Dateline Rice for July 8, 2016

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Top 21 STEM colleges of 2016
Rice is No. 4 on Forbes’ list of 21 Top STEM Schools.
Forbes
http://bit.ly/29nsJJ2

It suddenly seems like life could be found almost anywhere in the universe
If conditions had been just a little different an eon ago, there might be plentiful life on Venus and none on Earth. The idea isn’t so far-fetched, according to a hypothesis by Rice scientists and their colleagues who published their thoughts on life-sustaining planets, the planets’ histories and the possibility of finding more in Astrobiology this month. Adrian Lenardic, professor of Earth science, is quoted.
CNet (This also appeared in CNet AU and CNet UK.)
http://cnet.co/29lTZrq
We could’ve lived on Venus, not Earth!
Northeast Today
http://bit.ly/29zX22b
Small change in conditions might have made Venus habitable: Scientists
The American Bazaar
http://bit.ly/29GdnDM
Where to search for life outside our solar system
Cambodia Times (This also appeared in Afghanistan Sun.)
http://bit.ly/29n23XS
Lush Venus? Searing Earth? It could have happened
Cambodia Times (This also appeared in Afghanistan Sun and Archaeology News Network.)
http://bit.ly/29UPB3p
Titán muestra un rastro químico que podría ser previo a la vida
Tendencias Cientificas (An English translation is not available. This also appeared in La Razon.)
http://bit.ly/29sfOHM

Strategies for students too rich for financial aid, too poor for college
An article discusses alternatives to top-tier schools like Rice.
U.S. News & World Report (This also appeared in Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Finance Canada, Yahoo! 7 Finance, Yahoo! Business & Finance New Zealand and Yahoo! Finance India.)
http://bit.ly/29mX9dH

NASA’s Hubble captures stunning photos of the Crab Nebula’s ‘beating heart’
An image is credited to Rice and researchers Robert O’Dell, the Andrew Hays Buchanan Professor Emeritus of Astrophysics and former chief scientist on the Hubble Space Telescope, and Kerry Handron ’96.
AOL News
http://aol.it/29UKIaf

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Window shopping: Fashion gets an arty makeover at Rice
The exhibit “Michael de Feo: Crosstown Traffic” is open at Rice Gallery through Aug. 28.
Houstonia
http://bit.ly/29mUIHO

‘Campus carry’ law takes effect Aug. 1 at 4-year public institutions
An article mentions that Rice opted out of the Texas “campus carry” law. Rice Police Capt. Clemente Rodriguez is quoted.
Community Impact
http://bit.ly/29neUOs

BROADCAST

WSCL
A broadcast includes audio from a concert performed at Rice.
http://bit.ly/29DGR2p (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

KUT
Paul Brace, the Clarence L. Carter Professor of Political Science, is quoted about the Republican National Convention.
http://bit.ly/29n2PnN (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)
http://bit.ly/29A3u9k (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Flipping crystals improves solar-cell performance
In a step that could bring perovskite crystals closer to use in the burgeoning solar power industry, researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Northwestern University and Rice have tweaked their crystal production method and developed a new type of two-dimensional layered perovskite with outstanding stability and more than triple the material’s previous power conversion efficiency. Graduate student Hsinhan Tsai is quoted.
iConnet 007 (This also appeared in Science Codex, Alt Energy Mag, Scicasts, Nanotechnology Now, Converter News and Controlled Environments.)
http://bit.ly/29wSV58
Solar-cell efficiency improved by perovskite crystals
AZO Materials
http://bit.ly/29qGZEf
Press Clips Week 25-2016
Space Safety Magazine
http://bit.ly/29tXjDW
Celle solari in perovskite: Efficienza triplicata grazie a struttura 2-D
Green Style (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/29u4FGR
2-D perovskite offered for solar cell research
Ele Times (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/29mtXYC

North Dakota Mineral Resource director, Texas Railroad Commission chairman call EPA regulations into question
Charles McConnell, executive director of Rice’s Energy and Environment Initiative, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power at the hearing “A Review of EPA’s Regulatory Activity During the Obama Administration: Energy and Industrial Sectors” July 6.
Oil & Gas 360
http://bit.ly/29u3Uh1
Obama administration’s environmental rules to leave lasting legacy on power sector, markets
Power (This also appeared in Wind Action.)
http://bit.ly/29pVDNG
States are right to worry about costs of Clean Power Plan
Real Clean Energy
http://bit.ly/29vRzJg
Texas congressman slams EPA clean air rules in hearing
Coal Zoom
http://bit.ly/29nLtHf

Examining yourself and future employers
Iska Wire, senior director of talent management and organizational development at Rice and director of development for the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, is mentioned.
The NonProfit Times
http://bit.ly/29n3ANA

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

11 schools selected for national OpenStax partnership program
Rice University-based publisher OpenStax selected 11 universities and colleges to be members of its national Open Educational Resource Institutional Partnership Program starting in the 2016-17 academic school year. The program could potentially save students at partner schools a combined $4.2 million through further adoption of open educational resources, such as OpenStax textbooks.
GISuser
http://bit.ly/29A0Hyo
Community colleges embrace internet resources to fight high textbook costs
Good Call
http://bit.ly/29rWPOE

Baker Institute expert suggests assumptions about oil’s influence on politics in the Middle East should be reversed
Assumptions about oil’s influence on politics in the Middle East should be reversed, according to a new article from an expert at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Instead of oil buttressing autocracy, the article argues that autocracy among oil exporters buttresses oil by encouraging consumption. Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the institute, is quoted.
Green Car Congress
http://bit.ly/29A2H8e

Detamore hired as director of biomedical engineering school
Alumnus Michael Detamore ’05 is featured.
The Norman Transcript
http://bit.ly/29lUhyf

How an oil engineer altered music history forever
An article mentions that Andy Hildebrand attended Rice.
High Snobiety
http://bit.ly/29A0kUQ

Custodian of dunes and caretaker of beach vegetation
An article mentions that R.B. Johnson attended Rice.
Tampa Bay Times
http://bit.ly/29rXq32

Capital Innovators among best accelerators for attracting venture capital
The results of the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project, compiled by researchers from Rice, MIT and the University of Richmond, are mentioned.
St. Louis Business Journal
http://bit.ly/29qyTdl

University of South Alabama graduate wins international singing competition
Alumnus Nicholas Brownlee ’14 is mentioned.
Alabama NewsCenter
http://bit.ly/29rCOJL

Meet the CFL speakers (Part 1)
Alumnus Mark Cherry ’96 is mentioned.
Before It’s News
http://bit.ly/29rKWKs

SPORTS

Where are they now? A look at the Astros’ Futures Game prospects
Former Rice baseball player Lance Berkman is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/29G5U7G
http://bit.ly/29zThd8
Astros prospects at Futures Game
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/29DygNc

Katy Taylor graduate Cella named to Mackey Award watch list
Duncan College senior Connor Cella has been named to the 2016 John Mackey Award preseason watch list.
The Atascocita Observer (This also appeared in The Potpourri Magnolia Edition, The Katy Rancher, The Lake Houston Observer, The Kingwood Observer, Sugar Land Sun, Bellaire, River Oaks and Memorial Examiner, The Potpourri Tomball Edition, Memorial Examiner and Cypress Creek Mirror.)
http://bit.ly/29nydlG

Paul Boyette will try to emerge as top-line DT for Texas at head of young group
Rice football is mentioned.
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/29BDE6B
DCFT highlights — What Texas’ football premier magazine has to say about UNT
Denton Record-Chronicle
http://bit.ly/29BDVpY

Rice shortstop brings in another All-American honor
Jones College freshman Ford Proctor has been named a first-team Freshman All-America by D1 Baseball.
The Best College Sports News Network
http://bit.ly/29rBeHN
Kelly standout pushes himself as a Rice Owl
The Examiner
http://bit.ly/29rL0tK

Chris Crutchfield promoted to OU men’s basketball associate head coach
Former Rice associate head coach Carlin Hartman is mentioned.
OU Sports Extra
http://bit.ly/29mmA3o

Lancaster Catholic’s Burger makes most of Cape Cod League experience
Rice baseball is mentioned.
Lancaster Online
http://bit.ly/29vSo4G

Austin Speedo Sectional Championships, night 1: Dakota Luther maintains 4th national rank
Wiess College sophomore Kaitlyn Swinney is mentioned.
Swimming World
http://bit.ly/29sU39N
Dakota Luther lands in 15-16 Top 30 with 2:11.6 200 fly in Austin
Swim Swam
http://bit.ly/29qOkA1

Futures game preview: J.T. Chargois
Former Rice baseball player J.T. Chargois is featured.
Twins Daily
http://bit.ly/29zWXvi

NEWS RELEASES

Baker Institute expert: Assumptions about oil’s influence on politics in the Middle East should be reversed
Assumptions about oil’s influence on politics in the Middle East should be reversed, according to a new article from an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Instead of oil buttressing autocracy, the article argues that autocracy among oil exporters buttresses oil by encouraging consumption.
http://bit.ly/29nvqKq

Baker Institute paper: Mexico’s efforts to educate and train energy industry workers are insufficient
The Mexican government’s so-called Strategic Human Resources Training Program for the Energy Industry is not structured enough to be considered a program, let alone offer a strategic focus for such a plan’s implementation, according to a paper from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
http://bit.ly/29n3IwF