Dateline Rice for Sept. 29, 2017

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Carbon tax most efficient way to reduce emissions: Former US secretary of state
Former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III, honorary chair of Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and Bobby Tudor, chairman of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. and chair of the Rice Board of Trustees, spoke at the first Global Energy Transitions Summit. The conference was held at Rice and co-hosted by the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies and Baker Botts LLP.
XinhuaNet
http://bit.ly/2xPxWrI
Bobby Tudor: This is the dirty little secret of the US shale business
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/2k9AnAj
Inaction on climate change could lead to tragedy: James Baker
Houston Public Media
http://bit.ly/2ydGxpb
World needs new offshore oil investments to avoid shortages
ARY News
http://bit.ly/2wniXS9
Energy panel: Efficiency focus still necessary in an era of transition
Journal of Petroleum Technology
http://bit.ly/2xQRJa7
James Baker outlines climate change plan at energy summit
Law360 (Subscription is required.) 
http://bit.ly/2xLi7BX
Oil bulls own quarter
Inside Futures
http://bit.ly/2yKypcR

Animals used the lost continent of Zealandia to spread across the Pacific millions of years ago
Researchers from Rice were part of 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 science, is quoted.
Forbes
http://bit.ly/2ycMd2H
New discoveries emerge from lost continent ‘Zealandia’
USA Today
https://usat.ly/2wZvef9
Zealandia: Scientists drilling into ‘lost continent,’ see exploration map
International Business Times
http://bit.ly/2fWOJzv
Zealandia: Sunken 8th continent reveals its buried secrets
Yahoo! News (This also appeared on Fox News.)
http://bit.ly/2xDkhnT
World’s newest continent, Zealandia, reveals its mysteries in drilling expedition 
Hi Tech Beacon 
http://bit.ly/2fDty8s
Researchers returned knowing more about Zealandia, the lost continent
Gears of Biz (This article also appeared on Pulse Headlines and Death Rattle Sports.)
http://bit.ly/2x0JOI9
Zealandia: US scientists confirm existence of sunken 8th continent 
Newburgh Gazette 
http://bit.ly/2x2hFf9
Zealandia, the lost continent, was closer to land level than it was thought earlier
Money Control
http://bit.ly/2x2vASs

Researchers seek cheaper, energy-efficient ways of producing clean water
Qilin Li, professor of civil and environmental engineering and of materials science and nanoengineering, is building a desalination system that uses solar energy with broad drinking water applications. Li is quoted.
Voice of America
http://bit.ly/2k6SE18

Chevron’s pragmatic refiner Wirth signals end of risky era
Chevron Corp. named Michael Wirth as its next chief executive. William Arnold, professor in the practice of management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted.
The Australian
http://bit.ly/2woU4pn

HOUSTON/TEXAS

3 Texas universities land on list of world’s most innovative colleges
Rice University made Reuters’ 2017 list of the top 100 most innovative universities in the world.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article also appeared in the San Antonio Express-News.)
http://bit.ly/2yMSVtt
http://bit.ly/2yLUW92
World’s Most Innovative Universities list includes 3 from Texas
Houston Business Journal (This article also appeared in the Dallas Business Journal and the Austin Business Journal.)
http://bit.ly/2x1H4pd
These are the 100 most innovative colleges and universities in the world for 2017
CEO World
http://bit.ly/2fEiLLo

Don’t lose sleep over college rankings
An editorial about college rankings mentions that Rice is ranked No. 14 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 “Best Colleges” guidebook.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This editorial appeared in the print edition of the Sept. 29 issue with the headline “College rankings.”)
http://bit.ly/2hE9KTi

Concerns of failure at Addicks and Barker dams spark demand for new reservoir
The Army Corp of Engineers have known Addicks and Barker reservoirs are at risk of “catastrophic failure” since 2010. Jim Blackburn, a professor in the practice of environmental law and the co-director of Rice’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center, is quoted.
Houston Public Media’s ‘Houston Matters’
http://bit.ly/2yLXeVA
A month after Harvey, questions on dam releases linger
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This article appeared in the print edition of the Sept. 29 issue with the headline “A month after Harvey, questions concerning dam releases linger.”)
http://bit.ly/2yNTEdM

Where did Harvey hit Houston the hardest?
Leah Binkovitz, staff writer for Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, examined which Houston neighborhoods suffered the most flood damage from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This appeared in the Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” online magazine.)
http://bit.ly/2yaGlH3

Reddit calls out Google for Rice University photo as profile picture of the University of Houston
Reddit users pointed out that the University of Houston’s Google entry mistakenly featured a picture of Rice’s Lovett Hall.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required.)
http://bit.ly/2yvpTgJ

As scientists remember Keyworth, President Reagan’s science adviser, many question if Trump will name his current successor
Neal Lane, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor Emeritus, senior fellow in science and technology policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor emeritus of physics and astronomy, writes about the role of the president’s science adviser.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription is required. This appeared in the Chronicle’s Baker Institute Blog.)
http://bit.ly/2fVZW39

Straus challenger taps GOP discontent
Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, now has a challenger to his Texas House leadership, but the contender, fellow Republican Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, is already facing questions from the GOP’s grassroots. 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.
Jacksonville Progress
http://bit.ly/2fwlaUy

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Can $100 million change the world?
A story about the MacArthur Foundation’s $100 million 100&Change grant mentions that a project from Rice is among the four finalists.
Techonomy
http://bit.ly/2yMPgvx

New filter removes contaminates from fracking wastewater
A new filter produced by Rice University scientists has proven able to remove more than 90 percent of hydrocarbons, bacteria and particulates from contaminated water produced by hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations at shale oil and gas wells. Andrew Barron, the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Professor of Chemistry and professor of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted.
Seeker
http://bit.ly/2x1ZsmH

Quantum-dot superlattices allow for precise bandgap engineering
A team of researchers at Rice and the University of California, Santa Barbara, has used a focused electron beam to fabricate a large-scale quantum-dot superlattice on an atomically thin sheet of 2-D semiconducting molybdenum disulphide.
Nanotechweb.org
http://bit.ly/2wo2Js3

Melissa Devore joins Amici Cellars as executive vice president
Rice alumna Melissa Devore ’99 is featured.
International Supermarket News (This article also appeared in Markets Insider.)
http://bit.ly/2xGNqwd

Sustainable pacemaker research accelerates
A leadless pacemaker designed by researchers at Rice University and the Texas Heart Institute is mentioned.
Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry
http://bit.ly/2fT7cwG

SPORTS

Rice’s David Bailiff: Hurricane Harvey ‘an adult lesson’ for players
Rice football head coach David Bailiff discusses how Tropical Storm Harvey impacted the football players.
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
http://bit.ly/2xGx3PX

Key matchup: Pitt LT Brian O’Neill versus Rice DE Brian Womac
Rice football’s upcoming game against the University of Pittsburgh is featured.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://bit.ly/2woYtZo
(Don’t) bet the farm: Cardiac Hill Pitt-Rice picks
SB Nation
http://bit.ly/2yeLFJu
KDKA-TV (Pittsburgh)
http://bit.ly/2yKVOL3 (Click on the video button to watch the broadcast.)
WESA-FM (Pittsburgh)
http://bit.ly/2fWyJNS (Click on the video button to watch the broadcast.)

A month into season, Texas college football teams mediocre, save for woeful Baylor
An article gives an update on several Texas college football teams, including Rice.
Houston Press
http://bit.ly/2ycIzGd

Andrew Sendejo keeps putting himself in right spots as Vikings safety
Former Rice football player Andrew Sendejo, who plays for the Minnesota Vikings, is featured.
Star Tribune
http://strib.mn/2fyA90g

NEWS RELEASE

Rice story map presents estimated damage from Hurricane Harvey
Drawing from numerous data sources, researchers at Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research have conducted analyses and created an interactive story map to present the estimated damages caused by Hurricane Harvey.
http://bit.ly/2xLBavY