Dateline Rice for Aug. 25, 2015

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Third party turns amoebae into farmers
Scientists discovered that when they infected nonfarmer amoebae with Burkholderia bacteria, the amoebae were transformed into farmers. This research was begun by Joan Strassman and David Queller when they were at Rice. (They are now professors emeriti of biosciences at Rice and on the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis.) The new study was published in the Aug. 24 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/1PwDA14
Bacterial infection makes farmers out of amoebae
Phys.org (This article also appeared in Science Daily, Lab Manager, Washington University in St. Louis, e! Science News and Science Newsline.)
http://bit.ly/1fDHvwV
Bacterial infections turns amoebae into the world’s tiniest farmers
ZME Science
http://bit.ly/1JVYN6J

This hot process revives soil after oil spills
Rice University scientists are cleaning soil contaminated by oil spills in a way that saves energy and reclaims the soil’s fertility. Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and graduate student Julia Vidonish are quoted.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/1JjXVp1

Send loved ones to the moon … in an urn?
The company Elysium Space is developing a service for people to send a portion of their loved one’s remains to a permanent resting place on the moon. David Alexander, professor of physics and astronomy and director of the Rice Space Institute, explains that this service is possible and a unique way to honor the deceased’s interest in space.
Fox News (This article also appeared in Breaking News, LocalNews7.com, DailyNews724.com and The World 247.)
http://fxn.ws/1JwQ3BI

As Coursera evolves, colleges stay on and investors buy in
Rice has seen an increase in the number of high-quality applicants for its master’s degree in computer science since the university offered a computer science course on Coursera.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
http://bit.ly/1Ehpdxw

Oil’s drop puts spotlight on Saudi Arabia
The OPEC is discussing restraining production to stabilize prices in Saudi Arabia. Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute, is quoted.
Wall Street Journal (This article also appeared in the Australian.)
http://on.wsj.com/1Eg0gCf

Princeton Review: Rice University has best quality of student life
Rice University has two No. 1 spots in the 2016 edition of the Princeton Review’s “The Best 380 Colleges”: best quality of life and lots of race/class interaction. Rice President David Leebron is quoted.
University Herald
http://bit.ly/1JwCCle

Malawi: Giving the smallest babies the best chance at life
Rice’s development of a bubble CPAP machine, which is now used in Malawi health facilities, is mentioned in an article about methods that have been implemented in Malawi hospitals to prevent infant mortality.
World Health Organization
http://bit.ly/1JVMo2B

Far from bust: 5 ways MOOCs are helping people get on in life
An article about effectiveness and benefit of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) mentions that institutions, such as Rice, are using MOOCs to develop high quality online learning materials.
The Conversation
http://bit.ly/1Lv2bmb

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Key Iowa strategist quits Perry campaign
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science and fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, comments on former Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential campaign. Jones also comments on claims that Gov. Greg Abbott’s veto of a bill concerning ER patients was influenced by the Church of Scientology and his involvement in the legislature’s cut of the Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, Ted Cruz’s national campaign to defund Planned Parenthood and the felony charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared on the front page of the Houston Chronicle and in San Antonio Express-News. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1PwEBGu
Governor rebuts allegations Scientologists played role in mental health veto
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Jhk6Kh
New poll shows a majority of Texas GOP voters want Paxton to resign
Texas Public Radio (This also appeared in Texas Thunder Radio.)
http://bit.ly/1JjLb1B
Cruz campaigns to defund Planned Parenthood
Palestine Herald-Press
http://bit.ly/1Egfnvo
Cruz will campaign to defund
Longview News-Journal
http://bit.ly/1JtJX0P
Attorney general Paxton poll numbers call for his resignation
CBS Local
http://cbsloc.al/1U4krdz
Budget cuts hit Texas film, video game incentive fund
KGNS.tv (This article also appeared in Gilmer Mirror and My High Plains.)
http://bit.ly/1Lygx8k
KTSA-TV (San Antonio, Texas)
http://bit.ly/1Nzu6Vt

Student blog: The future of Pemex — opportunities and challenges
Will Rice College junior Alex Haer authored a blog post about Pemex Chief Emilio Lozoya’s presentation at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy about Mexico’s plan to pull in $23 billion in deep water investment by 2018.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1NyZCTo

The man who put joy in storm protection
University of Houston professor Tom Colbert, who worked with Rice’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center, died after a battle with stomach cancer.
Houston Chronicle (This appeared in the Houston Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine and on the front of the Extra section in the online newspaper. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1EhEZbu

Voters will see plenty of familiar faces on November ballot
Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, comments on the competitiveness of Houston’s open races. Alumna Juliet Stipeche ’96, associate director of Rice’s Richard Tapia Center for Excellence and Equity, is being challenged by ex-HISD trustee Diana Davila for her District 8 position.
Houston Chronicle (This also appeared in San Antonio Express-News, Beaumont Enterprise and Trading-House. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1JV5oyb
Familiar faces compete for HISD school board
Houston Chronicle (This article also appeared in DailyNews724.com. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1NS478F

Most popular dream colleges
Rice is included in a slideshow of “most popular dream colleges.”
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1hErado

Politics, other challenges remain for Mexico’s energy reform
Tony Payan, the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the institute’s Mexico Center, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for the Western Hemisphere.
San Antonio Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1hbzeBx

UTEP part of prestigious water treatment grant
A Rice University-led consortium has won $18.5 million from the National Science Foundation to establish a national research center in Houston to develop mobile, off-grid water-treatment systems that can provide clean water to millions of people who lack it and make U.S. energy production more sustainable and cost-effective.
El Paso Times
http://bit.ly/1JhfkfK

BROADCAST

KHOU-TV
The impressive academic background of Rice’s freshman class is featured. Freshmen Molly Tilbrook and Martin Rather are quoted.
http://bit.ly/1KKIGmK

KUT 90.5 (Austin, Texas)
Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s Houston Area Survey is cited for the city’s response to Hurricane Katrina evacuees, which is nearing its 10th anniversary.
http://bit.ly/1V7x98C (This also appeared on WABC-AM.)

Film theory: Is Hitman’s bulletproof skin possible?
A video examines the upcoming movie “Hitman: Agent 47” and discusses one character’s “bulletproof skin.” The video mentions Rice research by Edwin “Ned” Thomas, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering, to analyze the strength of graphene by hitting it with microbullets. The Rice mention occurs at 9:20.
The Film Theorists
http://bit.ly/1ETKIzd

KUT 90.5 (Austin, Texas)
Texans without health insurance are twice as likely to skip seeking primary and mental health care because of cost. That’s one of the findings of a new survey released Aug. 20 by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. Elena Marks, president and CEO of the foundation and a nonresident health policy fellow at the Baker Institute, is quoted.
http://bit.ly/1hZobvW

National Public Radio
Alumna and author Mary Kay Zuravleff ’81 is interviewed about her book, “Man Alive!”
http://bit.ly/1KKHJuT

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Rice University researchers embed metallic nanoparticles into laser-induced graphene
Rice University chemists who developed a unique form of graphene have found a way to embed metallic nanoparticles that turn the material into a useful catalyst for fuel cells and other applications. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
AZO Nano
http://bit.ly/1hYTI0U

Imaging software could speed breast cancer diagnosis
New software developed by Rice University bioengineers could speed up the diagnosis of breast cancer with 90 percent accuracy and without the need for a specialist, according to new research published this week in the open-access journal Breast Cancer Research. Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, director of the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering and of Rice 360°: Institute for Global Health Technologies, and graduate student Jessica Dobbs are quoted.
Bioscience Technology
http://bit.ly/1JwNX4T

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Analysts: Blue Bell can save its brand
Blue Bell Creameries is trying to win back consumers’ trust after four months of handling its listeria outbreak. Terry Hemeyer, adjunct professor of management at the Jones Graduate School of Business, said an investment from billionaire Sid Bass provided crucial help to the company.
Arkansas Online
http://bit.ly/1fDUK0D

[The Finance Buffs] meet Vasco Bridges III
Alumnus Vasco Bridges III ’03 is featured.
Black Enterprise
http://bit.ly/1WQv3eX

SPORTS

KHOU-TV
The Rice football team is featured in preparation for its first game of the season. Head football coach David Bailiff is quoted.
http://bit.ly/1EgA62i

Photos: The early days of Texas football (1904-1962)
A vintage painting of Rice Stadium as it looked in 1946 is included in a slideshow of early Texas football days.
Houston Chronicle (This also appeared in San Antonio Express-News. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Lv5utM

NEWS RELEASE

Rice’s László Kürti wins NSF CAREER award
Rice University synthetic organic chemist László Kürti has won a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award.
http://bit.ly/1JwOfZJ