Dateline Rice for Jan. 8, 2018 (Weekend Edition)

FEATURED ITEM

Dunn Awards support breakthrough research
Three teams of scientists at Rice and other Gulf Coast Consortia institutions have earned research seed grants from the John S. Dunn Collaborative Research Awards. Winners from Rice include Robert Raphael, an associate professor of bioengineering; Francois St-Pierre, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice and an assistant professor of neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine; and Jonathan Silberg, an associate professor of biochemistry and cell biology.
TMC News (This article was the lead story in the Jan. 8 TMC Today newsletter.)
http://bit.ly/2qvkbfO

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Catalyst turns toxic nitrate pollution into air and water
Engineers at Rice’s Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment Center have found a catalyst that cleans toxic nitrates from drinking water by converting them into air and water. Michael Wong, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, of chemistry, of materials science and nanoengineering and of civil and environmental engineering and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the lead scientist on the study; and co-author Kim Heck, a research scientist in Wong’s lab, are quoted. A Rice photo is featured.
Futurity (A similar article was featured in Futurity’s daily newsletter and at Science360 News, and similar articles appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2CVbIs8

How doped nanomaterials could cut fuel cell costs
Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes or modified graphene nanoribbons may be suitable replacements for platinum for fast oxygen reduction, the key reaction in fuel cells that transform chemical energy into electricity, according to Rice researchers. Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and professor of chemistry, and graduate student Luqing Wang are quoted, and lead author and former postdoctoral associate Xiaolong Zou is mentioned.
Futurity (Similar articles appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2CUpU4H

Myriad factors combine to make energy outlook very rosy in 2018
Bill Arnold, professor in the practice of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, authored an op-ed.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/2CSjCCn

McMaster: US has seen signs of Russian ‘subversion and disinformation’ in upcoming Mexican election
Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies at the Baker Institute and director of the institute’s Mexico Center, is quoted.
San Francisco Chronicle (This Reuters article appeared in more than 30 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2CVKDos

Nitrogen tug-of-war reveals Earth’s biogeochemistry
Rice scientist Laurence Yeung and colleagues from UCLA, Michigan State University and the University of New Mexico developed a one-of-a-kind instrument that allowed them to hear what the atmosphere is saying with rare nitrogen molecules. The team counted rare molecules in the atmosphere that contain only heavy isotopes of nitrogen and discovered a planetary-scale tug-of-war between life, the deep Earth and the upper atmosphere that is expressed in atmospheric nitrogen. Yeung, assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences, is quoted, and a Rice photo is featured.
Yahoo News
https://yhoo.it/2CU7ilm

Saudi handouts show prince bet on citizens after crackdown
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article on Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Bloomberg (This article appeared in more than 10 media outlets.)
https://bloom.bg/2AFPOTB

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Rosenthal rules federal courts in Houston region with firm hand
A profile of Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas Lee Rosenthal mentions that a job offer at Rice for her father, historian Harold Hyman, brought her family to Houston when she was a senior in high school. Her mother, Ferne Hyman, became a research librarian at Rice. Harold Hyman is now the William P. Hobby Professor Emeritus of History. Rosenthal is a trustee emerita of Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared on the front page of the Jan. 8 print edition with a different headline, “Federal judge rules with a firm hand,” and it appeared in more than 50 media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2CRF0Yr
http://bit.ly/2AGdpUr

A massive seawall for Southeast Texas could save money. But so far, there’s none to spend
An article on flood mitigation efforts in Houston mentions a proposed coastal barrier Rice researchers have been involved with.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News, and it appeared on the front page of the Jan. 8 print edition with a different headline, “Biggest barrier to Ike Dike? Money.”)
http://bit.ly/2CRq6BH

Trump’s drilling plan ignores the past and future
The geopolitical risks to the United States’ oil supply are the lowest since the early 1970s, due to fracking, climate action and a more diverse global supply, according to a new paper by experts at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy co-authored by Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute, and Kenneth Medlock, senior director of the institute’s Center for Energy Studies. Krane also is quoted in an article on oil stories to watch in 2018.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This column appeared on the front of the Business section in the Jan. 8 print edition with a different headline, “More need to know the joy of tar balls.”)
http://bit.ly/2CQ4oxM
World risks easing against US oil supply
KTRH.com (Similar articles appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2CSiD57
Dividend hikes, largest IPO ever lead 5 oil stories to watch this year.
Investors’ Business Daily (This article also appeared in Nasdaq.com.)
http://bit.ly/2CSWVy3

Houston’s not eating that well. Can a new mobile grocery help?
An article about people’s eating behaviors quotes Roberta Anding, lecturer in kinesiology at Rice, a dietitian and sports nutritionist for Rice Athletics and the Houston Astros, and the performance dietitian for Baylor College of Medicine Corporate Programs; and Doug Schuler, associate professor of business and public policy at the Jones Graduate School of Business.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This appeared in the Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine and was featured in the Jan. 8 TMC Today newsletter.)
http://bit.ly/2lJ6JiD

Future of DACA affecting mental health of young undocumented immigrants
Luz Garcini, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychology, is quoted in a story on concerns about the mental health of recipients of the Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which President Donald Trump said last year will not be extended by executive order. Garcini is pictured.
Texas Public Radio
http://bit.ly/2CTrQKP

Drug policy changes reflect attitudes, applications
Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell III Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in an article on marijuana policy.
KTRH.com
http://bit.ly/2CRrQuw

Why did so many Texas state employees quit in 2017?
Scott Sonenshein, the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted in an article on high turnover at Texas agencies.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2CUtqw0
KUT-FM (Austin, Texas)
http://bit.ly/2CUyZuj (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

‘Blue wave’ in Texas could also bring a wave of gay elected officials
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 in stories on 2018 elections in Texas.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Jan. 8 print edition.)
http://bit.ly/2CTeIVS
With Smith’s departure, Democrats see first real chance to win District 21
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2CUzgNG
Democrats see opportunity in some Texas congressional districts
Austin American-Statesman
https://atxne.ws/2CTYV9p

Groups oppose potential question on citizenship in next census
Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas and former U.S. Census Bureau director, is quoted.
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2CT5l8N

PolitiFact: Abbott’s plan to train principals gets an incomplete
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for the state to offer financial support for school principals to receive advanced leadership training through Rice is mentioned.
Austin American-Statesman
https://atxne.ws/2CRv0hS

Veteran made it his mission to encourage students to explore STEM careers
An article on Air Force veteran Elias Sanchez-Perez mentions he is planning a “Reach for the Stars! Spring Outdoor STEM Festival” in collaboration with Rice.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Jan. 6 print edition.)
http://bit.ly/2CShN8O

Da Camera’s Beethoven For All: All for Beethoven
Alumna Anya Wilkening ’16 is quoted, and Kenneth Goldsmith, professor of violin, is mentioned.
Arts + Culture Texas
http://bit.ly/2CTUjjF

10 places Houston insiders take people visiting town
James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on Rice’s campus is mentioned. A photo of the installation is featured.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/2CUvkwo

Local achievements: Jan. 5, 2018
Alumnus Elliott SoRelle ’12 is mentioned.
Waco Tribune-Herald
http://bit.ly/2CVC0u4

BROADCAST

‘The Lead with Jake Tapper’
Professor of History Douglas Brinkley discusses a new book about President Donald Trump.
CNN
http://bit.ly/2CUJLzG (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
‘New Day’
CNN
http://bit.ly/2CVXGqc (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)

WTOP-AM (Washington, D.C.)
Ned Thomas, the Ernest Dell Butcher Professor of Engineering and professor of materials science and nanoengineering, of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of chemistry, is quoted in a story on materials that can improve home insulation.
http://bit.ly/2maGHVT (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

‘Houston Life’
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Houston District’s vocal competition at Rice is mentioned.
KPRC-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2D7SOek (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)

‘Sports Byline USA’
Mac Engel, who wrote “Pigskin Rapture: Four Days in the Life of Texas Football,” mentions Rice Stadium hosted Super Bowl VIII.
KTXX-AM (Austin, Texas)
http://bit.ly/2COtH2H (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast, which aired on more than 25 radio stations.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

These 20 private US universities and colleges offer the best value in 2018
Rice is No. 5 on Kiplinger’s list of best private college values for 2018.
CEOWorld Magazine
http://bit.ly/2CVFHQs

Rice University endowment posts 14 percent fiscal-year gain
Rice’s endowment exceeded its benchmark return for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
Pensions and Investments
http://bit.ly/2CRhx9T

Nanoscale virus modified to deliver peptide drugs to cells, tissues
By chipping away at a viral protein, Rice scientists have discovered a path toward virus-like, nanoscale devices that may be able to deliver drugs to cells. Junghae Suh, associate professor of bioengineering, and graduate student Nicole Thadani are quoted.
Science Daily
http://bit.ly/2AFXwxa

Amid audio boom, magazines hire actors to voice their work
Graduate student Jack Murphy is quoted.
Columbia Journalism Review
http://bit.ly/2CTjxyy

Rice University technology could cut MRI scan times
Patients who have to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging scan may be spared the ordeal of having to lie still in the scanner for up to 45 minutes, thanks to technology patented by Rice, also known as “compressed sensing” technology, that was licensed by Siemens Healthineers. Richard Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is quoted. Kevin Kelly, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and applied physics graduate program chair, is mentioned.
Industrial Electronics Technology Transfer News
http://bit.ly/2CS1NDr

Powering up: The biggest battery breakthroughs of 2017
Rice scientists created a rechargeable lithium metal battery with three times the capacity of commercial lithium-ion batteries by resolving something that has long stumped researchers: the dendrite problem. The battery stores lithium in a unique anode, a seamless hybrid of graphene and carbon nanotubes.
Terra Forming Terra
http://bit.ly/2CRWvb3

Motorsports Hall of Fame of America 2018 class includes Jeff Gordon, Howard Hughes
An article mentions Howard Hughes attended Rice.
Autoweek (This article also appeared in more than 10 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2CTH426
Jeff Gordon among 2018 inductees to Motorsports Hall of Fame
ESPN.com (This article also appeared in Jayski.com.)
http://es.pn/2CTDZ2l

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

The 20 most impressive college orchestras in America
Rice’s Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra is featured.
Online School Center
http://bit.ly/2CRNzCB

#MeToo and the worldwide reckoning it brought in 2017 — Part II
Associate Professor of Psychology Eden King is quoted in an article on sexual harassment and assault.
Geo.tv
http://bit.ly/2CVA9pm

Wyo. legislators must do the hard work
President John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech” given at Rice Sept. 12, 1962, is mentioned in an editorial.
Wyoming Tribune Eagle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2CSkIxZ

Unwoven Light
Artist Soo Sunny Park’s installation “Unwoven Light,” on display at Rice Gallery in 2013, is featured.
Lost Between the Notes
http://bit.ly/2CUoOGc

¿Cuáles son las 100 mejores universidades del mundo?
Rice is No. 89 on Quacquarelli Symonds’ ranking of the top colleges and universities in the world.
Emagister (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2CVxThJ

SPORTS

Former Rice RB Trevor Cobb selected for College Football Hall of Fame
Former Rice player Trevor Cobb ’93 was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame. He will be inducted Dec. 4 in New York. Current Rice football player Sam Stewart is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2AGTMvk
http://bit.ly/2AHgnaW
Beamer, Brown head College Football Hall of Fame class
Washington Post (This Associated Press article appeared in more than 50 media outlets.)
http://wapo.st/2AH9Wot
Frank Beamer, Mack Brown among 13 to enter College Football HOF
ESPN.com
http://es.pn/2CQ9hXE
Charles Woodson, Frank Beamer headline 2018 College Football Hall of Fame class
Yahoo Sports
https://yhoo.it/2CTpiMz
Former Texas coach Mack Brown headlines 2018 College Football Hall of Fame class
TexasHSFootball.com
http://bit.ly/2CSf6nv
KRIV-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2ma95aG (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
KUT-FM (Austin, Texas)
http://bit.ly/2CUvvIg (Click the audio button to listen to the broadcast.)

Rice tops Charlotte to end 6-game losing streak
The Rice men’s basketball team defeated the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Jan. 6 at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News and Laredo Morning Times, and it appeared in the Jan. 7 print edition with a different headline, “Owls top 49ers, put end to skid.”)
http://bit.ly/2AFR2yg
http://bit.ly/2CTwS9Q
Rice ends 6-game skid beating Charlotte 73-64
Washington Post (This Associated Press article appeared in more than 50 media outlets.)
http://wapo.st/2AFFfjz
Jan. 6: Rice 73, Charlotte 64
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2AHzce5
Houston women survive in overtime
Galveston County Daily News
http://bit.ly/2CSm2kC
KPRC-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2CQjPGe (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
KIAH-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2CTnwex (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
KRIV-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2CRZ78Z (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)
KHOU-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2CSzlBA (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)

Women’s college basketball: UT, A&M stay unbeaten in conference play
The Rice women’s basketball team’s victory over the University of Texas at San Antonio Jan. 7 at Tudor Fieldhouse is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the Jan. 8 print edition with a different headline, “UT, A&M victorious in conference play; Rice wins 7th in row.”)
http://bit.ly/2AFegVr

UNT women fall to Rice in another classic in series
The Rice women’s basketball team defeated the University of North Texas Jan. 5 in Denton.
Denton Record-Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2CT0x3g

College baseball countdown: 40 days to go — Dominic DiCaprio
Will Rice College junior baseball player Dominic DiCaprio is featured.
College Baseball Central
http://bit.ly/2CRnNOV

11 GCU pool records fall in quad meet with Rice, Cal Baptist and NMSU
The Rice women’s swimming team won a quad meet Jan. 6 in Phoenix. Rice’s Claire Therien, Ellery Parish, Marie-Claire Schillinger, Alicia Caldwell, Kaitlyn Swinney, Jaecey Parham and Lindsay Mathys are mentioned, and coach Seth Huston is quoted.
SwimSwam
http://bit.ly/2CRYGLO

Texans add 2 more candidates for general manager search
Former Rice football player Will McClay ’89 is a candidate to become the general manager of the Houston Texans.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared on the front of the Sports section in the Jan. 6 print edition with a different headline, “McClay, Douglas bring GM list to 6,” and it was included in a previous edition of Dateline when the article was posted online.)
http://bit.ly/2m28Hfb
http://bit.ly/2m15Gf0
Cowboys’ Will McClay waiting to hear from the Texans
247Sports
http://bit.ly/2CUrwLN
KPRC-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2AGxeeh (Click the video button to watch the broadcast.)

MacIntyre hires Kurt Roper as quarterbacks coach
Former Rice football player Kurt Roper ’95 is featured.
CUBuffs.com
http://bit.ly/2CRij6N

Longtime UNT official Scotty Conley has retired
Former Rice football assistant coach Scotty Conley retired. He had been the University of North Texas football program’s director of high school relations.
Denton Record-Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2CS3KQq

Rhoades settling in at VCU
Former Rice men’s basketball coach Mike Rhoades is featured.
Republican Herald
http://bit.ly/2CQWhkw

NEWS RELEASE

Kindest cut makes virus programmable
By chipping away at a viral protein, Rice scientists have discovered a path toward virus-like, nanoscale devices that may be able to deliver drugs to cells. The protein is one of three that make up the protective shell, called the capsid, of natural adeno-associated viruses (AAV). By making progressively smaller versions of the protein, the researchers made capsids with unique abilities and learned a great deal about AAV’s mechanisms.
http://bit.ly/2AGHmn1