Dateline Rice for Aug. 15, 2013

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Source: New York Times website hit by cyberattack
Christopher Bronk, fellow in information technology policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, commented about an alleged cyberattack on the New York Times’ corporate and media sites Aug. 14.
FoxBusiness.com
http://fxn.ws/17pvGki

‘Obamacare’ and you: Resistance in Texas, where many are uninsured
The article mentions a recent study by Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, which indicated half of the 6 million Texans without health insurance could gain it via the Affordable Care Act.
Des Moines Register (Similar articles appeared in 30 papers and on KTHV-TV and three other broadcast outlets.)
http://dmreg.co/15JdKOK
KTHV-TV (Little Rock, Ark.)
http://bit.ly/16RUWBo

ScaleOut Software challenges Oracle with real-time analytics
Rice alumnus Bill Bain ’75, CEO of ScaleOut Software, is mentioned in this article about the company.
Forbes
http://onforb.es/14bhg4W

David W. Colby, urban planner, dies at 80
Urban planner and Rice alumnus David W. Colby ’67 died July 29.
The Washington Post
http://wapo.st/15FliSA

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Tech wiz a top exec fresh out of college
Rice alumnus Caleb Solano ’13, the chief technology officer at RNK Innovations, is quoted in this feature on his quick rise to executive status.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1a7Lz3S

Could Canadian-born Ted Cruz be president?
The article mentions Rice alumna Eleanor Darragh ’56, the mother of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
The Texas Tribune (This story also appeared on KEYE-TV.)
http://bit.ly/VtrZqn

KEYE-TV (Austin)
http://bit.ly/1d9Zs1c

Long Pham named chief information officer
Long Pham, a former assistant director of network services at Rice, was named CEO for the Fort Bend Independent School District.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1a8mLsy

CNNMoney names West U ‘top-earning town’
West University Place, Texas, a town bordering Rice’s campus, was listed No. 8 on CNNMoney’s best places to live. West University’s neighboring town, Bellaire, claimed the 13th spot.
InstantNewsWestU.com
http://bit.ly/1279vzw

BROADCAST/WEBCAST

KROI-FM
Ric Stoll, the Albert Thomas Chair in Political Science, scholar at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of political science, commented on the violence in Egypt.
http://bit.ly/17rIIhd

KRIV-TV
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, commented on the pay hikes for the staff of Houston mayor and Rice alumna Annise Parker ’77. He also discussed the legal challenges to the 2014 Texas legislative maps on KRLD-AM. (A link to the KRLD-AM broadcast was not available.)
http://bit.ly/15GbGan

KATC-TV (La.)
Filmmaker and Rice alumnus Chris Eska ’98 will show his film, “The Retrieval,” Apr. 14 at the Performance Center in Vermilionville, La.
http://bit.ly/13nmrUv

KRIV-TV
A feature on photographer Allen Henson’s social experiment with models mentions that Henson has lectured at Rice.
http://bit.ly/14MViIS

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

In Shadow of MOOCs, open education makes progress
Richard Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of Rice’s Center for Digital Learning and Scholarship, is quoted about the center’s OpenStax College.
TechWeb
http://bit.ly/14g8zq6

System breakdown
Richard Tapia, University Professor and the Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering, is quoted in this article about the low numbers of minority science faculty in the U.S.
DiverseEducation.com
http://bit.ly/1cQ8u4S

Design futures council names emerging leaders for 2013
Rice Alumnus Ned Dodington ’09, co-founder of the Caroline Collective, was named an emerging leader for 2013 by the Design Futures Council.
Design Intelligence
http://bit.ly/1cPKLll

Biophysicists zoom in on pore-forming toxin
A study by Rice biophysicists offers the most comprehensive picture yet of the molecular-level action of melittin, the principal toxin in bee venom.
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1cCnvrK
Rice U. biophysicists zoom in on pore-forming toxin
HealthCanal.com
http://bit.ly/16RUJyn

Researchers compute, then combine benign viruses to fight disease
Rice University researchers are making strides toward a set of rules to custom-design Lego-like viral capsid proteins for gene therapy. Junghae Suh, assistant professor of bioengineering, and Jonathan Silberg, assistant professor of biochemistry and cell biology, are quoted.
Medical News Today
http://bit.ly/19ho31x
Rules for gene-therapy vectors
Bionity.com
http://bit.ly/1bxT5mk

Does loss of Guam’s native birds mean warmer forests?
Scientists are studying how a declining bird population and thinning forest canopy in Guam threatens wildlife and trees there that thrive in cooler temperatures. Haldre Rogers, the Huxley Research Instructor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is quoted.
Pacific News Center
http://bit.ly/19k31iO

DEBUT winners announced from NIH competition
Rice students were named winners in the Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams challenge run by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. They designed a low-cost, mechanical device to regulate an IV drip.
Today’s Medical Developments
http://bit.ly/16RF2XL
Young winners land big prizes in the NIH’s biomedical engineering contest
MassDevice.com
http://bit.ly/15DEQXt

Energy reform: Mexico slaughters its sacred cow
A 2011 study of Pemex by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy is mentioned.
Business Recorder
http://bit.ly/16NcH2V

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Get in the zone at the museum experience: Museum district’s new quarterly events offer unique way to explore Houston museums
Rice’s Art Gallery is noted for its free gallery talks, family-friendly short films and interactive creative writing activity for children.
GuidryNews.com
http://bit.ly/17sbLB7

Dragonfly study shows how ecosystem changes affect biodiversity
Rice researchers found that communities in nature are likely to be more sensitive to change than previously thought. Volker Rudolph, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, is quoted.
RedOrbit.com
http://bit.ly/16k9viR
Ecosystems change long before species are lost
Innovations Report
http://bit.ly/1d9Zbeq

SPORTS

How Rice baseball players performed in summer leagues
Rice baseball players were spread out from Massachusetts to California playing in collegiate summer leagues. Several players are mentioned.
Examiner.com
http://exm.nr/18x5uoT

Peyton native Dahlberg wins 1st Pikes Peak High-Altitude Mile
Former Rice University steeplechaser Nicole Mericle ’10 claimed the women’s race in the first Pikes Peak high-altitude mile competition, crossing the finish in 5:53.37. Mericle is quoted.
The Gazette (Colo.)
http://bit.ly/1byNFHW

Despite new revelations, Johnny Manziel’s attorney still believes QB will play in Texas A&M’s season opener
The attorney for Aggie quarterback Johnny Manziel, under investigation for NCAA rules violations, still believes he will play in Texas A&M’s season opener against Rice.
Dallas Morning News (Similar articles appeared in 18 papers.)
http://bit.ly/13mNOyd

NEWS RELEASE

Rice technique expands options for molecular imaging
A Rice University laboratory has improved upon its ability to determine molecular structures in three dimensions in ways that challenge long-used standards. By measuring the vibrations between atoms using femtosecond-long laser pulses, the lab of Junrong Zheng, assistant professor of chemistry, is able to discern the positions of atoms within molecules without the restrictions imposed by X-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. The researchers reported their results online this week in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Physical Chemistry.
http://bit.ly/1eM7j2Q