Dateline Rice for March 27, 2012

FEATURED ITEM

Rice gets $25 million gift for new building
Rice University received a $25 million gift from alumnus Robert Klein ’75 to name a new School of Social Sciences building. President David Leebron is quoted in the Houston Chronicle article.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/bl6am22
Rice University receives $25 million gift
Houston Business Journal
http://tinyurl.com/cqnb9l4
In education: UK universities see rise in alumni giving
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
http://philanthropy.com/blogs/philanthropytoday/in-education-u-k-universities-see-rise-in-alumni-giving/45928

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

‘I-slate’ coming to Indian schools
The educational tablet I-slate has been selected by government officials in Andhra Pradesh, India,for use by secondary-school students in the district of Mahabubnagar. Krishna Palem, the Ken and Audrey Kennedy Professor of Computing, is quoted. Sid Richardson College senior Shelby Reinhardt and Lauren Pemberton are also quoted.
EE Times India
http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800663917_1800000_NT_ea2217ec.HTM?jumpto=view_welcomead_1332857113433

BROADCAST/WEBCAST

KTRK-TV ’13 Eyewitness News at 4 p.m.’
Rice University’s quidditch team is featured.
http://mms.tveyes.com/transcript.asp?StationID=994&DateTime=3/26/2012%204:43:18%20PM
(This story also appeared on KGUN-TV [Tucson, Ariz.], KEYT-TV [Santa Barbara, Calif.], KDRV-TV [Medford, Ore.], KLTV-TV [Tyler, Texas], KTXS-TV [Abilene, Texas] and KATV-TV [Little Rock, Ark.].)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Gas consumption plummets 3 percent during recent 52-week period
Consumers have determined there’s only one way to combat rising gasoline prices: Consume less fuel. Ken Medlock, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics at the Baker Institute and adjunct assistant professor in economics, is quoted.
CSNNews.com
http://tinyurl.com/cxztnow
Stuck with high gas prices, drivers just pump less
MoneyNews.com
http://tinyurl.com/cvfjepm
Using less gas
NorthJersey.com
http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/144325445_Americans_used_3_percent_less_gas_in_the_past_year.html
Connecticut gas prices rise, $4-plus a gallon
The Woodburry Middleburry Patch (Connecticut)
http://woodbury-middlebury.patch.com/articles/connecticut-gas-prices-rise-4-plus-a-gallon-9164b027

Nanostarfruits are pure gold for research
They look like fruit, and indeed the nanoscale stars of new research at Rice University have tasty implications for medical imaging and chemical sensing.
Starfruit-shaped gold nanorods synthesized by chemist Eugene Zubarev and Leonid Vigderman, a graduate student in Zubarev’s lab at Rice’s BioScience Research Collaborative, could nourish applications that rely on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Zubarev is quoted. Stephan Link, assistant professor of chemistry and of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is mentioned.
Nanotechnology Now
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=44792

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

University of Delaware student group to compete in 2012 Rice Business Plan Competition
Articles report on teams competing at the 12th annual Rice Business Plan Competition. Brad Burke, managing director of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, is quoted in the Newark Post and LaneReport.com articles.
Newark Post (Del.)
http://tinyurl.com/ceyptn2
UA startup SpatiaLink Solutions selected for 2012 Rice Business Plan Competition
ArkansasBusiness.com
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=130776.54928.142918
Student group from University of Louisville to compete in 2012 Rice Business Plan Competition
LaneReport.com
http://tinyurl.com/cjzwtsx

Who would take over after al-Assad?
For 12 horrific months, Syrian dissidents and world leaders have dreamt of one outcome for the Syrian crisis: the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. But who would take over the embattled country remains a mystery. Edward Djerejian, founding director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
KSBW.com (Monterey, Calif.) (This article also appeared on WPTZ.com [Plattsburg, N.Y.], WPBF.com [West Palm Beach, Fla.] and KITV.com [Honolulu].)
http://tinyurl.com/czf8sxp

How to feed hungry children?
Childhood hunger is more likely in neighborhoods with higher poverty rates where foreign-born populations with non-English-speaking backgrounds are the majority, a recent study from Rice University has found.
The Conversation (Australia)
http://theconversation.edu.au/how-to-feed-hungry-children-neighborhood-answers-6038

SPORTS

McKenzie making a splash in swimming world
A story on a Tuscaloosa Academy student and star swimmer mentions that she plans to attend Rice University.
Tuscaloosa News (Ala.)
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20120327/NEWS/120329769/1015/sports?Title=McKenzie-making-a-splash-in-swimming-world

Reckling shares Conference USA pitcher of the week award
Hanszen College senior Matthew Reckling was named Conference USA co-pitcher of the week.
Houston Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/br4wayl
USM baseball duo honored by C-USA
Hattiesburg American (Miss.)
http://tinyurl.com/bw27gfn

Fort Bend ISD has strong showing at Rice meet
An article recaps the Victor Lopez Track Classic track-and-field tournament at Rice.
Fort Bend Sun (Texas)
http://tinyurl.com/6rwqunq
Kingwood runners win Rice Victor Lopez Classic
The Tribune
http://ourtribune.com/article.php?id=13439

Rice notebook: Ennis, Reischel won’t return to Owls
Rice freshman point guard Dylan Ennis and forward Jarelle Reischel plan to transfer from the basketball program, coach Ben Braun said Monday.
Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/sports/rice/article/Rice-notebook-Ennis-Reischel-won-t-return-to-3436475.php
Basketball: Rice’s Ennis, Reischel plan to transfer
Houston Chronicle
http://blog.chron.com/owls/2012/03/basketball-rices-ennis-plans-to-transfer/

NEWS RELEASE

‘Science and the Media’ panel includes NBC’s Bazelle and CBS’ Burkholder
NBC News chief science and health correspondent Robert Bazell and “CBS Evening News” medical and health producer Amy Burkholder will be the featured panelists at a public forum on “Science and the Media” at 8:15 a.m. April 5 at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
https://news2.rice.edu/2012/03/27/science-and-the-media-panel-includes-nbcs-bazelle-and-cbs-burkholder/

Former national security adviser to speak at Baker Institute
Retired Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, former national security adviser to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, will discuss international relations and national security at 6 p.m. April 4 at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III, the honorary chair of the Baker Institute, will offer opening remarks.
https://news2.rice.edu/2012/03/27/former-national-security-adviser-to-speak-at-baker-institute/