Dateline for Rice Oct. 7, 2015

FEATURED ITEM

Grand challenges all around
A growing number of research institutions have devoted significant resources to large-scale projects seeking to address major challenges or big ideas. The article mentions Rice’s collaboration with other universities on the Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment Center, but President David Leebron notes that Rice is more focused on providing faculty with the resources they need to ask and answer questions than defining them. Rice’s investment of $150 million in strategic initiatives aimed at increasing its research competitiveness, establishing a world-class data sciences program and increasing its standing among molecular nanotechnology research hubs is mentioned.
Inside Higher Ed
http://bit.ly/1MefeX3

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

The top 10 schools for a degree in applied mathematics in the US
Rice is one of the top 10 schools for applied mathematics degrees, according to the College Factual.
USA Today
http://usat.ly/1Lgm81x

Berkman jab at Houston Equal Rights Ordinance draws fire
Houston Mayor Annise Parker used social media to express her disapproval of former Houston Astros star Lance Berkman’s public opposition to the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. The article notes that both Parker ’78 and Berkman ’98 are Rice alumni.
USA Today (This Associated Press article appeared in more than 80 publications.)
http://usat.ly/1VDwpvB
Annise Parker hits back at Lance Berkman for anti-HERO advertisement
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1FVoti2

Adopting dynamic analysis would improve the budget process
John Diamond, the Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and an adjunct professor of economics, authored this column on budget projections by the Congressional Budget Office.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/1FVkbHz

How car tires harm our lungs
An invisible pollutant produced by car tires and tobacco, among other things, has been found to be even more damaging to lungs than previously thought. Researchers studying the effects of carbon black have found it causes emphysema and DNA damage in smokers. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
Daily News
http://bit.ly/1PiiyFZ
Nanoparticulate carbon black particles tiny culprits that start emphysema
Science Daily
http://bit.ly/1j7TNQb
Invisible pollutant carbon black found to be more dangerous than previously thought
Nigeria News (This also appeared on Social Dashboard.)
http://bit.ly/1Lia7J8

Seattle biotech teams up with MD Anderson, launches new immunotherapy company
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Theraclone Sciences jointly launched OncoResponse, an immuno-oncology antibody discovery company, with $9.5 million in series A financing. Rice is mentioned as a participant.
Puget Sound Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1WMZiT9
MD Anderson, Theraclone Sciences form OncoResponse
Enhanced Online News (This also appeared in BioCentury Extra.)
http://bit.ly/1j84G4s

The 100 smartest private colleges in America
Rice is No. 11 in a ranking of American colleges and universities based on SAT and ACT scores reported to U.S. News & World Report, according to a study by Jonathan Wai, a Duke University Talent Identification Program research scientist.
Business Insider Australia (This also appeared on Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Finanzen, Yahoo! Finance Canada, Yahoo! Singapore and Yahoo! India Business.)
http://bit.ly/1hqKU2Y

What does pleasure smell like? Why a fragrance can turn you on
An article on the sense of smell mentions a 2009 Rice study.
In Style (UK)
http://bit.ly/1MZIt2O

DPS schools highlight good attendance on Count Day
Detroit Public Schools students and parents will enjoy a day filled with fun activities and good, nutritious food on Count Day. A dome theater developed at Rice is mentioned.
Michigan Chronicle (This also appeared in the Atlanta Daily World.) 
http://bit.ly/1L6rJUL

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Study shows more Texans get insurance from employers
Despite fears that the Affordable Care Act would prompt companies to drop insurance for its employees, a new study released Tuesday shows the opposite is true. Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at the Baker Institute and professor of economics, and Elena Marks, a nonresident health policy fellow at the Baker Institute and president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, comment.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1RszVmF
Many Texas workers get health insurance through employee-sponsored insurance
News Medical
http://bit.ly/1FWMJjQ
New report shows more Texas workers getting health insurance from employers
Health Canal (This also appeared on Phys.org, eScience News and Health News.)
http://bit.ly/1Mea2H9
KAUZ-TV (Wichita Falls, Texas)
(This story also appeared on KJTV-TV [Lubbock, Texas], KAUZ-TV [Wichita Falls, Texas], KABB-TV [San Antonio], KBTV-TV [Beaumont, Texas], KVII-TV [Amarillo, Texas] and KDBC-TV [El Paso, Texas].)
http://bit.ly/1LyJ2Dk

Texas schools drop in ranking on best global universities list
Rice is No. 101 on the Times Higher Education magazine’s list of the 2015-16 world university rankings.
Houston Business Journal (This also appeared on My Informs, DBJ Confidential.)
http://bit.ly/1QXjeim

Rice Village renovations about to begin
Property in the Rice Village, which is owned by Rice, is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1Gv18ia

Romo stays on tier-one message in annual UTSA speech
An article on the State of the University address at the University of Texas-San Antonio mentions that Rice is one of three tier-one schools in Texas.
San Antonio Express-News (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1FWOr4L

Industry regulators and the sharing economy: Monday’s show (Oct. 5)
How close are regulators to the businesses they are charged with watching? When does their mission to protect the public interest get mired in the will to further industry? Doug Schuler, associate professor of business and public policy at the Jones Graduate School of Business, comments.
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/1hp07BN

Parking improvement plan underway at Rice Village
Although many patrons of Rice Village might say that parking is a persistent problem in the popular shopping area, a new report from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research finds that Rice Village actually has ample parking, but more can be done to improve the use of available spaces. Kyle Shelton, postdoctoral research fellow at the Kinder Institute, is quoted.
KPRC-TV
http://bit.ly/1Ol8DyA

Bike across Houston: City’s B-cycle set to become largest bike-sharing program in the Southwest
After enjoying three years of success, the city’s bike-sharing program — Houston B-Cycle — is getting a big boost from the federal government, one that will enable the program to become the largest bike-share program in Texas and the southwest. The third phase of the expansion will include a station at Rice.
CultureMap
http://bit.ly/1Gv0QrF

Should Rangers manager Jeff Banister be our Texan of the Year?
A list of possible nominees for the Dallas Morning News’ Texan of the Year includes Rice alumni Ann ’75 and John ’73 Doerr, citing their $50 million gift to Rice for the Doerr Institute for New Leaders.
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/1hqCl8p

Virtuosic violins
The Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra is featured.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/1JQlVNp

CBRE: Houston apartment rents are more affordable than you think
An article cites a study by Rice’s Shell Center For Sustainability that found that Houstonians are spending more on housing and transportation than the federal recommendations for those costs per household.
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1j82IBc

Student enrollment at South Texas College hits record high
South Texas College enrollment has hit a record-breaking 34,641 students. Steve Murdock, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, discusses the consequences of failing to improve the educational attainment of minority students.
Rio Grande Guardian
http://bit.ly/1FUUerz

Tour Rice University’s art collection on a free guided art walk
The Visual Arts Alliance will host an Art Walk Tour of Rice University’s public art collection Oct. 7 and will conclude at James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace.
365 Things To Do In Houston
http://bit.ly/1Zc8nXT
Visual Arts Alliance presents Rice University Art Walk
CultureMap
http://bit.ly/1Zcavik

Ranger College speech and debate team takes 4th at TCU meet
A debate competition held at Rice is mentioned.
Stephenville Empire-Tribune
http://bit.ly/1JQmAy8

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Residents of Copenhagen less welcoming to immigrants than Houstonians are
Residents of Copenhagen, Denmark, are more likely than Houstonians to believe immigration threatens their country’s culture. That’s one of several findings in a new survey from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Michael Emerson, a fellow at the Kinder Institute, and graduate student Kevin Smiley are quoted.
Phys.org
http://bit.ly/1Ph06xx
Houston is a lot more tolerant of immigrants than Copenhagen is
Science Codex
http://bit.ly/1OjW7RA

Biomedical applications of 3-D printing
Researchers are using 3-D printing technology to create or explore tissue-engineering scaffolds, anatomical models, personalized surgical implants and even artificial organs. A 2014 essay by Jordan Miller, assistant professor of bioengineering, is cited.
Biocompare
http://bit.ly/1Li8pYa

Imaging systems may diagnose breast cancer without histologic assessment
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 research published 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, is quoted.
Healio
http://bit.ly/1L54yKt

Project aims to help brain fix itself
A Rice University project to decipher how neurons form networks aims to help injured brains heal themselves. Amina Qutub, assistant professor of bioengineering; Jacob Robinson, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; and Daniel Wagner, associate professor of biosciences, are quoted.
Health News Digest (This also appeared on Medical Xpress.)
http://bit.ly/1QXfqxG

Tunnel transistor may meet power needs of future chips
A new kind of transistor consumes 90 percent less power than conventional transistors, dramatically exceeding a theoretical limit for electronics, researchers say. These findings could one day lead to super-dense low-power circuits as well as ultra-sensitive biosensors and gas sensors, the investigators added. Rice research is mentioned.
IEEE Spectrum
http://bit.ly/1FVklyp

Rice U. study: Researchers need to pay attention to differences in self-control
Whether it’s resisting buying a candy bar in the checkout lane or purchasing an unneeded pair of shoes on sale at the mall, self-control varies from person to person. Researchers must pay attention to these differences in individuals’ self-control when assessing the impact of public policies, according to a new study by marketing and consumer behavior experts at Rice University and Vanderbilt University. Utpal Dholakia, the George R. Brown Chair of Marketing and professor of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, and Scott Davis, a postdoctoral fellow in marketing at the Jones School, are mentioned.
Health Canal
http://bit.ly/1Li0ZUU

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Chipola mourns the loss of alumnus Malcolm Gillis
Malcolm Gillis, the sixth president of Rice University, died Oct. 4 at age 74.
Chipley Bugle
http://bit.ly/1jNVe6V

Franklin Pierce to host authors panel Oct. 6
A history textbook published by Rice’s OpenStax College is mentioned.
Milford Patch
http://bit.ly/1MejL0a

Director begins final season as ISO conductor
Alumnus Alastair Willis ’99 will conclude his tenure as musical director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra at the end of the 2015-2016 season.
Vidette Online
http://bit.ly/1OXU9WS

Organist Daryl Robinson performs at St. Paul Church
Alumnus Daryl Robinson ’14 will perform at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in Princeton, N.J., Oct. 18.
Town Topics
http://bit.ly/1Gw1l4x

Radically living the Catholic faith: An exclusive interview with Dr. Janet Smith
An article about the Synod on the Family currently underway in the Vatican mentions Rice.
Aleteia
http://bit.ly/1ZbJhse

Public perception will be key in innovation of new deep-water technologies
Bill Maddock has been named director of the Subsea Systems Institute, a national research center established in Houston to develop the transformative technologies, engineering and operational practices to safely and sustainably produce deep-water offshore energy resources. A collaboration among the University of Houston, Rice University and NASA Johnson Space Center, the institute serves as a neutral third party to provide industry and government regulators with new technologies, science-based policies, education and workforce training.
Energy Voice
http://bit.ly/1L5OxnF

Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night Gala to be webcast tonight
The New York Philharmonic Global Academy’s partnership with Rice’s Shepherd School of Music is mentioned.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/1JSqO8r

The Scribbler: This is what erasure looks like
A column about textbooks used in Texas schools mentions Rice.
Mainline Media News
http://bit.ly/1KZIHq7

SPORTS

Florida Atlantic coach discusses challenges his team will face against Rice
Florida Atlantic coach Charlie Partridge talked about preparing for the game against Rice. Head coach David Bailiff is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1LwsoUZ

Rice’s freshman Preston Gordon impressive on the defensive line
Head coach David Bailiff discusses goals for the 2015 season and redshirt freshman defensive tackle Preston Gordon.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1VCbfxP
Despite setback, Rice still aiming to reach some preseason goals
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1OjWJXt
Rice plans to cut down on mistakes by simplifying things
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1MdeZeY

Rice coach David Bailiff has kind words for the Astros
Head football coach David Bailiff kicked off his Monday press conference by congratulating the Houston Astros on making it to the postseason.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1OWBnzp

Rookie Boswell latest to get a chance kicking for Steelers
Alumnus Chris Boswell ’13 is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1Gv3EF0 
Tomlin: 3 things to know for Chargers game
Steelers.com
http://bit.ly/1VC8cG2
Steelers vs. Chargers: Tomlin Tuesday
Still Curtain
http://bit.ly/1Gw3i0W
Tomlin: 3 things to know for Chargers game
Pittsburgh Sun Times
http://bit.ly/1MekGt9
WTAE-TV (Pittsburgh)
http://bit.ly/1VF3n9D

9 former and current Stryker players drafted into the MLB in 2014-15
Former Rice baseball standout and alumnus Chase McDowell ’13 is mentioned.
The Paper
http://bit.ly/1LhXRIE

Women’s soccer has a winless weekend
Rice defeated Florida International University’s women’s soccer.
FIUSM.com
http://bit.ly/1jNT0EI

Why play football? 2 views on the game, from those who know it best
NPR’s Michel Martin discussed the ethics of football with two longtime players — one retired from the NFL, the other just beginning college. Wiess College freshman Nahshon Ellerbe is featured.
NCPR
http://bit.ly/1ZbSxMQ