Dateline Rice for July 22, 2014

Correction: Alan Levander’s faculty title was misspelled in recent editions of Dateline. He is the Carey Croneis Professor of Earth Science. We apologize for the error.

FEATURED ITEMS

‘You pay it forward’
Richard Tapia, University Professor, the Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering and a professor of computational and applied mathematics at Rice, is featured for his mission to engage more women and minorities in the sciences. Alumna Naomi Reed ’07 is pictured. Alumna Cristina Villalobos ’00 is quoted.
Chronicle of Higher Education
http://bit.ly/1ni4s9G

Neal F. Lane: ‘Investments in basic research are just that: Investments’
Neal Lane, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, senior fellow in science and technology policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and a professor of physics and astronomy, testified before the full Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. His full testimony was published.
Scientific American
http://bit.ly/1ry3eul

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Rick Perry: Texas to dispatch 1,000 Guardsmen to border
Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and director of the Baker Institute’s Mexico Center, is quoted about Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to send 1,000 National Guard troops to Texas’ southern border.
USA Today (This article also appeared in Reuters and 60 other media outlets.)
http://usat.ly/1nxj7iS
Rick Perry on border troops: ‘The price of inaction is too high’
Chicago Tribune (This article also appeared in Morning Call, Sun Sentinel, Baltimore Sun and Orlando Sentinel.)
http://trib.in/UpAuFl
Texas governor to send National Guard troops to border
New American
http://bit.ly/1rybbzs
Wave of migrant children threatens to swamp US courts
790 KGMI (Bellingham, Wash. This article also appeared in WNAX.)
http://bit.ly/WwxA3a

Practice makes you better, but not perfect
The importance of practice versus inborn talent is the focus of a research paper co-authored by Fred Oswald, department chair and professor of psychology.
Epoch Times
http://bit.ly/1rGHFVY
Talento batte pratica: se si vuole il successo allenarsi non basta …
Blitz Quotidiano (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1kPEB4O

Washington volcanoes get more scientific scrutiny
Scientists will set off a series of underground explosions across southwest Washington to map the plumbing system beneath Mount St. Helens. Alan Levander, the Carey Croneis Professor of Earth Science, is quoted. He is the lead scientist for the experiment.
Claims Journal (This article also appeared in Enquirer-Herald and KBOI-TV.)
http://bit.ly/1nQFmus

Große Frauen, kleine Männer – Größenunterschiede in der Partnerschaft
According to research from Rice and the University of North Texas, the height of a potential partner matters more to women than to men, and mostly for femininity and protection.
Westfälische Nachrichten (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1yW7416

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Cell membrane proteins give up their secrets
Rice scientists have successfully analyzed transmembrane protein folding. Peter Wolynes, the D.R. Bullard-Welch Foundation Professor of Science and a professor of chemistry, is quoted.
Bellaire Examiner (This article also appeared in Memorial Examiner and Science Daily.)
http://bit.ly/1nhUrcn

BROADCAST

Hailey and Jones make case for Turner
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is referenced for his legislative rankings of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s recent appointments to the Legislative Budget Board and is quoted about Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to send 1,000 National Guard troops to Texas’s border.
Agenda Wise
http://bit.ly/1lqEY5N
WOAI-AM (This broadcast also appeared on WCBS-NY, WBBM-AM, KMOX-AM, KNX-AM, KRLD-AM and Delaware 105.9.)
http://bit.ly/1pAAxrM

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Stretching super-strong carbyne makes it useful for electronics
Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and professor of chemistry, and his team found that stretching carbyne by 3 percent can change its properties, which may be useful for mechanically activated electronics and optics. Yakobson and postdoctoral researcher Vasilii Artyukhov are quoted. Graduate student Mingjie Liu is mentioned.
GigaOM
http://bit.ly/1wVbkex
Carbyne morphs when stretched
Controlled Environments (This article also appeared in Bio-Medicine, Science Codex, Product Design & Development, TMCnet.com, AZCentral.com, Science Newsline, Science Daily and Wireless Design & Development.)
http://bit.ly/1jTmO1s

African-American homeownership increasingly less stable and more risky
Sociologists at Rice and Cornell University found that African-Americans are 45 percent more likely than whites to switch from owning their home to renting it. Gregory Sharp, a postdoctoral fellow in Rice’s Department of Sociology, is quoted.
Phys.org (This article also appeared in Science Codex.)
http://bit.ly/1r2qXiA

TransTech digest: Super battery bio-power vs. dirty CleanTech
An article about electrical energy mentions Rice’s research on a new generation of photovoltaics that will provide electrical power at costs similar to those charged by power companies in parts of the United States closer to the equator.
GoldSeek (This article also appeared in Market Oracle.)
http://bit.ly/1nxptyQ

Ist das Higgs mehr als nur ‘Standard?’
New data has been gathered from the Large Hadron Collider. Paul Padley, professor of physics and astronomy, is quoted.
Spektrum.de (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1qyfR9c

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

US drug policy and the border child immigration crisis
Nathan Jones, the Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about the ongoing drug war and border crisis.
Cannabis Culture
http://bit.ly/1nQWWOX

Illegal immigration: Numbers, benefits and costs in California
Research by Donald Huddle, professor emeritus of economics, is cited in an editorial about the immigration crisis.
Migration News
http://bit.ly/1rykgZk

6 tips to help you master the college essay
Tamara Siler ’86, senior associate director for admission and minority recruitment coordinator, is quoted in a list of tips for writing a college admission essay.
Elmhurst Patch (This article also appeared in Madison Patch, Needham Patch, Dearborn Patch and Brighton Patch.)
http://bit.ly/1qyi3xk

SPORTS

4 Rice upperclassmen named to NABC Honors Court
Rice basketball student-athletes Bahrom Firozgary, Austin Ramljak, Seth Gearhart and Dan Peera were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court.
Bellaire Examiner (This article also appeared in Memorial Examiner.)
http://bit.ly/1sKq7uR

Rice sets out to defend conference title
The Rice Owls will enter the upcoming season as defending conference champions. Head football coach David Bailiff is mentioned.
Bastrop Daily Enterprise
http://bit.ly/Um1pCf

Gavin Stansbury leaves Texas A&M
A Texas A&M football player who was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Rice student March 16 on the Rice campus has left his football team.
ESPN (This article also appeared in NBCSports.com and 74 other media outlets.)
http://es.pn/1pah3M3

Kansas emphasizes new offense at Big 12 football media day
Former offensive coordinator John Reagan is mentioned.
Kansan.com
http://bit.ly/1nhGfjE

The Brock Holt Story Part 1: The secret to beating baseball’s size obsession
Alumnus Brock Holt ’12 is featured.
MassLive.com
http://bit.ly/1rnLXCr

NEWS RELEASE

African-American homeownership increasingly less stable and more risky
A new study from sociologists at Rice University and Cornell University found that African-Americans are 45 percent more likely than whites to switch from owning their homes to renting them.
http://bit.ly/1ubGZfC