Dateline Rice for Aug. 28, 2013

FEATURED ITEMS

KUHF-FM
Joe Warren, professor of computer science, and Scott Rixner, associate professor of computer science and in electrical and computer engineering, are interviewed about their online course in computer programming. Ratna Sarkar, director of Rice’s Office of Institutional Research, is quoted as a student who enrolled in the free course. Rice’s online courses are also mentioned in a commentary about Forbes’ top colleges.
http://bit.ly/1fjgRCG (Click broadcast.)
Forbes’ top college is not an Ivy
Rice is mentioned as one of the first colleges to offer massive open online courses.
FrugalDad.com
http://bit.ly/19N7v1o

Al Jazeera ‘Empire’
Edward Djerejian, founding director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, discussed U.S. involvement in Israeli-Palestinian settlement and peace negotiations.
http://bit.ly/1dPxgB1 (Click broadcast.)
WMAZ-TV
http://on.wmaz.com/1cgJzp

Couples split by border hope reform brings relief
Tony Payan, fellow in Mexican studies and director of the Mexico Center at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, comments on recent tightening of immigration rules.
Boston Globe (This Associated Press article appeared in 46 news outlets and seven broadcast outlets.)
http://bo.st/18YZ6Hn

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Davis minister will address King march anniversary event
Rice alumna Rev. Kristin Stoneking ’90 will speak today on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as part of the national ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.
The Sacramento Bee
http://bit.ly/15v95UQ

Hoping to become president in 2016, Ted Cruz refuses to endorse John Cornyn
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 U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s plans to stay out of primaries involving Republican senators.
Daily Kos
http://bit.ly/1fiM0X1

An open letter to President Barack Obama
The article mentions the 1962 speech on U.S. space policy given by President John F. Kennedy at Rice Stadium.
SanJoseInside.com
http://bit.ly/1834sAd

5 startup tips from 1 of Seattle’s great entrepreneurs
ScaleOut founder and CEO Bill Bain ’75 is quoted in this article listing his tips for startups.
Telegram.com (Worcester, Mass.)
http://bit.ly/18kEqr6

HOUSTON/TEXAS

1973 Battle of the Sexes turned the Astrodome into a circus
A look back at the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in the Astrodome mentions that the athletes who carried in King into the Astrodome like an Egyptian queen were Rice athletes. A photo of them doing so is included.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/19MYMwd

Doctors, environmental groups want tighter emissions limits on Energy Future Holdings’ coal plants
These articles mention that an analysis by a Rice expert is part of a petition to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality by the Dallas County Medical Society and several environmentalists to tighten emissions limits at some Texas coal plants.
Dallas Morning News (Subscription required.)
http://dallasne.ws/151FO0x
Dallas doctors ask Texas to clean up Luminant’s coal plants, citing asthma, heart attacks and ‘premature death’
DallasObserver.com
http://bit.ly/19ZirfS

Moores School of Music proudly announces a faculty lecture recital
Violinist Kirsten Yon ’08 will preform in Houston Sept. 8.
TheKatyNews.com
http://bit.ly/12KUALI

BROADCAST/WEBCAST

KPFT–FM
Richard Stoll, the Albert Thomas Chair in Political Science and scholar at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, discussed the U.S. response to Syrian use of chemical weapons.
(A link was not available.)

NOCO-TV (Fort Collins, Colo.)
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and co-director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, comments on the civil rights movement in this article on the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.
http://bit.ly/13YYaV7 (This Associated Press story also appeared on three other broadcast outlets.)

KHOU-TV
Robert Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science and fellow in urban politics at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, commented on support for the bond initiative to preserve Houston’s Astrodome.
http://bit.ly/14CgJwW (Click broadcast.)

KRIV-TV
These days, you’ll find hip-hop archives not just at historically black institutions, but also at Rice.
http://bit.ly/1doDwlB (Click broadcast.)

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Cheap substitute for silicon grows from carbon nanotube ‘seeds’
Rice has been a hotbed of carbon nanotube cookery, the most recent development being a technique for “unzipping” carbon nanotubes to form ribbons of graphene.
http://bit.ly/1aLE2b6

Expense experiments
OpenStax College, Rice’s free textbook publisher, is mentioned in articles about some universities’ and students’ textbook cost-saving strategies. Richard Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Engineering and founding director of OpenStax College, is quoted in the first article.
InsideHigherEd.com
http://bit.ly/18ZHICc
Technology helps relieve book costs
DailyOrange.com
http://bit.ly/17lyD5x

Atom-thin graphene beats steel, silicon; a patent ‘land rush’
James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry and professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science, comments on his lab’s filings for graphene patents.
StockHouse.com
http://bit.ly/1aPHgKO

ERs not just in hospitals anymore
Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of economics, comments on the proliferation of freestanding emergency medical centers.
BaxterBulletin.com (Mountain Home, Ark.)
http://bit.ly/15guvYo

Pollutant-eating bacteria not so rare
Dioxane, a chemical in wide industrial use, has an enemy in naturally occurring bacteria that remove it from the environment. Researchers at Rice have found that these bacteria are more abundant at spill sites than once thought. Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is quoted. Graduate student Mengyan Li is mentioned.
RDMag.com
http://bit.ly/17b8Nor

Guardian appoints Patrick Keenan as CEO
The article notes that Patrick Keenan, new CEO of Guardian, completed the Executive Management Program at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business.
WorldOil.com
http://bit.ly/16MlSP5

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Renowned mezzo-soprano brings performance to UALR
Rice alumna Sasha Cooke will preform Sept. 15 and teach a master class to students Sept. 16 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
UAIR.edu (Little Rock, Ark.)
http://bit.ly/15fFRfe

Australia: Race to the bottom
In this op-ed, alumnus Gwynne Dyer ’66 writes about Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers.
ThompsonCitizen.net
http://bit.ly/15iXT9K

Art notes: 3 museums offer exhibitions of artist dear to Pittsburgh
The article mentions James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” skyspace at Rice.
Post-Gazette.com (Pittsburgh)
http://bit.ly/1fiQ9dk

Evolution within a historic program
Kenneth Dye, former director of the Marching Owls Band, is featured in this Q-and-A article. A photo of him is included.
SBOMagazine.com
http://bit.ly/15imL1e

SPORTS

Texas A&M handling Johnny Manziel like starter amid investigation
The Owls’ season opener against Texas A&M is mentioned. Rice head football coach David Bailiff is interviewed in the KEYE broadcast. A story mentioning the game appeared on the front of the Sports section in the Houston Chronicle.
SportsIllustrated.cnn.com
http://bit.ly/18Yl2Cu
ESPN-TV
http://bit.ly/13Zi0zH (Click broadcast.)
KEYE-TV (Austin, Texas)
http://bit.ly/1dqlmzS (Click broadcast.)
Ags hope backup plan proves unnecessary
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/17hfCVD (Other stories mentioning the Owls-Aggies Aug. 31 game appeared in 156 news outlets and 27 broadcast outlets.)

Northampton resident finds success in return to track & field
Rice alumna Laura Fallon ’94 has returned to discus competition.
GazetteNet.com (Northampton, Mass.)
http://bit.ly/152Ggfb