Dateline Rice for Jan. 28, 2016

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Nanotube coating makes coaxial cables 50 percent lighter
Rice scientists used carbon nanotubes to make durable, flexible coaxial cables for aerospace applications with half the weight. 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, and alumna Francesca Mirri ’14, a research scientist, are quoted.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/1nPDB8Q
Nano-coating makes coaxial cables lighter
PhysOrg (Similar articles appeared in 11 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1nPkMCL
Fabrican cable coaxial más ligero y potente cambiando el cobre por nanotubos de carbono
Gizmodo en Español (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1nR0sRj

Should wealthy colleges be forced to spend more of their money on financial aid?
Many critics of higher education believe that universities with billion-dollar or greater endowments should spend more on financial aid. Rice is mentioned.
Time Money
http://ti.me/20uOTNL

The US is driving less and still building more highways
Andrew Keatts, content editor for Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, authored an op-ed about highway expansion projects.
Huffpost Green
http://huff.to/1SLSWnA

Top 15 college entrepreneurs take flight in nationwide business pitch competition
Will Rice College senior and co-founder of Ziel Solutions Senthil Natarajan is mentioned for winning third place at the RECESS National Pitch Competition.
Huffpost College
http://huff.to/1Qt9FZs

US aims to better refine, not increase, its net oil supply to world market
Peter Hartley, the George and Cynthia Mitchell Chair in Sustainable Development at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of economics, is quoted about the lifting of the United States’ 40-year restriction on oil exports and increased LNG exports.
Bloomberg Business (A similar article appeared in Cihan.)
http://bloom.bg/1WPxUDR
US LNG export to Europe: Prospects, advantages and challenges
Bloomberg Business
http://bloom.bg/1WPy7H0

HOUSTON/TEXAS

‘Resign-to-run’ rule now applies to city elected officials
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, is quoted about the Tea Party, Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign, the Jan. 28 Republican debate, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson and the possible cascade that may result from Sen. Rodney Ellis’ run for commissioner. Jones also authored an op-ed on using roll-call vote behavior to make decisions in the March 1 Texas primary.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the City & State section of the Jan. 27 print edition with a different headline, “Resign-to-run applies in city.”)
http://bit.ly/1lWfvHZ
Candidates’ legislative records offer insights to primary voters
TribTalk
http://bit.ly/1ROddIX
Tea Party continues to wield influence in Montgomery County
Community Impact Newspaper
http://bit.ly/1noIk0M
Cruz could gain from Trump’s absence
Amarillo Globe-News (A similar article appeared in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.)
http://bit.ly/1nAlJPr
Ted Cruz battles, and boosted by, likability challenge
Detroit Free Press (A similar article appeared in KREM2.)
http://on.freep.com/1UrawuH
The stench of Devon Anderson’s politics
Before It’s News
http://bit.ly/1TpCqsI

The P. Q&A
Alumnus George P. Bush ’98 is profiled. The article mentions Rice’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center.
Texas Monthly
http://bit.ly/1QuCwwy

Unidentified scholarly subject
This month Whitley Strieber will release his 36th book, “The Super Natural: A New Vision of the Unexplained,” in collaboration with Jeffrey Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion.
Texas Monthly
http://bit.ly/1nAnr3v

Jaap van Zweden scores New York Phil post
Jaap van Zweden, music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 2008, has been appointed music director of the New York Philharmonic beginning with the 2018-19 season. Rice is mentioned for participating in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy.
Theater Jones
http://bit.ly/23tANPg

Free weekend fun in Houston Jan. 29-31
The Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra will perform selections from Prokofiev’s “Romeo & Juliet” suites at the annual Shepherd Society’s Family Concert Jan. 30.
Houston on the Cheap
http://bit.ly/1PkXPBO

BROADCAST

Community Chamber Concerts featuring Trio con Brio Copenhagen
The Shepherd School’s Ivo-Jan van der Werff, professor of viola, and Timothy Pitts, professor of double bass, will be joining the Trio con Brio Copenhagen for a performance at First Presbyterian Church in Bryan, Texas, Jan. 28.
KBTX
http://bit.ly/20uSyLG

KUT
Alumnus Jeff Abbott ’85 is interviewed about his new book, “The First Order.” Abbott acknowledges the late Gale Stokes, who was the Mary Gibbs Stokes Professor Emeritus of History and a former dean of the School of Humanities, for inspiring his lifelong interest in Russia.
http://bit.ly/1QGbHaK (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Rice bioengineers reprogram commercial laser cutter to etch 50,000 tiny microwells per hour
In a move that slashes 90 percent of the cost of mass-producing metastatic microtumors and therapeutic microtissues for screening and research, Rice University bioengineers have adapted techniques from the open-source “maker” movement to reprogram a commercial laser cutter to etch up to 50,000 tiny “microwells” per hour into sheets of silicone. Jordan Miller, assistant professor of bioengineering, and graduate student Jacob Albritton are quoted.
AzoOptics
http://bit.ly/1TpwaBf
Laser cut microwells could lower the cost of cancer research
Drug Target Review
http://bit.ly/20sWz38
Open-source laser fabrication lowers costs for cancer research
Medical News Today
http://bit.ly/1PkYHq4

Patch helps repair infants’ damaged hearts
Bioengineers at Rice University and Texas Children’s Hospital have won a National Institutes of Health grant to develop a new generation of patches to repair the damaged hearts of infants. Jeffrey Jacot, assistant professor of bioengineering, is quoted.
Surgical Products Mag
http://bit.ly/1PkYIKv

Rice University develops graphene composites to simplify ice removal
A composite of graphene nanoribbons and epoxy proves effective at de-icing a helicopter blade in an experiment at Rice University. The new material may be suitable for keeping aircraft, wind turbines and transmission lines free of ice. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted. Also mentioned are Will Rice College sophomore Tanvi Varadhachary, postdoctoral researchers Jian Lin and Yongsung Ji, graduate students Tuo Wang and Abdul-Rahman Raji and alumnus Kewang Nan ’14.
AzoNano (Similar articles appeared in Textile World, Space Daily, SciTechDaily and Special Chem.)
http://bit.ly/1nq5ofw
A pinch of graphene could keep airplane wings ice-free
GizMag
http://bit.ly/1SLRhhI
Researchers develop graphene composite to combat ice buildup
Crazy Engineers
http://bit.ly/1OZK085
Graphene coating designed to keep wings ice-free
Design Engineering
http://bit.ly/1VsKWG2
Graphene based material de-ices helicopter blades
Digital Journal
http://bit.ly/205FNKx
Graphene composite proven effective at melting ice on helicopter blade
Dispatch Tribunal
http://bit.ly/1KcTL61
Kompozyt z grafenem ochroni samoloty przed obladzaniem
Interia Tech (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1nAoArK

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Uber’s surge pricing: 4 reasons why everyone hates it
Utpal Dholakia, the George R. Brown Chair of Marketing and professor of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, authored an op-ed discussing the controversial practice of surge pricing.
GovTech
http://bit.ly/1KbAVfF

One of ‘World’s 50 Most Influential Scientists’ speaks at George Fox University Feb. 18
James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, will speak at George Fox University Feb. 18.
George Fox University
http://bit.ly/1Ur8wTk

Texas faces growing threat of Chagas disease from so-called ‘kissing bug’
Jennifer Herricks, postdoctoral fellow in disease and poverty at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about the increased risk of contracting Chagas disease in Texas.
Becker’s Hospital Review
http://bit.ly/1SdxHvh

Here’s what Vice President Biden’s cancer ‘moonshot’ will try to do
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, is quoted about the relationship between President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
GoSportTimes
http://bit.ly/1QthCOt
Obama kicks off new initiative to cure cancer
Tri-County Sun Times
http://bit.ly/1QuGLbx

EPA advisers contradict themselves on landmark fracking study
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.
Energy in Depth (This article also appeared in Environment Guru.)
http://bit.ly/1PkXFKI

Black Sabbath, 54-40 and Rubaboo: 10 things to do in Edmonton this week
Ken Cowan, associate professor of organ at the Shepherd School of Music, will perform in the “Organic, Organ in Concert” series Feb. 1.
Edmonton Journal (A similar article appeared in Ottawa Citizen.)
http://bit.ly/1SbS0Jv

The most selective colleges in America
With an acceptance rate of 15.1 percent, Rice is ranked No. 29 among the most selective colleges in America based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Greenwich Time (This article also appeared in the Times Union.)
http://bit.ly/1JI4yFs

The unfathomable, part 2
This is the second part of an op-ed by Shepherd School of Music student Samuel Waters about his experience with cancer. An editor’s note at the end mentions that Waters died earlier this week.
Falls Church News-Press
http://bit.ly/1nz1p0S

16 colleges to compete in solar contest
Rice is listed as one of the teams that will participate in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 competition.
Durability + Design (A similar article appeared in the Illinois Ag Collection.)
http://bit.ly/1SdtZSf

Nobel laureate fights guns in Texas classroom
Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg announced that he will not allow concealed handguns in his physics classroom at the University of Texas. Rice is mentioned for opting out of the Texas “campus carry” law.
Courthouse News Service
http://bit.ly/1nyouku

Actors from the London Stage to present ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Rice University
Actors from The London Stage, an international touring theater troupe based in London, will perform William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Rice March 10-12.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/1VucH0P

UPIKE team wins international business competition, snares $20,000
University of Pikeville students won the IBK Capital-Ivey Business Plan Competition. Rice is mentioned.
The Lane Report (A similar article appeared in the Floyd County Times.)
http://bit.ly/1KFSbol

Guest conductor, composer join ASO for tribute concert
Alumnus Alastair Willis ’99 will join the Auburn Symphony Orchestra as a guest conductor for the concert “A World Premiere Tribute to Auburn” Jan. 30-31.
Auburn Reporter (This article also appeared in the Kent Reporter, the Maple Valley Reporter and the Federal Way Mirror.)
http://bit.ly/1SldVvY

The spirit of accounting
Alumnus Paul Miller ’67 co-wrote an op-ed to honor the 20 years of “The Spirit of Accounting.”
Accounting Today
http://bit.ly/1PkUv9z

Michigan running news — Jan. 20, 2016
Rice is mentioned for being part of the Chevron Houston Marathon course.
Michigan Runner
http://bit.ly/1WPuFMB

Unora le place Brahms
Alumnus Cristian Macelaru ’06 is mentioned.
Romania Libera (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1VssCww

SPORTS

Mike Haywood has second chance at coaching, thanks to Texas Southern
Rice is mentioned for partnering with the Houston Area Women’s Center to educate students about domestic violence.
Fox Sports (This article also appeared in Fox Bangor, WCSI, Fox News Sports and The World 247.)
http://foxs.pt/1nynSer

Byron Rimm resigns as Prairie View A&M basketball coach
A photo from the 2014 Rice-Prairie View A&M University basketball game is included.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article also appeared in My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/23vGJqN
http://bit.ly/1QuHSrJ

Ranking every player who appeared in a Texans game this season
Alumnus Christian Covington ’15 is featured in a slideshow ranking the 2015 Texans’ players.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1SlgJsU
Texans coach Bill O’Brien on Brian Hoyer: ‘Brian is a mentally tough guy’
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1PCW7aH
Texans coach Bill O’Brien on Arian Foster: ‘He’s been a great player, he’s working hard to get back’
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1SLWGFA
Texans defenders J.J. Watt, Kevin Johnson on the mend from offseason surgeries
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/23vHakZ

Wesleyan to add 2 new sports?
Rice is mentioned for having a women’s lacrosse team.
The Rambler
http://bit.ly/1VuptfS

NEWS RELEASES

International business scholar Peter Rodriguez named dean of Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business
Peter Rodriguez, currently senior associate dean for degree programs and chief diversity officer at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, has been named dean of Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business.
http://news.rice.edu/?p=86431

Too-few proteins prompt nanoparticles to clump
Low concentrations of serum albumin proteins have the ability to bind one-to-one to gold nanoparticles and, upon unfolding, prompt them to aggregate, according to Rice University scientists. The finding may be important to those who study diseases caused by protein aggregation or nanoparticle toxicity.
http://news.rice.edu/?p=86377