Dateline Rice for Jan. 25, 2017

FEATURED ITEMS

Rice was featured in multiple stories in the Houston Chronicle’s special section on “Women in Science with Excellence” in the Jan. 25 print edition:

STEM programs thrive in higher education
Ned Thomas, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering, discusses Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. A photo features Rachel Sterling ’16, Amber Wang ’16, Michaela Dimoff ’16, Nicolette Chamberlain-Simon ’16 and Nirali Desai ’16.
Houston Chronicle (This article appears on Page 2. A correction on the misspelling of Chamberlain-Simon’s last name has been requested.)
High schools are aiming for STEM success
Carolyn Nichol, director of Rice’s Office of STEM Engagement and lecturer of chemistry, discusses Rice’s STEM K-12 outreach. Rice Empower, Women in STEM and Rice DREAM Achievement are mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (This article appears on Page 3.)
This year’s WISE Luncheon honorees
Janet Braam, professor of biochemistry and cell biology and department chair of biosciences, was honored at the 2017 Women in Science with Excellence luncheon Jan. 20.
Houston Chronicle (This article appears on Pages 4-5.)
http://bit.ly/2k3s87q

Promoting the arts
A Houston Chronicle editorial about Houston’s potential as an arts destination mentions Rice’s new Moody Center for the Arts and cites its executive director, Alison Weaver, as one of three local arts directors who are “poised to change the visual arts scene as we know it.”
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. A correction on the misspelling of Weaver’s first name has been requested.)
http://bit.ly/2k3A6gS

Diabolical parasite grows inside baby wasps and eats their brains to escape
Gall wasps may feel confident as they infest oak trees for shelter and sustenance, but their wasp enemy has an even more insidious agenda, according to Rice. Kelly Weinersmith, adjunct faculty member and the former Huxley Fellow in Ecology and Evolution, and Scott Egan, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, are quoted.
Gizmodo (This also appeared in Gizmodo India and Gizmodo UK.)
http://bit.ly/2k0mzXc
‘Crypt-keeper wasp’ turns host into self-sacrificing zombie
CBS News
http://cbsn.ws/2ktyrO6
This parasitic wasp forces other parasitic wasps to do its dirty work, then eats them
Popular Science
http://bit.ly/2jScZTV
Parasite turns wasp into zombie then drills through its head
New Scientist
http://bit.ly/2jpWRui
Study: 1 wasp takes control of another
The Scientist
http://bit.ly/2jeQdns
The parasite that compels other parasites to shove their heads into holes … and then eats them
The Atlantic
http://theatln.tc/2jybARL
Insidious wasp gets ahead by tunneling through host’s head
Phys Org
http://bit.ly/2kjgm64

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Cheap carbon ‘roses’ pull radioactivity from water
Researchers at Rice and Kazan Federal University in Russia have found a way to extract radioactivity from water and said their discovery could help purify the hundreds of millions of gallons of contaminated water stored after the Fukushima nuclear plant accident. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
Futurity (This article appeared in the Jan. 25 issue of Futurity Today.)
http://bit.ly/2jxyzwd
Treated carbon pulls radioactive elements from water
Water Online
http://bit.ly/2ktDSwI

College admission stats: Class of 2021
An article discusses early decision statistics at various colleges. Rice is included in a chart showing admission stats for the Class of 2021.
Washington Post
http://wapo.st/2k0uxzg

Why Donald Trump could — and should — return Americans to the moon
President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Moon Speech” delivered at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is discussed.
Time
http://ti.me/2k3U23j

Commencement speaker announced: Duke, High Point, Kenyon, Lehigh, Mass Liberal Arts, MIT, Rice, U of Vermont, Westfield State
Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel in space, will present the 2017 commencement address at Rice May 13.
Inside Higher Ed
http://bit.ly/2jSpxed

Electric car sales predictions are all over the map
Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, authored an op-ed about electric car sales.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/2jxzkFx

Obama knows what’s really killing jobs. Is Trump listening?
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 manufacturing employment in the U.S.
Nasdaq (This also appeared in Pantagraph, Quad-City Times, Fox Business and the Motley Fool.)
http://bit.ly/2jSdsW5

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Obamacare repeal and replacement could come with hidden costs
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute and professor of economics, is quoted in an article about the Affordable Care Act.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front page of the Jan. 25 print edition with a different headline, “Unease over ACA grows.”)
http://bit.ly/2jx2h4n

Editorial: Better voter ID law would’ve survived
Rice is mentioned in an editorial about voter ID laws.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2ktifRd

30 years ago: Hermann Park train, gas prices, an Oasis of Love
Fred von der Mehden, the Albert Thomas Professor Emeritus of Political Science, is quoted in a reprint of a 1987 Chronicle article.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2k3HkBz

Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music: Groundbreaking in September for new music and opera building
Rice’s Shepherd School of Music plans to break ground on a new music and opera building in September. Robert Yekovich, dean of the Shepherd School and the Elma Schneider Professor of Music, and Rice President David Leebron are quoted. Alumni Brenton Ryan ’11, Nicholas Brownlee ’14, Lauren Snouffer ’09, Jack Swanson ’16, Ian Koziara ’16, Frederick Ballentine ’14, Allegra De Vita ’13 and Ben Edquist ’15 are also mentioned. The article mentions that the general contractor, the Linbeck Group, oversaw construction of McMurtry College and James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Suzanne Deal Booth Centennial Pavilion on the Rice campus.
Houston Lifestyle and Homes (This appeared in the February issue.)
http://bit.ly/2jpwp3S

Energy for our future — let’s run to the daylight by capturing carbon
Charles McConnell, executive director of Rice’s Energy and Environment Initiative, authored an article about energy strategies.
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/2ktodgX

Everything you need to know about UH’s $1B campaign
Rice’s $1 billion fundraising campaign is mentioned.
The Daily Cougar
http://bit.ly/2jxzVqA

Where rich kids go to college in Texas
A slideshow discusses recent enrollment statistics published by the New York Times. Rice is mentioned.
My San Antonio
http://bit.ly/2jS7NQ3
Which Texas colleges have the most students in the 1 percent
LMT Online
http://bit.ly/2jSoye0

BROADCAST

KTSA
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, discusses executive orders signed by President Donald Trump.
http://bit.ly/2ktwbuh (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 
KIRO
http://bit.ly/2k0DiJF (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 
CBS News Radio 
WBBM (This also aired on 401 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2kttCZg (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 
CBS News Radio 
KCBS (This also aired on 401 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2k0SCGk (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 

Encore Houston, episode 3: Chamber Music Houston — The Jerusalem Quartet
A broadcast features a concert that was performed at Rice.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2ktG4Z3

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Moving up the food chain can beat being on top
When it comes to predators, the biggest mouths may not take the biggest bite. According to a new study from bioscientists at Rice, some predators have their greatest ecological impacts before they reach adulthood. Volker Rudolf, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and alumnus Benjamin Van Allen ’14 are quoted.
Terra Daily
http://bit.ly/2ktIuqH

Researchers study Roman concrete recipe
What does one need to strengthen or toughen concrete? A lot of nothing. Or something. The “nothing” is in the form of microscopic voids and the “something” consists of particular particles embedded in the most common construction material on Earth. Rouzbeh Shahsavari, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted, and graduate student Ning Zhang is mentioned.
Durability + Design (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2jfqhrS

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Spending our time and using our voice
Klara Jelinkova, Rice’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer, authored an article about CIOs.
Educase Review
http://bit.ly/2kliCsX

Square feet: The Super Bowl returns to a transformed Houston
Stephen Klineberg, founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research and a professor of sociology, is quoted about improvement projects completed in Houston in anticipation of the Super Bowl.
ACQ5 (This also papered in MSN Money.)
http://bit.ly/2k4rwyj

SPORTS

The hoops Houston had to jump through to nab Super Bowl LI
An article mentions that the Super Bowl teams will practice at Rice and the University of Houston.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/2ktm3hn
http://bit.ly/2kjnT52
Super Bowl report: Quick look shows how fast Falcons are
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2k05SuQ
What did it take for Houston to land Super Bowl LI?
Houston Chronicle (This also appeared in LMT Online.)
http://bit.ly/2j58uIy
Crews hard at work preparing stadium for Super Bowl
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2jpVdc6
NRG stadium prepares for Super Bowl
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2jf5LYs
Carriers tackle network enhancements ahead of Super Bowl 51
Wireless Week
http://bit.ly/2kjP5jU

SEC weekly preview: Tennessee faces Florida eyeing momentum
Rice swimming is mentioned.
Swimming World
http://bit.ly/2ktATEe

Weber State opens BYU’s home season
Rice tennis is mentioned.
BYU Athletics
http://bit.ly/2k0pgYK

Charlotte 49ers among national leaders in free-throw shooting
Rice women’s basketball will play University of North Carolina at Charlotte Jan. 28.
The Charlotte Observer
http://bit.ly/2j5eqBw

8 recent SEC coordinator hires that really didn’t work out
An article mentions that Major Applewhite coached at Rice.
SEC Country
http://sec.news/2j5fPrO

Schedule finalized for 2017 Pitt football
Rice football’s 2017 schedule is discussed.
The Pitt News
http://bit.ly/2jxHmxU
Analyzing the 2017 Miami Hurricanes football schedule
Palm Beach Post
http://pbpo.st/2k3UwXh

Still not quite full strength, ODU men again hit the road
Brown College sophomore Marcus Evans and Wiess College senior Egor Koulechov are mentioned.
The Virginian-Pilot
http://bit.ly/2k0lZbA

NEWS RELEASES

Rice panel Jan. 31 to explore legacy of Houston rapper Chad ‘Pimp C’ Butler
The life and legacy of Houston rapper Chad “Pimp C” Butler will be the focus of a panel discussion at Rice University Jan. 31.
http://bit.ly/2ktICX4

Paper: Mexico’s energy reform can benefit from Latin America’s petroleum sector development
The decision-makers behind Mexico’s budding energy reform can learn from the history of the development of the petroleum sector in Latin America, according to a new paper by an expert in the Mexico Center and the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
http://bit.ly/2ktOwrr

Rice University expert available to discuss Trump’s ‘great, great wall’
Rice University political scientist Mark Jones is available to discuss President Donald Trump’s planned immigration announcement.
http://bit.ly/2jSj1nJ

Insidious wasp gets ahead by tunneling through host’s head
Gall wasps may feel confident as they infest oak trees for shelter and sustenance, but their wasp enemy has an even more insidious agenda, according to Rice University.
http://bit.ly/2kjQPKg