Dateline Rice for Dec. 20, 2016

FEATURED ITEMS

Rice President David Leebron discusses the university’s achievements and goals
Rice President David Leebron answered questions about Rice University as the featured guest on “Houston Matters.” Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, professor of bioengineering and of electrical and computer engineering and director of Rice 360° Institute for Global Health; Annise Parker ’78, professor in the practice and a fellow at Rice’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders; and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett ’71 are mentioned.
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/2hE3VDb

Rice to break ground on new performing arts hall
Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music plans to break ground on a new music and opera building in September 2017. Robert Yekovich, dean of the Shepherd School of Music and the Elma Schneider Professor of Music, and Rice President David Leebron are quoted. Alumni Brenton Ryan, Nicholas Brownlee, Lauren Snouffer, Jack Swanson, Ian Koziara, Frederick Ballentine, Allegra De Vita and Ben Edquist are also mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in My San Antonio and Houston News Info.)
http://bit.ly/2hVSYur
http://bit.ly/2hQXLjp
Rice University changes architect, pushes back opening date for new opera building
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/2h6jtyF
Allan Greenberg Architect is designing a new Rice University music building adjacent to existing hall by Ricardo Bofill
Architect
http://bit.ly/2hEfdY4
Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music to break ground on new music and opera building
Art Daily
http://bit.ly/2hEahm7

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Graphene dots turn waste CO2 into fuel
Graphene quantum dots may offer a simple way to recycle waste carbon dioxide into valuable fuel rather than release it into the atmosphere or bury it underground, according to Rice scientists. Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and founding chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, and postdoctoral research associate Jingjie Wu are mentioned.
Futurity (This also appeared in The Exception.)
http://bit.ly/2h6kCXd
Carbon dots dash toward ‘green’ recycling role
Chem Europe (This also appeared in Innovations Report.)
http://bit.ly/2h6sU1e
Graphene quantum dots can convert CO2 into liquid fuels
Last Minute Geek
http://bit.ly/2i6aGOW
Graphene quantum dots can recycle waste carbon dioxide into valuable fuel
Innovation Toronto
http://bit.ly/2h8i10F

The Energy Department helped start a revolution — and doesn’t know who to hand it off to
Neal Lane, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor Emeritus, senior fellow in science and technology policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor emeritus of physics and astronomy, is quoted.
The Washington Post
http://wapo.st/2hn8z5r

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Rice partners with Mexico for study abroad for Mexican-Americans
Paulo Carreño, undersecretary for North American affairs, helped announce the launch of Sueño Mexicano, a new U.S.-Mexico study-abroad program aimed at providing Mexican-American students with the opportunity to explore their heritage through hands-on, experiential learning at designated sites across Mexico.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2hnakQ4

How Los Angeles’ 1st homeless coordinator approaches her job
Leah Binkovitz, staff writer for Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, interviews Meg Barclay, Los Angeles’ first homeless coordinator.
Rivard Report
http://bit.ly/2h7XwAW

Texas electors seal presidency for Trump
Will Rice College senior Martin Torres is quoted.
El Paso Times
http://bit.ly/2ibg9An
Texas’ electors put Trump over the top
San Angelo Standard-Times
http://bit.ly/2hVNX5a

Fossil-fuel lover Rick Perry made Texas greener with wind, so why not try it in Washington?
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 2016 election.
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/2i5Zjqy
Precinct analysis: Don’t be mesmerized by the Clinton/Trump numbers
Off the Kuff
http://bit.ly/2h8h8ox

Meet the 2016 20 under 40 winners
Alumna Shaili Khandheria Felton ’99 is featured.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
http://bit.ly/2hEdG4q

BROADCAST

EPA OKs the ‘most important air pollution rule for Texas that no one has ever heard of’
Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted about the Environmental Protection Agency.
KERA (This also appeared in KUOW and Houston Public Media.)
http://bit.ly/2h6y0KL

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

‘Waterworld’ Earth preceded late rise of continents, scientist proposes
Cin-Ty Lee, professor of Earth science, is quoted about the formation of Earth’s continents.
Science News
http://bit.ly/2i63WAM

Copper stripes help iron pnictide lock in insulating state
Physicists at Rice’s Center for Quantum Materials have created a new iron-based material that offers clues about the microscopic origins of high-temperature superconductivity. Pengcheng Dai, professor of physics and astronomy; Qimiao Si, the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy; and graduate student Yu Song are quoted.
Phys Org
http://bit.ly/2hn1hP4
Pnictides can be key to questions on high-temperature superconductivity
AZO Materials
http://bit.ly/2hQWngT

Artificial intelligence: The 3 big trends to watch in 2017
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, is quoted about ethical issues related to artificial intelligence.
Tech Republic
http://tek.io/2hnkhNm

Rice, Baylor team sets new mark for ‘deep learning’
Neuroscience and artificial intelligence experts from Rice and Baylor College of Medicine have taken inspiration from the human brain in creating a new “deep learning” method that enables computers to learn about the visual world largely on their own, much as human babies do. Richard Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Ankit Patel, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; and graduate student Tan Nguyen are mentioned.
Space Daily
http://bit.ly/2h8lhcf
Neural network learns numbers by mimicking babies
E&T
http://bit.ly/2gYjgKO

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Georgia Tech working to make college more accessible for low-income students
Rice and 29 other prominent colleges and universities are part of a new initiative committed to making high-quality educational opportunities available to more students from lower-income families.
Ledger-Enquirer
http://bit.ly/2hDRreN

Why aren’t there more Asian-Americans in leadership positions?
Alumna Stefanie K. Johnson ’02 co-authored an article.
Harvard Business Review
http://bit.ly/2ibfvTg

Vanadium redox flow batteries: The next big wave after lithium batteries
Alumnus John Lee ’95 authored an article.
Mining.com
http://bit.ly/2h8hD28

Handel’s ‘Messiah’ tonight at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Alumna Annamarie Zmolek ’10 is mentioned.
KWHI
http://bit.ly/2ibCNZe

SPORTS

Around sports: Balanced scoring lifts Rice past Northwestern St.
Rice men’s basketball defeated Northwestern State University 100-93. Marcus Jackson, Marquez Letcher-Ellis, Egor Koulechov, Connor Cashaw, Marcus Evans and Chad Lott are mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2h6nhjw
Rice holds off Northwestern State 100-93
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2hR01qT
http://bit.ly/2h6i5fu
Monday’s college basketball
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2hDRuqV
Islanders game day: No. 19 St. Mary’s (Calif.)
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
http://bit.ly/2hQQTmj

LSC-Kingwood’s basketball team wins championship
Rice is mentioned.
The Tribune
http://bit.ly/2h6iDC2

Langham Creek’s Toneil Carter commits to Longhorns
Rice commits are mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2gXYdIl
http://bit.ly/2h89V8j
2016 Super Gold football 1st-team
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2h85Fp6
2016 Super Gold football 1st-team offense and defense
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2gY8O6b

Freshman fever
Rice men’s basketball is mentioned.
FAU Owl Access
http://bit.ly/2hW7Ade

51 greatest Super Bowl moments
An article mentions that Super Bowl VIII was hosted at Rice Stadium.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2hnc77G

Tom Herman adds 4 to his staff at Texas
Articles mention that Major Applewhite, Craig Naivar and Yancy McKnight coached at Rice.
Houston Chronicle (This also appeared in My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/2hPP6eI
Herman adds 4 to his staff including Orlando as the defensive coordinator
KVUE
http://bit.ly/2i5TM2Z
Naivar, McKnight among newest official additions to Texas staff
CBS Sports
http://cbsprt.co/2h80uWq
Herman hires 4 staff members at Texas
Texas Sports
http://bit.ly/2hQL7Bd
Ranking new college football head coaching hires
Bleacher Report
http://ble.ac/2gYcFA9
Herman hires four staff members from UH
KHOU
http://bit.ly/2hQYFwn
Naivar, McKnight among newest official additions to Texas staff
247Sports
http://bit.ly/2h81UQK

Pictures of the year 2016: Ryan Pelham
A slideshow includes a photo from a Rice baseball game.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2hVUNHS

Last home stand before conference play starts
Rice women’s basketball is mentioned.
KTRE
http://bit.ly/2h880R3

Twinkie Town prospect vote: Round 5
Former Rice baseball player J.T. Chargois is mentioned.
Twinkie Town/SB Nation
http://bit.ly/2i65oTD