Dateline Rice for Aug. 1, 2017

FEATURED ITEM

Here’s the best of the 2018 Princeton Review rankings
Two of Rice’s highest rankings in the Princeton Review’s 2018 edition of “The Best 382 Colleges” are cited: No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 2 for happiest students. (Editor’s note: Rice is also No. 1 for best quality of life.)
USA Today
https://usat.ly/2w1UtOA
Vanderbilt reclaims happiest students status
The Vanderbilt Hustler
http://bit.ly/2vjxHUq
OU makes list of ‘happiest students’ in Princeton Review
OU Daily
http://bit.ly/2tVNA04
KHOU-TV (Houston)
http://bit.ly/2wips8z

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

What’s next? New Venezuela assembly has vast powers
Francisco Monaldi, a fellow in Latin American energy policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about Venezuela.
New York Times (This Associated Press article also appeared in the Houston Chronicle, Washington Post, Daily Mail and over 90 other media outlets.)
http://nyti.ms/2uRpLcr
Say goodbye to $2.30 gas if Trump goes hard after Venezuela
Washington Post (This also appeared in the Houston Chronicle, Standard Examiner, Swengen and Africa-News.)
http://wapo.st/2hkFYCb
What’s next for Venezuela? Crisis and isolation
CNN Money (This also appeared in Siouxland Matters, Crossroads Today, Erie News Now and over 60 other media outlets.)
http://cnnmon.ie/2w3KzvR
What following for Venezuela? Crisis and isolation
1WNC
http://bit.ly/2vqioue
After ‘sham’ election, US sanctions against Venezuela likely
Texas Standard (This also aired on 24 radio stations and appeared online in Texas Public Radio, KERA News, KUOW and KUT.)
http://bit.ly/2vl5KLZ
Venezuela is now a full-fledged communist dictatorship; What should we do about it?
The Hayride
http://bit.ly/2tWEdwU
As Maduro takes Venezuela into uncharted waters, the opposition has few options
The Washington Post
http://wapo.st/2vkurs2
Venezuela heads to polls; 9 dead in violence
Guam Daily Post
http://bit.ly/2wilgFQ

Big oil weighs in on Texas ‘bathroom bill,’ warning it will threaten state’s economy
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science, fellow in political science at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and fellow at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
Los Angeles Times
http://lat.ms/2uROxcA
Couple’s $1M gift to Abbott follows a 7-figure donation trend
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front page of the Aug. 1 print edition with a different headline, “7-figure donation not so unusual.”)
http://bit.ly/2veGiIm
Million-dollar campaign checks grow more common in Texas, other no-limit states
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2vePWei
http://bit.ly/2hk0AL0
Volume XVI, No. 11 — July 28
Texas Conservative Review
http://bit.ly/2udwpGs
KPFT-FM
http://bit.ly/2vgmyUy

Turning pine into graphene lets it carry electricity
Rice scientists have made wood into an electrical conductor by turning its surface into graphene. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering; and graduate students Ruquan Ye and Yieu Chyan are mentioned.
Futurity (This article appeared in the July 31 issue of Futurity Today.)
http://bit.ly/2uRVPvd
Wood is made into an electrical conductor by turning its surface into graphene
Nanowerk (This also appeared in Environmental Guru.)
http://bit.ly/2f4uAK8
Rice University chemists make laser-induced graphene from wood
Scienmag
http://bit.ly/2tVxROt
Need graphene? Grab a saw
Technology.org
http://bit.ly/2wi1o5s
Chemists make laser-induced graphene from wood
Science Daily (This also appeared in Controlled Environments.)
http://bit.ly/2whB2AD
Rice University team makes laser-induced graphene from wood
Graphene-info (This also appeared in Before It’s News.)
http://bit.ly/2tVKQzD
Making graphene out of wood for degradable electronics
New Atlas (This also appeared in Eccux World News.)
http://bit.ly/2vjAXiK
Laser technique turns wood into graphene
The Engineer
http://bit.ly/2vf7jf0
Rice University chemists make conductive laser-induced graphene from wood
Laser Focus World
http://bit.ly/2whOm85

Treating heroin addiction with heroin: What you need to know
Establishing heroin-assisted treatment programs, which provide severely addicted individuals with controlled access to pharmaceutical-grade heroin, could make a significant dent in the number of U.S. deaths from opioid use, according to an expert at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell III Fellow in Drug Policy, is quoted.
Rolling Stone
http://rol.st/2hkuTkS

Warm winter makes for early wine harvest in Texas Hill Country
Alumnus David Kuhlken ’95 is mentioned in an article about his family vineyard.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (This also appeared in My Palm Beach Post and My Statesman.)
http://bit.ly/2hkOgtS

Journey to Zealandia: Scientists explore ‘lost continent’ for climate change clues
Thirty scientists sailed from Australia July 27 on a two-month ocean drilling expedition to the submerged continent of Zealandia in search of clues about its history, which relates to key questions about plate tectonic processes and Earth’s past greenhouse climate. Gerald Dickens, professor of Earth science, is quoted.
RT
http://bit.ly/2f4CVgY
Scientists set sail to unlock secrets of ‘lost continent’ Zealandia
Arab Today
http://bit.ly/2tVuOG5
Scientists set sail to unlock secrets of ‘lost continent’
The Japan News
http://bit.ly/2hktZEG

Heart on his chest
Mark Torres, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences, is quoted.
The Australian
http://bit.ly/2tVZGpW
Glaciers may have helped warm Earth
Phys.org (This also appeared in Houston Style Magazine, Space Weekly and Science Daily.)
http://bit.ly/2hkib5l

Post-9/11 military authorization plan needs fresh look
Joe Barnes, the Bonner Means Baker Fellow at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, wrote an op-ed.
The Hill
http://bit.ly/2u0xp5F

Bun B wants to start dialogue about keeping a healthy state of mind in inner cities
Bernard “Bun B” Freeman, former distinguished lecturer at Rice, is interviewed.
XXL Magazine
http://bit.ly/2vfeeF0

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Houston-area business leaders submit letter in opposition to ‘bathroom bill’
A group of Houston-area business leaders have asked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to rethink the so-called “bathroom bill” that is under consideration in the Texas Legislature. President David Leebron is mentioned as one of the signers.
Houston Chronicle (This also appeared in My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/2ug7nGG
Houston energy, business leaders oppose bathroom bill
Texas Monthly
http://bit.ly/2hkyBLf
Big oil blasts transgender bathroom bill, calling it bad for business
Statesman (This also appeared in My Statesman.)
https://atxne.ws/2tW0Y3W
Oil, gas companies come out against Texas bathroom bill
The Register-Guard (This also appeared in the Reading Eagle.)
http://bit.ly/2hko7vr
Oil execs blast Texas ‘bathroom bill’
Upstream Online (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2u0C1sp
Business leaders object to bathroom bill
KHOU-TV
http://bit.ly/2hknulx
http://bit.ly/2uVcMoL
KLBJ-AM (Austin, Texas)
http://bit.ly/2f4FLCF (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 

Houston Shakespeare Festival obscures opposing masks of comedy and tragedy
Joseph Campana, the Alan Dugald McKillop Chair in English and associate professor of English literature, reviewed the Houston Shakespeare Festival.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article appeared on the front of the StarHome section in the Aug. 1 print edition with a different headline, “Comedy and tragedy play out on stage.”)
http://bit.ly/2u0qV6z

Wolfcamp Water Partners joins flow into West Texas water biz
Ken Medlock, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and lecturer of economics, is quoted in a slideshow.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in LMT Online and My San Antonio.)
http://bit.ly/2vjvsjZ
http://bit.ly/2w2nDgu

UTRGV professor immersed in local watersheds
Alumnus Jude Benavides ’01 is mentioned.
The Monitor
http://bit.ly/2hkcQv7
Hombre del agua
El Nuevo Heraldo (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2w24j34

Rice U. scientists reel in structure of salmon virus
The structure of a protein key to the survival and spread of a virus that affects salmon could inform strategies to treat the flu in humans, according to scientists at Rice. Yizhi Jane Tao, associate professor of biochemistry and cell biology, is quoted.
TMC Today
http://bit.ly/2vYYu6o
Scientists find weak link in ISA virus
Fish Farming Expert
http://bit.ly/2uROCNf

City of Houston dedicates newest artwork to the City Art Collection
Rice is mentioned as one of the places where the work of artist Dixie Friend Gay has been exhibited.
Defender Network
http://bit.ly/2uRDErg

The magnificent 7
Lovett College senior Heather Wright is featured.
Local Houston Magazine
http://bit.ly/2uRVtX1

Little prairie on the house
Rice’s collaboration with the Katy Prairie Conservancy is discussed.
Local Houston Magazine
http://bit.ly/2uRIWmA

BROADCAST

Revitalized market square may lure Houstonians downtown
Bill Fulton, director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted.
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2tVKtVC

KTSA-AM (San Antonio)
Immigrants who came to the United States illegally as small children and who meet the requirements of the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, more commonly known as DREAMers, are at risk for mental health distress, according to a new study from researchers at Rice. Postdoctoral research fellow Luz Garcini is quoted.
http://bit.ly/2ugxhKj (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Downtown development district announces new members
An article mentions that Jonique Johnson is a former Rice staff member.
Biz New Orleans
http://bit.ly/2vp9Mnq

A bit of fluorine turns 2-D insulator into a semiconductor
A little fluorine turns an insulating ceramic known as white graphene into a wide-bandgap semiconductor with magnetic properties. Rice scientists said that could make the unique material suitable for electronics in extreme environments. Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and founding chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering; postdoctoral researcher Chandra Sekhar Tiwary; and graduate student Sruthi Radhakrishnan are mentioned.
Materials Today
http://bit.ly/2uRqaMh

Bubbles help new catalysts self-optimize
Scientists at Rice and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have predicted and created new two-dimensional electrocatalysts to extract hydrogen from water with high performance and low cost. Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and professor of chemistry; Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and founding chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering; and Jun Lou, professor and associate department chair of materials science and nanoengineering are mentioned.
Phys.org (This also appeared in Houston Style Magazine, Scienmag and Nanowerk.)
http://bit.ly/2ug5vhg
It’s something in the water: Scientists extract hydrogen as potential fuel source
ScienceDaily
http://bit.ly/2ugAWYx
Lawrence Livermore scientists extract hydrogen from water as a fuel source
Livermore Patch
http://bit.ly/2f4IT16
Rice, Lawrence Livermore scientists develop new efficient non-Pt MX2 catalyst for efficient hydrogen production; Materials Genome Initiative in action
Green Car Congress
http://bit.ly/2vf0quf
Extracting hydrogen from water cheaply and efficiently
Nanowerk
http://bit.ly/2uRfXiC

Quartz-based carbon nanotubes help filter toxins from water
Carbon nanotubes immobilized in a tuft of quartz fiber have the power to remove toxic heavy metals from water, according to researchers at Rice. Andrew Barron, the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Professor of Chemistry and professor of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
World Industrial Reporter
http://bit.ly/2ug8yWK
Reusable filter removes heavy metals from water
IdeaConnection
http://bit.ly/2wi4Ih2

Creating lithium-ion batteries for extreme environments
Lithium-ion batteries are popular power sources for cellphones and other electronics, but problematic in extreme heat or cold. A Rice laboratory has suggested ways to extend their range. Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and founding chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, and postdoctoral research associate Hemtej Gullapalli are quoted.
Product Design and Development
http://bit.ly/2w2zT0E

Teachers gear up for a new kind of 9th grade
Linda McSpadden McNeil, professor of education and director of Rice’s Center for Education, is quoted.
Education News
http://bit.ly/2uUuZ5x

Single-photon emitter has promise for quantum info-processing
Junichiro Kono, professor of electrical and computer engineering, of physics and astronomy, and of materials science and nanoengineering, and graduate student Weilu Gao are mentioned.
LA Daily Post (This also appeared in the Innovations Report and Health Medicine Network.)
http://bit.ly/2vq8F77

Robust catalyst to split water into hydrogen, oxygen
Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen to produce clean energy can be simplified with a single catalyst developed by scientists at Rice and the University of Houston. Kenton Whitmire, associate dean of the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and professor of chemistry, and graduate student Desmond Schipper are quoted.
Next Big Future
http://bit.ly/2veTTPW

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

History professor says Trump is ‘unfit for command’
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, is quoted.
Red Alert Politics
http://redalert.io/2veGaZr

Islam, race and pluralism in the Pakistani diaspora
Craig Considine, lecturer of sociology, authored an op-ed.
The Islamic Monthly
http://bit.ly/2uOD0uk

When do you head back to school?
Rice’s Aug. 21 start date is mentioned.
College Candy
http://bit.ly/2uRPqlu

Washington National Opera announces 2017-18 Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists
Alumni Frederick Ballentine ’13 and Allegra De Vita ’13 are mentioned.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/2veTHQT

NY Philharmonic and Bravo! Vail extend residency through summer 2022
The Rice Shepherd School of Music is mentioned as being a partner of the New York Philharmonic Global Academy.
Broadway World
http://bit.ly/2wiakb7

SPORTS

Meet the college football coaches in the Amway Coaches Poll
Rice football coach David Bailiff is mentioned.
USA Today
https://usat.ly/2tWyW8K

Rockets star dedicating weekend in August to Houston
Rice’s Tudor Fieldhouse is mentioned.
KTRK-TV
http://abc13.co/2tWzewm

A broken leg put Jordan Taylor on a collision course with football history
Former football player Jordan Taylor is mentioned.
Mile High Sports (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/2vplZIS

RHP Ty Madden commits to Texas baseball
An athlete who originally committed to Rice before committing to University of Texas instead is mentioned.
Burnt Orange Nation
http://bit.ly/2u0Pfpd

WCTV-TV (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Rice football is mentioned.
http://bit.ly/2tW7LLi

NEWS RELEASES

Rice ranked No. 1 for quality of life, lots of race/class interaction
The best quality of campus life is at Rice University, according to student surveys used for the Princeton Review’s 2018 edition of “The Best 382 Colleges.” In addition to ranking No. 1 for best quality of life, Rice is No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 2 for happiest students.
http://bit.ly/2f5tfCM

Technique enables printable and rewritable color images
A chemical process that allows color images to be printed on specially coated paper and then erased so that different images can be printed on the same paper has been developed by researchers at Rice, Yonsei and Korea universities. The researchers explain the technique in a paper that will be published in the Aug. 4 issue of the journal Advanced Materials, which will feature images printed with this process on the cover.
http://bit.ly/2u1jQTj

Magnetized viruses attack harmful bacteria
Magnetic nanoparticle clusters have the power to punch through biofilms to reach bacteria that can foul water treatment systems, according to scientists at Rice University and the University of Science and Technology of China. The nanoclusters developed through Rice’s Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT) Engineering Research Center carry bacteriophages — viruses that infect and propagate in bacteria — and deliver them to targets that generally resist chemical disinfection.
http://bit.ly/2u1iHuW

Baker Institute expert: Trump commission on opioid crisis offers ‘educated and holistic response’
President Donald Trump’s commission on the opioid crisis asked him Monday to declare a national emergency to deal with the epidemic. The bipartisan panel’s final report on the issue will be released in October, but the initial recommendations indicate the commission’s understanding of the serious and multifaceted nature of the opioid epidemic, according to Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell III Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. She is available to discuss the issue with media.
http://bit.ly/2uhgVkC