Dateline Rice for Aug. 2, 2017

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Need graphene? Grab a saw
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.
Science 360 News (This is the top story on the Science 360 News home page.)
http://bit.ly/2f82r4L
Rice University chemists make laser-induced graphene from wood
National Science Foundation
http://bit.ly/2uYNd6f
Researchers create laser-induced graphene from pine wood
AZoNano (This article also appeared in ChemEurope.)
http://bit.ly/2w6egMQ
Laser-induced graphene from wood for biodegradable electronics
Novus Light (This also appeared in Design Products & Applications.)
http://bit.ly/2wlot7A
Rice chemists make laser-induced graphene from wood
Materialsgate
http://bit.ly/2f8LYxb
Pine block transformed into electronic components with laser treatment
E&T
http://bit.ly/2f8bfrC
Graphen aus Holz soll das Problem der Elektro-Abfälle lösen
Trends der Zukunft (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2wm8I02
Milieuvriendelijk grafeen van hout
De Ingenieur (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/2f8S40u

Method erases color printing and reuses the paper
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. Ned Thomas, the Ernest Dell Butcher Professor of Engineering and professor of materials science and nanoengineering, of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of chemistry, is quoted.
Futurity (This article appeared in the Aug. 2 issue of Futurity Today.)
http://bit.ly/2voWeHO
Technique enables printable and rewritable color images
ScienceDaily (This article also appeared in MTNV, Nanowerk and Health Medicine Network.)
http://bit.ly/2hnWiCr

Magnetic nanoparticles can bust biofilms
Magnetic nanoparticle clusters have the power to punch through biofilms to reach bacteria that can foul water treatment systems, according to scientists at Rice. The nanoclusters developed through Rice’s Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment Engineering Research Center carry bacteriophages and deliver them to targets that generally resist chemical disinfection. Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, is quoted.
Futurity
http://bit.ly/2viIgHN
Magnetized viruses attack harmful bacteria
ScienceDaily (This article also appeared in HealthCanal, Health Medicine Network and Microscopy and Analysis.)
http://bit.ly/2voEb4p
Researchers in US, China use phage-enhanced nanoparticles to kill bacteria
Xinhua Net (This article also appeared in ECNS, Asia Pacific Daily and Sina.)
http://bit.ly/2uYBnsQ
Team uses phage-enhanced nanoparticles to kill bacteria that foul water treatment systems
Phys.org (This article also appeared in MTNV and Scicasts.)
http://bit.ly/2f8BSMN
Nanoparticles magnetize viruses to attack harmful bacteria
Nanowerk
http://bit.ly/2hnV2is

Trump’s border wall could threaten more than a hundred endangered species, ecologist warns
Scott Egan, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, is quoted in an article about the potential effects of a Mexican border wall.
Gizmodo
http://bit.ly/2viKqHi
Rice University expert: Trump’s border wall could endanger wildlife
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2u4IZfX

US sanctions on Maduro symbolic, but more could follow
Francisco Monaldi, a fellow in Latin American energy policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted about U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and the recent Venezuelan election.
Global Times (This article also appeared in Xinhua Net, New China, China.org and Sina.)
http://bit.ly/2voAk7D
What’s next? New Venezuela assembly has vast powers
CTV News (This also appeared in NewsDog.)
http://bit.ly/2ho1XrQ

Single-photon emitter has promise for quantum info-processing
Los Alamos National Laboratory has produced the first known material capable of single-photon emission at room temperature and at telecommunications wavelengths. 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.
HuffPost
http://bit.ly/2uW4q1x

To apply or not to apply? The decision to participate in business plan competitions
The Rice University Business Plan Competition is mentioned.
Forbes
http://bit.ly/2ujSSS4

Princeton Review releases 2018 college rankings
Rice’s No. 2 ranking for happiest students in the Princeton Review’s 2018 edition of “The Best 382 Colleges” is cited. (Editor’s note: Rice is also No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 1 for best quality of life.)
Teen Vogue
http://bit.ly/2vittgd
The Princeton Review’s 2018 rankings are here
College Candy
http://bit.ly/2vpfVPT
Princeton Review: University of Oklahoma students rank among the happiest
KFOR.com
http://bit.ly/2hnpedE

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Couple’s $1M gift to Texas governor follows national trend
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 (This Associated Press article also appeared in My San Antonio, SFGate and over 60 other media outlets.)
http://bit.ly/2wluLnL
Couple contributes $1M to Abbott campaign
Denton Record Chronicle
http://bit.ly/2uYRmXx
Couple gifts Abbott campaign $1M
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/2vtzOpV

House passes bills addressing maternal mortality: Your Texas roundup
A group of Houston-area business leaders has 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.
Texas Monthly
http://bit.ly/2hnPBQD

HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza welcomes 1,500 new teachers for 2017-2018 school year
Stephen Klineberg, founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research and a professor of sociology, will deliver a keynote address to the new HISD teachers Aug 4.
Houston Style Magazine
http://bit.ly/2uZaqFb

Rice math camps, programs at St. Mark’s Episcopal
The Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP) is featured. The article was co-authored by Wiess College senior Dana Smith; Anne Papakonstantinou, director of RUSMP; and Richard Parr, executive director of RUSMP.
Village News (This article appeared on the front page of the Aug. 1 print edition.)
http://bit.ly/2ujJL49

Historic photos provide new views of Rice, West University areas
Historical photographs of Rice are shown in a slideshow.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in World News Report.)
http://bit.ly/2w6xORw
http://bit.ly/2u4no7k

How will the redevelopment of Buffalo Bayou change East Houston?
Leah Binkovitz, staff writer for Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, authored an op-ed.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This article also appeared in True Viral News.)
http://bit.ly/2w6iVOK

Art gallery and museum listings: Aug. 3-9
Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts will present “David Scanavino: Repeater” through Aug. 26 and teamLab’s “Flowers and People, Cannot Be Controlled But Live Together — A Whole Year Per Hour” through Aug. 13.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required. This also appeared in My San Antonio and LMT Online.)
http://bit.ly/2hnC0c8
http://bit.ly/2f7YBc3

UTRGV ranked among best colleges in Texas
Rice ranked No. 1 in Top 25 Best Colleges in Texas list by BestColleges.com.
Valley Star (This article also appeared in The Monitor.)
http://bit.ly/2voAjRh
KGBT-TV (Harlingen, Texas)
http://bit.ly/2u4GpXf

Kids who live in poor neighborhoods start kindergarten a year behind, study shows
More children are living in high-poverty neighborhoods following the Great Recession — a troubling shift because children in these neighborhoods are a year behind academically, according to new research from Rice, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin. Rachel Kimbro, professor of sociology and founding director of the Urban Health Program at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted.
KERA News
http://bit.ly/2tZrycB

A look at how Texas’ guns on campus law will work
An article mentions that Rice opted out of the Texas “campus carry” law.
ABC13.com
http://abc13.co/2viH4Ej

BROADCAST

Political roundup and restaurant weeks
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 interviewed.
Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”
http://bit.ly/2u4y2ex

‘Imus in the Morning’
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, is mentioned.
WABC (This also aired on 66 other stations.)
http://bit.ly/2viOzeH (Click on the audio button to listen to the broadcast.) 

London High School graduate awarded $100K scholarship
An article mentions a student who hopes to attend Rice.
KRISTV.com
http://bit.ly/2f82Hks
KZTV-TV (Corpus Christi, Texas)
http://bit.ly/2vj6jXg

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

How to fix credit report errors
Bradley Fralic, associate vice president and university controller, is featured as an expert in a Q&A about disputing credit reports.
WalletHub
http://bit.ly/2tZCasa

The latest progress on electric cars
A collaboration between Rice and Queensland University to create a supercapacitor film is mentioned.
AltEnergyMag
http://bit.ly/2viJhzx

Foss Maritime names Will Roberts chief commercial officer
Alumnus Will Roberts ’05 is mentioned.
Marine Log
http://bit.ly/2hnTWmO

Reuseable filter removes heavy metals 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.
Engineers Australia
http://bit.ly/2wlxkpF

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.
Technology.org (This also appeared in FuelCellsWorks.)
http://bit.ly/2u3LaAq
Scientists extract hydrogen as potential fuel source
Lab Manager
http://bit.ly/2vt8Azt
It’s something in the water: LLNL scientists extract hydrogen as potential fuel source
FuelCellsWorks
http://bit.ly/2hnRaOL

New nickel foam catalyst splits water
Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen to produce clean energy can be simplified with a single catalyst developed by scientists at Rice University 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.
Before It’s News
http://bit.ly/2vtnxS1

Glaciers cause global warming?
Mark Torres, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences, is quoted.
Watts Up With That?
http://bit.ly/2uZkgGY

Voyage to study Earth’s mostly submerged hidden continent begins
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, environmental and planetary sciences, is quoted.
New Scientist
http://bit.ly/2ujF9en

Sustaining EOR in today’s economy
George Hirasaki, research professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is quoted.
E&P Mag
http://bit.ly/2vsYui0

How hiring overqualified workers can benefit innovation
A Rice study on hiring overqualified candidates is mentioned. Jing Zhou, the Houston Endowment Professor of Organizational Behavior, director for Asian management research and education at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business and professor of psychology, is quoted.
Talent Economy
http://bit.ly/2vtnvKc

Scientists receive NSF grant to develop new methods for decoding neural data
Communities of cells communicate to coordinate their actions, but how do they coordinate with other communities? Scientists at Rice and the University of Houston are preparing to find out. Genevera Allen ’06, associate professor of statistics, is quoted.
News-Medical.net
http://bit.ly/2vpd9Kf
NSF issues awards to advance a national research infrastructure for neuroscience
Scienmag
http://bit.ly/2uYVU0i

Pnictides can be key to questions on high-temperature superconductivity
Research performed by Rice graduate student Yu Song on high-temperature superconductivity is discussed.
AZO Materials
http://bit.ly/2f9h6wB

Rice University researchers induce superplasticity in 2-D materials
Research on superplasticity by Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and professor of chemistry and postdoctoral researcher Xiaolong Zou is mentioned.
AZO Materials
http://bit.ly/2u0gcoR

Salmon virus research could stop influenza in people
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.
ALN Magazine
http://bit.ly/2uWoNfa

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Oil and gas companies must comply with an Obama-era methane rule
Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy is mentioned.
Santa Fe New Mexican
http://bit.ly/2u0m958

Legal scholars dispute whether monuments are permanent
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, is quoted.
High Country News
http://bit.ly/2w6CoPJ

Matt Krause: A statesman and a gentleman in answering criticism
An article cites a Rice University ranking of members of Congress along the liberal-conservative dimension.
The Hayride
http://bit.ly/2hn3xdJ

Mary Potterton Memorial Concerts welcomes Maurer and McIntyre
Alumna Andrea Maurer ’86 will be playing at SummerKeys in Lubec, Maine.
Bangor Daily News
http://bit.ly/2hobyz2

What is ‘fundamentalism?’
Alumnus Roger Olson ’82 authored an op-ed.
Patheos
http://bit.ly/2hnOUXH

Music man: Danbury celebrates legacy of Charles Ives with concert series
Rice is mentioned.
Newtown Daily Voice (This article also appeared in the Trumbull-Monroe Daily Voice and Brookfield Daily Voice.)
http://bit.ly/2vtNRLW

Featured profile and interview with Tom C. Nguyen, MD
Alumnus Tom Nguyen ’96 is featured.
CTSNet
http://bit.ly/2u4utES

SPORTS

C-USA institutional excellence, sports academic awards
With a combined annual GPA of 3.290, the Rice Owls are mentioned as winning the 10th Conference USA Institutional Excellence Award over the past 12 years.
C-USA
http://bit.ly/2wlNmzY

Texas State MBB announces 2017-18 schedule
Rice football is mentioned.
San Marcos Daily Record
http://bit.ly/2w6ItM2

Explorers’ McCanna signed by Diamondbacks
Former Rice baseball player Kevin McCanna is featured.
Sioux City Journal
http://bit.ly/2ujWrHZ
X’s pitcher McCanna signed by Diamondbacks
KITV.com
http://bit.ly/2vow3RC
Winnipeg rallies late past Explorers
Sioux City Journal
http://bit.ly/2u4hhA6

DB looks good on, off field
Rice football is mentioned.
Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette
http://bit.ly/2wm07L3

McCaffrey’s shiftiness turning heads at Panthers camp
Rice football is mentioned.
CBS Denver
http://cbsloc.al/2w6pkti

Valley Blue Sox set to host NECBL Wild Card game against Winnipesaukee
Rice baseball player Kendall Jefferies is mentioned.
Mass Live
http://bit.ly/2u4fqes

10 for 10
Alumnus George Foreman III ’06 is featured.
Club Solutions
http://bit.ly/2uWeO9D

Gay rower David Alviar reflects on his record-setting journey
An article mentions that David Alviar coached the rowing team at Rice, where he worked with alumnus and team member Mike Matson ’09.
OutSmart
http://bit.ly/2vp5w6L

NEWS RELEASES

Glaciers may have helped warm Earth
It seems counterintuitive, but over the eons, glaciers may have made Earth warmer, according to a Rice University professor. Mark Torres, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences, took a data-driven dive into the mechanics of weathering by glaciation over millions of years to see how glacial cycles affected the oceans and atmosphere and continue to do so.
http://bit.ly/2u43tWh

Rice 360˚ neonatal technology meets development Grand Challenge
A Rice University-affiliated international team working to end preventable newborn deaths in Africa got a boost when one of its life-saving neonatal technologies won funding support. The winner, BiliSpec, a jaundice diagnostic device, won a validation grant at the seventh annual DevelopmentXChange event for Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development in Washington, D.C., July 27. More than 500 projects applied for the grants and 15 were funded.
http://bit.ly/2vsI3lT

Expert: Border wall would put more than 100 endangered species at risk
President Donald Trump’s desire for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border has elicited endless questions since it was introduced as a major theme in his campaign. Who will pay for it? How will it be constructed? Is it the most effective strategy? What is the timeline? A Rice University biology expert is asking another question: What are the ecological and evolutionary consequences of the wall?
http://bit.ly/2u037M6

Whirling particles are fastest ever detected
The spin of the strongest tornado is a pale shadow of the vortex seen at the heart of matter colliding into a nearly perfect fluid, according to researchers at Rice University and their colleagues at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The collaboration that operates the STAR detector, part of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at the New York facility, reported in a cover story in Nature this week that collisions between gold ions produce a quark-gluon plasma that swirls faster than any other fluid ever observed.
http://bit.ly/2vu7tQf

NSF funds Houston-based teams’ quest to better understand the brain
The National Science Foundation has awarded a total of $5 million to two Houston-based research teams to develop new tools to better understand the behavior of neural networks.
http://bit.ly/2vjXNas