Dateline Rice for March 18, 2014

FEATURED ITEM

Rice University moves forward on ‘transformative’ opera theater project
Rice’s Shepherd School of Music announced that Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) has been selected as architect of the school’s new opera theater, scheduled to open in 2018. In addition, Fisher Dachs Associates will lead the theater design, and Threshold Acoustics will provide acoustical direction for the project. Robert Yekovich, dean of the Shepherd School of Music and the Elma Schneider Professor of Music, is quoted.
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1lKJq0w
Drama in the house: Rice hires New York firm with Texas ties to design new opera theater
CultureMap
http://bit.ly/1fF80Lg

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Want a journalism job? The pros say be persistent
An article about advice for student journalists at the National College Media Convention in New York City quotes Hanszen College sophomore Miles Kruppa, who is editor-in-chief of the Rice Thresher.
USA Today
http://usat.ly/1eOySca

Averting a national blackout: Cybersecurity and the critical energy infrastructure
Christopher Bronk, fellow in information technology policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored an op-ed about cyber attacks and its effect on national security. Kenneth Medlock III, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute and lecturer on economics, and Dan Wallach, professor of computer science and of electrical and computer engineering, are mentioned.
Forbes
http://onforb.es/NnXsZR

‘View from Inside’ highlights 49 Arab artists
Ussama Makdisi, the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies and professor of history, and Farès el-Dahdah, professor of architecture and director of the Humanities Research Center, organized a talk on “Arabophobia” for the FotoFest Bioennial March 15 to April 27.
AL-Monitor.com
http://bit.ly/1kFwOIc

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Farenthold: It’s OK to negotiate
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 about the Texas primary.
Caller.com (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1lL44O5
Statewide GOP candidates would push Senate further right
San Antonio Express
http://bit.ly/1hwq2li
Resultados de las primarias indican que el Senado de Texas se tornará más conservador
La Voz (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1nAY3IG

Shepherd School Opera, Chamber Orchestra to present ‘Albert Herring’
The Shepherd School of Music’s Opera Department and Chamber Orchestra will present its spring opera, Benjamin Britten’s “Albert Herring,” March 28 and 30 and April 1. The production will be directed by Richard Bado, director of Rice’s Opera Studies Program, and staged by guest director Brad Dalton.
Bellaire Examiner (This article also appeared in Fort Bend Sun and Memorial Examiner.)
http://bit.ly/1dlm4cS

St. Pius building for future
Former offensive quality control coach Stephen Hill is the new head football coach for St. Pius.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1kFDCpq

Sounds of the big city come to Huntsville
The Houston Symphony will perform a community concert at the Gaertner Performing Arts Center. Frank Huang, artist teacher of violin, will perform.
The Huntsville Item
http://bit.ly/1egf04Z
Houston Symphony to perform Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky at SHSU
The Houstonian
http://bit.ly/1gxyEpv

From destructive decisions to a life devoted to helping others; one man’s story of transformation
Alumnus Vaughaligan Walwyn ’04 is featured.
Katy News (This article also appeared in Broadway World.)
http://bit.ly/OsSr3B

BROADCAST

KRIV-TV
Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research partnered with the American Jewish Committee’s Bridging American Task Force for a free summit to discuss human trafficking and immigration reform March 18.
http://bit.ly/1g6RVDP
http://bit.ly/1l0uvCd

WJXT-TV
A low-cost device that Rice bioengineering students invented to help premature babies breath more easily is being used in teaching hospitals in three African nations.
http://bit.ly/1ooKTeL

Rice, UH host NFL scouts for Pro Day
The Rice football team is featured for their 2014 season preparation. Senior cornerback Phillip Gaines and senior kicker Chris Boswell are quoted.
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/1mfx97z

Daily news flash with Courtney Morris on Crimea vote, Obama censorship and boycotts of St. Patrick’s Day parade
Courtney Morris, postdoctoral fellow in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, analyzes the latest news headlines.
Uprising Radio
http://bit.ly/1ooAJLd

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Rice University technique able to analyze conformations of complex molecular machines
Biophysicists at Rice use a miniscule machine — a protease called an FtsH-AAA hexameric peptidase — as a model to test calculations that combine genetic and structural data. José Onuchic, co-director of Rice’s Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy, and postdoctoral researchers Biman Jana and Faruck Morcos are mentioned.
News Medical
http://bit.ly/1ifaqV9

Simple changes to homework improved student learning
Study from Rice and Duke University found that making a few changes to homework assignments in an upper-level undergraduate engineering course at Rice led to improved scores on exams. Richard Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Engineering and founding director of Rice’s OpenStax College, is quoted. Rice research engineer J.P. Slavinsky is mentioned.
Science Daily
http://bit.ly/1gxKVKD

Rice — Jones redesigns EMBA program
Rice’s Master of Business Administration for Executives (EMBA) will launch a new curriculum and program delivery this fall to better meet the needs of executive students and the changing demands of the business education marketplace.
FindMBA
http://bit.ly/1qMNhOx

Superbugs study findings could impact US treatment plants
Tests at two wastewater treatment plants in northern China revealed antibiotic-resistant bacteria were not only escaping purification but also breeding and spreading their dangerous cargo. Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is quoted.
TPOMag.com
http://bit.ly/1l0smqh

Woodlands-based MolecularHealth adds 3 more proven biotech experts to its advisory board
Armin Weinberg, adjunct professor in kinesiology, has been signed to MolecularHealth’s company advisory board.
BioNews Texas (This article also appeared in BioPortfolio and BayouBuzz.com.)
http://bit.ly/1fEWrni

Following the footsteps of the most successful names in tech
Alumnus John Doerr ’73 is profiled.
ITbusiness.ca
http://bit.ly/1cVeWJj

2014 Texas Science and Engineering Fair highlights Texas-educated science prodigy to 1,100 participants
Alumnus Cortlan Wickliff ’10 is profiled.
BioNews Texas
http://bit.ly/1kFh73T

Will Oracle win the race into cloud services?
A Rice stock market study is referenced.
Investing.com
http://bit.ly/1gJLeTn

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Chuck McConnell to keynote 2014 UHY LLP Energy Symposium
Charles McConnell, executive director of Rice University’s Energy and Environment Initiative and former U.S. assistant secretary of energy for fossil energy in the Department of Energy, will deliver the keynote address at the 2014 UHY LLP Energy Symposium April 16 in Houston.
SBWire
http://bit.ly/1fF7PPT

Edmond alum making his mark in robotics
Alumnus Rich LeGrand ’93 is featured.
EdmondSun.com
http://bit.ly/1cUWocj

SPORTS

2014 Southwest Conference HOF inductees announced
Alumna Regina Cavanaugh ’87 has been inducted into the 2014 class for the newly reinitiated Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.
KCENTV.com
http://bit.ly/1p7PCQw

Rice basketball hits the reset button, starts search for new coach
Rice has begun its search for a new basketball coach since Ben Braun stepped down after six years of coaching at Rice. Rice Athletics Director Joe Karlgaard is quoted. Head baseball coach Wayne Graham and head football coach David Bailiff are mentioned.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/PLYMYR

Rice men’s baseball won against Florida International University 3-2 at the Conference USA opener. Juniors Zech Lemond and Matt Ditman and senior Michael Aquino are mentioned.
Rice completes 3-game sweep of FIU in Florida
Memorial Examiner
http://bit.ly/OpU8P4
College Top 25: March 17
Baseball America
http://bit.ly/1iVB88M
No. 18 Rice completes series sweep of No. 29 FIU with 11-7 road victory
NCAA.com
http://bit.ly/NoVwR5
Collegiate baseball poll
SFGate
http://bit.ly/NoVatJ
FIU baseball team gets swept by Rice, thanks to costly errors
Miami Herald
http://hrld.us/1p55ray
Comedy of errors sink FIU baseball in 10-2 loss to Rice
Miami Herald
http://hrld.us/1g3Cw7o
FIU baseball falls to Rice in extra innings
Miami Herald
http://hrld.us/1cSahHY
SEC baseball roundup: Crowded division fields as everyone wins at least 1
WHIO.com (This article also appeared in WPXI-TV and WSOC-TV.)
http://bit.ly/1dlllby

Washington Nationals top 50 prospects: 31-40
Alumnus Rick Hague ’11 is mentioned.
Federal Baseball
http://bit.ly/1gC94UI

Anthony Rendon bulks up in preparation for Nationals’ season
Alumnus Anthony Rendon ’12 is featured.
Frederick News-Post
http://bit.ly/1l069IL

NEWS RELEASES

Baker Institute, South Texas College of Law collaboration yields model drug policy legislation
As more states consider the legalization of marijuana, law students at South Texas College of Law (STCL) had the unique opportunity to draft model drug policy legislation as part of a new interinstitutional collaboration between STCL and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
http://bit.ly/1lLeRrM

Rice study: Simple changes to homework improved student learning
Study from Rice and Duke University found that making a few changes to homework assignments in an upper-level undergraduate engineering course at Rice led to improved scores on exams.
http://bit.ly/1qPRdOC

Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music announces Diller Scofidio + Renfro as architect for new opera theater
Rice’s Shepherd School of Music announced that Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) has been selected as architect of the school’s new opera theater, scheduled to open in 2018. In addition, Fisher Dachs Associates will lead the theater design, and Threshold Acoustics will provide acoustical direction for the project.
http://bit.ly/1j1tsxn