Dateline Rice for April 20, 2016 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEMS

Thanks, actin, for the memories
The Rice lab of Peter Wolynes, the D.R. Bullard-Welch Foundation Professor of Science and a professor of chemistry, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences a theory about how long-term memories are made. The theory is based on simulations that analyze the energy landscapes of the proteins involved. Wolynes is quoted and graduate student Mingchen Chen and postdoctoral researcher Weihua Zheng are mentioned.
Science 360 News (This appeared in the Headlines section on the Science 360 News home page.)
http://1.usa.gov/20XFKgM
Rice University study sheds light on how long-term memories form
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1VBSyu3
http://bit.ly/1VBUfaC
Actin filaments may be key to molecular machinery that forms, stores long-term memories
News Medical
http://bit.ly/1rk7wIv
Thanks, actin, for the memories
Science Daily (This also appeared in Science Codex, MNT, Biocompare, Science 2.0, Science Newsline and Medical Xpress.)
http://bit.ly/1StvTMd

Rice’s 80-year-old baseball coach not planning to slow down
Rice baseball head coach Wayne Graham is profiled for being the oldest coach in Division I baseball.
The New York Times (This article also appeared in The Washington Post, Salon, USA Today and the Houston Chronicle. Similar articles appeared in 98 other media outlets.)
http://nyti.ms/1Ta0xdw

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Merit scholarships steal from low-income students
Rice University is one of five finalists for the $1 million Cooke Prize for Equity in Educational Excellence, which goes to a selective college or university with an excellent record of admitting, supporting and graduating outstanding low-income students.
CNN (This also appeared in KXLF, KBZK, KESQ and WPTZ.)
http://cnn.it/1XIBqzQ

Obama’s Mideast mission: Get Saudis, Iran to make nice
Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about Iran’s oil production and authored an op-ed about the failed oil-freeze talks in Doha. Krane will also speak at the Kiwanis Club of Houston April 21.
The Wall Street Journal
http://on.wsj.com/240I34w
Failure in Doha: Naimi overruled as Saudis double down on market share strategy
Forbes
http://onforb.es/1NlzOLY
Business calendar
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/23JIKm0
http://bit.ly/1VBQAd0
Sale of the Saudi Aramco: 3 things you should know
Global Risk Insights (This also appeared in Seeking Alpha.)
http://bit.ly/1SZuric

Little hope in Doha for Venezuela and Nigeria
Francisco Monaldi, a fellow in Latin American energy policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about oil prices in Venezuela.
Gulf News Energy (This also appeared in UAE News and Sahel Standard.)
http://bit.ly/23JXwsO

Obama should listen to GCC leaders
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is mentioned.
Gulf News Thinkers
http://bit.ly/23JOPPn

When coal companies go bankrupt, the mining doesn’t always stop
Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, authored an op-ed about coal companies.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/1rkiKwD

Houston flood control efforts are failing
Phil Bedient, the Herman Brown Professor of Engineering, is quoted about the recent Houston floods. Ryan Holeywell, senior editor at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, also interviewed Bedient in the Government Technology article.
U.S. News & World Report
http://bit.ly/1MIdoV8
New flood forecasting system may help warn Houston the next time
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1We9i8Q
Experts brace for record levels at Barker, Addicks reservoirs in aftermath of storm
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the April 20 print edition.)
http://bit.ly/1qZlJdg
Houston flood control efforts fall behind urban sprawl
Houston Chronicle (Similar articles appeared in 62 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1qDSNqT
Houston recovering yet again
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1SaOZYK
The Latest: Houston-area flooding death toll now at 7
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1WFjiZA
Parts of Houston still closed by flooding
Arkansas Online
http://bit.ly/1VEBJhe
Rain, floods kill 6 in Houston
The Barre Montpelier Times Argus
http://bit.ly/1Nlfnia
Incredible aerial images reveal horror aftermath of deadly Houston floods which killed seven and forced more than a thousand from their homes as residents brace for even more rain
Daily Mail
http://dailym.ai/1qZtSyl
How Houston’s data-based flood alert system can help keep residents safe
Government Technology
http://bit.ly/1rkXUgu

Wallpaper camera wraps around any surface
Richard Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is quoted about flexible cameras.
Discovery News
http://bit.ly/1SZrJZX

Rice introduces Teslaphoresis: Nanotubes assemble!
Scientists at Rice University have discovered that the strong force field emitted by a Tesla coil causes carbon nanotubes to self-assemble into long wires, a phenomenon they call “Teslaphoresis.” Research scientists Paul Cherukuri ’08, Carter Kittrell, Dustin James and Bruce Brinson; Duncan college senior Aida Castillo; and alumna Tonya Cherukuri ’09 are mentioned in some of the articles.
Daily Mail (Similar articles appeared in 35 other media outlets.)
http://dailym.ai/23CLQIj
Scientists discover how to electrify materials at a distance
Daily Mail
http://dailym.ai/20J0OHN
Nanotube circuits self-assembled and powered at a distance via ‘Teslaphoresis’
Gizmag
http://bit.ly/1VjOVZe
Nanotubes self-assemble into wires with a blast from a Tesla coil
Gizmodo Australia (This also appeared in Gizmodo UK and Gizmodo India.)
http://bit.ly/1Tj9VMf
Tesla coil zaps nanotubes into a self-assembling circuit
Engadget
http://engt.co/1T9WG0j
Tesla coil remotely induces nanotubes to self-assemble
IEEE Spectrum
http://bit.ly/1SHvToW
Texas Standard for April 18
Texas Standard (This also aired on 24 other stations.)
http://bit.ly/1SbaB76
These scientists can move matter without lifting a finger
Texas Standard
http://bit.ly/1qE8z4P

Remembering a father’s love
Elora Shehabuddin, associate professor of humanities and political science, authored an op-ed about the death of her father.
The Daily Star
http://bit.ly/1VFanYx

Cyborgs aren’t just for sci-fi anymore
An article mentions a Rice study on athlete Oscar Pistorius.
Daily Beast (This also appeared in GCO New.)
http://thebea.st/1SZslyM

22 houses preserve black history and culture in Houston
An article mentions Rice’s involvement in Project Row Houses.
The Creator Project
http://bit.ly/1SZsu5b

The cost of our obsession with computers and robots
Moshe Vardi, director of Rice’s Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology, the Karen Ostrum George Distinguished Service Professor of Computational Engineering and professor of computer science, expects that within 30 years, machines will be capable of doing almost any job that a human can.
Huff Post Tech UK
http://huff.to/1WeatFk

Just how many team-logo hats does Leonardo DiCaprio own?
A photo of actor Leonardo DiCaprio wearing a Rice Owls hat is included in a slideshow.
GQ
http://bit.ly/1NlrCvj

Work hard, play hard: The 30 most intense colleges in America
Rice is No. 15 on a list of “work hard, play hard” universities.
MSN
http://bit.ly/1U6Jzz7

HOUSTON/TEXAS

A hand for the hand-makers
Those who make 3-D printed prosthetic hands may come to rely on a printed palm Rice students developed to help ensure that children get the most out of the devices. Undergraduate students Rachel Sterling, Amber Wang, Nicolette Chamberlain-Simon, Michaela Dimoff and Nirali Desai are quoted in the TMC News article.
TMC News (This article appeared in the April 18 issue of TMC Today.) 
http://bit.ly/1TTE6vy
New technology to verify usability of 3-D prosthetic hands
MedGadget
http://bit.ly/1Vvtp3Y

Blackburn: We can prevent future floods if we act now
Jim Blackburn, professor in the practice of environmental law and co-director of the SSPEED Center, authored an op-ed about the recent Houston floods.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1SaNklP

Texas A&M students win Rice Business Plan Competition
TriFusion Devices from Texas A&M University won nearly $400,000 in cash and prizes as the grand prizewinner of the 2016 Rice Business Plan Competition.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in GCO New and My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/1STvxf8
http://bit.ly/1SZeaK8
Texas A&M company takes top prize at 2016 Rice Business Plan Competition
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1NliaIi
Texas A&M graduate students take grand prize at Rice startup business competition
The Eagle
http://bit.ly/1STGxsG
University of Michigan student startups win combined $430,000 in Houston competition
Crain’s
http://bit.ly/1VC4dc4
Student startup converts waste lignin to mulch film for farm use
Ethanol Producer Magazine
http://bit.ly/23JUq8q
TMCx awards TriFusion, Bold Diagnostics accelerator prizes
TMC News
http://bit.ly/20XXWa3
UM student startups excel at Rice biz plan event
Tech Century
http://bit.ly/1YHgPfr

Student blog: Unaccompanied alien children in the United States, Mexico and the Northern Triangle
Lovett College junior Marcela Benavides authored an op-ed about unaccompanied children who enter the United States from Central America.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1StjSX7

What’s in a name? From DF to CDMX
Lisa Guáqueta, program administrator for the Mexico Center and Latin America Initiative at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, and Sid Richardson College sophomore Sandra Lopez co-authored an op-ed about Mexico City.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1VBV1EA

Former CIO for Rice raises nearly $1B at new investment firm
Former Rice Chief Investment Officer Scott Wise is featured.
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1pgQTvb

Layoffs and uncertainty taint real estate market
Alumnus Paul Cummings ’96 is featured.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the April 17 print edition with a different headline, “Jobs uncertainty casts pall on real estate market.”)
http://bit.ly/26eTJmb

Surprises in store at ‘Great Cape Rinderhorn’
German artist Thorsten Brinkmann’s exhibit “The Great Cape Rinderhorn” is open through May 15 at the Rice Gallery.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1SZavvW

The battle in Big Bend
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 the presidential primaries.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1WFhyiW
Cruz can forget a 1st-ballot win
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1Svft9s
Trump inspires some 1st-time voters — for better or worse
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
http://bit.ly/1QcNMdF
Trump wins NY; Cruz now all but locked out of 1st-ballot win at convention
McClatchy DC (Similar articles appeared in 20 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/1XICpjF
As Hurd and Gallego brace for rematch, GOP bolsters Hurd’s profile
San Antonio Express-News
http://bit.ly/240G8ga

Houston ISD, many others to remain closed Tuesday following historic floods
Articles mention that Rice was closed due to the recent Houston flood.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1WdWKOT
http://bit.ly/1SvfJ89
The Latest: Fatality count reaches 4 in Houston flooding
Houston Chronicle (This also appeared in WBRC.)
http://bit.ly/1STA1lU
More than 1 million Houston-area students off in storms
KXII
http://bit.ly/1NlhSB6
Updated: Heavy Houston rains cause closures, delays
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1NBjth9
1 million Houston students out of school due to severe weather
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1qDZYPA
List of school closures in Houston due to flood for Tuesday, April 19
Houston Style Magazine
http://bit.ly/1VCmEgM

Elders using music to tap into memory
Former religious studies professor Niels Nielsen is featured.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1SveAh3

St. Mary’s law prof says NCAA student-athlete rules are unfair
Alumnus David Grenardo ’99 is quoted.
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/20XsPve

Man leaves anonymous $1,000 tip for college-bound waitress
A slideshow mentions that Rice was named the best college in Texas by Forbes.
Houston Chronicle (This also appeared in Times Union, Seattle PI, Newstimes, Greenwich Time, Stamford Advocate and CT Post.)
http://bit.ly/1rjSp1x

Texas A&M ranks 1st among state’s public universities in graduates’ projected education ROI
PayScale, an online compensation information company, compiled stats on the cost of attendance and return on investment for colleges and universities. Rice tied for No. 29 in the U.S. and was ranked No. 1 in Texas.
The Gilmer Mirror
http://bit.ly/20J17Ch
Texas A&M again ranked top public university with highest return on education investment
The Eagle
http://bit.ly/1YH15t7

Former Abilenian wins literary award
Alumna Mary Specht ’01 is featured.
Abilene Reporter-News
http://bit.ly/240DfMz

BROADCAST

Past election data predicted high independent voter turnout in March election
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted about the poll debacle in Maricopa County.
KJZZ
http://bit.ly/22NURZi

The Houston Area Survey has highlighted important topics in over 30 years of research
Stephen Klineberg, founding director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research and a sociology professor, discusses the annual Kinder Houston Area Survey. The findings of the 35th annual survey were to be released at a downtown luncheon April 19; the luncheon was rescheduled to May 2 due to the Houston floods.
Houston Public Media (This also appeared in Texas Standard and also aired on 24 other stations.)
http://bit.ly/1MInCVz

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Why nudging your customers can backfire
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 about nudge marketing.
Harvard Business Review
http://bit.ly/1VvtOU2

Chemistry consortium uses Titan supercomputer to understand actinides
An article mentions that Rice is collaborating on a project led by the University of Alabama.
Phys Org
http://bit.ly/26f3e4F

Investment in Iran’s oil, gas upstream to come slowly
Ken Medlock, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and lecturer of economics, is mentioned in an article about Iranian oil production.
Rig Zone
http://bit.ly/240vIxg

41 percent of providers, payers adopt value-based care reimbursement
Fewer Texans said they have problems paying their medical bills in 2015 compared with 2013, according to a report released Jan. 7 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.
RevCycle Intelligence
http://bit.ly/1NBy3Fd

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

‘Bun B’ helps Houston flood victims find shelter via Instagram
Bernard “Bun B” Freeman, former distinguished lecturer at Rice, is featured.
The Daily Good
http://bit.ly/1XIF113

White graphene can make batteries more resilient to heat
Rice University materials scientists have introduced a combined electrolyte and separator for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that supplies energy at usable voltages and in high temperatures.
Overclockers Club
http://bit.ly/1SccwVF

Emerging professionals: Pianos, strings compete for title
The Rolston String Quartet, Rice’s quartet-in-residence, will perform in Yellow Springs, Ohio, April 24.
Springfield News-Sun
http://bit.ly/1WFratP

Location means a lot for college enrollments
Ruth López Turley, associate professor of sociology and director of the Houston Education Research Consortium, is quoted about college choices.
The Edwardsville Intelligencer
http://bit.ly/1TjaIwD

USG symposium debates the future of open education
Rice University-based publisher OpenStax is mentioned.
The Daily Campus
http://bit.ly/1SZt7fa
April 19, 20: Alternatives to expensive course materials
WSU News
http://bit.ly/1XIVSk8

SPORTS

Rice’s Wayne Graham wins 1,100th career game
Rice baseball defeated Western Kentucky University. This marked the 1,100th career game win for head coach Wayne Graham. Photos of players Ricardo Salinas and Austin Solecitto are included in the Houston Chronicle article.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1QmKNiS
http://bit.ly/1TiZlof
Around sports: Loyola launches probe of team coached by Sheryl Swoopes
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1SZ9J23
WKU baseball travels to No. 21 Rice
Bowling Green Daily News
http://bit.ly/1r0gWbT
Rain forces changes to Rice baseball schedule
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1NlbMAJ
http://bit.ly/1YGSG90
Rice sweeps Hilltoppers in conference series
WKU Herald
http://bit.ly/1pgZspR
College Baseball Central top 25: April 18
College Baseball Central
http://bit.ly/1WFyHZD
College roundup: Rice’s Graham wins 1,100th
Baseball America
http://bit.ly/240JxLU
Tops lose opener at Rice 9-3
WBKO
http://bit.ly/1XILMzY
Tops swept at Rice
WBKO
http://bit.ly/26faFZS
Rice sweeps Tops in baseball
Bowling Green Daily News
http://bit.ly/1StDLgM
WKU takes narrow losses in Saturday DH at No. 21 Rice
WKU Athletics
http://bit.ly/1WebjC4

Women’s tennis faces Abilene Christian, looks to lock up 2-seed
Rice women’s tennis is mentioned.
University of New Orleans Athletics
http://bit.ly/1VqDQFi

Men’s tennis closes conference slate with Abilene Christian
Rice men’s tennis is mentioned.
University of New Orleans Athletics
http://bit.ly/23CLL7J

Latest NCAA projections say 4 Louisiana schools in the NCAA’s
Rice baseball is mentioned.
KPEL
http://bit.ly/1qMC6Ke
Game day central: No. 23 ECU travels to Memphis
East Carolina Athletics
http://bit.ly/1YysD3C

Having first-round NFL picks ‘brand-makers’ for college programs
A sidebar mentions Rice football NFL draft-picks.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1U6E2bU

Louisiana Tech QB Jeff Driskel visited Texans
A photo from the 2015 Rice-Louisiana Tech University football game is featured.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in Beaumont Enterprise.)
http://bit.ly/1SaLMbJ
http://bit.ly/1WdXbZq

Houston schools add 2 players to Strykers’ squad
Brown College freshman Cody Staab has joined the Woodlands Strykers.
The Paper (This also appeared in Woodlands Online.)
http://bit.ly/1WFnhoX

Crooke captures 100 and 200 meter titles at Rice
The J. Fred Duckett Twilight Invitational was held at Rice April 16.
Morgan State Athletics
http://bit.ly/1VC3W9e
South Texas report: A&M-CC tennis; Javelina, Islander athletes earn gold at Houston meet
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
http://bit.ly/22NTA4w
Weekend preview: Seasons winding down for several Cougar programs
The Daily Cougar
http://bit.ly/1YH2rUJ

Girls basketball: Bellbrook standout Ozoude signs with Rice
Student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to play at Rice.
My Dayton Daily News (This also appeared in Dayton Daily News.)
http://bit.ly/1Qn3yCZ

NEWS RELEASES

Biotech boon: Natural enzymes on an unnatural path
Sometimes nature needs a helping hand, but the latest breakthrough from Rice University’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering might be more accurately described as a whole new arm. The work from Rice metabolic engineer Ramon Gonzalez, who specializes in creating genetically engineered bacteria for the biotechnology industry, is described in this week’s issue of Nature Biotechnology. Gonzalez’s new bacteria use naturally occurring enzymes in ways that never appear in nature, and the result is a highly efficient system for quickly and efficiently producing high-value chemicals. Eight of the 18 chemicals described in the new study have not previously been produced via microbial fermentation.
http://bit.ly/1YHiWQF

Rice University open Wednesday
Rice University was open Wednesday, April 20.
http://bit.ly/1r08zwu

Rice political expert available to discuss crucial primaries in Northeast
With crucial Northeast primaries looming for presidential candidates in both parties, Rice University political scientist Mark Jones is available to comment on what the April 19 contest in New York and the April 26 contests in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island mean for the 2016 presidential candidates.
http://bit.ly/241cg3m

Rice’s Genevera Allen wins NSF CAREER award
Rice statistician and neuroscientist Genevera Allen is hoping to provide data scientists with new tools that can uncover hidden patterns and correlations from complex data sets, thanks to a new CAREER Development Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
http://bit.ly/1Wek2V1

Rice University closed Tuesday
Rice University was closed April 19 for all but essential employees. All day and evening classes were cancelled.
http://bit.ly/1STWUWh

2 Rice University students named Goldwater Scholars
Two Rice University undergraduate students have been named Goldwater Scholars for the 2016-2017 academic year. Henry Bair and Austin Cao were chosen from 1,150 mathematics, science and engineering students nominated by universities nationwide for the award based on academic merit. Each of the 252 new Goldwater Scholars will receive up to $7,500 per year for a one- or two-year scholarship to cover tuition, fees, book and room and board.
http://bit.ly/23K9pPF

Thanks, actin, for the memories
The Rice lab of theoretical biological physicist Peter Wolynes reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences a theory about how long-term memories are made; the theory is based on simulations that analyze the energy landscapes of the proteins involved.
http://bit.ly/1Wek1A8

Kinder Houston Area Survey luncheon, news conference postponed
Due to unforeseen extreme weather and out of consideration for its impact on the city and residents, Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research will postpone the 2016 Kinder Houston Area Survey luncheon scheduled for April 19 at the Hilton-Americas in downtown Houston.
http://bit.ly/20XZrVM

Media Advisory: Rice closed until noon Monday
Due to flooding in the area, Rice University was closed April 18.
http://bit.ly/1SbofY2

TriFusion Devices from Texas A&M wins 2016 Rice Business Plan Competition
TriFusion Devices from Texas A&M University emerged as the top startup company in the Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business. The annual event is the world’s richest and largest student startup competition.
http://bit.ly/1Sl0KIz