Dateline Rice for March 19, 2015

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

50 years after 1st spacewalk: Bond between Russian and US spacemen is still strong
George Abbey, former director of the Johnson Space Center and the Baker Botts Senior Fellow in Space Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, discusses the Russian-U.S. cooperation in space and the relationship between cosmonauts and astronauts.
RT.com
http://bit.ly/1CzOeCF

Most evangelical Christians say science and religion can coexist
Media and popular culture might portray religion and science as being at odds, but new research from Rice suggests just the opposite. Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair and Professor of Sociology, co-director of the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance and director of Rice’s Religion and Public Life Program, is quoted.
Yahoo! (This also appeared on Yahoo! U.K. and Ireland, Direkt Broker, Yahoo! Singapore and Yahoo! Canada.)
http://yhoo.it/1FJLAsW

Cat burglar! Hilarious moment a kitten destroys a child’s dollhouse
A photo taken by Will Rice College sophomore Cade Ritter is featured.
Daily Mail (U.K.) (This article also appeared in This is Money.)
http://dailym.ai/1O9sQHd
Photo of cat destroying dollhouse goes viral on Reddit, Imgur
Good Morning America
http://abcn.ws/1O9O9IC

Texans seeing red: Alamo’s management could end up with out-of-state company
Alumnus George P. Bush ’98 is mentioned for his role as land commissioner in an article about a nationwide search for a new management company for the Alamo.
Breitbart
http://bit.ly/1CAgx3U

Age is no barrier for astronaut Peggy Whitson
Alumna Peggy Whitson ’85, who is scheduled to be on two of the next three International Space Station missions, is profiled.
Shreveport Times (This article also appeared on Florida Today, the Battle Creek Enquirer, the Visalia Times-Delta and the News Leader.)
http://bit.ly/1xBYRgN

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Kantarjian: Patients take action against cancer drug prices
Hagop Kantarjian, nonresident fellow in health policy at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored a blog post about how the high price of cancer drug affects the care of patients and the health care system as a whole.
Houston Chronicle (This also appeared in the Beaumont Enterprise.)
http://bit.ly/19CuXE1

Bill would extend open records law to private college police
Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, filed a bill that would require private university police departments to obey requests under the Texas Public information Act. Rice is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle (This Associated Press article ran in more than 30 other publications.)
http://bit.ly/1DCE8AS
Highlights from around the Capitol
Houston Chronicle (This article appeared in more than 30 other publications.)
http://bit.ly/1EylPdK
Advocates highlight state bills
San Angelo Standard-Times (This also appeared in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and the Times Record News.)
http://bit.ly/1C0jk4e
Texas needs more sunshine in state and local government
Tyler Morning Telegraph
http://bit.ly/1x4sYlW
Bill aims to shine light on police actions at private schools like SMU
Dallas Morning News
http://bit.ly/1C0epA5

Texas closer to allowing guns on campus
Texas is a step closer to requiring public colleges and universities to allow concealed handguns on campus — a policy opposed by many higher education leaders. Rice is mentioned.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
http://bit.ly/18Lb9NC
Campus carry gets initial OK in senate
Gilmer Mirror
http://bit.ly/1BCidCN

Minimal device maximizes macula imaging
Researchers at Rice University have a developed the mobileVision device that when paired with a smartphone gives detailed images of the eye without artificially dilating the pupil. Rice research engineer Adam Samaniego ’12; graduate student Vivek Boominathan; Ashutosh Sabharwal, a professor of electrical and computer engineering; and Ashok Veeraraghavan, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, are mentioned.
TMC News (This also appeared on Health Canal, Gadget, Medical Xpress, BioPortfolio, BioSpace and DeviceSpace.)
http://bit.ly/1LxpWgy
Point-of-care system can capture high-resolution images inside the eye
Bio Optics World
http://bit.ly/1BC318T

Houston’s Annise Parker ponders her political future
Houston Mayor and alumna Annise Parker ’78 is featured. The article mentions she studied anthropology, psychology and sociology and helped found a gay student group on campus. Robert Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, is quoted.
Texas Tribune (This also appeared in iMarket Reports.)
http://bit.ly/1Ey8qCv

Life after SXSW: What’s next for one Houston company
An article about Houston-based Medical Informatics Corp. mentions the BioScience Research Collaborative.
Houston Business Journal
http://bit.ly/1BBJzZC

BROADCAST/WEBCAST

KPRC-TV
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell will be Rice’s commencement speaker.
(This also appeared on Topix.com)
http://bit.ly/1BSGIiz

KPFT-FM’s ‘Open Journal’
Carolyn Nichol, director of Rice’s Office of STEM Engagement, was interviewed about Rice’s efforts to encourage more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The interview begins approximately 25 minutes into the clip.
http://bit.ly/1BCeF3i

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

MBA programs energized by energy management focus
Top-tier business schools are launching more MBA programs focused on the energy sector to plug a talent hole. Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business is featured.
Business Because
http://bit.ly/1O9A4uR

Rice fine-tunes quantum dots from coal: Rice University scientists gain control of electronic, fluorescent properties of coal-based graphene
The size of graphene quantum dots made from coal can be finely tuned in a single step for electronic and fluorescent properties, according to scientists at Rice. James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering, is quoted. Rice graduate student Ruquan Ye is lead author of the paper. Co-authors are Rice graduate students Zhiwei Peng, Andrew Metzger, Changsheng Xiang, Errol Samuel and Xiujun Fan; former Rice postdoctoral researcher Jason Mann; alumnus Kewei Huang, now a postdoctoral researcher at Texas A&M University; senior research scientist Lawrence Alemany; Rice alumnus Jian Lin, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia; and Angel Martí, an assistant professor of chemistry and bioengineering and of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice.
Nanotech Now (This article also appeared in Tech Fragments, Controlled Environments, Phys.org, SMT Magazine and Science Daily.)
http://bit.ly/1Cx77of

New Contemporary Art + Design Wing to open at the Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass will open the doors of its new Contemporary Art + Design Wing, the largest space in the world devoted to the display and creation of contemporary art and design in glass. Rice’s Brochstein Pavilion is mentioned.
Consumer Electronics
http://bit.ly/1B5iiir

OTHER NEWS OF INTERST

Happy birthday, Bun B!
An article features the accomplishments of Bernard “Bun B” Freeman, the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning’s Distinguished Lecturer, on his birthday.
XXL Mag
http://bit.ly/1FJ88Kn

Finalists selected for William C. Byrd competition
Brian Connelly, artist teacher of piano and director of piano and chamber music accompanying program at the Shepherd School of Music, served as a judge at the William C. Byrd International Young Artist Competition for Piano.
The Burton View
http://bit.ly/1FF1wx1

2014 accomplishments of the Thicket of Diversity
Scott Solomon, professor in the practice of ecology and evolutionary biology, conducted an annual inventory of the Big Thicket National Preserve’s Turkey Creek Unit with his students.
The Vindicator
http://bit.ly/1CA3Tlb

SPORTS

Aggie pair set career best scores to sweep multi-event titles at Rice
A pair of Aggies set career-best scores and collegiate leading marks amid the early stages of the outdoor season in winning multi-event competitions at the Shirley Crowe combined events hosted by Rice.
KBTX.com (This article also appeared on KAGS-TV.)
http://bit.ly/1EyjE9Y
Goliad grad wins heptathlon at Rice meet
Victoria Advocate
http://bit.ly/1I1V2ro

NEWS RELEASE

Halas, Nordlander awarded Optical Society’s R.W. Wood Prize
The Optical Society has awarded Rice University researchers Naomi Halas and Peter Nordlander the prestigious 2015 R.W. Wood Prize for their groundbreaking work in nanophotonics.
https://news2.rice.edu/?p=72881