People, papers and presentations

Kaden Hazzard, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy, has authored a News and Views article in the latest issue of Nature about new work by researchers at the University of Chicago to manipulate light into a phase of matter known as a Mott insulator.

Tom Kolditz, executive director of Rice’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders and a retired brigadier general, is among the world’s top 30 coaching professionals, according to a new Global Gurus list.

Graduate voice student Nicholas Newton won third place ($3,000) in the 2019 Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers Concert of Arias, one of the top singing competitions in the United States. Newton, who studies voice performance with Stephen King, the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Voice and co-chair of voice at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music, will perform the role of Blitch in the Shepherd School’s production of Carlisle Floyd’s opera “Susannah” in March under the baton of Patrick Summers, artistic director of the Houston Grand Opera.