the next 30 years for 300 acres near the Texas Medical Center. Some Houston-area lawmakers are worried that a new campus in Houston could oversaturate the city’s higher education offerings. Rice is mentioned.
Austin Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1RC5fma

Rice University students invited to 2017 Solar Decathlon
Rice is listed as one of the teams that will participate in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 competition.
Memorial Examiner (This article also appeared in the Sugar Land Sun, the Katy Rancher, YourFortBendNews.com, UCDavis News, RealEstateRama, Radiant & Hydronics and the Bellaire, River Oaks, West University Examiner.)
http://bit.ly/1RC8zxK

World temperature sets a record again
Ronald Sass, the Harry C. and Olga Keith Wiess Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and fellow in global climate change at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about the solution to global climate change.
San Antonio Express-News
http://bit.ly/1P92cQd

BROADCAST

Researcher: Barriers keep teens from participating in HIV and STI studies
Parental permission for adolescent participation in research on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is not required ethically and may undermine public health interests, according to a new paper by law and public health experts at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and Baylor College of Medicine. Quianta Moore, scholar in health policy at the Baker Institute, discusses the study.
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/1QjkAFa

With new team of advisers, college application rates up at Houston schools
Ruth López Turley, associate professor of sociology and director of the Houston Education Research Consortium, discusses the increase in college applications after Houston Independent School District secured a $3 million grant to hire and train new advisers.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1TcDhwK

KWES
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, discusses dropping oil prices and the effects on Houston.
KWES (This broadcast was also aired on KOSA, KAUZ and KRBC.)
http://bit.ly/1PazONK

KDFW-DAL
Rice is highlighted as the top school in Texas, where students go on to earn the highest salaries after graduating.
KDFW-DAL
http://bit.ly/1OCbmmN

Rice University presents New York-based Cadillac Moon Ensemble
Cadillac Moon Ensemble will perform at Rice’s Duncan Recital Hall Jan 22.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1OAoMzG

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

OpenStax already saved students $39 million this academic year
Free textbooks from Rice University-based publisher OpenStax are now in use at one-in-five degree-granting U.S. colleges and universities and have already saved college students $39 million in the 2015-16 academic year. Richard Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is quoted.
Education News (A similar article was featured on MyInforms.)
http://bit.ly/1KuE1q6

Scientists use household oven to help decontaminate carbon nanotubes
Researchers use a household microwave oven to enhance the purification of carbon nanotubes. The work could help in the preparation of nanotubes for drug delivery or photovoltaic applications. Andrew Barron, the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Professor of Chemistry and a professor of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted. Robert Hauge, distinguished faculty fellow in chemistry and in materials science and nanoengineering, and Wade Adams, senior faculty fellow in materials science and nanoengineering, are mentioned.
PhysOrg
http://bit.ly/1UgAuRu

Graphene oxide layers deform evenly under gentle strain
Rice scientists have found that the same slip-and-stick mechanism that leads to earthquakes is at work on the molecular level, where it determines the shear plasticity of nanoscale materials. Postdoctoral researcher Chandra Sekhar Tiwary is quoted. Also mentioned are Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Materials Science and NanoEngineering and of chemistry; Robert Vajtai, senior faculty fellow in materials science and nanoengineering; postdoctoral researcher Leonardo Machado; graduate students Soumya Vinod and Sehmus Ozden; and undergraduate students Juny Cho and Preston Shaw.
SciTechDaily
http://bit.ly/20ja2KV
Graphene oxide ‘paper’ changes with strain
Fresh Ghana
http://bit.ly/1QjjmJU
Graphene oxide’s reaction to strain may enable many next-gen applications
Before It’s News
http://bit.ly/20jab0T

Molecular diagnostics on thermal tracks of ‘DNA in the wild’
Rice scientists have developed a tool to analyze the thermal behavior of DNA and RNA strands. It could speed the design of molecular diagnostics that positively identify disease subtypes to inform optimal treatment. David Zhang, assistant professor of bioengineering, is quoted.
GenEngNews
http://bit.ly/1S86qIK

Mycetoma: The PLOS NTDs collection
Peter Hotez, a fellow in disease and poverty at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an op-ed to announce a new collection of research on Mycetoma, an “honorary” neglected tropical disease (NTD).
PLOS
http://bit.ly/1PsDs16

US EPA science panel raises fracking study questions
Katherine Ensor, professor of statistics, is quoted about members of the Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board requesting clarification on the conclusion that fracking does not impact drinking water.
Creamer Media’s Engineering News
http://bit.ly/1WAT6gE

New report shows fewer Texans have problems paying medical bills
Fewer Texans said they have problems paying their medical bills in 2015 compared with 2013, according to report released by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute and professor of economics, and Elena Marks, a nonresident health policy fellow at the Baker Institute, are quoted.
Insurance News Net
http://bit.ly/1WB1L2w

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Historic collaboration signing event: Rice University to offer regular programs in Jain studies
Rice University representatives and leaders of the local Jain community signed a memorandum of understanding Jan. 17 to mark the community’s gift of $80,000 to support a new postdoctoral fellowship at Rice. The fellowship will help deepen the global understanding of Jainism as religion and culture and will contribute to the Transnational Asia Research Initiative at Rice’s Chao Center for Asian Studies. Sonia Ryang, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Center Professor of Asian Studies and director of the Chao Center for Asian Studies, and Jeffrey Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion, are mentioned.
Indo American News
http://bit.ly/1VdY5m8

Growing up hungry: Native households at high rate of food insecurity
Adjusting to family circumstances where there is less food available than previously can be a traumatic situation for children. Justin Denney, assistant professor of sociology and program director, and Rachel Kimbro, associate professor of sociology, are mentioned.
Native Times
http://bit.ly/1OCl0FW

Upheaval in the factories of Juarez
Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and director of the institute’s Mexico Center, is quoted about the effects of NAFTA on factories in Mexico and the decline in California’s unauthorized Mexican immigrant population.
CityLab
http://bit.ly/1RZ8Hrn
Victory lap
Florida Courier
http://bit.ly/1K17fBX

Column: The divided State of the Union
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, is quoted about divisions between the two political parties in America.
Shelby Star (This article also appeared in the Crescent-News and Denton Record-Chronicle.)
http://bit.ly/1lC7Dex

Experience the arts at W&M this spring
Timothy Morton, a philosopher and the Rita Shea Guffey Chair in English, will give a lecture at William and Mary University Jan. 28.
William & Mary
http://bit.ly/1K00PD8

New lecture series spotlights digital mapping in the humanities
Graduate student Sheridan “Wright” Kennedy will participate in an Emory University lecture series March 1.
Emory
http://bit.ly/1ZH1laY

Part II: Studies show health risks associated with more ozone pollution
A study done by Rice students on air pollution data is mentioned.
Environmental Defense Fund (This article was also featured on Environment Guru.)
http://bit.ly/1SBC4ja

Sweet Briar College named affiliate of nationwide diversity initiative
Sweet Briar College has been named a 2016 affiliate of the Building, Recruiting And Inclusion for Diversity (BRAID) initiative. Rice is mentioned as a BRAID School Affiliate.
WSLS10
http://bit.ly/1OJeMSy

Forget tracking steps, these wearables are changing lives
Rice alumnus and Baylor College of Medicine neuroscientist David Eagleman ’93, who starred in the PBS series “The Brain with David Eagleman,” is mentioned for his work developing a vest that would allow deaf people to understand speech.
NetGuide
http://bit.ly/1Qj9L5L

Amy McCarley returns to Bama Theatre for Acoustic Night
Alumna Amy McCarley ’98 will be the featured artist on Acoustic Night at the Bama Theatre Feb. 14.
Planet Weekly
http://bit.ly/1Tadllo

An egg theater
Alumna Susan Crowe Knight ’06 and Josiah Stevenson from Leers Weinzapfel Associates explain the challenges their firm faced in designing a new performing arts center in the historic 1876 Boston & Maine Railroad Depot at Towers Corner.
Metropolis
http://bit.ly/1Jmcuw2

CWU names associate provost for accreditation, academic planning and assessment
Alumna Bernadette Jungblut ’00 will join Central Washington University as associate provost for accreditation, academic planning and assessment.
Central Washington University (Correction: In a similar article in the Jan. 21 edition of Dateline Rice, Jungblut’s first name was misspelled. We apologize for the error.)
http://bit.ly/1Ktydx0

Escola de Verão IPSA-USP tem eventos abertos
Randy Stevenson, professor of political science, will participate in the seventh Summer School IPSA-USP in Concepts, Methods and Techniques in Political Science in Sao Paulo Jan. 25-Feb. 5.
Revista Brasilia (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1PJa2wf

Da Unibo alla Rice University: La studentessa di Ingegneria su Forbes
Alumna Francesca Mirri ’14 is profiled after being named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30″ list. Alumnus Dmitri Tsentalovich ’13 is also mentioned.
Unibo Magazine (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1RYKm53

SPORTS

College basketball: UAB pulls away from Rice
Rice men’s basketball fell to the University of Alabama at Birmingham 82-70. Players Marcus Evans, Connor Cashaw, Egor Koulechov and Marquez Letcher-Ellis and head coach Mike Rhoades are mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1WATXhe
UAB fends off Rice rally in 82-70 win, 20th straight at home
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1OC6qOP
Thursday’s college basketball
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1lCg09Q
Sports calendar, Jan. 21-22
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1VdNoAb
UAB keeps win streak alive
CBS Sports Network
http://cbsprt.co/20j9Vis
http://bit.ly/1TcRo5l
UAB Blazers roll past the Rice Owls 82-70 in Birmingham for 20th straight home victory
WTVY
http://bit.ly/1nDiVkq
UAB fries Rice, sets school record for most consecutive home wins
AL.com
http://bit.ly/1NpmrDJ

Thursday’s women’s basketball scores
Rice women’s basketball fell to University of Alabama at Birmingham 64-55.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1NpszMg

Lady Raiders cruise past North Texas
Rice women’s basketball will play Middle Tennessee State University Jan. 23 at Tudor Fieldhouse.
MTSU Sidelines
http://bit.ly/1OC1ZU0

Rice to open 2021 season at Oklahoma State
Rice football will open the 2021 season at Oklahoma State Sept. 4.
FBSchedules.com (This article also appeared in OSU Sports Extra.)
http://bit.ly/1nBpZy2

NEWS RELEASES

Microwaved nanotubes come up clean
Researchers use a household microwave oven to enhance the purification of carbon nanotubes. The work could help in the preparation of nanotubes for drug delivery or photovoltaic applications.
http://news.rice.edu/?p=86106

January-February events at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music
Events at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in January and February include concerts celebrating the composers Schumann and Poulenc.
http://news.rice.edu/?p=86079