Dateline Rice for Jan. 25, 2013

FEATURED ITEMS

Cells flock like birds to heal skin wounds
Cells coordinate their motions as they race to cover and ultimately heal wounds to the skin. Herbert Levine, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Bioengineering and co-director of the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, is quoted.
Futurity.org
http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/cells-flock-like-birds-to-heal-skin-wounds/

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

A world without work: As robots and computers get smarter, will humans have anything left to do?
Moshe Vardi, the Karen Ostrum George Distinguished Service Professor of Computational Engineering and professor of computer science, is quoted in an article about how automation will change the job market of the future.
Washington Post (This Associated Press article also appeared in the Boston Globe, U.S. News & World Report, the Sydney Morning Herald, ABCNews.com, HuffingtonPost.com, NPR.org and nearly 190 other media outlets.)
http://wapo.st/WoqlUD

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Quirk in health care law could set up tough choice for Rick Perry on Medicaid
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and fellow in political science at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in articles about the Affordable Care Act, U.S./Venezuela relations and the Texas Senate lottery. An English translation of the Clarín article is not available.
Dallas Morning News (subscription required)
http://dallasne.ws/Y3ywHv
The future US secretary of state wants more ties to Caracas
Clarín (Argentina)
http://bit.ly/WkO2je
One slip of paper may have stunted Democratic inroads in Texas
D Magazine
http://bit.ly/Wwtxhj

Dallas native announced as new director of Sierra Club’s Texas chapter
The Sierra Club has named alumna Scheleen Walker ’87 the next director of its Lone Star chapter.
Dallas Morning News (subscription required)
http://dallasne.ws/10zay6E

UH faculty steps in as interim provost for Downtown
Rice is mentioned in an article about the University of Houston-Downtown’s new interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost for the UH-Downtown.
TheDailyCougar.com
http://bit.ly/W1QISt

BROADCAST/WEBCAST

KRIV-TV
Hanszen College sophomore Zack Kopplin is profiled for his efforts to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act. Kopplin also authored an op-ed about his work to repeal the bill.
http://bit.ly/V1IVD3
Creationism’s new Trojan horse
HuffingtonPost.com
http://huff.to/10I42L1

KRIV-TV
Joe Barnes, the Bonner Means Baker Fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, appeared on KRIV-TV to discuss Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s testimony on the Benghazi, Libya, consulate attack.
http://bit.ly/14hQ3iG

KHOU-TV
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science and fellow in urban politics at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted in a story about the special election to replace deceased Sen. Mario Gallegos.
http://bit.ly/XAXTO0

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Rice Global Engineering and Construction Forum set for March 19
Edward Djerejian, founding director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, will be the featured speaker at the inaugural International Conference of the Rice Global Engineering and Construction Forum.
Offshore
http://bit.ly/WXeMmb

Maglev tissues could speed toxicity tests
In a development that could lead to faster and more effective toxicity tests for airborne chemicals, scientists from Rice University and the Rice spinoff company Nano3D Biosciences have used magnetic levitation to grow some of the most realistic lung tissue ever produced in a laboratory. Thomas Killian, professor of physics and astronomy; Jane Grande-Allen, associate professor of bioengineering; and Hubert Tseng, a graduate student in bioengineering, are quoted.
ScienceNewsline.com (This article also appeared on MedicalNewsToday.com, MediLexicon.com, News-Medical.net, BioPortfolio.com and Nanotech-Now.com.)
http://www.sciencenewsline.com/articles/2013012506220020.html

Graphene: The miracle material explained
An article about graphene mentions Rice research showing that graphene oxide has the ability to quickly remove radioactive material from contaminated water.
TechRadar.com
http://bit.ly/14abwuD

Tech moves
Alumnus Joel Grus ’96 was named chief scientist for Volometrix.
GeekWire.com
http://www.geekwire.com/2013/tech-moves-hark-hires-bing-vet/

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Fracking’s rise in US inspires the world
The U.S. energy industry clearly still leads the way on the revolutionary drilling method that has upended global energy markets, but the rest of the world is beginning to catch up as nations seek to replicate American success in oil and natural gas development. Ken Medlock, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics at the Baker Institute, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies and adjunct assistant professor in economics, is quoted.
Washington Times
http://bit.ly/10SjWHg

Machen says what’s good
Former Rice president George Rupp is mentioned in an article about a lecture at the University of Florida.
Alligator.org
http://bit.ly/10WdPD1

World’s smallest tunnels dug with nanoparticles
Researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Rice University have dug nanoscale tunnels into graphite samples.
OverclockersClub.com
http://www.overclockersclub.com/news/33591/

The virus hunter: Erica Ollmann Saphire takes on deadly threats
Alumna Erica Ollmann Saphire ’93 is profiled for her career as biologist.
San Diego Union-Tribune
http://bit.ly/WiBEjC

The Fourth Wall deconstructed at genre-busting classical concert
Alumna Hilary Abigana ’08 is quoted in an article about the ensemble The Fourth Wall.
Summit Daily News (Colo.)
http://bit.ly/TwMGTU

Bayer CropScience
Alumnus James Covington ’83 has been named head of Bayer CropScience’s Institute Industrial Park.
State Journal (W.Va.)
http://www.statejournal.com/story/20612899/bayer-cropscience

SPORTS

Rice ranked 18th in Baseball America preseason poll
Rice is ranked No. 18 in the Baseball America preseason Top 25 poll.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/VlT6WL
Rice ranked 18th in Baseball America preseason poll
Examiner.com
http://exm.nr/WRqj82

The odds of brothers coaching against each other in the Super Bowl?
San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and his brother, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, will face off against each other in the Super Bowl next week, but what are the odds of playing your brother in the big game? Katherine Ensor, professor and chair of statistics, is quoted.
BaltimoreBeatdown.com
http://bit.ly/W3d2fv
What are the odds of brothers coaching in Super Bowl against each other?
PaddockTalk.com
http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-213426.html

Marshall baseball releases spring schedule
Rice is mentioned in an article about the Marshall University baseball team.
MarshallParthenon.com
http://bit.ly/11Wz32L

Lynx playing and winning around the world
An article about the Minnesota Lynx women’s basketball team mentions Taj McWilliams-Franklin and notes that she is serving as assistant women’s basketball coach at Rice.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/sports/188323581.html

NEWS RELEASES

Baker Institute ranked among world’s top 25 top think tanks
Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy is ranked No. 21 – up from No. 24 in 2011 – among the top think tanks in the United States, according to the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program’s 2012 survery at the University of Pennsylvania.
https://news2.rice.edu/?p=39697

Maglev tissues could speed toxicity tests
In a development that could lead to faster and more effective toxicity tests for airborne chemicals, scientists from Rice University and the Rice spinoff company Nano3D Biosciences have used magnetic levitation to grow some of the most realistic lung tissue ever produced in a laboratory.
https://news2.rice.edu/?p=39707