Dateline Rice for April 5, 2016

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

This box doesn’t look like much, but it could save lives
Rice students and their mentors have created a sterilization station for surgical instruments that can help minimize the risk of infections to patients anywhere in the world. Douglas Schuler, associate professor of business and public policy in Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted.
Huffpost Tech (This also appeared in Environment Guru.)
http://huff.to/1SNhrOX
Dieser autarke Container soll in Zukunft unzählige Leben retten
Trends der Zukunft (An English translation is not available. This also appeared in Klamm.)
http://bit.ly/1qnxWbM

Nanotubes get organized to form films
A simple filtration process helped Rice University researchers create flexible, wafer-scale films of highly aligned and closely packed carbon nanotubes. Junichiro Kono, professor of electrical and computer engineering and of physics and astronomy, and Wade Adams, senior faculty fellow in materials science and nanoengineering, are quoted. Graduate students Xiaowei He and Weilu Gao are mentioned.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/1qnvzWi
Nanotubes line up to form films
Phys Org (This also appeared in Science Codex, Science Newsline, Solid State Technology, eScience News and Nano Werk.)
http://bit.ly/1M9Yxmg
Researchers discover way to make highly aligned nanotube films
Business Standard (This also appeared in India Today.)
http://bit.ly/25HamXr
New process to make inchwide films of densely packed, chirality-enriched single-walled carbon nanotubes
AZO Nano
http://bit.ly/1USU2Q6
Nanotubes line up to form films: Rice University researchers discover way to make highly aligned, wafer-scale films
Nanotechnology Now
http://bit.ly/238458v

3 Indian-American researchers named MRS fellows
Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and founding chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, was named a 2016 fellow for sustained and creative work in the development and applications of nanostructured and nanoengineered materials by the Materials Research Society.
India Today (This is also featured in Business Standard, The American Bazaar and The Economic Times.)
http://bit.ly/1TwK59f

China’s companies poised to take leap in developing a driverless car
Haiyang Li, professor of strategic management, is quoted about employment issues in China.
Intellasia
http://bit.ly/1oywrFS

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Rice bioscientists show how HSP genes affect neurotransmission
A study by Rice University biochemists has revealed specific defects in nerve cells that arise from two genetic defects known to cause hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). James McNew, associate professor of biochemistry and cell biology, and Michael Stern, professor of biochemistry and cell biology, are quoted, and graduate students Jimmy Summerville and Joseph Faust are mentioned.
TMC News
http://bit.ly/1UT2sqw
Study details defects in neurons associated with hereditary spastic paraplegia
Phys Org (This also appeared in eScience News.)
http://bit.ly/225O90r
Rice bioscientists show how HSP genes affect neurotransmission
Health Canal
http://bit.ly/1oyoUXD

Rising college tuition prompts congressional scrutiny
President David Leebron explains how Rice manages its endowment, including to support financial aid and new programs for students, in an article about the university’s response to a congressional letter requesting information from schools with large endowments.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the City & State section in the April 5 print edition with a different headline, “Tapping savings foolish, Rice says.”)
http://bit.ly/1Vtisy5

Designed for artists, Cherryhurst House is a public and private space
Rice Design Alliance’s spring architecture tour will be April 9-10.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the Star section in the April 5 print edition with a different headline, “Designed for artists.”)
http://bit.ly/1V6HRP7
Architecture tour offers contemporary homes, edible gardens
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1N6tX7R
http://bit.ly/1N6utCY
http://bit.ly/1PRzTl4

Chronicle Data: Explore Fort Bend’s diversity
Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research plans to release its annual Houston Area Survey April 19.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1q38A24

In ‘Broken But Unbowed,’ Gov. Greg Abbott melds personal and political
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science, fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and fellow at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s new book and President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Cuba.
Austin American-Statesman
http://atxne.ws/1qrMnLE
Gov. Abbott pushes to restore ‘rule of law’ in new book
San Antonio Express-News
http://bit.ly/1SxXsBt
Former Cuban political prisoner opposes Obama’s actions on Cuba
Senegal Actu
http://bit.ly/1UFTi09

Mayor hosts 9th annual Family Day, April 9
Rice’s Luna Llena Mariachi Band will perform at the 9th Annual Family Day at Sylvester Turner Park April 30.
Defender Network
http://bit.ly/1RLyXAX
Mayor Turner’s 9th annual Family Day provides food, fun, baseball and entertainment
Houston Style Magazine
http://bit.ly/1RWfyzi

Rice biologist Tabor wins CAREER Award for gut biome sensors
Rice University synthetic biologist Jeffrey Tabor has won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop his lab’s technology of engineering next-generation sensors using a family of genes called bacterial two-component systems. Tabor is quoted.
Memorial Examiner (This also appeared in Your Fort Bend News, Sugar Land Sun, Bellaire, River Oaks and West University Examiner and The Katy Rancher.)
http://bit.ly/1XcSfCK
Rice University Bioengineer receives NSF CAREER award for research on bacterial sensors
AZO Sensors
http://bit.ly/1RZtThM

Lavo sings the blues, will soon sing her own tunes
Rice’s Shepherd School of Music is mentioned.
The Woodlands Villager
http://bit.ly/1Vr4tbY

These Texas colleges give you the best bang for your buck, according to Forbes
Rice is No. 3 on Forbes’ list of Texas colleges worth the investment.
My San Antonio (This also appeared in the Beaumont Enterprise.)
http://bit.ly/1Ydr8aQ

Off Road: William Wegman tickets now on sale
Artist William Wegman will speak at Rice’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at 4:30 p.m. April 30.
Glasstire
http://bit.ly/1qnFTh6

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Richards-Kortum wins prestigious Pierre Galletti Award: AIMBE’s highest honor goes to Rice University global health pioneer
The American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering presented its highest honor, the 2016 Pierre Galletti Award, to Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, director of the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering and of Rice 360° Institute for Global Health.
Nanotechnology Now
http://bit.ly/1MQ01C2

Death of an independent director leads CEOs to make fewer acquisitions
CEOs who have experienced an independent director’s death engage in fewer acquisitions after the director’s death, according to a new paper by strategic management experts at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business. Graduate student Wei Shi; Robert Hoskisson, the George R. Brown Professor of Strategic Management; and Yan “Anthea” Zhang, the Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Professor of Management, are mentioned.
Phys Org (This also appeared in Science Codex, Science Newsline, Daily Me and eScience News.)
http://bit.ly/1RAnCqF

How the Affordable Care Act has impacted health payers
Fewer Texans said they have problems paying their medical bills in 2015 compared with 2013, according to report by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. Elena Marks, a nonresident health policy fellow at the Baker Institute and president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, is quoted.
HealthPayer Intelligence
http://bit.ly/1RXUJ9T

Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute announced
An article mentions that Rice will be a part of the Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute.
Occupational Health & Safety
http://bit.ly/1SxW5Tc

Flat boron is a superconductor
Rice University scientists have determined that two-dimensional boron is a natural low-temperature superconductor. In fact, it may be the only 2-D material with such potential. Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and professor of chemistry; research scientist Evgeni Penev; and postdoctoral researcher Alex Kutana are quoted.
Energy Daily (This also appeared in Innovation Toronto.)
http://bit.ly/229n6Sa
Calculations show 2-D boron is low-temperature superconductor
Materials Today
http://bit.ly/1S7Qlz9
Superconducción eléctrica en una capa de boro con 1 átomo de espesor
NCYT (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1V6OTDm

Ushering in new opportunities
Kenneth Medlock, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies and the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and lecturer of economics, is quoted about U.S. crude oil.
Well Servicing Magazine
http://bit.ly/1TzpT6F

Saudi Arabia, refining and the battle for crude market share
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about Saudi Aramco.
Oil Voice
http://bit.ly/1VqWeMY

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Obama commutes sentence for Oklahoman convicted in drug case
Katharine Neill, the Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about the clemency President Barack Obama has granted to nearly 250 people.
SB News Online
http://bit.ly/1q3cYhD

Wisconsin’s voter ID law requires an education campaign, which the state hasn’t funded
Rice research about the primary reason people gave for not voting in a 2014 Texas congressional district is mentioned.
Truth Dig
http://bit.ly/1MPYXOz

Aggie startup gains traction in competition
Forty-two teams hailing from some of the world’s top universities will vie for more than $1 million in prizes at the 16th annual Rice Business Plan Competition at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business April 14-16.
The Battalion
http://bit.ly/1W9patC
Aggie startup gains traction in competition
The Battalion
http://bit.ly/23dnsJJ

Startup Inscope Medical Solutions chosen for TechStars Healthcare
The Rice Business Plan Competition is mentioned.
Insider Louisville
http://bit.ly/1SxYBJ8

Expecting mothers’ exercise affects children’s physical activity, study finds
Expecting mothers can promote future physical activity in their unborn children’s adult lives by exercising, according to a Baylor College of Medicine study. Hanszen College senior Jesse Eclarinal is quoted.
The Daily Free Press
http://bit.ly/1RW9OWm

Read in Ned: Participate in the Nederland Library community survey
Rice is mentioned.
The Mountain-Ear Online
http://bit.ly/1RWa8EK

Tucson historian shares his love of state’s past
Alumnus Bruce Dinges ’76 is profiled.
Arizona Daily Star
http://bit.ly/1PRCCuJ

Elms College to host presentation on prison art therapy
An article mentions that artist, author and educator Phyllis Kornfeld has exhibited her work at Rice.
Healthcare News
http://bit.ly/1VtuqaP

Dictionary.com dishes on most popular definitions searched at your college
Dictionary.com released a list of the words that college students are looking up most on its reference site. These words were found by using zip code matches to search data in 2015. Rice is mentioned.
Uloop
http://bit.ly/1XeMi8q

Technology company appoints new non-exec director
Alumnus William Beckenbaugh ’72 has been appointed to the Peratech board as a non-exec director and a science and technology adviser.
Business Link
http://bit.ly/1V6TQw9

SPORTS

No. 5 Aggie baseball take on Rice Owls this evening
Rice baseball will play Texas A&M University April 5.
WTAW
http://bit.ly/1qrOcYM
Texas A&M faces Rice in Lone Star showdown
The Battalion
http://bit.ly/1SNi4bo
Aggies lose series finale at No. 3 Florida, 10-7
KAGS
http://bit.ly/1q3i5hL
Weekend report card: Aggie baseball at Florida
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/1q3iiRS
A&M drops 3 to Florida
WTAW
http://bit.ly/23drx0p
Texas A&M baseball team falls in polls
Aggie Sports
http://bit.ly/2389FYu
Game preview: Rice
A&M Baseball
http://bit.ly/1V6RVYx
No. 5 Aggies travel to Houston for Tuesday game at Rice
KBTX
http://bit.ly/23dvBOj

College baseball rankings: Baseball America top 25, April 4
Rice baseball is mentioned.
Campus Insiders
http://bit.ly/1Tzl3q9

Spring update: Owls win Texas Tornados College Showcase
Rice volleyball won the Texas Tornados College Showcase.
C-USA
http://bit.ly/1YdqRVq

Rice is the hardest job in C-USA
Rice football is featured.
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/1UFX75G

New D-line coach calls KU ‘dream job’
Assistant football coach Michael Slater has joined the University of Kansas football team coaching staff.
KU Sports
http://bit.ly/1USZd2u

NSIC could be in focus with SDSU head coaching search
Former men’s basketball coach Tom Billeter is mentioned.
Argus Leader
http://argusne.ws/1qrPlQk

Skeeters add 4 to roster
Former Rice baseball player Rick Hague is featured.
Our Sports Central
http://bit.ly/1oym05a

‘NFL Fantasy Live’
Alumnus Chris Boswell ’13 is mentioned.
NFL Network 
http://bit.ly/1RC1SKY

NEWS RELEASES

Secretary of State John Kerry to speak at Rice April 26
Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy will host U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry April 26 for an invitation-only address on the role of religion in foreign policy.
http://bit.ly/1MQ8Zzb

Death of an independent director leads CEOs to make fewer acquisitions  
CEOs who have experienced an independent director’s death engage in fewer acquisitions after the director’s death, according to a new paper by strategic management experts at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business.
http://bit.ly/1SMpCv9

Nanotubes line up to form films
A simple filtration process helped Rice University researchers create flexible, wafer-scale films of highly aligned and closely packed carbon nanotubes.
http://bit.ly/1M9YCX7