Winter 2007 nization

Saying Goodbye to a Rice Legend Exploring Strings Using Evolution to Predict Our future INSIDE RICE SALLYPORT • THE MAGAZINE OF RICE UNIVERSITY • WINTER 2007

2 President's Message • 3 Letters • 6 Through the Sallyport Departments 16 Students • 37 Arts • 40 On the Bookshelf 42 VVho's Who • 48 Scoreboard

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Multiracial births on the Looking for more 7rise and, with them,a 15computer storage? growing new trend in Magnetic vortexes no racial identity. larger than a red blood cell might power new This prototype camera drives capable ofstoring 10 may be on the large side, thousands of movies on but it can capture an entire a square inch ofspace. Is your company image on a single pixel. looking outside its own walls for a new CEO? should look Maybe it 44 Tropical storms and hurricanes along the Gulf Coast have inward instead. 3Imr raised public concern about coastal flooding. According to new Rice research, we ought to brace for more. 12 Can corporate social Alysha Jeans may have performance actually 17 been bornblind, but help a company's she certainly sees more bottom line? potential in the world than most people.

Liz Harwood has a 48simple philosophy: give students enough ROPE, If you love music and wish you knew morc about it, try out and they'll use it to get 37Sound Reasoning,a new online music appreciation course. offcampus and into the great outdoors.

The snap judgments people make in deciding whether 112 to trust strangers show people are willing to judge a book by its cover,even though they should not. 18 Evolutionary Thinking 28 Focus on Sustainability For more than 100 years, evolutionary theory has The idea of sustainability has been around for provided profound insights into where humans nearly 300 years, but only recently have individuals, might have come from. Now,Rice scientists expect organizations, and governments seriously begun to evolution to provide similar insights into where we consider the consequences of disposability. Enter may be going. Richard Johnson, Rice's first ever sustainability planner. Features By Deborah J. Ausman By Ruth Samuelson

24 String Theory 34 Remembering Rice Computing Pioneer Ken Kennedy Musical instrument strings have touched many a heart, yet they remain largely unexplored by science. Ken Kennedy was at the forefront ofcomputing, both That's changing, thanks to the work oftwo Rice at Rice and nationally, but his computations never mathematicians. neglected his students and friends. By Jade Boyd By Christopher Dow

Si We are entering an exciting and dynamic time at Rice University. Just over a year Rice Sallyport ago, after a process that included consultation with every constituency, the Board ofTrustees endorsed the Winter 2007, Vol. 63, No. 2 10-point Vision for the Second Century, or V2C for short. Today that process continues to unfold with community. Published by the Office discussions and consultation across the Rice of Public Affairs The changes occurring are both tangible and intangible. Most visible is our ambitious building plan Linda Thrane, vice president to transform our already magnificent campus into a setting that supports the best in education, research Suzanne Gschwind, director of Web and Print Communications and public service. We have broken ground on the Collaborative Research Center located at University Boulevard and Main Street, and we expect that this and other efforts will foster significant new research Editor partnerships with the Texas Medical Center. Christopher Dow Our research and teaching missions also will be supported by planned new physics and social sciences Editorial Director buildings, an engineering design lab and renovations to several other laboratories. These are all at least in Tracey Rhoades the planning stages as we raise the necessary funds. Creative Director In addition, we are looking forward to constructing two new colleges to support our plans to increase Jeff Cox the undergraduate student body by 30 percent. We expect construction to begin this fall and to be com- Art Director pleted by fall 2009. Chuck Thurmon Our plans to create a more dynamic campus and sense ofcommunity life also are well under way,includ- ing a new recreation center and a glass pavilion and cafe behind Fondren Library. And thanks to a generous Editorial Staff Sarah Williams, assistant editor gift from Bobby and Phoebe Tudor, we finally will be able to transform 50-year-old Autry Court into an Christie Wise, production coordinator athletics facility and venue for large gatherings that we can be proud of. celebrated the launch of our Center for Civic Design Staff Equally important, we recently Tommy LaVergne, photographer Engagement, which will bring new educational opportunities to our students as Jeff Fitlow, assistant photographer they use research skills to reach out to the Houston community. New collabora- The Rice University Board tions also have begun with the Museum ofFine Arts, Houston and the Menil Col- of Trustees lection. We are pleased to be recognized as one of the best places to work by the James W. Crownover, chair, J.D. Bucky Houston Business Journal. Allshouse; D. Kent Anderson; Teveia Rose Barnes; Alfredo Brener; Vicki International engagements are flourishing, and as I write this, we are expecting Whamond Bretthauer; Robert T. Brockman; a delegation of25 university presidents, chairmen and senior education officials for Albert Y. Chao; Robert L.Clarke; Edward selected for this A. Dominguez; Bruce W. Dunlevie; Lynn the China—Rice University Leadership forum. Rice was specially Laverty Elsenhans; Douglas Lee Foshee; forum by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Susanne Morris Glasscock; Carl E.Isgren; "Achieving our Achieving our ambitions for education, research and service, as reflected in the K. Terry Koonce; Michael R. Lynch; Robert R. Maxfield; Steven L. Miller; M. ambitions for V2C,requires constant planning and careful implementation. We already have some Kenneth Oshman; Hector Ruiz; Marc education, two dozen committees and groups working on various aspects of the V2C plan, Shapiro;L. E.Simmons; Robert B.Tudor among them the undergraduate experience,campus vibrancy,research and diversity. III; James Turley research and As we move forward, we will see that every story about Rice can be seen through Administrative Officers service, as the lens of our strategic plan, and this issue of Sallyport is no exception. David W. Leebron, president; Kathy "Evolutionary Thinking,"takes a fresh look at what we're doing Collins, vice president for Finance; reflected in the One ofour stories, Eric Johnson, vice president for biosciences and other disciplines across campus as we attempt to better understand Kevin Kirby, V2C, requires in Resource Development; biological processes, evolution, social interaction and human behavior. vice presidentfor Administration; Eugene constant planning Levy,provost; Chris Munoz, vice president This issue also incorporates some diverse strands of our commitment to protect for Enrollment; Linda Thrane, vice and careful our environment, both in terms of research and Rice's own actions. Some ofHou- president for Public Affairs; Scott W. ston's environmental concerns are reflected in the work of John Anderson and his Wise, vice presidentfor Investments and implementation." treasurer, Richard A. Zansitis, general colleagues on the causes of Gulf Coast flooding. Rice's Center for Biological and counsel. Environmental Nanotechnology, under the direction of Vicki Colvin, has received —David W. Leebron $12 million in additional funding to examine health impacts of nanotechnology. All submissions to Sallyport are subject to editing for length, clarity, accuracy, And in our cover story, "Focus on Sustainability," we examine the contributions appropriateness, and fairness to third of faculty, staff and students to environmental protection issues, including a profile of Richard Johnson, parties. Rice's first ever sustainability planner. Sallyport is published by the Office of None ofthis would be possible without the extraordinarily talented and dedicated people working here. Public Affairs ofRice University and is sent In fact, during a recent town hall forum for faculty and staff, I was struck by the thoughtfulness ofa com- to university alumni,faculty, staff, graduate students, parents of undergraduates, and ment by Bill Lassiter, a Rice electrician. Bill expressed concern about whether the next generation of Rice friends of the university. craftspersons was being sufficiently trained. He said, "After 26 and a half years of building a good electrical system, I want to make sure Rice is well served after we retire." Editorial Offices Rice Office of Publications—MS 95 That epitomizes the Rice spirit. Every one of us, no matter what part of we touch, contributes to P.O. Box 1892 our mission. We must think not only about the Rice we find, but also the Rice we leave behind. Houston, Texas 77251-1892 No one captured that spirit better than Ken Kennedy, who we remember in these pages. His combina- Ease 713-348-6751 tion of brilliant research, humor, generosity of spirit and breadth of perspective captured our ambitions Email: sallyportikice.edu and our humanity. Indeed,in a recent focus group when the participants were asked if Rice University was Postmaster a person, who would it be, one answer was "Ken Kennedy." Send address changes to: I couldn't agree more. Rice University Development Services—MS 80 P.O. Box 1892 Houston, TX 77251-1892

OMARCH 2007 RICE UNIVERSITY

2 Rice Sallyport LETTERS

Letters

Gonzales Haskell's contribution to this effort is but these two arguments are mutual- he describes the high point of his mili- to say, basically, that since they lack ly contradictory. It takes a real effort tary career as "advisor to the assistant I am not in the habit of writing to our cool military hardware, they have to make both arguments in the same operations officer of the Vietnamese Sallyport, butthe letters section of the to "make do with the resources at letter. Oh, and what's with "the rich Navy." Perhaps Professor Haskell is more summer 2006 issue leaves the impres- their disposal." This is moral equiva- Western heritage?" How insensitive comfortable urging actions on others sion that Rice alumni are ashamed of lence at its finest. Haskell asks wheth- to rich Eastern heritage! or commenting on hard decisions tak- Alberto Gonzales. I hope and expect er this is grounds to treat them as war Haskell encourages us to explore en by others than he is in committing that this is not the case. In my case, criminals. My answer is, when the re- the values by which we live. Alberto himself to any difficult action. at least, Gonzales's success story has sources at their disposal are knives to Gonzales has made a real contribution Likewise, the professor seems only been an inspiration. behead journalists and car bombs to to examining how those values can be to have repeated, therein, the politi- Although you published a number blow up civilians in crowded markets, maintained and protected in the face cal orthodoxy required of university of letters displaying varying levels of unequivocally "yes." of the greatest threat to them we have historians who crave acceptance by moral preening, I will focus on Thomas Haskell writes that the Supreme ever faced. His rise to a position of their peers. Haskell's, both because it is the most Court has begun "dismantling" the trust and authority in the face of cul- Robert A. Jones '59 detailed and because, as a profes- prison at Guantanamo Bay. The reality tural and class limitations is a tribute Nashville, Tennessee sional historian, he should know bet- is that the Supreme Court has upheld both to him and to a society that has ter. Haskell sets the tone right away, the constitutionality of every related progressed to the point where this is I just finished reading the several pub- twice referring to President George issue that has been placed before it. A possible. I wish I could take the same lished complaints to your recent arti- W. Bush as Gonzales's "patron" (or narrow majority of that court did inval- pride in the progress of the Rice his- cle about Attorney General Alberto is that patron?) rather than the more idate the proposed military tribunals, tory department. Gonzales. I do not know Mr. Gonzales commonly used term "boss." I guess on statutory rather than constitutional at all, nor have I independently inves- tigated all of the legal positions the the implication is that a Hispanic man, grounds, and all but begged Congress Glen Hoffing '74 no matter what his talents, cannot suc- to address this perceived deficiency. Shamong, New Jersey writers criticize. However, I am in the with the ceed in our world without the benev- Haskell reserves his greatest scorn for strange position of agreeing facts olence of a powerful white man. This the presumed fact that the Bush ad- Professor Thomas Haskell raises an in- complainers about some of their is, well, patronizing. ministration has "turned its back on teresting question with his comments but totally disagreeing with them on Haskell mentions the Geneva the rich Western heritage of humane on Rice University's honoring Attorney their conclusions. Conventions twice: once to claim laws, rights, practices, and conven- General Alberto Gonzales. How can First, it seems to me thatyou should that we have declared them obsolete tions." Yet not two paragraphs earli- someone with Professor Haskell's self- be able to disagree with someone and once to claim that we ridicule er he excoriates the United States for acknowledged high moral standards about policy or legal and constitution- them. No evidence is presented, or ex- selective assassinations,firebombings, continue to associate himself with an al interpretations and still be able to ists, to support either of these state- and slaughter of civilians on a massive organization like Rice University? In so appreciate and honor the person. Not ments. Instead, the attorney general scale. The events he cites all precede honoring AG Gonzales, Rice University everyone you disagree with is evil or has made a serious effort to grapple the Bush administration. I suppose you surely shares the moral bankruptcy malignant. with how to treat an enemy that fol- can make an argument that America that Professor Haskell imputes to the Second, if you want to dehuman- lows none of the established stan- is and always has been the "real ter- attorney general. ize and demonize Mr. Gonzales for his dards of war and whose main tactic rorist" and,alternatively, that America Professor Haskell may have given positions on international telephone question when wiretapping and the applicability of of war is the slaughter of civilians. has abandoned its ideals under Bush, us the answer to this

Winter '07 3 LETTERS,

"I found Sallyport's article about Mr. Gonzales fitting and his background and successes worthy of respect and acclaim."

—Robert Schultz '82

the Geneva Conventions to terrorist rights more narrowly during wartime, It was rather disturbing for me, on the embarrassed by his association withthe prisoners, you'd better be prepared but I recognize that well-meaning and fifth anniversary of an almost unimag- university because, as Haskell makes to do the same to Presidents Abraham otherwise upright people have histori- inable act of terror, to see Professor clear, Gonzales apparently did not ab- Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin cally done so in their heartfelt service Haskell wonder whether the ilk of sorb the high ideals to which Rice is Roosevelt,and Harry Truman. President to our country. Mohammed Atta should be treat- dedicated during his time there. Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas I also am aware that my position and ed as war criminals. Yes, Professor corpus during the Civil War—which the position of many of Mr. Gonzales's Haskell, intentional acts of mass vi- Paul Wernicke '81 he did not have the authority to do— critics is easy to hold unless you are olence against civilians, which is the Pensacola, Florida and had American citizens arrested in a position of responsibility, such as essence of terrorism, are considered and thrown into prison without trial. he is, and presented with the stark war crimes. Owls President Wilson had Eugene Debs ar- choices of wiretap or see Americans In fact, Professor Haskell probably rested, tried, and convicted for Debs's killed by the thousands or treat pris- knows this well enough,since immedi- Sallyport for exercise of his First Amendment right oners harshly or see airliners crashed ately after wondering why "irregulars" I have enjoyed reading by speaking against our involvement into buildings. should be treated as war criminals, years. You are doing an excellent job. in World War I. President Roosevelt, I found Sallyport's article about Mr. he launches a tired litany of past U.S. I was reading the letters, particularly during World War II, had tens of thou- Gonzales fitting and his background atrocities, going back to World War II the letter from Paul Shinkawa regard- sands of American citizens(purported- and successes worthy of respect and (why not bring up slavery?). The con- ing the owls on campus, when mywife ly those of Japanese ancestry)thrown acclaim. duct of the United States more than suggested that, in the interest of his- into concentration camps. During the 60 years ago has no bearing on the tory, I fill in some of the gaps about Korean War, President Truman seized Robert Schultz '82 current discussion of how the U.S. the Lovett College owl cages. the privately owned steel factories of Chesterfield, Missouri should prosecute its "war on terror." I was a junior who was transferred this country and ordered the striking By following the old leftist shibboleth from Weiss College to the new Lovett American workers to work against I happened to read Professor Thomas that the United States can do no right, College in fall 1968. I was living off their will. Haske I l's commentary(Sallyport,summer while its enemies can do no wrong, campus in some apartments with a I might agree with the critics of Mr. 2006)on September 11,2006. Professor Professor Haskell lost the moral au- number of other Rice students since Gonzales that wiretapping of interna- Haskell takesthe moral high road in his thority to criticize Gonzales. campus housing was unavailable. In tional telephone calls should require a strong condemnation of torture prac- fall 1968, a non-Rice friend of mine Fourth Amendment warrant; however, tices by U.S. government agencies. His Moshe Y. Vardi approached me. He said he had a Karen Ostrum George Professor in I do not conclude that Mr. Gonzales's searing criticism of Alberto Gonzales's friend who was a falconer and raised Computational Engineering and and trained birds of prey for hunting position marks him as evil or unworthy "double talk and deception" adheres Professor of Computer Science of respect. Mr. Gonzales is fighting a to the hallowed tradition of academe's Rice University and demonstrations. He had acquired strange war and, in some regards, is "speaking truth to power." I was glad a great horned owl. Unfortunately, he following the common United States to see Sallyport providing a forum for I want to thank Thomas Haskell for said, the great horned owl was too stu- path of apparentlyorarguablynarrowing these comments. his commentary in the summer 2006 pid to be trained to hunt. He wanted or even violating some constitutional Regrettably, Professor Haskell aban- issue of Sallyport. The Rice community to get rid of him. He asked me if Rice rights during wartime. I do not agree doned the moral high ground and be- should be proud of Alberto Gonzales would be interested since we were one with violation of the Constitution during came an apologist for terrorists when for having attained such a high office of the few schools in the Southwest wartime nor reading the constitutional he called them "third-world irregulars." through his merits, but I, for one, am Conference that didn't have a live mas-

4 Rice Sallyport LETTERS

"Gonzales apparently did not absorb the high ideals to which Rice is dedicated during his time there."

—Paul Wernicke '81

cot: Baylor had its bear cubs,Texas had consulted the Houston Zoo and the Rice free political speech. It was the at- You'll be happy to hear thatJanus sur- 1973. Note that R2 is short Bevo, SMU had its pony, and even the biology department to determine the tempt by the university authorities to vived until Aggies, whose mascot is themselves, recommended dimensions and nature prohibit the distribution of political ad- for The Rice Review, not for the sec- iteration ofa Rice student literary had a collie dog. of the cage. The cage was construct- vocacy literature on the approaches to ond magazine, otherwise it might have to At the time, the Rice mascot was a ed around a tree so that Thor would the campus that was the trigger to all called R6, at/east. Between Janus 10-foot tall fiberglass-like structure of have limbs to use. The cage was fairly the turmoil of the 1960s. It was a de- be and R2, there have been several liter- an obese,friendly looking hoot owl— large, so Thor could make short flights. fense of his right to have that letter ary magazines at Rice, including The hardlythe image a football team wanted We obtained mice and rats from the published as well as the right of oth- Rice Literary Review,The Rice Literary to carry into gridiron war."Sammy," as biology department to feed Thor, and ers to refute his stand. students Magazine, Collage, and University the mascot was called, was unimpres- Lovett appointed a group of take him to athletic contests and Graham Campbell '57 Blue. —Editor sive. It was so unimpressive that when to to care for him. He prospered. Several Upton, New York some Aggies stole it and demanded a years after I graduated, I was told that I have a very small correction to make ransom for its return, the Rice student my owl had died after living to an old I read with interest the article in to the notice on page 17 of the summer body responded: "Keep it." age for owls. Sallyport (summer 2006) on R2, the 2006 Sallyport. Rice did participate in the I accepted the gift of the live great So that is howthe owl cage came to latest iteration of a literary magazine Association for Computing Machinery horned owl, and at the next student exist and why it was located at Lovett. at Rice. My best wishes to an impor- Programming Contest World Finals council meeting, I broughtthe owl, who Somewhere, I have some colored slides tant project. after it won the regional contests in I named Thor after the Norse god of of Thor. If anyone is interested, I can However, perhaps it should be called 1 994 and 1996. See the fol lowing web- thunder. The student governing body try to find them in my archives. R3. To my knowledge,the first student sites for the statistics: http://icpc.bay- voted to accept Thor as the official edited literary magazine at Rice was lor.edu/past/icpc94/finals/Standings. mascot of Rice. P. Keith O'Gorman '70 Janus, which I founded and edited in html and http://icpc.bayloredu/past/ iron- I kept Thor tethered to an San Antonio, Texas 1960. It was, by the way, the venue icpc96/Finals/Standings.html. my apartment for a few ing board in for the first publication by a graduate The finals were not called the Tech weeks and tried to take him outside student at Rice by the name of Larry Olympics back then, but I suspect that from time to time. Obviously, I did not Other McMurtry. The chapter he published Rice also was in the finals in otheryears have a clue how to care for an owl. The wasfrom Horseman Pass By, which lat- after 1985,since I believe Ricetradition- manager of the apartments became The summer issue of Sallyportjust ar- er was made into the movie Hud. Larry ally has dominated the southwestern aware of the presence of the owl— rived with the letters department head- has gone on to a distinguished writing region in this contest. I see that a Rice somehow, a student walking around lined by a quote comparing Rice to the career, including an Oscar last year for team also participated in the world fi- with a great horned owl tethered to University of California at Berkeley. co-writing Brokeback Mountain. nals last year. See: http://compsci.rice. his arm tended to draw some atten- As a graduate of both (Rice, BA 1957, I lost touch with Janus after the edu/news.cfm?doc_id=9810. tion. The manager was unimpressed and UCB, PhD 1965), I think both in- second issue and my graduation from and suggested that we find other ac- stitutions should be proud of the com- Rice in 1962. It seems it disappeared Aaron Hertzmann '96 Seattle, Washington commodations for Thor. parison. Of course Mr. Adams meant until the current renaissance. I approached the Lovett College cabi- something different by the compari-

net, and the cabinet agreed to fund the son, but he has conveniently forgot- Joel Simon Hochman, MD '62 construction of a wooden bird cage at ten that the uproar at Berkeley was Houston, Texas Lovettto house Thor. I believe someone caused by the defense of the right to

Winter '07 5 THROUGH THE SALLYPORT

Flooding is the Norm in Gulf Coast Bays Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 and a series of hurricanes along the Gulf Coast—especially Hurricane Katrina— have raised public concern about coastal flooding.According to new Rice research, we ought to brace for more.

"Looking back over the past dams have reduced the amount a local influence, causing sea ago. In that geological instant, 10,000 years, we find the evo- of sediment flowing from the levels to rise even faster. This the boundary between river and lution of Gulf Coast bays is rivers into the bays. In addition, appears to be the case along the bay receded about 35 kilome- punctuated by rapid flooding there is a growing body of evi- Texas—Louisiana coast, which ters upstream. events that result in landward dence that sea level will increase is sinking by an average of two "At that time, the head of shifts in bay environments of more rapidly in the 21st century millimeters per year, and up to the bay was somewhere north tens of kilometers and increases than it has in several thousand twice that much in certain areas. of I-10, but sediments flowing in bay area up to 30 percent years. "Bay-head deltas are just like back into the bay from the Trin- within a century or two," says Based on marine sedimentary the wetlands that have been ity River pushed that back south John Anderson, the W. Maurice records, oceanographers know disappearing in southeastern to the present location, creating Ewing Chair in Oceanography that sea level has been rising for Louisiana in recent decades," Lake Anahuac in the process," and professor of earth science the past 10,000 years, but the Anderson says. "They have to Anderson says. "The creation of at Rice. "These flooding events rate at which it's rising has been be renewed with river-borne Lake Livingston and other lakes can be triggered by either a rap- falling slowly for about 5,000 sediments in order to maintain on the Upper Trinity has signifi- id increase in sea level or a rapid cantly reduced the amount of decrease in the amount of silt sediments flowing into the bay, flowing into the bay, and there's and data collected by the Texas ample evidence to suggest that Bureau of Economic Geology both of those will occur in Gulf "Theseflooding events can and the United States Geologi- Coast bays during the coming be triggered by either a cal Survey indicate the headland century." rapid increase in sea level marshes are teetering on the Anderson's results are based or a rapid decrease in the brink." on his research group's analy- Anderson's group currently is sis of dozens ofsediment core amount ofsiltflowing into studying Alabama's Mobile Bay, samples drilled during the past the bay,and there's ample and it hopes to integrate those decade from Galveston, Corpus evidence to suggest that findings into its overall analysis. Christi, and Matagorda Bays, both of those will occur Members of the team include all in Texas; Calcasieu Lake in professors Antonio Rodriguez Louisiana; and Sabine Lake, in Gulf Coast bays during of the University of North Car- which straddles the Texas—Loui- the coming century." olina, Alex Simms of Oklahoma siana border. 41610101111101 1 -Jo h n State University, Rice graduate "Over the past 10,000 years, student Kristy Milliken, and there have been an average of former Rice graduate student a half-dozen of these flooding Jessie Maddox. events in each bay," Anderson The research is supported by the says. "They don't correlate with years. But that trend is appar- themselves in the face of steadily National Science Foundation. any global increase in sea level, ently changing, with the latest rising seas." and they happen at different satellite data indicating that Anderson says the geologi- —Jade Boyd times in different bays, so we're seas worldwide are rising at an cal record shows that sediment confident that the driving factor average rate offive millimeters flowing into the five bays has in these events is a decrease in per year—a strilcing contrast to tended to just keep pace with the amount of river-borne sedi- the rate oftwo millimeters per rising sea level over the past ment flowing into the bay." year that was recorded by tide 10,000 years. The flooding In the past century, multiple gauges throughout most of the events mark points in time dams were constructed on each 20th century. when this delicate balance was of the rivers flowing into each In some locations, warming upset. The most dramatic event of these bays. Anderson says water temperatures, land subsid- occurred in Galveston Bay be- there is ample evidence that the ence, and other factors can exert tween 7,300 and 7,100 years

6 Rice Sallyport THROUGH THE SALLYPORT

Racial Identity

Jenifer Bratter Holly Heard

other tion," which means the father seeks to incul- Many ofus see the race options on the census and cate the child with values and racial identity. forms and unthinkingly make our mark in one box or "This is a chance for the father to dialogue with the child about the meaning of race," another. But for children of mixed racial parentage, Heard says. Or the father may take the op- checking white, black, Hispanic, Asian, or some other portunity to talk about cultural traditions, symbols, and history. A Hispanic father, for option can be more problematic because their racial instance, might teach his child Spanish, or a black father may teach his child the historical identities are not so clearly defined. significance of slavery. In the study, Heard and Bratter conclude that the importance of activities is not race- here are, however, some im- black as the main racial identity or to include specific but extends across all races of fa- portant internal guidelines that black as one of the racial components. For thers. Therefore, while black fathers appear multiracial children use in form- example, if a child has a black father and to be more successful in passing along racial T ing personal racial identity, as a white mother, that child will identify as identity to their children, spending more discovered by Rice sociologists Holly Heard black or multiracial. However,if the father time and engaging in direct racial socializa- and Jenifer Bratter. Most important, multi- is white, Asian, or Hispanic, the chances of tion is something that most fathers do. racial children are more likely to adopt their passing on the father's racial identity is less But a new trend in racial identity is grow- father's race, especially if the father is black likely. ing. While adolescents who have a black and is highly involved in raising the children. According to Heard and Bratter, other father and white mother generally identify "Identity is an important aspect of well factors have a hand in shaping a child's ra- themselves as black, they are now more like- being," says Heard, assistant professor of cial identity. Some of these are the family's ly to identify themselves as multiracial. This sociology and assistant director of Rice's overall racial composition, whether the par- is a fresh development in racial classification. Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life. ents are immigrants or the extended family Traditionally, the United States has adhered "Therefore, the relationship that fathers is present, and the parents' socioeconomic to the "One Drop Rule," which means that have with their children may have important status. Another factor that can make a child a person with one drop of African blood consequences in how their children con- more aware of his or her racial formation is is considered black. But today, adolescents struct racial identity." the local community."A child's identity," want to include the races of both parents Heard and Bratter used a study called the the study states, "will generally reflect the and are calling themselves multiracial, espe- National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent population that is most represented in the cially those with African American fathers. Health to assess the involvement of fathers local area." "This is the new multiracial movement that with racially mixed children. They sampled But such factors, Heard and Bratter point started when people wanted to give voice to 886 adolescents and asked them three ques- out,"do not entirely explain the tendency the multiracial identities of their parents," tions about how they classified themselves for children to match their father's racial Heard explains. "Some of the parents were racially: Do they identify exactly with the classification." There is another, perhaps saying 'Hey, this is my child, too, and I want father's race? Do they include their father's stronger, reason for this occurrence: the my race to be included. And now that the racial identity? Or do they not include their quantity and quality of the interaction be- U.S. Census Bureau has decided to allow father's race at all? tween father and child. The more time a people to choose more than one race, the As it turns out, how the father identifies father spends with his child doing different multiracial movement has been legitimized." himself racially plays a key role in forming activities, such as sports, the more likely a Heard and Bratter's study,"In the Name the racial makeup of the child. "In situations child will identify with the father. Although and Race of the Father? The Role of Fa- where you have an interracial couple, the providing emotional support and supervis- ther—Child Interactions in the Identity of identity of the child is more likely to be simi- ing the social networks of children also are Multiracial Adolescents," was published in lar to the identity of the father," says Heard. important aspects of parenting in general, the proceedings from the conference "Mul- This is especially true when the father is these do not directly impact racial identity. tiethnic Families: Development, Identity, black. In seeking racial composition, chil- Activities provide an opportunity for what and Well Being."• dren with black fathers tend either to accept the sociologists call "direct racial socializa- —David D. Medina

Winter '07 7 NSF Taps Rice to Address Gender Bias

With the need for scientists and In an effort to increase the opportunity to impact gen- engineers growing, it might seem opportunities for hiring and lice is not content to der and ethnic diversity over that educational programs that advancement of women faculty the coming decade because in science and engineering na- offaculty retirements," says seek students and universities he a follower on this tionwide, the National Science Rice president David Leebron. and businessesthat hire scientists Foundation (NSF) has awarded "More than one-third of our and engineers would be open to Rice a $3.3 million, five-year issue.11 e are already faculty in science and engineer- recruitment from every possible grant to develop strategies for ing will reach normal retirement demographic group. Historically, recruiting and enhancing the age during that time. Rice is not pool of women for junior facul- leading the nation in content to be a follower on this however, that has not been the ty positions in science and en- issue. We are already leading the case regarding women, and the gineering. The grant, awarded nation in appointing women to trend seems to be a tough one to under the ADVANCE Institu- appointing women to positions ofleadership within counter. tional Transformation Program, science and engineering, and also will allow Rice to examine we intend to lead by example in Nationally, about 25 percent positions of leadership administrative processes and recruiting, retaining, and nur- of the science and engineering encourage cultural changes to turing junior faculty women and workforce is female, but fewer foster a more welcoming en- within science and men." than 20 percent of all science vironment for female scholars Rice's record on gender eq- and engineering faculty at four- in science and engineering and uity in science and engineer- year colleges and universities to remove artificial barriers to engineering, and ing, like that of other research are women. That number drops success. universities, is mixed. Rice is below 10 percent in some disci- If the program's first work- we intend to lead by the only top-tier university in plines, such as math and physics. shop, held last October, is any the nation with female deans in The figures decrease even fur- indication, there is going to be a both science and engineering, ther for women of color—mi- lot of interest. Titled "Negotiat- example in recruiting, and it is above the national aver- nority women account for only ing the Ideal Faculty Position: age in the percentage of women about 2 percent ofscience and A Workshop for Women in Sci- at the rank of full professor. engineering faculty. ence and Engineering," it was retaining, and However, at the time it applied Numerous attitude surveys at designed to teach upper-level for ADVANCE funding, Rice university campuses across the women graduate students and nurturing junior scored below the national aver- country find the same result: postdoctoral fellows how to find faculty age in the ranks of women assis- women are consistently less sat- and secure a faculty position tant and associate professors in isfied with their jobs than their that's a good match for their women and men." science and engineering. While male counterparts, and the rea- career interests. More than 700 recent recruiting has boosted sons are similar from survey to women applied for the work- the number of women in several survey: isolation, work overload, shop's 46 available spots. —David Leebron departments and the university and too little appreciation. "Rice has an extraordinary far exceeds the national average

8 Rice Sallyport T R 0 U G H THE S A L LYP OR T

for female faculty in several science if you're searching for faculty candi- and engineering disciplines, including dates and you call a professor and ask bioengineering, mechanical engineer- them to recommend someone from ing, and life sciences, some of Rice's their group, they'll tend to mention departments lack women faculty and the men first. It's unconscious, and women of color. both men and women do it, but re- Better than a Texbook Program leaders at Rice say they search also shows that you can balance hope to meet the challenges of in- that bias by simply asking if they have creasing the percentage of women any promising women in their group." faculty to better reflect the national Matthews says there are many ex- pool of women earning doctoral de- amples of these subtle biases. Unlike conscious acts of discrimination, these have almost negligible effect when looked at by themselves. But though le don't want to advantage each act is small, the consequences are cumulative, and the overall impact can be pernicious and discouraging. women over men.e want "For decades, we've addressed these issues by placing the onus on women, asking them to behave differently in to remove the disadvan- order to fit into academic culture," says fellow principal investigator Sallie Keller-McNulty, dean of the George tages faced by women, and R. Brown School of Engineering. "Today, we've realized what we really in doing so, we will raise need to do is focus on changing the culture." Matthews says one way Rice hopes everyone's awareness and to improve its climate is by calling attention to as many of these un- conscious stereotypes and biases as From a very early age, Rupsa Chaudhury '07 saw improve the climate for possible in a series of workshops and that humankind comprises two very distinct worlds. lectures that target all segments of the Through travelsfrom her hometown in Massachusetts campus—from senior faculty to gradu- to her birthplace of Calcutta, Rupsa witnessed the both men and women and undergraduate students. ate and disparities in "We don't want to advantage wom- global health. However, it wasn't the Quality of research and en over men," says Keller-McNulty. until Rupsa took a course in medical sociology with "We want to remove the disadvantag- Professor Bridget Gorman that she learned how es faced by women, and in doing so, economics, politics, sociology, and culture also teaching for all." we will raise everyone's awareness and greatly influence health. improve the climate for both men and women and the quality of research and This past summer, Rupsa, a Max F. Roy Scholarship —Sallie Keller-McNulty teaching for all." recipient, was among 10 members of Rice's Co-principal investigators include Humanitarian Medical Outreach program to travel to bioengineering department chair Re- Kenya to diagnose basic illnesses and diseases. becca Richards-Kortum, the Stanley grecs in science and engineering by C. Moore Professor in Bioengineering studying and implementing ways to Following graduation,Rupsa wi II attendJohns Hopkins and Electrical and Computer Engi- enhance pools of qualified candidates School of Medicine. Rice is proud that we soon will neering; chemistry department chair and by examining policies, practices, count Rupsa among our accomplished alumni, and Ken 'Whitmire, professor of chemistry; and perceptions that might cause and Mildd Hebl, associate professor of we are fortunate to be able to offer the endowed women to avoid careers in those psychology and management. Hebl, scholarship support that brought her here. fields. If achieved, this goal will ef- an expert in studying the interactions fectively double or triple the current "This scholarship is the first thing that made me between stigmatized and nonstigma- national averages for the percent- seriously consider Rice," tized individuals, will play a key role in Rupsa says. "Rice has age of women faculty in most Rice assessing the effectiveness of each pro- offered me many unique opportunities, but I would departments. gram element. not be here if not for the scholarship." "Recruiting more women who are "Because of its small size and its qualified provides only part of the an- interdisciplinary, cooperative cul- swer," says Kathleen Matthews, dean ture," Matthews says, "Rice is the of the Wiess School of Natural Sci- perfect place to rapidly and rigor- YOUR GI FT WORK ences and a principal investigator on RICE UNIVERSITY ously test new approaches for the the grant. "We also need to address advancement of women and to get the subtle biases or stereotypes wom- Rice the word out about what works and University • Office of Development—MS 81 en face in academia. Sometimes it can PO. what doesn't." in Box 1892 • Houston, TX 77251-1892 just be the way things are phrased. —Jade Boyd 713-348-4600 • www.giving.rice.edu For example, research has shown that

Winter '07 9 A Pixel's Worth a Thousand Words

Richard Baraniuk, left, and Kevin Kelly

For all their ease and con- the thousands of single-pixel to light and vice versa. Built on tables in Kelly's laboratory. So venience, few devices snapshots. a microchip chassis, a DMD is far, only stationary objects have with tiny mirrors, each been are more wasteful and The oddest part about Rice's covered photographed, but Kelly camera might be that it works about the size of a microbe, and Baraniuk say they should be inefficient than digital cam- best when the light from the that are capable of facing only able to adapt the photographic eras. They're loaded with scene under view is scattered at two directions. They appear technique to produce images pricey microprocessorsthat random and turned into noise bright when facing one way and similar to a home snapshot. chew through batteries at a that looks like a television tuned dark when facing the other, so However, their initial efforts are to a dead channel. "VVhite noise when a computer views them, it aimed at developing the cam- breakneck pace, crunching is the key," says Richard Bara- sees them as ones or zeros. era for scientific applications millions of numbers per niuk, the Victor E. Cameron In a regular camera, a lens where digital photography is second in order to throw Professor in Electrical and Com- focuses light for a brief instant unavailable. out as much as 99 percent puter Engineering. "Thanks to onto a piece of film or a photo- "For some wavelengths out- of the information flowing some deep new mathematics diode array. In the single-pixel side the visible spectrum, it's developed just a couple of years camera, the image from the lens often too expensive to produce through the lens. Now,think more efficient. Much more Rice's camera creates an image by capturing just one point of light, or pixel, several thousand times in rapid succession. efficient. ago, we're able to get a useful, is shone onto the DMD and large arrays of detectors," Kelly hat's what a pair of coherent image out of the ran- bounced from there though says. "One of the beauties of engineers at Rice have domly scattered measurements." a second lens that focuses the our system is that it only re- T done using some new Baraniuk's collaborator, Kevin reflected light onto a single quires one detector. We think mathematics and a silicon chip Kelly, assistant professor of elec- photodiode. The mirrors on this same methodology could covered with hundreds of trical and computer engineer- the DMD are shuffled at ran- be a real advantage in terahertz thousands of mirrors the size ing, built a working prototype dom for each new sample. Each imaging and other areas." of a single bacterium. Unlike a camera using a digital micro- time the mirrors shift, a new The research is funded by the one-megapixel camera that cap- mirror device, or DMD,and a pixel value is recorded by the Defense Advanced Research Proj- tures 1 million points of light single photodiode, which turns photodiode. In effect, the lens ects Agency, the Office of Naval for every frame, Rice's camera light into electrical signals. To- and DMD do what the power- Research, the National Science creates an image by captur- day's typical retail digital camera hungry microchip in the digital Foundation, the Air Force Office ing just one point of light, or has millions of photodiodes, or camera usually does: compress ofScientific Research, and Texas pixel, several thousand times megapixels, on a single chip. the data from the larger picture Instruments' Leadership Univer- in rapid succession. The new DMDs,which are fabricated into a more compact form. sity Program.• mathematics comes into play in by Texas Instruments and used The prototype camera re- —Jade Boyd assembling the high-resolution primarily in digital televisions quires about five minutes to image—equal in quality to the and projectors, are capable of take a picture, and it fills an one-megapixel image—from converting digital information entire corner of one of the

10 Rice Sallyport THROUGH THE SALLYPORT

fire and hire their top executive at breakneck speed, repeatedly looking for big-name,big -results replacements from the outside.

is bad, but our research shows that the losers in the internal that is not the most effective race frequently leave the firm Hiring a New CEO? Pick the sight Strategy strategy," Zhang says. "An out- when they are not selected. It sider faces great pressure to turn also The CEO position in corporate America has become a revolving door, makes for a volatile situ- a company around or lead the ation in the highest executive with many organizations bringing in new talent from the outside to organization to increased suc- ranks that can poison the entire lead their companiesto better days. New research suggests,however, cess, but just because an out- organization. that this might not be the best method for hiring a new CEO, even if side candidate will likely bring The authors suggest that the company is struggling. change and new skills does not the one environment in which mean those changes will work outside candidates may be best- well in the organization." In suited is when a company is In 2003, CEOs leaving office turnover trend a "CEO succes- contrast, a groomed heir appar- facing unprecedented industry in America had tenures averag- sion crisis," and co-researcher ent has the interpersonal skills instability. For example, when ing only about five years. Today, Nandini Rajagopalan of the that work within the company. Kodak was confronting the shift companies continue to fire and University of Southern Califor- The grooming process allows the from film to digital and the re- hire their top executive at break- nia, evaluated three different candidate and the firm time to tirement oflongtime CEO Dan- neck speed, repeatedly look- forms of succession—heirs ap- get acquainted while also provid- iel Carp, the company looked ing for big-name, big-results parent, other internal execu- ing an immediate backup should outside the organization for replacements from the outside. tives, and outsiders—in more something unexpected happen someone with digital expertise. Yet too often the CEO fails, and than 200 CEO changes in pub- to the company's current head, It found its successor in Antonio the cycle begins anew."Why do licly traded, nondiversified U.S. reducing the amount of turbu- Perez, who had previously run so many firms fire their CEOs manufacturing companies over lence during a CEO's departure. Hewlett-Packard's digital imag- in such a short time period? It's a six-year period in the mid- And by performing some ofthe ing businesses. because they don't meet ex- 1990s. Their findings, published responsibilities before the official The article is laced with sim- pectations," says Yan "Anthea" in a recent paper titled "Organi- appointment, the heir apparent ilar examples from corporate Zhang, assistant professor of zational Dynamics," suggest the demonstrates his or her ability to America over the past decade. strategic management at Rice best approach, even in the most lead as CEO. The most telling may have University's Jesse H. Jones challenging situations, such as Another common practice is been at Xerox, where an out- Graduate School of Manage- when the company is not doing for companies to run an internal side CEO hired in 2000 lasted ment. "But the more important well, is not to look outside the "horse race" among non-heir- only 13 months before a long- question is: why can't they meet company but, instead, to groom apparent candidates vying for time executive from within the those expectations? It's because an heir apparent from within. the top post. The researchers company, Anne Mulcahy, was the company or board of direc- This is in stark contrast to how found that this form of CEO groomed and then promoted tors might not have picked the companies traditionally react. succession should be avoided at to CEO, bringing the com- right person for the position to "It's natural for companies to all costs. The problem lies not pany back from the edge of begin with." want to hire new CEOs from only in the lack of a groom- bankruptcy.• Zhang, who calls the high the outside when performance ing period but also in the fact

Winter '07 11 THROUGH THE SALLYPORT

Beware of strangers. Don't judge a book by its cover. We repeat these timeworn adages without even thinking, but new research into the snap judgments people make in deciding whether to trust strangers shows people are willing to judge a book by its cover, even though, from a strategic 1'/ho Do You Trust? standpoint, they should not. rust is a key concept in political sci- the experiment A little more than half were ence,and much research has delved males, and 94 percent were between into what makes people the trust one ages of 18 and 22 The researchers another The fact is, even took care T though our to select an ethnically diverse group They others advised us otherwise, we are not then used a two-part experiment to measure cautious of strangers, and several previous trust and attractiveness. In the first part, studies have shown a considerable level of subjects were photographed and took part trust between strangers As far as judging in a series of "trust games:' In the second a book by its cover, research shows race part, another group of subjects evaluated has some bearing on trust, but what about the photographs for attractiveness the attractiveness of the stranger? In the trust games, on average, the at- "We were interested in whether people tractive people fared best, and they tended infer something about their counterpart to reciprocate that trust "We found that based solely on a surface judgment, and attractive subjects gain a beauty premium whetherthese judgments are correct:" says in that they are trusted at higher rates'," Rick Wilson, the Herbert S. Autrey Profes- Wilson says However, the participants also sor of Political Science and professor of had higher expectations of attractive people psychology and statistics at Rice University. "Attractive people were penalized more Wilson is co-author, with Catherine Eckel, heavily than less attractive people when professor of economics at the University expectations were dashed'," Wilson says, of Texas at Dallas, of a new study titled "setting up a 'beauty penalty"" "Judging a Book by Its Cover Beauty and What impact might these findings have Expectations in the Trust Game." This led on the larger picture of society? In today's the researchers tothe seemingly noncredible environment of visual media, people often but easy to observe and difficult to mimic make snap decisions based on aspect of people-their attractiveness brief sight- ings This research confirms what has been Prior research has shown that people at- found in other studies in political tribute a variety of positive characteristics science attractiveness matters when people to attractive people, including intelligence, are evaluating candidates. "Also, attractive competence,and leadership skills. It appears people may be more successful in acquiring attractiveness paysin the marketplace, and social capital because they are trusted this has been referred to as the "beauty in the initial exchange:" Wilson notes premium:' As far back as "Whether the famous or not they are more televised "dark shadow" productive doesn't debate between seem to matter—the John F Kennedy and fact is, they get an Richard Nixon, political initial advantage" scientists have noted a beauty premium for The reasons political candidates we are so attentive to attrac- tiveness probably are rooted in centuries To find if people rely on attractiveness as past. "It may be embedded as part a way to decide whether to trust strangers of our cognitive apparatus," Wilson says "There and if attractive people gain from being are evolutionary reasons why humans might trusted, the researchers recruited a total of be attentive to attractiveness, including that, 206 students from Virginia Tech, Rice Uni- historically, it signaled good genes,substantial versity, and North Carolina Agricultural and parental investment, or status "• Technical State University to participate in —Dawn Dorsey

12 Rice Sallyport THROUGH THE SALLYPORT

ONE OF THE "What we found that could be powerful 'Best Places for some companies is that there's potentially money to be made from these social activities." to lillork" —Douglas Schuler n its first year to participate in the THouston Business Journal's "Best Places The Elusive consumers use or don't use that ment your customers on certain information in their purchasing ethical characteristics, you'll to Work" survey, Rice, Connection Between decisions. One of the keys to have a better idea of what you which employs nearly Social and Financial the purchase is the consumer's have to gain from these social 3,000 people, ranked moral orientation. The research- activities." 11th among the largest Performance ers argue that a company's In addition, the authors ar- employers in Houston. social activities can lead to finan- gue that the message about a The university scored Can corporate social performance cial gains by impacting consum- company's social performance 83.12 points out of actually help a company's bottom ers' decisions only when there programs is more powerful if 100—just seven points line? According to a new model is ample information about a it comes from a third party not behind Administaff, focused on consumer behavior, company's social performance connected to the company, such which ranked No. 1 in and the consumers are more as a media outlet or a social the secret could lie in the ways the same category. focused on others as opposed to watchdog organization—trust- companies disseminate informa- themselves. ing Nike less, say, than the San More than 160 com- tion about social programs and Schuler and Cording plan Francisco Chronicle or Human panies participated this how they segment markets based to test their model soon with Rights Watch. This suggests year in four categories: on customers' values. a consumer survey, but in the that managing relationships 10-100 employees, meantime, the research offers with appropriate third-party 101-500 employees, As the concept of corporate some immediate real-world im- groups is critical. 501-plus employees, social performance (CSP) gains plications for managers, particu- Companies with a positive and companies not credence throughout the busi- CSP image also need to be vigi- based in Houston but ness world—with firms spend- lant to maintain that image, be- with a significant pres- "A bunch of men lose ing millions on social programs cause they have the most to ence here. Each com- watching a football in the face of unfavorable news. such as better labor practices pany received an overall game together "It's almost a tabloid-type prop- and environmental steward- score depending on the ship—the obvious and inevi- don't care osition," Schuler says. "We live probably strength of a survey of table question is whether such as much as a woman to find dirt about movie stars, so companies that have very employee responses. programs help the bottom line. watching Lifetime both academic strong reputations really need to "The rich fabric of Up until now, whether Budweiser and internal corporate studies be careful to not have some in- Rice University is wo- have produced only equivocal has a program to ternal scandal or something else ven from the people results. Instead of trying to find support needy of the sort come to light." that make it great—our some direct correlation between children." The authors limited their students, faculty, staff, study to consumers—as op- social and financial measures, as —Douglas Schuler alumni, and friends," previous studies attempted, a posed to other corporate says President David stakeholders such as investors new research model by Jesse H. Leebron. "I am de- larly regarding the ways firms and employees—and looked Jones Graduate School of Man- lighted that, through professors Douglas segment their markets. The exclusively at buying behavior agement this award, we can Schuler and Margaret Cording authors argue that some con- connected with "high-involve- views consumer behavior as the sumers give more weight than ment" goods like cars and home highlight the extraordi- key ingredient to understand- others to information about electronics, since consumers are nary contribution that ing the potential relationship. companies' social performance more likely to research these our staff and faculty "What we found that could be and that understanding who purchases—and thus evaluate make to our university. powerful for some companies," those consumers are would al- CSP information—than daily Their commitment and says Schuler,"is that there's low companies to target their household goods they routinely daily dedication to our potentially money to be made CSP messages accordingly. buy. Ultimately, once informa- students and our re- from these social activities." "A bunch of men watching a tion about a company's CSP search mission are the reputation reaches consumers, The research, published in football game together probably foundation of all our the Academy ofManagement don't care as much as a woman the buyer's own moral compass watching Lifetime whether plays a key role in the final buy- efforts."• Review, first considers how —B. J. Almond firms convey information to Budweiser has a program ing decision.• the public about their social to support needy children," programs. It then looks at how Schuler notes. "If you can seg-

VVInter '07 13 THROUGH THE SALLYPORT

Human*Resource Institute Blossoms Rice Journal Call it HR for HR professionals. In the decade since the Susanne M. Jumps in Global Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice began offering human resources educational courses,more than 2,000 HR professionals in the Rankings Houston area have completed the program's development curriculum.

he program began in that the classes end just before the 1996 with a single national certification testing begins. course intended to help Fenninger, who has completed T practitioners prepare both certification levels, says peo- for certification testing. Kathleen ple take the classes for a variety of Fenninger, an HR professional reasons. Some participants attend for more than two decades who strictly for self-edification. Others has taught classes in the Glass- are considering moving into an HR cock School since the program's field. Many are seeking a prepara- inception, also is a member of tory tool for taking certification HR Houston, a local network- tests. "Completing the course is not ing organization dedicated to the a guarantee that people will pass the advancement and professional certification exams, but historically, ince Feminist Economics was named development of human resource the pass-rate has been very high," the best new journal in 1997, it's been management. She was charged she says. "Having those certifications Sobviousthe publicationfillsa need—and with helping establish a program enhance HR professionals' credibil- does it well. A recent report of a jump in the in conjunction with a Houston ity in the job market." journal's citation rankings adds more proof. university. When the time came to select a partner university, several "The class is a safe place to ask Founded by Diana Stras- colleges were considered, but Rice questions and learn how to cor- was, she says, "undoubtedly the smann, a Rice professor rect or improve a situation in their of the practice in humani- best institution to partner with." During the next several years, own workplace. They are able to ties, the journal was ranked the program developers saw that learn from other class participants 35th—up from 135th last there should be multiple courses by sharing stories about real-life year—among 172 econom- under the HR education umbrella, experiences—good ics journals in the ISI Social and they added more advanced and bad." Science Citation Index,the classes. Today, says Carroll Scherer, —Colleen Dutton professional programs manager most prestigious index for in the Glasscock School, there Colleen Dutton, director of em- scholarly social science are three courses at successively ployee relations at Rice, teaches the journals. Among women's higher levels: Essentials of HR introductory Essentials of HR Man- studies journals, it placed Diana Strassmann Management, Professional HR agement course and believes the lev- third out of 27 Development, and Senior HR De- el of experience and background of This is made even more significant by the fact that velopment. In 2002, the program each participant helps build a unique was named the Institute for Hu- learning environment. "The class is a only about8 percent of journals published internation- man Resource Education to recog- safe place to ask questions and learn ally are covered by the index. The rankings are based nize its impact on the profession. how to correct or improvea situa- on the number of articles cited in other scholarly works The institute's curriculum for tion in their own workplace," she during 2003 and 2004 and provide an indication of a the Professional HR Development explains. "They are able to learn from journal's impact course is based on the Society for other dass participants by sharing sto- Human Resource Management's ries about real-life experiences—good When Strassmann started the journal almost 12 Learning System, which is the in- and bad." years ago, nothing like it existed, and she says Rice's dustry standard for preparing for Dutton hopes the participants support of Feminist Economics has been instrumen- professional in human resource leave the program with more than tal from the beginning The journal's staff has grown certification testing. The Senior just the ability to score well on stan- to include three full-time editorial staff members as HR Development course serves as dardized tests. "Students complete well as several graduate student fellows. It has al- preparation for the senior profes- the program with more confidence sional in human resource certifica- and knowledge in the handling and most 400 institutional subscribers and 600 individual tion and is designed for individuals understanding of HR laws and prac- subscribers.. responsible for HR management in tices," she says. "They leave with an —Dawn Dorsey their companies. The course also appreciation for the role of HR,as provides a clear understanding of well as a respect for the level of com- the human resource manager's role mitment and responsibility expected in internal and external affairs. The of an HR professional."• 36-hour courses are scheduled so —Arie Wilson

14 Rice Sallyport [ THROUGH THE SALLYPORT]

cular disks of soft magnetic co- hair—and as small as one mi- detailed location and orienta- balt. Their goal was to trap and cron. The vortex was found on tion of millions of magnetic Vortex Computing image a single magnetic vortex, disks measuring six microns in moments that combine physi- In a research first that could lead a cone-like structure created in diameter, slightly smaller than a cal forces to create the overall to a new generation of hard drives the disk's magnetic field when red blood cell. structure." capable of storing thousands of all the magnetic moments of the "Most people are familiar Rau says a better under- magnetic vortices movies persquare inch,physicists atoms in the disk align with vortices," standing of Rau says. "We could allow breakthroughs in at Rice University have decoded into uniform concen- tric circles. Toward see them in sat- the design of nanostructures thethree-dimensional structure of the core of the disk, ellite photos for ultrahigh-density hard-disk a tornado-like magnetic vortex no however, the magnetic of hurricanes, media, nonvolatile magnetic larger than a red blood cell. moments point more in whirlpools, RAM,and novel magnetic logic "Understanding the nuances and more out ofthe and in bathtub gates that could replace volatile and functions of magnetic vorti- plane ofthe disk, like drains—even in semiconductor logic. Compared ces is likely going to be a key in a swirling cone. If the Van Gogh's fa- to regular electronic devices, creating next-generation mag- vortex spins in a right- mous painting the magnetic devices would be netic storage devices," says lead handed direction, the Starry Night. In faster, smaller, use less power, researcher Carl Rau, professor cone points up; if the nanomagnetism, and create less heat, and they of physics and astronomy. "It's vortex spins left, the however, vortices wouldn't lose information when widely believed this technology cone points down. are quite hard to power was turned off. will support storage densities in In searching for the see experimen- "Imagine if you never had to the range of terabits per square correct size disk to tally. Most often, reboot your computer again," inch, and our group is equally create the phenome- we must infer Rau says. excited about the potential for non, Rau and Li used their existence The research was supported magnetic processors and for thin films of cobalt— from some other by the National Science Foun- high-speed magnetic RAM." about the thickness of measurement. dation, and the findings are Rau and postdoctoral re- a cell membrane—and Our high-reso- available online and will appear searcher Jian Li used a scanning they made disks with diameters lution spin microscope, how- in an upcoming issue of Physical ion microscope to first create as large as 38 microns—about ever, allows us to map not just Review Letters.• —Jade Boyd and then measure ultrathin cir- half the width of a human the overall vortex but also the NSF funding Continues Rice's Study of Nanotech's Impact on Health

Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental teachers and their students have exposed thousands of young Nanotechnology(CBEN)wasthefirst academic research center people to the exciting frontiers of nanoscale science," she to in the world dedicated to studying the interactions among notes. "In addition, we have helped encourage companies move nanotechnology from the laboratory to the marketplace nanomaterials and living organisms and ecosystems. Founded through a varied set of collaborations with diverse groups like with a five-year National Science Foundation grant in 2001, it the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and was eligiblefor a one-timefive-year extension,which it received the International Council on Nanotechnology" renewal ensuresthe center's programs this year.The $12 million CBEN's research focus is on the so-called "wet—dry" inter- will continue through 2011. face between biology and materials science. For example,the "In its first five years, CBEN helped produce groundbreaking machinery of life inside every living cell exists in a water-based research in nanomedicine, nanobiotechnology, nanotoxicol- environment. Nanomaterials, on the other hand, often are either ogy, and nanoscale methods for environmental remediation," insoluble or unable to function efficiently in solution. CBEN's says CBEN director Vicki Col- research aims to understand yin, professor of chemistry. how nanomaterials function "CBEN has played an active "CBEN has played an active role in informing the in water-based environments role in informing the public, public, lawmakers, and industry leaders about po- such as living organisms and lawmakers,and industry lead- tential unintended environmental consequences of ecosystems. ers about potential unintended nanotechnology." —Vicki Colvin The International Council environmental consequences on Nanotechnology(ICON), a of nanotechnology. With this multistakeholder initiative that new funding, we are looking forward to making even more grew out of CBEN-led activities, is addressing the potential significant strides." environmental and health risks of nanotechnology. Last year, Colvin stresses that CBEN's success extends well beyond ICON unveiled a nanomaterial-specific environmental, health, the laboratory. "Our educational programs for K-12 science and safety database as a free public service.• —Jade Boyd

Winter '07 15 STUDENTS

"The whole point of science is to benefit the world. I want to use my education to reach out to humanity."

—Julie Liao

an undergraduate student to ince, where she saw beautiful participate Baylor College of Medicine. She in an international mountain scenery contrasted internship; was part of a team under the di- [EARNING EXPERIENCE international travel, with harsh living conditions. rection of Rice's Naomi Halas, study, or research abroad; or She was inspired by the deter- the Stanley C. Moore Profes- Senior Student other international program. mination and open hearts of the sor in Electrical and Computer Liao saw the scholarship as people Travels the Path to and has vowed to return. Engineering and an opportunity to work professor of with Since her sophomore year at Self-Understanding the Overseas chemistry, and Robert Raphael, China Education Rice, Liao, a Century Scholar, Foundation, the T.N. Law Assistant Pro- a nonprofit organi- has worked on protein -fold- fessor in Bioengineering. The team worked on a collaborative oung adulthood should be research project to attach lipids a period of discovery, a time to nanoshells and then use the yto explore possible career lipid-bound nanoshells to trap paths and life goals. One of the important membrane-associated particular advantages of attending molecules, such as cholesterol, Rice is the wealth of eye-opening salicylate, and ibuprofen. opportunities available through "The Rice faculty is very will- research, travel, and interaction ing to have undergraduates with faculty. work in their labs," Liao says. During her time at Rice, Ju- "At other schools, the faculty is lie Liao—a senior majoring in so tied up in their own research biochemistry and Asian stud- they don't take the time to ies—has had several illuminating work with students." Harsh living conditions experiences. This past summer, in rural villages and beautiful mountain scenery were what Now that Liao is planning Julie Liao experienced she broadened her horizons while spending a month in China and visiting schools in her postgraduation life, she underdeveloped with a trip to China and by par- villages in Jiangxi Province. finds her goals have changed. ticipating in an important re- Her trip to China inspired her search project. to pursue a graduate degree in zation dedicated to improving Liao, who was born in China ing studies in the laboratory science, technology, and soci- education in rural areas of Chi- of Pernilla and moved to Rochester, New Wittung-Stafshede, ety, which she hopes to use to na."We share the same passion associate York, her sophomore year of professor of biochem- help underprivileged people in to help poor people in China," istry high school, was intrigued when and cell biology and of China. "The whole point of Liao says. "I volunteered to she heard about the Kathryn chemistry. Liao has been second science is to benefit the world," travel there to inspect schools author, Leebron Smyth Travel Fel- with Wittung-Stafshede, Liao says. "I want to use my and interview students that the on lowship. Established by Rice two articles in prestigious education to reach out to organization sponsors." publications. president David Leebron and humanity."• Liao spent a month in China, This Y. Ping Sun in 2004, the fel- year, Liao participated —Dawn Dorsey visiting schools in underdevel- lowship provides support in the Summer Medical and for oped villages in Jiangxi Prov- Research Training Program at

16 Rice Sallyport "A lot of peopl have never me'4 someone wilo is blind and donlit understand thlt being blind is j a part of life." —Alysha Jeans

No Boundaries Baker College freshman Alysha Jeans by her surroundings. Using her senses of hearing, touch, and smell may have been born blind, but she cer- and relying on the visual descriptions of her sighted climbing partner, Rice Freshman tainly sees more potential in the world Jeans was able to formulate a mental picture of the ancient city, Lets Nothing than most people. Maybe nestled in the mountainside. "Machu Picchu was Corral Her that's because wonderful: she the 18-year-old has a simple motto: "I says "It was truly an amazing thing to be a part of." Adventurous Peru wasn't first Spirit refuse to be held back." That motto has the adventure for Jeans, a graduate of Wichita helped take her around the world and West High School in Wichita, Kansas She has been scuba diving, made her a minor celebrity. rock climbing, and parasailing For her 18th birthday this past July, she went skydiving for the first time Jeans traveled to Peru this past sum- Jeans was born with Leber's Congenital Amaurosis,an inherited mer with Global Explorers, a nonprofit organization that special- degenerative retinal disorder characterized by a severe loss of izes in international immersion experiences for students The vision at birth Some may think that the daring activities she has trip paired students who have visual disabilities with able-bodied undertaken might be prohibitive for someone with vision loss, counterparts and was led by athlete Erik Weihenmayer, the first but Jeans doesn't believe so—and neither do those who have blind person to scale Mt Everest It was an experience the most met her."The most difficult thing is overcoming stereotypes, and visually gifted individual would have trouble describing there are a lot of stereotypes out there:' Jeans says "A lot of During the group's 10-day trek through Peru, Jeans visited people have never met someone who is blind and don't under- Cuzco, where she toured nearby Incan ruins, shopped at the stand that being blind is just a part of life." She says she learned Pisac Market, once a major 'nom trading city, and hiked to an early on that she can do anything a person with sight can, just in ancient Incan Qosqoq'awarina, wall and fortress known as "the a slightly different way. place where one can see Cuzco" Director of Disability Support Services (DSS) Jean Ashmore Before her hike to Machu Picchu, Jeans and her fellow stu- and adaptive technology disability specialist Zoe Honor have dents stopped in the rural village of Chilipahua There, the group worked with Jeans to ensure the physics major has all the tools spent the day with young schoolchildren, many of whom walk she needs to be successful at Rice In Jeans's case, DSS pro- hours each day to attend class, and handed out books, soccer vides Braille-translated textbooks, audio books, and other adap- balls, and other gifts Next, the group stopped near the village tive technologies, and Honor converts each of Jeans's tests into of Keska and camped one night at the edge of the Urubamba Braille An outside consultant was brought in to help Jeans learn River. Both areas hold the remains of Incan cities abandoned the layout of Rice, and she has been very quick to adapt to her hundreds of years ago. new surroundings "Alysha is an adventurous person who loves Finally, Jeans and her grouptook a shorttrain ride to Chachabamba life and cherishes new experiences: Honor says "We are lucky and hiked to the ruins atVVinayVVayna, where they joined the Inca to have her here at Rice:' Trail and pushed on to Intipunku, a major entry point for climbing Thanks to her adventurous nature and infectious personality, the high ridge of the mountain that shares its name, Machu Pic- Jeans is featured in a television program produced last fall by the chu, with some of the most famous ruins in the world Travel Channel, which interviewed her for a documentary on her The next day, Jeans made it safely over rocky terrain and ancient trip to Peru with Global Explorers • trails tothe ancient Incan city, where shefound herself overwhelmed —Ane Wilson

Winter '07 17

BY DEBORAH J. AUSMAN • PHOTOGRAHY BY TOMMY LAVERGNE For most of us, the runny nose, sore

7-4 throat, and hacking cough of the common cold are as much a part of the winter season as overplayed carols in grocery stores. AsThe Drifters might sing," It comes this time each year." And for that, we can thank or blame ution

Winter '07 19 If evolution is reproducible, it could, theoretically, be harnessed to accomplish specific objectives of interest to humans, such as drug design and protein engineering.

ore than 200 viruses cause common cold symptoms. Each time tion proceeds. If evolution is reproducible, it could, theoretically, be har- one of them makes us sick, our body develops antibodies to nessed to accomplish specific objectives ofinterest to humans, such as protect us from future infection. In a static system, past en- drug design and protein engineering. counters would render us less likely to get colds as we age, but the system Unfortunately, so many variables affect evolutionary processes that it is isn't static. Changes can occur each time a virus rep- almost impossible to predict outcomes. "It's like fore- licates to make copies of itself. These changes, multi- casting the weather," Shamoo says. Weather forecast- plied over the vast number of viruses involved in each ers are smart people, but they can't say exactly where infection, lead to the diversity and variation that enable a hurricane will hit, or when, or at what force, because the common cold to thwart the human immune sys- of all the variables involved. Evolution is similarly com- tem year after year. plex, and Shamoo's research aims to reduce the num- The same evolutionary mechanisms that make the ber of variables, enabling scientists to pinpoint ways in common cold so annoyingly predictable also power which evolution proceeds—or maybe even to direct the more devastating illnesses such as influenza and HIV. process intentionally. Combine mutational change with selective forces—im- "We're never going to In a collection of coffee pot-like vats, Shamoo cre- mune system factors or the latest expensive antibiotic, win this hattle. But if we ates a bacteria utopia. The temperature is around 55°C for example—and you breed resistance, says Yousif stay one Step of ahead (130°F), the perfect temperature for the vat's inhabit- Shamoo, associate professor of biochemistry and cell of the bugs, we can find ants, G. stearothemophilus. Ordinarily, these bacteria biology at Rice. The result is a deadly catch-22: Anti- ways to staye off the live at temperatures up to 73°C, but Shamoo's variety biotic resistance creates a growing need for new anti- inevitable.' has been genetically modified with a gene that pro- biotics, but no one wants to use the new ones because duces a metabolic protein that breaks down at tempera- it's only a matter of time before they won't be useful tures over 55°C. For one day, the bacteria enjoy an easy anymore. life—the temperature in the vat is perfect, and food is "We're never going to win this battle," Shamoo says. plentiful. The next day, however, Shamoo raises the "But if we stay one step of ahead of the bugs, we can temperature half a degree, and for the next month, he find ways to stave off the inevitable." Insights into evo- raises the temperature every other day while he and his lution—how it works, when it works, and the impact it fellow researchers observe how the microbes adapt. has on systems as it works—will be the primary weap- The results are remarkably consistent. Across 1,500 ons in this war. At Rice, evolution is studied not just by generations and millions of accumulated mutations, faculty in the department of ecology and evolutionary the surviving bacteria evolve one of six mutations in biology, but by researchers in statistics, bioengineering, the gene to produce a high-temperature version of the biochemistry and cell biology, earth science, chemistry, metabolic protein. Subsequent experiments run under anthropology, and even political science. Their goal is "We have this amazing similar conditions produced surviving progeny contain- to harness evolutionary processes for predictive, prac- example of gene flow ing one of this same set of six mutant genes. Crucially, tical purposes. For more than 100 years, evolutionary into this organism—it the mutations don't always arise where researchers theory has provided profound insights into where has recruited the genes might expect, illustrating how dynamic and creative the humans might have come from. Now, at the begin- that enabled it to adapt force of natural selection is in solving tricky problems ning of the 21st century, Rice scientists expect evolu- to the low-phosphate en- of life and death. "That's because the changes aren't tion to provide similar insights into where humans vironment from another trying to get someplace," says Shamoo."The bacteria may be going. bacteria." aren't thinking,'How can I outwit this annoying sci- —Janet Sieiert entist?' Mutations happen quite by chance and, as the EVOLUTION WRIT SMALL bacteria interact with the environment, the survivors retain what works." The underlying principles of evolution proposed by Charles Darwin in Shamoo notes that evolution can look random and unpredictable be- 1859 are extraordinarily simple. Two factors power evolution: mutational cause researchers and observers frequently focus on a microcosm: individ- change in an organism's DNA and natural selection, comprised of the ual organisms in a much larger population. "Mutations are rare," he says, internal and external pressures that determine which changes are success- "and it's even rarer that they confer a benefit to an organism." Across an fully transferred to the next generation. According to Shamoo, evolution entire population, though,"what works" will work, time after time, all is not purposeful, driving an organism in a particular direction, but it's just conditions being equal. as erroneous to label evolution a purely random process. That's because Sometimes, researchers get lucky and discover that nature has put in natural selection favors mutations that are beneficial. Under certain condi- place a set of constraints as rigorous as might be found in the lab. Janet tions, the mutations enable organisms to survive and reproduce; in other Siefert, faculty fellow in statistics, studies a unique type of bacillus found situations, the organism might die. Most often, minor mutations simply only in the geothermal pools in the Cuatro Cienegas basin in Mexico. inhabit the organism's DNA,contributing to the natural genetic variation Because the pools are low in phosphate, the bacillus—and only this ba- that keeps a species adaptable and successful. cillus—builds its membrane using sulfolipids rather than phospholipids. From its beginnings with Darwin, evolution has been a descriptive "We have analyzed this genome from the field using all the methods avail- discipline, providing insights on how different organisms might relate to able to us," Siefert says,"and we have this amazing example of gene flow each other. But the ability to map genomes, along with advanced statisti- into this organism—it has recruited the genes that enabled it to adapt to cal methods, sophisticated computational modeling, and high-throughput the low-phosphate environment from another bacteria." The discovery instrumentation, has transformed the field. Today, scientists like Shamoo provides a real-time look at horizontal gene transfer, a little-understood and his colleagues at Rice are interested in exploring exactly how evolu- mechanism by which microbes can exchange DNA.

20 Rice Sallyport MUTATION VS. RECOMBINATION Because proteins run the most rudimentary processes of life, insights into how they evolve have broad applicability. "There's a huge effort to "Nature has to have a variety of ways to facilitate change if it's going to understand protein evolution because people want to retune proteins or win the numbers game," says Joff Silberg, assistant professor of biochem- create entirely new protein functions," Silberg says. In addition, the tools istry and cell biology. Proteins, which power all biomolecular processes, developed and knowledge gleaned from these small-scale investigations are built by combining any of the 20 amino acids found in nature. Given benefit scientists studying how evolution proceeds in larger organisms and that bacterial proteins are around 300 amino acids long,some 20300 pos- systems. sible combinations of amino acids can be made. For perspective, a pile of unique protein sequences with the same mass as the Earth would only GROWTH AND ADAPTATION contain 1050 proteins. Somehow, within this vast sequence space, nature must find functional proteins to catalyze reactions, transport materials, Through a mix of traditional descriptive biology, modern statistical meth- and build larger biomolecular structures. Evolutionary studies investigate ods, and gene studies, Rice ecologists and evolutionary biologists are how nature accomplishes this feat and, more important- gleaning information about the growth and adaptation ly, how humans can co-opt these processes in the search of living systems and individual organisms that would for unique protein functions. have been impossible to ascertain a few decades ago. Mutation may be the most well-known method of Michael Kohn, assistant professor of ecology and generating new functionality, but it is not the most ef- evolutionary biology, has pioneered a technique called ficient. In laboratory studies, Silberg has quantified a natural selection mapping in his work with rats. Sci- mutational landscape for proteins that shows function entists have long sought the gene that makes some sliding down an exponential cliff—the more mutations rats resistant to warfarin, the most common rat poison in a protein, the less likely that protein is to retain useful used globally. Kohn scanned the rat chromosome, function. Mutation, says Silberg, is fine for making mi- looking for genetic material that has remained un- nor tweaks to a working system, either in an organism changed from generation to generation. He theorized or in the lab, but bigger changes require larger, more "Nature has to have a that strong selection, such as that associated with poi- drastic moves. son, variety of ways to facilitate would reduce genetic variation in the area of the Enter horizontal gene transfer, such as that employed change if it's going to win chromosome associated with the selection. The tech- by the bacillus in Cuatro Cienegas, and recombination. the numbers game." nique identified a small region of rat chromosome 1 Silberg likens recombination to "taking the left front that seemed the most likely place to find the gene or — &berg leg off an African elephant and swapping it with one genes associated with resistance. "This is probably the off an Asian elephant—they are different beasts, but first gene mapped in nature based solely on signals of they do the same kind of business." While this type of natural selection," Kohn says. Wholesale change seems artificial, nature regularly em- As in the protein studies conducted by Rice bio- ploys it to recruit specific structural features for neces- chemists, Kohn's work has shown that selection does sary tasks. Moreover, Silberg has found that libraries of not proceed with a goal in mind. Laboratory tests have proteins created by recombination provide more func- identified the resistance gene as one associated with tional diversity than libraries produced by mutation. the vitamin K cycle. This is not surprising—warfarin "If you have a changing environment and a popula- works by inhibiting vitamin K production, and because tion ofindividuals inhabiting it, that would select for vitamin K is a critical factor in stimulating blood co- individuals that evolve," says Michael Deem,John W. agulation, rats that ingest warfarin bleed to death from Cox Professor in Biochemical and Genetic Engineering. even minor injuries. Such knowledge about the nature Deem models algorithms in protein evolution that Sil- "If you have a changing of the mutation may change the way humans approach berg's lab can then test. According to Deem, the ability environment and a rat control not just in normal rats, but in those who to evolve manifests itself in proteins that recombine and population of individuals are resistant to warfarin. Resistant rats have a muta- mutate faster and more dramatically. Human immuno- inhabiting it, that would tion that prevents warfarin from binding to the protein deficiency virus(HIV) demonstrates some of the most select for individuals that produced by the abnormal gene—an action that also remarkable evolvability, thanks to ongoing competition # evolve." if prevents that same protein from participating properly with perhaps the most sophisticated evolved system: the Ivlichaef Deem in the vitamin K cycle. As a result, rats with resistance human immune system. to warfarin suffer from disorders related to vitamin K "We view the immune system as a real-time, evolving deficiency, which could mean that the best way to con- system," Deem says. This perspective has led his group trol warfarin-resistant rat populations is simply to wait to propose new vaccination strategies for influenza and HIV. The immune for them to die out naturally. system, Deem says, has evolved to back winners: it produces the T-cells that Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of this system on a genetic demonstrate the most success in fighting particular infections. HIV, how- level not only offers the possibility of a genetic test for warfarin resistance ever, evolves fast enough that it can lay low through the immune system's in rats but also has compelling applications in human disease. Warfarin, initial counterattack and ultimately resurface as a different strain that's unaf- for instance, is commonly prescribed to heart attack and stroke patients to fected by the T-cells that fought that "successful" battle. To counter HIV's prevent blood clots from forming—a genetic test similar to the one devel- evolvability, Deem proposes injecting patients with different strains of HIV oped for rats could help physicians monitor patients taking this medica- in different parts of the body, creating competition in different lymph nodes tion. More importantly, many other proteins, including those involved in and generating a diverse arsenal ofT -cells capable offighting the various bone formation, depend on Vitamin K and could be adversely affected by types ofHIV that could evolve in an infected individual. warfarin in some people. Kohn's group is currently investigating whether

Silberg likens recombination to "taking the left front leg off an African elephant and swapping it with one off an Asian elephant— they are different beasts, but they do the same kind of business."

Winter '07 21 "Understanding how we are structured can help us design institutions that can overcome flaws or exploit strengths in our evolved nature." —Rick Wilson

resistant rats suffer from higher calcification deposits in their arteries and Rick Wilson, the Herbert S. Autrey Professor of Political Science, who lower calcium levels in their bones than their nonmutant peers. If the rats notes that models proposed in evolutionary biology frequently have been exhibit these symptoms, they could become a model for studying and put into play by economists and vice versa. treating osteoporosis and coronary disease. "The truth is," Kohn says, Wilson's recent work investigates reciprocal altruism, the strong ten- "we would not even have come close to the gene or to knowing all that dency in humans to cooperate even when there's we do about this system without no incentive to do so. taking an evolution- In one ary approach." of his studies, a person is given 10 $1 bills, 10 blank slips of paper the same size and weight as David Queller, the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess dollar bills, and two envelopes marked "Keep" and "Send." Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, notes The person is told to put any combination of money that genomics, perhaps more than anything else, has or blank slips in the "Send" envelope and keep changed the way biologists approach their discipline. the rest. "What do you do?" Wilson asks. "Most people Once, biologists obtained most of their data from send about half. They don't know who is getting the field observations. "Today, if you understand how to money, there's no reason to do it, but they do it any- work with DNA,you can see the similarities and dif- way, and they do it fairly consistently." ferences between organisms right there," says Queller. Wilson has found that 80 percent of participants "And what's rewarding is how often the answers we send up to half of their money, regardless of ethnicity, get from DNA correspond to what we learned by just The truth is, we would not economic status, or gender. Interestingly, observing." even have com-e lose to one variable that can influence interactions is appearance. In a trust Genomics has added a critical dimension to Quel- the gene or ti:ilictIOwing all game where receivers and senders cooperated to ler's work with Joan Strassmann, the Harry C. and that we do abouithis Sys- di- vide a pot of money and saw pictures of Olga K. Wiess Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary tern withouttaking an evo- their partners while playing, receivers expected attractive partners Biology. Queller and Strassmann are animal behavior- lutionary approach." to share more money—and if their expectations weren't ists studying the evolution of social behaviors, such as met, receivers often retaliated competition and cooperation. Some by keeping more of the of the most per- pot for themselves. plexing questions in biology revolve around how be- "Why are we predisposed to pay attention to haviors like altruism evolve when, by definition, these beauty, when we don't pay attention to a lot of traits put the individual demonstrating them at risk. other things?" Wilson asks. For Wilson and other Queller and Strassmann study the social amoeba, social scientists, understanding the roots of these types a type of slime mold found commonly in soil. When of behaviors can provide important insights into how food is scarce, individual amoebae band together as people interact within cultures and institutions. a modal slug that is better able to crawl around and "It's not that we are predetermined by genes, but it's find food. But if the food shortage continues, a subset un- likely we'll escape them," he says. "There of the collective opts to abandon its own reproduc- are obvious human constraints. I can't see the upper wavelengths tive aspirations for the sake of the group. This subset oflight. I can't grow wings and fly. There are forms a sterile stalk, dying in the process but allowing just some things that I'm not going the rest of the group to disperse as spores. "Today, if you understand to be able to do. So we might as well admit what they are and The dynamics of this social system are even more how to work with DNA, spend a lot more time looking at them. Understanding how complex than those associated with the evolution of you can see the similari- we are structured can help us design institutions a physical trait. The modal slug often contains more ties and differences be- that can overcome flaws or exploit strengths than one genetic clone, which means tween organisms right in our evolved that one clone nature." can cheat the rest of the group by sneakily contribut- there." For Rice scientists, evolution is as much a study ing more material to spores than to the stalk. Cheat- of the future as it is a window into the past. "Bird flu. ing is a problem for all social systems, including those HIV/AIDS. Conservation. People are being exposed of humans. And while it's hard to believe that the to evolutionary thinking all the time," Strassmann manipulative strategies of a slime mold could have notes. Evolution always has been an interdisciplin- any relevance to human behavior, the social amoeba ary discipline, and that's certainly the case at Rice, system provides a unique opportunity to study un- where gene analyses are serving as test cases derlying cheater genes. "We already know a lot about for algo- rithms in computer science and statistical and physical the genetics and cell biology of this organism," Stras- models are being used to calculate mutation rates or smann says. "Our work on the social games played by plot evolutionary dynamics in a variety of plant the various clones is making this the first social system and animal species. Strassmann that can be described genetically." points out that, in many ways, Rice is the perfect place for this work to happen because it's SYNERGIES "Our work on t e social a collective of"smart people finding the tools they need games played by the vari- and the collaborations they need to run with their ideas." Synergies between evolutionary biology and the so- ous clones is making this Looking at the issues most crucial to humans to- cial sciences are nothing new. Game theory and other the first social system day, Strassmann sees a definite trend that is supported models of cooperative and competitive strategies with- * that can be described by the research at Rice. "Everyone," she says, in populations have circulated between these fields , genetically." "has become an evolutionary biologist on some level."• since the 1970s. "We share a common language," says

22 Rice Sallyport THE DEBATE THAT SHOULDN'T BE

Does evolution happen? Since Darwin proposed Janet Siefert, who is as open about her strong religious beliefs as in his theory in 1859, the debate has raged, particularly in the she is about her work with microbes Cuatro Cienegas, agrees that science and religion should occupy separate spheres Even as she points popular press and American public schools. In a survey of her science back 3.5 million years, Siefert recognizes and respects its 34 countries, more adults in the United States reject the limitations "There is clearly something in me that desires to understand concept of evolution than in any other country but Turkey how life happened at the beginning," she says "But it's particularly (Science, August 11,2006: Vol. 313. no. 5788, pp. 765-766). unsatisfying because there's really no way to know if you're even close Such results perplex Rice scientists studying evolutionary to right." processes. None of the researchers interviewed for this Some of the biggest questions that humans have, such as where life article consider their work particularly controversial evolved first and what that life might have looked like, will never be because of its focus on evolution, and they seemed puzzled answered definitely, Joff Silberg points out But he says he can design and even infuriated by the often heated debates between experiments to explain some of the possibilities, such as howtemperature proponents on both sides of the issue. Forthem,the question affects protein evolution "I can never say where life evolved," he says, is not whether evolution happens, but how. "but I can show how difficult neutral evolution is at 37°C compared to 100°C This doesn't tell us where life evolved, but it does tell us something "The simplicity of Darwin's theory is what makes it so compelling," says about the biophysical and environmental conditions that are necessary Michael Kohn "Evolution is just change over time Scientists argue for it to evolve." viciously about the mechanisms driving it, the dynamics, the relative All of the scientists interviewed forthis article admitted that acceptance intensities of strains, and timescales, but we do not argue about the of evolution is not a prerequisite for studying science, and even biologists process, because it's everywhere around us." can avoid taking courses in evolution if they choose Shamoo says he "Darwin's principles are as important to biology as Einstein's theories occasionally has students in his biochemistry course mention that they are to physics," says Yousif Shamoo "They completely changed the way don't believe in evolution, and while he acknowledges that students are the field works and how people think about biology "The way evolutionary free to make up their own minds, he also points out that expertise in biologists go about science is no different from how others go about biology requires a working and accurate understanding of the process science, he says, yet people don't protest when Einstein's theories are "I tell them that not believing is fine," he says, "but this information is taught in a physics class going to be on the test and this is the answer they need to provide." "Physicists and chemists don't have to justifytheir disciplines," says David Wilson says evolution is generally accepted in the social sciences Queller. "They can start from the assumption that the science is sound, as a useful theory, though many researchers get by without it "The and if there weren't something to evolutionary biology it would be gone real questions," he says, "are what does evolution tell us and what by now given the number of people who hate it." Queller acknowledges insights does it provide into how people interact within cultures and that in BIOS 334, which provides an overview of biological evolution institutions?" aimed at upper-level biology majors, he spends several introductory The same applies in the sciences, though Kohn notes that a scientific lectures citing the "evidence" for evolution perspective that omits evolution may be incomplete "I am color blind," Interestingly enough, scientists who are religious often are able to he explains "So I look at those plates with dots on them, and I just segment the two belief systems Shamoo mentions a personal friend don't see that 3 or that 8 It's genetic—it doesn't mean I'm not smart, who is a brilliant engineer and also very religious "He doesn't use his it just means I can't see something someone else can And I don't even belief in God to design an airplane engine," Shamoo says "But he also necessarily know that I'm missing out on anything I imagine that's what doesn't use the laws of physics and math to design his religion Science it's like for those that can't 'see' evolution." and religion are two very different parts of our world, and we shouldn't try to supplant one with the other." —Deborah J Ausman

Winter '07 23

ost people probablythink the behavior of musical instrument strings has long M been understood, but that's not the case Even though the mathematical equations that describe the behavior of musical strings have been around since the 1750s, and it's one of the examples that most engineering and sci- ence students see when they're introduced to theories of wave propagation, an in-depth look at the subject seems to have fallen through the cracks "The traditional mathematical model of string behavior is so clean and simple that al- most anyone with a year of calculus can follow the derivation," says Steven Cox, professor of computational and applied mathematics. "The trouble is, real strings don't behave the way these idealized equations present them:' Cox and his colleague, Mark Embree, as- sistant professor of computational and applied mathematics, are interested in the behavior of strings and the oddities and paradoxes that arise from that behavior. "There are fascinating mathematical questions and fascinating physi- cal questions," Cox says, "and those lead to a need to actually test hypotheses on a bench by building real strings and by modeling imaginary strings and watching how those evolve." Both researchers have long-standing interests in the physics of strings, but the current proj- ect was sparked by Sean Hardesty, a graduate student who did his undergraduate work at the California Institute of Technology and worked in the musical instrument lab there. The summer before he came to Rice, Hardesty interned with D'Addano & Company, a string manufacturer Physics today is buzzing with talk of cosmological located on Long Island, New York There, he strings—elongated regions of densely vibrating worked with another CalTech graduate who was leading the way toward rational design energy that might be what create the underly- of musical instrument strings—the design of strings based on physical principles and mea- ing structure of reality. There is a whole class of surements instead of just what sounds good strings, however, whose behavior affects millions to the ear. When Hardesty came to Rice, he brought an enthusiasm for the subject with of people daily but remains largely unexplored by him, and it resonated immediately with Cox and Embree science: the strands that are the heart of a violin, harp, or guitar.

BY CHRISTOPHER DOW • PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOMMY LAVERGNE

Winter '07 25 Although stringed instruments have ers have noticed is that a tone's decay is wrapped with an outer wire winding. It been around for thousands of years and not necessarily uniform but can experi- is this multilayer composition that creates some modern string manufacturers have ence rapid drops or short periods of sus- mathematical complexity with regard to hundreds of years of experience in creat- tain. Factors that can alter both the pitch tone. "If you know the number of wind- ing their product, the process of string and decay are the way the string is held ings per centimeter, and you know the development continues to be through trial down at the two ends—the bridge and elastic properties of the insulation between and error. "String manufacturers clearly the nut—and the interplay between the the core and the windings," Cox says, "you know where to begin looking to achieve player's fingers and the bow or plectrum probably can begin to rough out a crude something a musician has asked them to in relation to the bridge and the nut. Even model. But the process for doing that is not reproduce," Cox says. "And they do fairly the exact qualities and pressure of the mu- well understood." sophisticated signal processing after the sician's finger pads have an effect. These Making the process of understanding fact. But they're finding that the old trial are the kinds of real-world contingencies even more difficult is that some modern and error process is somewhat limited. that aren't well accounted for in the clas- strings are not uniformly constructed along We'd like to build a predictive model to sical model. The dampening effect on the their entire length. In other words, a string help them eliminate the guesswork." string caused by a player's finger pad is might not be one kind of wire for the core, Cox and Embree are looking into a quite complex mathematically, and Cox one kind of insulation, and one kind of subset within mathematics called func- admits he and Embree still don't under- wire for the winding. Instead, any of the tional analysis. "Functional analysis stand all the physics. To help them model three might be composites made of differ- largely got its birth from a mathematical ent alloys or materials in different parts of understanding of vibrations," Cox ex- the string. This can give musicians a much plains. "The theory of vibration led to a wider palette of sound than is possible from classical model that predicts the frequen- a monolithically constructed string, but it cies at which strings should vibrate, and plays havoc with the math. the fit from the theory to the experiment Questions about the physics of a musi- is just gorgeous. But what's missing is cian's finger pads on a string also relates a theory that predicts how long those to the researchers' interest in harmonics. tones stick around. That's a lot harder to A harmonic is a flute-like or bell-like tone come up with." The rate at which tones produced on a stringed instrument by vanish is called decay. The problem with lightly touching a vibrating string at a nod- the classical string model is that it de- al point, a point on a vibrating string that is scribes what are termed "conservative relatively free of vibration. Such points oc- systems," which are systems without de- cur at each end of a string, where it is held cay or dissipation—as if, once the string tightly in place, and at all points in between is plucked, the tone is everlasting. Such where the sound wave is midway between systems have received fairly complete its peak and its trough. The base wave is mathematical treatment, but real-world called the fundamental, and each succes- situations do contain decay or dissipa- sive harmonic wave is half the length of tion, and the mathematics for that is the preceding harmonic. To get an eighth considerably more difficult. harmonic on an instrument string, for in- "General theory no longer holds for stance, a musician has to press at an eighth nonconservative systems," Embree says. of the length of the string. "The question is, how much insight can Musicians, through training, know by ear we take from the classical theory as we Clockwise from top left: Steven Cox, Mark Embree, Jeffrey how hard to press and when to let go to look at more specific cases? Intellectually, Hokanson, and Sean Hardesty get the bell-like tone instead of a screech or that's the great puzzle—to see how ro- a thud. What they're actually doing in elic- bust the old theory was and whether we the impact of a finger pad on a string, iting that pure tone is using precise finger can generate new tools from it that say they've approached mechanical engineers pressure to eliminate nonharmonic tones by something about energy decay in strings researching haptics, which is the study of making them decay rapidly, leaving only the and, perhaps, other systems." touch, who are teaching robotic hands to desired tone."To get that high tone on the When a string vibrates, its movement manipulate objects without crushing or fingerboard, a bass player has to press far- isn't just up and down or back and forth dropping them. They also have experi- ther down than the fingerboard actually ex- but is a three-dimensional whirling. People mented with noncontact ways of dampen- tends," Cox says. "So to elicit a tone three listening to a string vibrating on an instru- ing. One method they've used with metal or four octaves above where the player is ment hear a single note or tone, but in fact, strings is magnetic braking. "You can brake fingering the freeboard is quite difficult. I a string produces a wide range of sounds. the string by passing it through a magnetic think there's even some kind of informal What lends it the semblance of a single field," Embree explains. "Using magnets, competition among bass players to achieve tone is that the size of the instrument's we can knock out one mode and make it the highest harmonic possible. There are resonating chamber permits only a portion decay very rapidly." people out there who actually can accu- of the spectrum of sounds produced by the Another important factor relating to rately press at an eighteenth the length of string to escape while dampening unwanted pitch and decay is the exact composi- a string." A mathematical model should be tones. In essence, the chamber acts as a tion of the string and the materials used able to pinpoint the correct touch at a giv- selective amplifier. This is true of all instru- to construct it. Most instrument strings en node to cause unwanted tones to decay ments with resonating chambers, including have three layers. The first is an elastic wire as quickly as possible. drums and wind instruments. core. Around that is some type of insulat- Cox and Embree's course, the Phys- One interesting aspect the research- ing material, and the insulating layer is then ics of Strings, is funded by Rice's Vertical

26 Rice Sallyport Integration of Research and Education and more massive points until the string has tinuing Studies. The continuing studies (VIGRE) program. In its third year, the a continuous mass. The key is that a string lecture was accompanied by a musical dem- program involves faculty, postdoctoral with beads affixed to it vibrates in a lim- onstration of the principles Cox described instructors, graduate students, and un- ited number of ways rather than an infinite performed by Shepherd School of Music dergraduates from the departments of number of ways. This makes it simpler to alum Shawn Conley '05, a double bassist mathematics, statistics, and computational tackle the problem of how small changes in who played a piece consisting almost en- and applied mathematics. Funded with a design affect the string's tone." tirely of harmonics. five-year, $2.3 million grant from the Na- The researchers put the beads on the The research Cox and Embree are do- tional Science Foundation (NSF), VIGRE string and "forget" where they put them, ing is of great potential benefit for musi- is intended to open up new dimensions of then see if they can pluck the string and de- cians. The researchers foresee developing a the mathematical sciences to Rice students. termine mathematically where the beads are computational tool in about five years that and how much they weigh. "It's the begin- "We're really pleased with how di- will enable musicians to adjust a set of tone verse the group of ning of a model of a nonuniform string," students is," Embree controls until they have the sound they says. "We have students from the usual Cox says. "String manufacturers experiment want from a string, which the manufacturer VIGRE departments and from mechani- with different materials and different ap- will then be able to construct. "We've es- cal engineering, physics, and even chemi- proaches to get the desired sound, and for tablished a lot of the theoretical ground- cal engineering. The project is a model of us, beads are a way to change the mass dis- work," Embree says. "The work we're interdisciplinary work. And interestingly doing at the present is a big step toward enough, a majority of the students involved in the project are musicians, too." "The students are a practical technique we could propose to The largest draw so far has been students manufacturers." in engineering and physics. "I guess that's always coming But there are a number of other poten- because, in this early stage, we are building tial nonmusical applications for the work, things," Cox says,"and they can see tangi- up with questions too. "The title of our NSF grant is 'Design ble evidence of their work. But in the pro- and Identification of Dissipative Bodies,'" cess, they're learning a lot of mathematical or paradoxes Cox says. "Strings are the easiest example models and a lot of computer modeling. that one can experiment with in a lab, but The more advanced of them also are learn- that need to be the work is a prototype for solutions of a ing mathematical analysis." broader class of very hard problems that To test different models and study the explained, leading involve optimal dampening treatments to physical properties of real-world strings, remove undesired vibrations." Likely appli- the researchers obtained an NSF grant and us down new cations include noise reduction in cars and set up a lab where they can create strings airplane cabins and decreasing vibrations in with different parameters and measure their avenues. It's been machinery and structures. "There is a host vibrations under a variety of conditions. of problems in fields such as biology," Em- "We're really indebted to the mechanical a great give and bree says. "How do spiders detect vibration engineering shop masters, especially Joe in the web,for example? Many areas have Gesenhues," Embree says. "They've been take." this kind of dynamic behavior, and maybe of enormous help to us in designing and —Steven Cox we can give a little insight into some of fabricating equipment, some of which has their specific problems." tolerances of something like 1/5,000th of For musicians, the research opens new an inch." tribution of the string. We're not expecting realms of possibility. Normally, a string The mechanism consists of a pair of spe- people to play beaded strings, but they're cialized clamps called collets that hold the easy to make and a good way to introduce is tied down at the bridge and at the nut string fixed at both ends, a crank to put numerical questions." and the musician fingers or bows it, but tension on the string, and a force transduc- Now that the lab is operational, a lot of instrument designers might soon leave er to accurately read the amount of tension the research has become student-driven. the single-stringed instrument behind. on the string and turn that reading into "The students are always coming up with In fact, a couple of Canadian mathemati- a voltage that can be recorded by a com- questions or paradoxes that need to be ex- cians recently designed a tritar, which has puter. "It helps students visualize what is plained, leading us down new avenues," three necks, one fingerboard, and several happening," Embree says. "They can put a Cox says. "It's been a great give and take." pickups. Instead of hitting a bridge at the string on our apparatus and see how it per- Embree is equally enthusiastic. "It's a fun end of the neck, the string forks down two forms. Sometimes real data gives you inter- project," he says. "As much fun for us as additional necks. for the students." esting wrinkles that you didn't expect." "It's just a small step from tritars to in- In addition to teaching the academic But the researchers do not simply stretch struments that are networks ofstrings," course, Cox has given seminars and lectures various sorts of strings in the device and Embree says. "Some of our students have vi- to high school science teachers and in a study the waveforms produced by the vi- sions of developing instruments like that."• brations. Instead, they alter the dynamics of course for the Glasscock School of Con- strings by placing metal beads at different locations along their length. FIND YOUR CONNEXIONS "The subject developed historically from a study of beads," Embree says. "It's easier The Connexions course, Music, Waves, Physics, by Nelson Lee, at cnx.org/content/co110341/latest/, to assume you have a string with no mass has a fun interactive wave generator that allows you to adjust the amplitude, frequency, and other except at a few points—the beads—and then to take measurements as you get more wave characteristics to see how waves work. The animation is at cnx.org/content/m13513/latest/.

Winter '07 27

BY RUTH SAMUELSON • PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOMMY LAVERGNE ISustainability

The idea of sustainability has been around for nearly 300 years, but only recently have individuals, organizations, and governments seriously begun to consider the consequences of disposability. At Rice, enter Richard Johnson, Rice's first ever sustainability planner.

ohnson's position encompasses a lot of terrain: he is an advi- city around. But Johnson isn't fazed. "I see it as opportunity," he Jsor, a teacher, an organizer, and a collaborator on the majority says. "If you're a priest, sure you could go to the Vatican, but you're of conservation initiatives at Rice. When a construction project is not going to convert anyone there. To make a difference, you should in development, Johnson consults on ecofriendly materials. When go to Las Vegas. So,if you're interested in greening a university, you undergraduates and PhD candidates have the same environmental should go to Texas." goal, he's the one who connects them. In his short time here, he has Johnson not only sees opportunity here, he's seizing it. For exam- helped coordinate a cell phone recycling drive and a shoe recycling ple, while RecycleMania—a nationwide 10-week recycling competi- drive. He also has monitored buildings' electrical consumption, ad- tion between 93 schools—has been going on since 2001, Rice never justing various facets of the intake to minimize costs. And this is only participated before Johnson arrived. Even though last year marked a tiny sampling of Johnson's activities. Since beginning work in De- Rice's first entry into the event, the university placed 43rd in the "Per cember 2004, he has set up several long-term projects, fortified vari- Capita Classic," beating out environmental notables such as Duke ous established ones, and laid the groundwork for numerous future University, Portland State University, the University of Vermont, and ventures. University of Colorado at Boulder. Under Johnson, who grew up in the Houston area and graduated from Johnson's leadership, Rice Rice in 1992, didn't begin his professional life with a career in sus- also was the first school in the state to participate in a nationwide tainability in mind. Instead, he earned a degree in civil engineering program for college graduates to pledge to meet certain environmen- and went on to become a highway engineer in northern Virginia. It tal standards. And, Johnson says, there are plenty more potential firsts wasn't long, though, before he realized his heart wasn't in his work, in the future. and he left his job to return to school at the University of Virginia (UVA)in Charlottesville. There, he began working toward a master's degree in urban and environmental planning. For one of his projects, A POLICY TO LIVE BY he found himselfinterviewing William McDonough, a UVA dean who also happened to be one of the world's leading green architects. The session forever altered his life. "There was reality before then," Johnson says, "and a new reality after that." o understand Johnson's work, you also have to know the history McDonough's philosophy—that designers can develop products, Tof environmentalism at Rice, which began long before Johnson's industrial systems, and buildings that mutually benefit both the arrival. In those days, Rice environmentalists operated in disparate environment and the economy—transformed Johnson's thinking. corners of the campus—often unaware of other conservation efforts. Johnson eventually became the dean's assistant, giving him the op- As the various individuals and groups gained synergy, it became ob- portunity to interact with some of the world's foremost environmen- vious that Rice needed a sustainability planner to bring the efforts tal figures, and he also traveled to Curitiba, Brazil, a city with model together. But before Rice could create such a role, it needed to get sustainability policies. serious, as an institution, about conservation. In March 2004, the Johnson now finds himself in a position to make Rice a pioneer in board of trustees did just that by recognizing "the critical importance university environmentalism in Texas despite the fact that Houston— of sustainability" and passing the official Rice University Sustainability Oiltown, USA—isn't known as the most environmentally conscious Policy.(See sidebar.)

Winter '07 29 P**•Ab „ r

A pithy 112 words, the policy is key to Johnson's role on cam- These projects often engender real, lasting, and cost-effective pus. In addition to fueling his daily efforts, it also provides him the changes on campus. But Harcombe has another impetus for his as- freedom and flexibility to pursue his initiatives. "The policy gives me signments. He says that, while he always believed and hoped his room to operate," he says. "It lets me know the university is seri- research was useful, he knew that data alone would not inspire real ous about my position and will have an open mind about the ideas I change. The world's environmental problems need more proactive, bring forward." informed fighters. In addition to covering the scientific elements of The policy has an interesting history—one that continually inspires environmental problems, ENST 302 teaches environmental policy Johnson as he pursues his goals. As it turns out, creating the environ- and activism. "It's not the projects mental mission statement was easier said than done. Faculty, students, "The policy gives that the students take with them," and administrators tenaciously drafted and redrafted the policy for Harcombe says. "It's the ability to do years before it was approved. How did the process begin, and who me room to projects." finally saw it through? "Those are questions better answered by Paul operate. It lets The class instructs undergraduates Harcombe," says Johnson. "Paul is the dean, czar, and godfather of how to research new environmen- Rice campus greening." me know the tally friendly products and processes, Officially, Harcombe is a professor of ecology and environmental university is network with influential people, and biology. A tall, soft-spoken man with a gentle manner, he has worked serious about my present new ideas in a persuasive and at Rice for 34 years. His major research project focuses on tree popu- compelling yet factual manner. The lation changes in the Big Thicket National Forest in East Texas, and position and will Rice campus thus becomes a training since he began the project in 1980, he's tagged tens of thousands of have an open mind ground for the outside world. trees there. Once a year, he and his research assistants venture out to ENST 302 began in 1999. That document the health, growth, and death of his trees. about the ideas I year, Harcombe co-taught the class Clearly, Harcombe is not afraid ofcommitment—and one thing bring forward." with political science professor Don he's been passionate about during the final part of his career is Envi- Ostdiek. The next spring, Harcombe ronmental Studies 302—Sustainability: Rice into the Future. ENST —Richard Johnson went on sabbatical while his class went 302, which Harcombe currently co-teaches with Johnson, is an inter- forward without him. But in his ab- disciplinary environmental studies class dedicated to minimizing envi- sence, ENST 302 continued to develop ronmental waste on the Rice campus. The curriculum centers around its voice on campus, beginning a long- student projects, which are carried out in the serveries, the college term undertaking that would dramati- bathrooms, the floors of academic buildings—wherever there's an cally change Rice environmentalism. That semester, a guest lecturer opportunity for conservation. In recent years, students have cam- told the students that if they really wanted to advance conservation paigned to use recyclable carpets in new remodeling projects. They've on campus, the university needed to adopt a sustainability policy. The tested waste reduction campaigns in serveries to motivate students class rallied around the idea. to stop throwing away so much food. They've convinced construc- Although ENST 302 was not offered in 2001, the following year's tion project managers to use water-efficient sinks that, according to class resumed efforts to create a sustainability policy. It drafted the calculations, should save the university $70,000 during the course of initial statement and passed it on to the administration for approval. several decades. By the end of the semester, the project found itself in limbo, but even

30 Rice Sallyport vironmental Studies 302

ENST 302, which Harcombe currently co-teaches with Johnson, is an interdisciplinary environmental studies class dedicated to minimizing environmental waste on the Rice campus.

so, a few students persevered. written an independent feasibility analysis on biodiesel at Rice, and One of them was Guyton Durnin, an ENST 302 student who also during the summer, the two corresponded about the idea. But, un- was heavily involved in practically all of Rice's environmentally-re- known to them, they weren't the only ones interested in biodiesel. lated undergraduate groups. A Los Angeles native, Durnin joined his That same summer, graduate students Matt Yarrison and Chris- first environmental club in seventh grade. Throughout high school, tine Robichaud had begun researching the possibility of producing he led various conservation efforts, including restoring a canyon, and biodiesel with feedstock from the university's kitchens. In the fall, maintained his own garden and compost pile. His zeal did not di- Johnson linked the two undergraduates with Yarrison and Robi- minish at Rice. In 2002, he founded the Student Recycling Council, chaud, and RUBI took off. which coordinates recycling efforts on campus, and he also led the "As an economist, During the 2005-06 academic year, Environmental Club. then-president the group used a one gallon reactor to Now in his fifth year at Rice and pursuing a master's in civil and produce various biodiesel blends up to environmental engineering, Durnin became chair of the Student Malcolm Gillis rec- B20(20 percent biodiesel). This year, Association's Environmental Committee the year after he completed ognized the policy using a new 70-gallon reactor housed ENST 302. In his new role, Durnin picked up where the class left was something that on the loading dock of Sid Richardson off. Eventually, the administration approved the policy in fall 2003, might cost more in College, RUBI plans to produce be- and the board of trustees backed it in March 2004. Though the proj- tween 50 and 100 gallons of biodiesel ect took four years to win approval, Durnin never doubted his mis- the beginning, but it weekly. The finished biodiesel now runs sion. "As an economist, then-president Malcolm Gillis recognized would get students lawnmowers crawling across Rice's the policy was something that might cost more in the beginning," more interested in fields, and tests with a biodiesel-pow- Durnin says, "but it would get students more interested in the envi- the environment, ered shuttle bus began this fall. If the ronment, and it would help Rice save money in the long run." experiment is successful, all the shuttles and it would help eventually will run on Rice-produced Rice save money in fuel. And in true "circle oflife" form, the long run." the Office of Housing and Dining re- FUELING INITIATIVES cently purchased a new van that will — Guyton Durnin run on biodiesel created from its own cooking waste. gio this day, Durnin remains an integral part of Rice environ- Mark Ditman, associate vice presi- Tmentalism, though now that he's toiling toward his master's, dent of Housing and Dining, assisted from the start in providing he isn't as heavily involved in the clubs of his undergraduate years. feedstock for RUBI. He also wholeheartedly embraced Johnson's These days, his chief interest is the Rice University Biodiesel Initiative suggestion to buy a diesel-powered van. RUBI found another natu- (RUBI), one of the most exciting long-term sustainability projects ral friend in Eusebio Franco Jr., director of Custodial and Grounds. currently at Rice. It is based on the simple chemistry involved in cre- It is Franco's fleet of lawnmowers that first tested the biodiesel, and ating a diesel fuel out of old cooking oil used to make French fries he welcomes the new clean-burning fuel. "We can use whatever they and other fried foods. make," he says. In spring 2005, Durnin discovered that junior Lizzi Clark had Franco, whose staff assisted with RecycleMania, is definitely part

Winter '07 31 of the posse of conservationists on campus. He continually has in- develops programs, establishes classes, and brings speakers to cam- troduced innovations that make Rice's cleaning services less waste- pus to inform members of the Rice community about environmental ful, toxic, and detrimental to the environment and the health of his issues and the many bureaucracies and obstacles environmental- custodians and technicians. Since arriving at Rice in 1979, he has ists must surmount to affect change. "The goal is to try to help all introduced natural cleaning products from the ecofriendly company members of the campus community be more informed about envi- EnvirOx. In the same vein, Franco does not preemptively blast the ronmental issues and be more engaged," Harcombe says. "We want entire campus full of pesticides; he identifies insect problem areas be- them to say,'Well, of course we're environmentally responsible. Who fore spraying chemicals. wouldn't be?" The cornerstone of Franco's philosophy is "cleanology," the study The classes However, the center is not yet fully of cleaning effectively with the least damaging products. Franco has engaged. Harcombe wants to institute developed several cleanology programs for his employees, and basic keep people more regular environmental studies training is mandatory. "The classes keep people learning and open to learning and classes, for example. In the past, the change and using the least toxic products," Franco says. "The whole open to change center employed a visiting lecturer to purpose is to make their job safer." But as Johnson points out, the and using the teach a class, but it's hard to steer full- program has other advantages. "When our custodians go through the time professors from their usual subject cleanology program, sometimes it's the first graduation they've ever least toxic prod- matter. There are a few opportunities gone through," he says. "It gives them a level of professional certifi- ucts. The whole on the horizon, however, with some cation that their colleagues in the custodial world don't get. It helps purpose is to younger faculty interested in focusing to train them to be supervisors and that sort of thing. It's job train- make their job on relevant coursework. Given greater ing, and it's a ladder-up." funding, Harcombe says, the center safer." could hire more post doctorate and —Eusebio Franco Jr visiting faculty to teach courses. CLASS ACTION These frustrations have gnawed at Harcombe a little more than usual re- cently because he plans to retire at the end of next year and has little time to Liarcombe likes to believe that ENST 302's sustainability policy continue building and securing the ...project ultimately was responsible for bringing Johnson to cam- center's future. He has no lofty goal of pus. He's proud of this accomplishment and its ramifications. "When mobilizing the campus at large; he just wants individuals to be mind- there is somebody who has the job to think of newer and better ways ful of their personal bearing on the environment. "If everybody rec- to do things," he says, "things begin to happen." But a lot remains to ognized that this is important enough for them to do something," he be done. says, "that would help." Harcombe recently has devoted a lot of energy to Rice's Center Which is precisely why it's important for Rice to have a sustainabil- for the Study of Environment and Society. He co-chairs the organiza- ity planner. For those who prioritize the environment, Johnson is a tion, which was founded in 2001 to develop environmental literacy guiding light. He possesses the know-how and networking abilities to on campus, with English professor Walter Isle. Specifically, the center transform seemingly idealistic ideas into reality.

32 Rice Sallyport Rice University Sustainability Policy

Rice University recognizes the critical importance of sustainability. Its present needs must be met while protecting the interests offuture generations.The Shell Center for Sustainability, the Center for the Study of Environment and Society, the Environment & Energy Systems Institute, and student organizations should be utilized to foster environmental consciousness and mitigate the University's ecological footprint. Rice University works with students, faculty, and staff to improve environmental sensitivity. University practices will evolve along with the Rice community to keep abreast with changing needs and new technologies. The University believesthat students who graduate from Rice need to understand the concepts of sustainability and possess a sense of responsibility for the future.

Johnson, for his part, is elated to return to Rice. On a quick jaunt project: Solar Decathlon, an international sustainable design com- through campus, he can stroll by some of his most significant per- petition. For the contest, the U.S. Department of Energy doles out sonal landmarks. Johnson actually met his wife, Lisa Spiro, director $100,000 to 20 preselected universities. Each participating team of the Digital Media Center in Fondren Library, when they were un- must design and construct an 800-foot test home showcasing sus- dergraduates at Rice. Appropriately, they first chatted under a tree. tainable and renewable design elements. Judges evaluate the entries "That's the one tree on campus that I'll make sure nothing ever hap- on 10 criteria, and the entries will be displayed in Washington, D.C. pens to," Johnson says with a laugh. "She can see that tree from her Led by sophomore Roque Sanchez, Rice is developing a proposal to office, and I pass by it all the time." compete in the 2009 contest. It's a long road, Sanchez says, but both he and Johnson are committed to securing resources and recruiting teammates.

AN ECOFRIENDLY FUTURE It is clear from all of Johnson's work that the results not only are beneficial for the general atmosphere and health of the planet, they also are important for Rice. "We who work here see ourselves as stewards of the university," Johnson says. "We don't want to waste Johnson's watchful eye, Rice is transitioning into a campus Ender the university's resources. Our mission here is teaching and research, with model sustainability policies. Last summer,the university U and my personal charge is to free up as many dollars as possible for constructed according announced that all new major buildings will be teaching, research, students, scholarships, and so on, rather than Environmental Design(LEED) stan- to Leadership in Energy and spend them on the electric or water bill." dards. The system, Green Building Council, developed by the U.S. And if Johnson can teach students to extend the skills they're targets five major areas: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and learning here to the world at large, so much the better. In essence, indoor environmental qual- atmosphere, materials and resources, and the problems outside the hedges are similar, differing primarily in ity. The Collaborative Research Center, which broke ground last fall, scale, and after making inroads into those problems at Rice, young first building with LEED certification. The next residential will be the graduates might not consider the world's problems indomitable Burton and Deedee McMurtry College, will meet the stan- college, after all.• dards as well. The announcement this summer was a great delight. But Johnson already is moving on to other projects. This year, Martel junior Ben Stevenson will test a new dorm ecorepresentative program at his col- lege. Stevenson will launch several waste-reduction initiatives in areas like energy consumption and recycling, and if his efforts yield results, the ecorep program will expand to the entire residential college sys- For information on Rice's many sustainability initiatives, visit tem. Johnson, along with two faculty members, also has initiated an upper-level chemical engineering class in which students will develop sustainability.rice.edu projects that use waste fruit and vegetable trimmings as feedstock to create useful products. But these undertakings pale in comparison to another possible

Winter '07 33

Ken Kennedy,the founder of Rice University's nationally ranked computer science program and one ofthe world's foremost experts on high-performance computing, died February 7 at a Houston hospital after a long battle with cancer. He was 61.

"Rice has lost one of its great intellectual leaders and a great human be- Kennedy's longtime friend, Rice alumnus John Doerr, says, "This great ing," Rice president David Leebron says. "Ken Kennedy early on realized man and our caring friend, Ken Kennedy, leaves a legacy of love—first for the power of computers to address real problems that confront people and family, with plenty more for friends, colleagues, and Rice. Ken inspired all the Earth. His most recent contributions included using bioanalysis to help of us with his passion for people and innovation and the magic he created work on health issues like cancer. Ken leaves a great legacy for Rice and for by combining the two." mankind. He will be missed." Though dedicated to Rice, Kennedy earned a worldwide In a 36-year career, Kennedy, a member ofthe elite National "At Rice, I had reputation for leadership. In 1997, he was tapped to co-chair Academy of Engineering, helped Rice stake its claim as one of experienced, the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee the nation's leading academic centers for computational research (PITAC), a congressionally mandated committee charged with and education. He founded Rice's Department of Computer firsthand, Ken's advising the president, Congress, and other federal agencies Science in 1984,its cross-disciplinary Computer and Information legendary vision, on advanced information technology. The panel's 1999 report Technology Institute(CITI) in 1986,its Center for Research on organization and urged U.S. leaders to increase spending for computing research Parallel Computation(CRPC) in 1989,and its Center for High personal skills, by more than $1 billion, and it served as a catalyst for increased Performance Software Research (HiPerSoft)in 2000. IT research support from numerous federal agencies. "Ken was incredibly dedicated to Rice and dedicated his career and dogged de- "At Rice,I had experienced,firsthand, Ken's legendary vision, to developing computing research at Rice," says CITI director termination, all organization and personal skills, and dogged determination, all Moshe Vardi. "If Rice is famous today for its computing re- of which enabled of which enabled him to do what other people could not," says Rice physicist Neal Lane,who, during Kennedy's PITAC tenure, search, it is due to Ken Kennedy." him The Chronicle of Higher Education recently ranked Rice's to do what served first as National Science Foundation (NSF) director and computer engineering program No.2 in the nation based on a other people later as White House science advisor. "In Washington,I became scholarly productivity analysis by researchers at the State Uni- could not." aware of the enormous respect that his colleagues around the versity of New York. world and everyone he worked with had for his abilities, his —Neal Lane "Ken was a beloved and incredibly valuable faculty member professional accomplishments, and his humanity." in every dimension—mentoring, strategic vision, education, Kennedy's connection to Rice ran deep and began when he and research," says Sallie Keller-McNulty, dean of Rice's George R. Brown • was an undergraduate mathematics major."Like most people who have been School of Engineering. "He was a pillar for the scholarly community of to Rice, I have developed a strong attachment for it," he said in a 1986 in- computational sciences and engineering. This is a profound global loss, the terview."My father was in the military, and we moved 16 times by the time true magnitude of which won't be fully realized for some time." I graduated from high school. Rice was the first place at which I had spent

Winter '07 35 more than three years." 1990 selection to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Kennedy graduated summa cum laude in 1967 and returned just four "The ACM recognition was particularly significant to him because years later after earning one of the first doctorates in computer science it was an award from the community where he got his start," Cooper awarded by New York University. says. "Being selected to the NAE was a great national honor; he was Kennedy served on countless academic and administrative panels at touched to be recognized as an engineer, both because his father was Rice. He helped raise $45 million for computational engineering in Rice's an engineer and because computer science is not a traditional engineer- last major fundraising campaign, and he led the effort to build Anne and ing discipline." Charles Duncan Hall, a 113,000-square-foot building that became home Kennedy also dedicated more than two decades of his research career to Rice's computational programs in 1996. to developing high-level programming tools for parallel But Kennedy will perhaps be best remembered at Rice and distributed computer systems. His contributions for his love ofstudents and teaching. He was a PhD advi- helped make supercomputers more accessible to scien- sor to 38 students, and he mentored countless others. He tists and engineers. also continued to teach undergraduate courses long after "Ken envisioned what the development of compu- he became famous. He received Rice's George R.. Brown tation could represent in individual human lives, the Award for Superior Teaching in 1979—an award that's societal changes that broad access to information could based on the votes of recent graduates—and he rolled up bring about, the social implications of Internet use, his sleeves and worked side-by-side with students on several and how vital it was for the computing community it- memorable projects. self to be inclusive," says Rice mathematician Richard "Ken led a small group of colleagues and graduate stu- Tapia, a longtime Rice colleague who worked closely dents in pulling the coaxial cables for the first local area with Kennedy on programs to increase the number of network on campus," recalls Keith Cooper,chair of Rice's women and underrepresented minorities in the com- Department of Computer Science and one of Kennedy's putational sciences. former PhD students. "The cable ran from Abercrombie "Too often, diversity is included in programs and Lab to Herman Brown Hall and was one of the first Eth- projects as an add-on, but my own experience is that ernet installations in the city. Ken conducted an interview real change happens when there is a fundamental and with the Thresher in the steam tunnels on the day we systematic openness to diverse perspectives, contribu- pulled the cable." tors, and leadership," says Francine Berman,director of Cooper says Kennedy maintained steadfast contact with the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University his students throughout his battle with cancer. "He was of California at San Diego, who worked with Kennedy actively communicating with them just before his death," on the GrADS Project. "Ken embodied this attitude. Cooper says,"and his conversations with me at that time It was evident to anyone who worked with him, and it were all focused on his current students." was important precisely because he was in the world's In 1988,Kennedy led a group ofcomputer scientistsfrom top-most tier ofcomputer science researchers. He was an seven leading research institutions in a proposal to estab- "He had a sense of inspiration in all ways, and we will really miss him." lish the NSF-funded CRPC,one of the first NSF Science humor that rang Kennedy was known the world over for his expertise and Technology Centers. CRPC later became HiPerSoft, in programming language implementation and high- which Kennedy directed from its inception. HiPerSoft is deeply in his laughter performance computing—two disciplines he'd first been the Rice administrative home for several multi-institution and a gentle spirit exposed to during graduate studies at NYU's Courant projects, including the Virtual Grid Application Develop- Institute of Mathematics in the late 1960s and early ment Software(GrADS) Project, an NSF-sponsored effort that reached out 1970s. Kennedy was one of the first graduate students involving seven universities,and the Los Alamos Computer to his friends and in the new field of computer science, and he credited Science Institute(LACSI), a consortium offive universities his PhD advisor, Jack Schwartz, with opening his eyes and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. colleagues. His strong to the possibilities of high-performance computing. Kennedy was promoted to Rice's highest academic rank, and gracious presence Kennedy authored more than 200 technical articles University Professor,in 2002. At the time ofhis death, he will and two books. He was a fellow of the ACM, the held joint appointments asthe John andAnn Doerr Professor be missed in American Association for the Advancement ofScience, in Computational Engineering in Computer Science and as uncountable ways." the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers a professor in electrical and computer engineering. (IEEE), and the American Academy of Arts and Sci- "It is fair to say that no one in the last 35 years has had —Kathleen Matthews ences. In recognition of his achievements in compila- as much influence on the field of programming-language tion for high-performance computer systems, he was implementation as Ken," Vardi says,"both through his own research and given the 1995 W.W. McDowell Award, the highest research award of through the research of his numerous students." the IEEE Computer Society. In 2003, the Association of Computing Machinery's Special Interest His Rice honors include the Hugh Scott Cameron Award for Ser- Group on Programming Languages(ACM SIGPLAN)compiled a selec- vice to Rice, which he won as an undergraduate in 1967. As a faculty tion ofthe 50 most influential papers from 1979 to 1999. Few researchers member, Kennedy was a long-standing associate of Jones College and had more than one. Kennedy had five, and three of his former students, was recognized with the college's service award in 1976. He also re- including Cooper and Rice's Linda Torczon, had two or more. ceived the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Association of Rice "Ken Kennedy and the group he built at Rice did ground-breaking work Alumni in 2002. on program language implementation and optimization techniques," says Kennedy is survived by his wife, Carol Quillen, Rice's vice provost ACM president Stuart Feldman,vice president ofcomputer science at IBM for academic affairs; stepdaughter, Caitlin; father, retired Army Brig. Research."He applied this to important problems, and his work was used Gen. Kenneth Kennedy Sr.; and sister, Susan Kennedy. by all the leading computer companies. He also gave his time selflessly to "Ken was a special person in many dimensions," says Kathleen Mat- the field and the nation,serving on government advisory groups,organizing thews, dean of Rice's Wiess School of Natural Sciences and a longtime conferences, and building a great computer science department. We will friend of Kennedy's. But beyond his stellar career, his national service, miss his insight and presence enormously. His influence will live on." his intellect, and his love of teaching, Matthews says those who knew Kennedy's contributions to the field were recognized by his peers with Kennedy best will most-remember his humanity. "He had a sense of the 1999 Lifetime Achievement Award from ACM SIGPLAN. Though it humor that rang deeply in his laughter and a gentle spirit that reached was one of dozens of honors he received throughout his career, Cooper out to his friends and colleagues. His strong and gracious presence will says Kennedy was particularly proud of the ACM recognition and of his be missed in uncountable ways."•

36 Rice Sallyport ARTS

444044 10004

"Music is an invitation to listen with our full attention. Listening actively to music changesthe way we hear our lives. When it is most meaningful, music shows us how to recognize the rhythms, patterns, and recurrences of our experience."

—Anthony Brandt Easy Listening

A free online introductory course and unexpected sound, you may turn away from the music, and other styles "Music is a time-art," Brandt in music appreciation from Rice rest of the piece." In the modules Musical Form and says "It is abstract and nonverbal Its sounds do not University offers adults a new way Overall Destiny, Brandt adopts a top-down approach have literal orfixed meanings A musical performance to learn how to listen to music. to listening that encourages listeners to take in the generally flows and cannot be interrupted." whole expanse of a composition In Brandt's view, what makes music intelligible is The course,titled Sound Reasoning,comes complete Brandt also wanted to bridge the gap between the use of repetition "Pop music tendsto rely on literal with onscreen audio samples that demonstrate con- classical and modern music Major museums rou- repetition, because intelligibility is most immediate," cepts explained in the text and interactive exercises tinely house both traditional and contemporary art, Brandt explains,"whereas art music focuses on vaned that offer immediate feedback on why a response is dance and theater companies regularly present both and transformed repetition." The modules How Music correct or incorrect Designed to be as user-friendly historic and modern works,and bookstores have clas- Makes Sense and Time's Effect on the Material show as possible, the course does not require the ability to sical literature and the latest fiction on their shelves how repetition creates musical coherence and drama read music, and the audio samples can be accessed However, concert music is much more segregated Various other modules teach the listener to analyze quickly with the click of a mouse between new and old "Conventional musical train- changes in speed, pitch, range, and duration and to "The goal of Sound Reasoning is to equip the ing frequently reinforcesthis by presenting a historic, pay attention to orchestration, dynamics, density, learner with questions they might ask of any piece style-specific approach to listening," Brandt says fragmentation, and other features of music, thereby creating a richer and more com- Sound Reasoning avoids such segregation by focus- Brandt is hopeful his innovative approach will help prehensive understanding of music both familiar and ing on style-independent concepts, each illustrated listeners become more confident and self-reliant. unfamiliar," says Anthony Brandt, associate profes- with side-by-side examples from the classical and "Music is an invitation to listen with our full atten- sor of composition and theory at Rice's Shepherd modern repertoires More than 30 modern compos- tion," he says "Listening actively to music changes School of Music ers are represented the way we hear our lives When it is most meaning- Brandt created the course for several reasons He Sound Reasoning offers 10 learning modules, and ful, music shows us how to recognize the rhythms, wanted a resource that would be easily accessible each is accompanied by audio examples, such as ex- patterns, and recurrences of our experience." to university classes, musical performing groups, cerpts from works as diverse as Bach's Brandenburg The course,which is posted on the websitefor Rice's Connexions project, and the general public He also wanted to address Concerto No 5, Beethoven's Symphony No 9, and was made possible by an Artistic Excellence grantfrom the National Endowmentforthe several drawbacks he encounters in conventional Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw. The modules Arts and an Innovation Grant from Rice's Computer music appreciation can be studied in sequence or individually atthe user's and Information Technology Institute "We often are taught details first instead of the own pace People who feel more comfortable with a music's bigger picture," Brandt says "At a food-tast- textbook can print hard copies of the lessons —B J Almond ing, you sample something, and if you don't like it, Although the course concentrates on Western you don't eat it In music, the risk of that approach classical and modern music, the concepts taught in Sound Reasoning can be found at cnx.org. is that if you don't like the 'taste' of an unfamiliar each lesson can be applied to jazz,folk music, popular

Winter '07 37 ARTS

Architectural Landscape

It was a landscape that might have come from a national park in Utah. Or a Road Runner cartoon.

he surreally undulat- infatuation with the material. Eight tons of cardboard and work that started high in the ing terrain of Rip Curl According to Ball, they wanted three tons of wood went into back of the gallery and sloped T Canyon, the Rice Gal- to "take a process that was start- the construction. Ball—Nogues down to the window wall at lery's first installation of the aca- ed by Frank Gehry and expand turned to industrial processes the front. Visitors could even demic year, was made primarily it to the scale of architecture." to cut the installation's compo- walk through the installation's of cardboard. But despite the In their first epic cardboard nents to their specifications. The understructure and explore its flimsiness of the material, the endeavor, Ball—Nogues created cardboard for the installation's framework or rest on benches work invited people to interact an installation for a Gehry event terrain was die-cut in Dallas, built into the intimate, cave-like with it in a variety of ways. Visi- in which they fabricated panels, the curved strips designed to space. tors traversed its surface as the displays, and lounges by sand- pop out oflarger sheets like Architecture students from cardboard crunched under their wiching layers of cardboard. paper doll dresses. Meanwhile, the University of Houston as feet like snow They climbed its That project became the testing the wood for the installation's well as Rice were among the cliffs and slid down its gulleys. ground where they refined their armature was precisely cut by a Rip Curl Canyon volunteers. "I Some students even brought approach to the material. think that a lot of the students their books and lounged in the Rip Curl Canyon was remi- "We are not were very excited to help mani- cardboard curves. niscent of a lot offorms in na- fest something that breaks from The cardboard landscape ture—sand dunes,snow drifts, interested in the mold of typical construction was created by Benjamin Ball waves, rolling hills, ravines—but projects," Ball says. "Many of and Gaston Nogues of the col- according to Ball,"We are not creating imagery. them didn't have a lot of con- laborative team Ball—Nogues. interested in creating imagery. We are interested struction experience, so seeing The pair met while studying We are interested in the viewer anything built was exciting to architecture at the Southern bringing imagery to the piece." in the viewer them—it's architectural in na- California Institute of Archi- In discussing the interactive ture and has an unconventional tecture, and both went on to nature of the work, Ball explains bringing imagery shape." work for the renowned architect that he and Nogues wanted to to the piece." Ball figures that the effort Frank Gehry at Gehry Partners. "make something that was not that went into the project was just for the eye and the mind; it equivalent to the effort required Nogues spent II years at the —Benjamin Ball firm in product design and pro- was also for the body." to build a small house. But like duction and became known as Making artwork for the eye, all installations at the Rice Gal- "the guy who could build any- mind, and body was a compli- computer-controlled router. lery, its allotted life span was a thing." Meanwhile, Ball, who cated endeavor. Ball—Nogues After seven months of plan- brief five weeks. Afterward, the worked with Gehry Partners as essentially had to create their ning and preproduction, the in- wood was salvaged, and those a student, used his technology own giant "assembly kit" for stallation was constructed over eight tons of cardboard went and design skills to become a the installation. The installa- a three-week period with Rice through Rice University's recy- set and production designer, tion was digitally modeled on Gallery staff and student volun- cling center. "I wish there was working on numerous films, the computer and then physi- teers. In the end, it consisted of a home for retired art installa- including those in the Matrix cally modeled in the studio. To approximately 20,000 strips of tions," Ball says wistfully.• series. understand the materials, Ball— die-cut cardboard held together Cardboard constructions in- Nogues created full-scale mock- in sections by thousands of dry- —Kelly Klaasmeyer variably call to mind Gehry's ups, stacking strips of cardboard wall screws. The sections were cardboard furniture, and it was and then shifting them like fastened to a wooden frame- his work that sparked the duo's reams of paper.

38 Rice Sallyport They Might Be GIANE

• In their day, Thomas Moran's landscape paintings of the American paint my own buildings." as Cerney expanded Moran's image West were so influential thatthey helped persuade the United States Since then, Cerney has been paint- of the river and cliffs into a pixilated ing giant figures that are planted in Congress to declare Yellowstone a national park. This past winter, the panorama that extended across three landscape Some of his earliest free- walls of the gallery. Moran's 1892 masterwork, Nearing Camp on the Upper Colorado standing works were huge cutouts of And then there were the figures. In River, served as an inspiration for something a little different: Big farm workers placed in fields where the front of Sewell Hall, a cutout of a young Landscape,Big West,an installation atthe Rice Gallery by California workers toiled. He garnered his widest boy crouched in the courtyard, peering artist John Cerney. recognition—including an article in through the gallery windows with a the New York Times—for his cutout pair of binoculars. Inside, 12-foot-high painting of a giant baby playing with figures of a family,dressed in clothing of Moran was an explorer as well as an of the landscape rather than simply life-sized tractors the painting's period,stood admiring the artist, accompanying survey teams, depicting it He got his start as an artist The Rice Gallery installation was the view and dwarfing visitors. The mother into America's West His work was bypainting signs and advertising murals first time Cerney has executed an indoor worked at her easel painting the same included in the Museum of Fine Arts, While he was painting a scene on the project. Instead of placing his painted scenery, while the father perched on Houston (MFAH) recent exhibition The side of a building—a garage with auto figures in the landscape, this time, he a rock and gestured to his awestruck Modern West American Landscapes, mechanics working inside—he decided painted the landscape as well Declaring daughter. High in the left corner of the 1890-1950 The exhibition examined to paint the sign that said,"We Accept that he doesn't consider himself a fine room hung a cut out of a hawk An audio ways in which artists shaped our vision Visa and MasterCard," as a separate, artist, Cerney says taking on Moran's track played the sound of wind and the of the West as well as how the West three-dimensional element Cerney liked work was slightly intimidating To do echoing cries of birds, lending an sense helped shape modern art in America the waythe dimensional element looked it, he began by breaking the project into of immersion to the scene Cerney's installation was presented in against the flat painting, and the idea manageable sections,gridding offa large Cerney may be an artist used to collaboration with the MFAH exhibition, stuck with him. When he went back photograph of the work and then slicing having the outdoors as his gallery, but and in it, Cerney sought to recreate the to repaint the mural three years later, it into more than 600 squares Over a in Big Landscape, Big West, he turned sense of wonder western landscapes he added another three-dimensional four-month period, he reproduced and the tables, bringing something of the evoked in 19th-century Americans He element to the building, a cutout of a enlarged each segment on its own splendor and scale of the outdoors to chose Moran's painting because, he Corvette 11-inch square panel of Masonite an interior space.• says, "If I'm going to do my version of "It didn'ttake long," he says,"before I Like the pixels of a digital image, the a landscape painting, I can't do better real ized that I no longerneeded the build- small paintings worked together to —Kelly Klaasmeyer than Thomas Moran." ing." His paintings could be freestanding create a whole. In the end, there were Usually, Cerney's art becomes part in the world, and, he says, "I could even almost 1,000 panels in the installation

Winter '07 39 ON THE BOOKSHELF]

Romantic Magic What do you get when you mix romance with a little magic?

The Oldest Kind of Magic (Medallion Press, 2005), is written by Ann Macela, who, with a minor slight of hand, becomes Fredericka Meiners '63, best known at Rice as the author of A History ofRice University: The Institute Years,1907-1963 (Rice University Press,1982).

aria Morgan,the good management consul- I. IIGEj.,JoHN A. MoRETTA protagonist of The tant and hires Dania. Some- DOldest Kind ofMag- one is bleeding his bottom ic, is a minor practitioner line, and if he can't find out A Panoramic View of Space City from a family of witches and who it is, his company might sorcerers who makes a living go belly up. As Dada ana- Stanley E. Siegel '53 and John A. Morena '86 may have as a management consultant. lyzes Benthausen's problems, graduated from Rice nearly 30 years apart, but they have Dana isn't as magically adept she begins to suspect he may more than their alma mater in common.Both are profes- as the rest of her family, and be the man in her dreams sors of history in the Houston area—Siegel at the Uni- her mother suggests her dif- and that a group of vicious, versity of Houston and Moretta at Houston Community stems from the fact crooked employees might be College and the UH main campus—and both have written ficulty extensively on the history of Texas. All of those aspects that she's a virgin. Although more monstrous than they come together in their book, Houston:A Chronicle ofthe Dana tries to avoid the sub- first appear. Before you can Bayou City(American Historical Press, 2005). ject, saying she doesn't need say abracadabra, they're tar- to be able to cast spells in a geting her, too, and like all Houston is well worth writing about. From its found- technologi- they won't ing near the site of the Battle of San Jacinto to its world of modern good bad guys, phenomenal growth as a port, business center, and cal conveniences, there are relent without a showdown. petrochemical industry leader, Houston is home to those frightening dreams The Oldest Kind ofMagic NASA, the Texas Medical Center, championship she's been having—the ones may be a bit of romantic sports teams, some of the oldest universities in where she and a handsome, fluff, but that doesn't mean Texas, and premier cultural arts organizations and blue-eyed stranger face a it isn't the perfect way for museums. It is, the authors argue, the quintes- group offearsome monsters. some readers to wile away a sential American supercity, and their informative Meanwhile, businessman couple offun hours.. text does justice to the city and to the people who John Benthausen needs a helped make it such a remarkable place. —Christopher Dow The large-format book has more than 400 black- and-white and color photographs and illustrations that are a history lesson all on their own. One, for example, is a color painting produced by a land speculator to draw Europeans to Houston in the years before the Civil War. The painting shows a placid blue river crossed by a stone and brick bridge and Houston nestled on a verdant hillside just beyond the river, while in the background soars a pretty good-sized mountain. It's safe to say that Siegel and Moretta's history of Rice University's unique home city is considerably more accurate, but it is no less compelling.

—Christopher Dow

40 Rice Sallyport ON THE BOOKSHELF

Transmaterial probably ought to be in the hands of every architect, designer, builder, and interior decorator, but anyone who is building a new home or renovating an older one should take a look, too.

into the atmosphere. Living in the Transmaterial World Although Brownell is a strong proponent of recycling and environ- mental responsibility, don't expect the materials in this book to look Wonder where to find the most unique structural, façade, window, and like they came from the trash heap, even if many ofthem started there. roofing materials around? Need exotic wall coverings, flooring, light fix- Most are sleek, beautiful, and extremely interesting, if not downright tures, or countertops? Interested in waterproof paint, woven metal fabric, intriguing, to look at. In his introduction, Brownell lays out seven pa- expandable room dividers made of paper and wool, or furniture manufac- rameters that, alone or in combination, define transmaterials: 1) They tured of rubber, glass,fiberglass, or even paper? How about a holographic must be ultraperforming, testing the limits that we normally expect of wall? Anyone who thinks that a catalog of building materials has to look materials. 2) They are multidimensional. Wall coverings, for example, like a Home Depot or Lowe's flyer hasn't seen Transmaterial: A Catalog of also can serve as ambient room lighting. 3)They are repurposed, with Materials thatRedefine OurPhysical Environment(Princeton Architectural recycled or nontraditional materials replacing precious raw materials. Press,2006), compiled and edited by Blaine Brownell '98. 4) They are recombinant, using two or more different materials that act in harmony, are esthetically superior, or that result in high-perfor- Brownell, who earned a master's degree from Rice's School of Archi- mance characteristics. 5) They are intelligent. In other words,they can tecture, works in Seattle as an architect, sustainable building advisor, function actively as well as passively. 6) They are transformational, un- and materials researcher. An advocate of harnessing the latest materials dergoing physical metamorphosis based on to transform the way we make buildings and products, environmentalstimuli. 7) They are interfacial, Brownell was selected for a 2006 40 Under providing unprecedented capabilities that 40 Award by Building Design & Construc- Tiansmaterial create or enhance technologically infused tion magazine, and he is spending 2006-07 11014.1411 environments. t. 001 P.S C. WOW A .A7 in Tokyo on a Fulbright fellowship to research CA A OG 0 A smallsampling ofthe materialsillustrates sustainable design innovations in Japan. His some ofthese points. One is a lightweight work has been published in a number of ar- but durable composite of concrete and chitectural, scientific, and business journals recycled paper suitable for countertops, and magazines,and he also maintains a popular tiles,bowls, and sinks. Another is a colorful website—Transstudio.com—where he posts recycled plastic material that can be used much of his research. for partitions, ceilings, furniture, light Transmaterialis a compendium ofmore than fixtures, flooring, and sculpture. A third 200 new and innovative materials that can be is a technofabric woven with luminous used in construction and home furnishings and phosphors that absorbs natural and arti- decoration. The book is divided into sections ficial light then reemits it within another according to type of material: concrete, mineral, part of the color spectrum. And finally, metal, wood, plastic and rubber, glass, paint and there is a moldable wood laminate that paper,fabric, lighting, and digitally sensitive. Each carries a 12-volt current, allowing for page features a material or product,complete with furniture to have built-in plug-and-play a thorough description ofits properties and appli- features like lighting and audio. cations,several color photos,the sizes or quantities Transmaterialprobably ought to be available, and manufacturer contact information. in the hands ofevery architect,designer, True to Brownell's background in sustainabil- builder, and interior decorator, but ity, most of the descriptions are accompanied by a anyone who is building a new home statement of the material's environmental impact or renovating an older one should take or advantages. The terms you'll see most often are a look, too. It's the kind of book you recycled or recyclable, but those compete with energy efficient, browse rather than read, but you'll probably reusable, long life, and nontoxic. In addition, the book is informative find yourselfreading every page anyway,because the materials are so cool, regarding materials that are so commonplace that we think we know all innovative, and exciting. Brownell's introduction says,"Transmaterial about them. Take concrete for example. While concrete is fairly benign was designed to be accessible, engaging,inspiring, thought-provoking, in nature, Brownell says, producing one ton of Portland cement—the and informative." It is.• essential component of concrete—releases one ton of carbon dioxide —Christopher Dow

Winter '07 41 INHO'S WHO

Two National Business Leaders Join Board of Trustees

Hector Ruiz James Turley

Rice University has added two distinguished sociation, and also was named tices for successful work/fife a distinguished graduate by the integration. Last year, Turley CEOs—and Rice alumni—to its board of trustees. University ofTexas College of was among eight corporate Hector Ruiz'73, chair and CEO of Advanced Micro Engineering. In 2002, Ruiz was leaders to receive the CEO Di- honored with the Rice Distin- versity Leadership Award from Devices, and James Turley '77, chair and CEO of guished Alumni Award. Diversity Best Practices and the Ernst & Young, began their terms at the begin- Turley earned two degrees at Business Women's Network, Rice: a bachelor's in econom- recognizing both his and the ning of January. ics in 1977 and a master of ac- firm's deep commitment to di- counting in 1978. He was an versity and inclusion. resi- Turley is a member of the Ruiz was born in the border privileged. In 1999, Ruiz was active undergraduate and College, partici- Business Roundtable and the town of Piedras Negras, Mex- appointed by then-Governor dent of Lovett pating in the Rice Players and TransAtlantic Business Dia- ico. As a teenager, he traded George W. Bush to the Texas intramural sports and playing log, which was conceived to doing housework for English Education Coordinating Higher promote closer commercial lessons and walked across the varsity volleyball. He also was a Board. At the 2004 World Eco- ties between the U.S. and the U.S.—Mexico border every day Brown Engineering and Board nomic Forum, he announced European Union. At Rice, he to attend high school, graduat- of Governors Scholar. AMD's 50x15 Initiative, a com- is a member of the Council of ing valedictorian of his senior Turley joined Ernst & Young mitment to empower 50 per- Overseers for the Jesse H. Jones class. in the United States in 1977 as cent of the world's population Graduate School of Manage- He earned bachelor's and an auditor and moved up the with basic Internet access by ment, a Rice Associate, and a master's degrees in electrical ranks from the Houston office the year 2015. Ruiz currently member of the William Marsh engineering from the University by way of St. Louis, Cleveland, serves on the President's Coun- Rice Society. of Texas at Austin and a doctor- Minneapolis, and ultimately, cil of Advisers for Science and Outside of his professional ate in electrical engineering at New York. His original assign- Technology, or PCAST, which affiliations, Turley participates Rice. He then worked for six ment in New York was to lead advises the president of the in civic organizations. He is a years at Texas Instruments in the tristate area, which includes United States on issues related director for Catalyst, a nonprofit the research laboratories and New Jersey and Connecticut. In to technology, scientific research research and advisory organi- manufacturing operations. 2001, Turley was asked to lead priorities, and math and science zation that works to advance In 1977, Ruiz joined Mo- the firm. education. Ruiz also serves as women in business, and for the torola as an operations manager, Today, in addition to his chair of the board of Spansion Boy Scouts of America. He co- eventually becoming president global roles as chair and CEO, Inc. and is a board member of chairs the Russian Foreign In- of Motorola's worldwide Semi- Turley is chair of the Americas Kodak Company vestment Advisory Council and conductor Products Sector. He the Eastman area, Ernst & Young's North Indus- serves as chair of the National was recruited by Advanced Mi- and the Semiconductor and South American business. Corporate Theatre Fund. He cro Devices(AMD), one of the try Association. He also serves as senior advi- also is a member of the Com- world's largest semiconductor In 2006, Ruiz was named the sory partner for several of Ernst mittee to Encourage Corporate companies, in 2000, and served Outstanding Rice Engineering & Young's largest, global, and Philanthropy, the only national as president and chief operating Alumnus. Among other honors most complex accounts. He forum of business CEOs and officer until being named CEO in 2006, Ruiz was named one chairs the company's Gender chairpersons with an agenda in 2002. He was appointed of the world's Top 25 Busi- Equity Task Force, a team of focused exclusively on corporate chair of the board in 2004. ness Leaders by Fortune maga- partners from across the Ameri- philanthropy.• Ruiz is passionate about the zine, received a U.S. Hispanic cas charged with leveling the from the playing field for women at the role of technology in education Leadership Award —Jennifer Evans and empowering the under- U.S. Hispanic Contractors As- firm and supporting best prac-

42 Rice Sallyport [WHO'S WHO

P of Public Affairs 111

You won't find Linda Thrane, Rice's new vice presi- She also wants to expand awareness crops and foods. of and enlist buy-in for Rice's Vision for From 1991 to 2000, Thrane served dent for public affairs, listed in the Yellow Pages the Second Century. "The vision is the as vice president of public affairs for under "fabricators." rightthing to do and now isthe righttime Cargill Inc., one of the world's largest to do it," Thrane says."Our aspirations privately owned businessesthat provides "I have based my entire career on not And that excellence ranges from art are high butwithin our reach,and every food,agricultural and risk-management spinning fairy tales," says Thrane, and architecture to music and the member of the Rice community can products and services internationally. whose 33 years in the communications sciences—this small place is the real contribute to this effort." As an editorial writer for the Star profession includes experience in deal writ large." Thrane also is undertaking an Tribune—the largest daily newspaper in the corporate sector, academia, the So why is public affairs necessary? integrated brand-positioning and Minnesota—from 1 984to 1991,Thrane world of Washington and news and "First,educational institutions have an marketing initiative."We will conduct covered agriculture, trade, financial opinion journalism. "I work with the obligation to share knowledge within services, Third World development, real deal—stuff that's important to their university community and the "An educational government and a host of other people and that makes the world a community at large about how their environment where topical issues. During the energy crisis better place." teaching and research improves lives and work side triggered Since coming to Rice in January, livelihoods," Thrane explains."Second, students by the OPEC oil embargo of 1979, Thrane has interviewed more than 100 in the competitive environment facing by side with leading Thrane served as associate director Rice faculty, staff, trustees, students, higher education today, if universities researchers is of the Minnesota Petroleum Council. alumni and others. "After all these don't communicate their distinctive Prior to that, she was a reporter conversations," she says."I can say Rice value to a broader audience, they'll extremely powerful. for United Press International in University is indeed the real deal and has lose the arms race for top students, And that excellence Minneapolis and St. Paul, where she many wonderful stories to tell." faculty and resources." covered breaking news,sports, state Formerly the vice president of She is working with her public affairs ranges from art and government and politics for print and university relations at the University of staff, which includes the offices of architecture to music broadcast news media. Minnesota, Thrane says her previous Community and Government Relations, The recipient of a four-yearacademic familiarity with Rice was pretty much Minority Community Affa irs, News and and the sciences— merit scholarship, Thrane graduated limited to former Owls quarterback Media Relations and Web and Print this small place is the summa cum laude from Arizona State Tommy Kramer, who was drafted by Communications, to develop tools to Universitywith a Bachelorof Artsdegree the Minnesota Vikings. While on a improve communication about Rice real deal writ large." in journalism and minors in English and internally and externally. Spanish. She attended one semester of fact-finding mission to learn more —Linda Thrane about her potential new employer, One new communication tool is World Campus Afloat on an outstanding Thrane was surprised to read that "Dateline Rice," an electronic daily somevery intensive consultationswithin achievement scholarship. Rice researchers had done some of the report of print and broadcast media the Rice community to identify words Thrane says she has acclimated pioneering work in nanotechnology,for stories in which Rice is mentioned. and themes that capture the essence to Houston quickly. "I owe President which they received the Nobel Prize in "This helps the Rice community see in of the university and help define how David Leebron a huge debt of gratitude Chemistry. She discovered that Rice real time what's being reported about we talk about ourselves and present for airlifting me from Minnesota during is highly ranked in a number of other us and better understand how the rest ourselves to the larger world." what had to be one of the worst winters areas as well,and she came to Houston of the world is seeing us," Thrane says. She led a similar initiative at the in recent history." determined to put Rice at the top of "People are pleasantly surprised about University of Minnesota, home of the Thrane rescued her adopted people's minds when the subject of top how often Rice is reported in the news, country's third-largest campus. Prior Australian Shepherd, Moby, from research universities comes up. and on the whole, the coverage is very to her VP role at Minnesota, Thrane Minnesota as well. Her husband,John, "Wherever I go, I am amazed by positive about the work our researchers, spent four years as the executive will follow later this year. Her son, the quality of education and research faculty and students are doing to solve directorof the Council for Biotechnology Andrew, is a CPA and working on his that's being done here," she says. some of the problems facing the world Information in Washington, D.C., where MBA at the University of Minnesota's "An educational environment where today." (To sign up for Dateline Rice, she led an innovative $135 million Carlson School of Management. Her students work side byside with leading visitmailman.rice.edu/mailman/listinfo/ communications campaign to educate daughter, Kari, is a law student at Kent researchers is extremely powerful. dateline-rice.) the North American publicabout biotech in Chicago.•

Winter '07 43 I WHO'S WHO

— V. Ping Sun — Masayoshi Shibatani — Siva Kumari — James Tour — Behnaam Aazhang — Michael Wong In the News — Katherine Ensor — Eugene Zubarev — Maria-Regina Kecht — Mark Embree — Alan Levander — Scott Rixner — Antonios G. Mikos — John Olson

Rice's Sun Featured on New Continuing Studies Kumari to of AP and IB teachers, and with a aho, project leader in Finland and Houston PBS Series Oversee Rice Education Outreach grant from the National Science professor for digital transmission Foundation, she created the AP techniques at the University of Oulu Digital Library, which has nearly in Finland, to develop technologies Y.Ping Sun,university representa- Each year, some 7,000 K-12 teach- 9,700 national and international for future wireless communication tive and wife of Rice president David ers and 100,000 students in the users. She also has been selected systems.The goal is to develop tech- Leebron, wasfeatured in the October Houston area and across Texas are to participate in both national and nology in the areas of decentralized 22 episode of a new Houston Public touched by Rice University's public international committees,experience and self-organizing networks and Broadcasting System series titled education outreach efforts. To en- that broadens her perspective on operatorless radio access networks, Balancing Your Life. sure continued success in this area K-12 education. focusing on radio technologies that The half-hour series, hosted by and to identify new opportunities, Programs such as these enable apply to broadband wireless devices Ellen Susman, features women Rice will draw on the experience Rice to magnify the impact of its such as mobile phones, laptop com- sharing their choices, challenges, of Siva Kumari, who has been outreach efforts. "As a smaller puters, short-range communication and solutions in today's ever-chang- appointed advisor to the provost school, Rice can't reach every in- devices, and body-area networks ing and demanding society. Sun, an on K-12 initiatives. dividual in the K-12 community," used in medical applications. attorney with Yetter & Warden LLR Kumari will analyze the more than Kumari says, "But by teaching the is one of 26 women from varied 85 university-sponsored or hosted teachers, as Rice does very well professional, socioeconomic, and educational outreach initiatives cur- now, the university can re-energize Ensor Receives First Global Forum cultural backgrounds to be profiled rently in place at Rice.These range these vital educators, who can go Seed Grant on the show this season. from well-funded centers to special back and inspire others to make a A native of Shanghai, China, Sun at- projects mounted by individual faculty difference in the lives of many stu- tended Beijing Language and Culture working with small groups of teachers The Rice Global Engineering and dents. lam confident that we are on University and was offered a full schol- and students. She also will identify Construction Forum (GECF) has the verge of exciting and positive arship to Princeton University, where new possibilities for reaching out awarded its first seed grant to changes that will have an impact she graduated cum laude in 1985 to the K-12 community and make Katherine Ensor, professor on the future of Houston." from the Woodrow Wilson School of recommendations for sustainable, and chair of the Department of International and Public Affairs. She effective ways to conduct and to Statistics and director of the Center received a JD in 1988 from Columbia coordinate programs that are con- for Computational Finance and Electrical and Computer with the university's mission Economic Systems, for a study of University School of Law, where she sistent Engineering's Aazhang Earns risk assessment in the engineering served as an editor of the Journal of and that support Rice's responsibil- Finnish Professorship Transnational Law. Sun has practiced ity as a contributing member of the and construction industry. law in the NewYork offices of White & greater Houston community and GECF,founded in 1997, is the only Case LLP and more recently at Sidley the state of Texas. Behnaam Aazhang, the J.S. organization focused on the discus- Austin Brown &Wood LLR where she Kumari has been working with Abercrombie Professor and chair sion and study of problems facing the and focused on corporate and international Rice outreach programs for more of the Department of Electrical contracting side of the engineering transactions. than 12 years. In 2000, she joined Computer Engineering, has earned a and construction industry. "It costs Asa university representative,Sun Rice's Susanne M.Glasscock School Finnish Distinguished Professorship somebody money to assume these serves Rice in numerous roles on cam- of Continuing Studies, where she under a competitive new program risks," says GECF founder and chair pus and in the Houston community. has directed K-12 projects that by the Academy of Finland and emeritusAhmad Durrani, professor of She is a member of the governing have had national impact. Under Tekes, the Finnish funding agency civil and environmental engineering. council at Rice's Shepherd School her leadership, Rice's Advanced for technology and innovation. "Too often, risk management has of Music and an honorary chair of Placement (API Summer Institute Aazhang's project on flexible wire- relied on the gut feeling of a senior Rice's Baker Institute Roundtable. for teachers has become the larg- less communication systems is one management person. Our goal is to She is a director of Texas Children's est in the nation, and she started of only 24 projects funded through quantify risk, using the expertise of Hospital, the Asia Society (Houston the International Baccalaureate (I B) the Finland Distinguished Professor an accomplished researcher like chapter), and Teach for America programs for teachers, making Rice Program,the goal of which is to raise Professor Ensor." (Houston regional board). She is a the only institute in the country the level of scientific and technologi- Ensor will use the funding to board member of theAsian Chamber with both AP and I B programs. cal knowledge in Finland and to add develop a robust risk-assessment of Commerce and recently was ap- Kumari created a unique model of a more international element to the strategy for industry decision-makers. pointed by Houston mayor Bill White professional development for K-12 Finnish research system. From a statistical perspective, the to the Mayor's International Affairs teachers that engages higher-edu- During the five-year appointment, basic research addresses the real- and Development Council. cation faculty in the development Aazhang will work with Matti Latva- ity that information comes in many

44 Rice Sallyport WHO'S WHO1

Y. Ping Sun Siva Kumari Behnaam Aazhang Katherine Ensor Maria-Regina Kecht Alan Levander

forms and usually with some degree no Joseph Roth, no Elias Canefti, opportunity to conduct self-directed, ing. Among other projects being of uncertainty. During the next year, or Ernst Mach." independent research in Germany in investigated by Mikos and his a team of graduate and undergradu- The institute's 25 participants, cooperation with colleagues. colleagues are bone regeneration ate students assembled by Ensor drawn from a range of backgrounds, While in Germany, Levander and repair using a biodegradable and Durrani will assess technical, including philosophy, media, women's collaborated on research about polymer scaffold and the synthesis legal, financial, and geopolitical studies, history, and social sciences, orogenic-plateau formation, seis- of new materials that simulate the risks, among others, supported by were immersed in a tapestry of micity distribution, and geodynamic mechanical responsiveness and the $20,000 award. readings and discussions; lectures problems associated with plate—tec- biochemical processing abilities of by Austrian experts in demography, tonic interactions. Orogeny is the living cells and tissues. geography, history, political science, building of mountain belts—several Mikos, who also is director of Rice's Kecht Earns Rave Reviews architecture, and music history; and mountain ranges that run parallel to the Center for Excellence in Tissue for Summer Institute excursions to architectural sites one another, such as the Andes and Engineering at Rice, holds 16 pat- and cultural events. Kecht hopes Rockies—and orogenic plateaus are ents, has authored more than 300 For centuries, Vienna, Austria, has the participants left with an under- the high, flat features often found articles, and is a founding editor of been the melting pot of Europe, a standing of the diverse population in the interior of these mountain the journal Tissue Engineering. mecca for artists, musicians, phi- of Vienna and the urban culture belts. "It's a great opportunity to losophers, and scientists whose created through the last century work with an outstanding group rich mix of cultures has made tre- and will be able to reorient their of scientists that has been inves- Biochemistry's Olson Honored by mendous contributions to modern academic perceptions of a city tigating the tectonic evolution of the Biophysical Society European societies. Last summer, that is too often ignored by those the Andean orogenic plateau and teaching German studies. associate professor of German the Himalayan plateau for the past Rice biochemistJohn Olson is the Participants quickly returned Maria-Regina Kecht explored 20 years," Levander says. "They winner of this year's Emily M. Gray glowing evaluations of the experi- have integrated approach those contributions in a four-week taken an Award from the Biophysical Society. ence, which many described studying mountain building and summer institute titled "Melting Pot as to The award is the international profes- "impressive," "motivating," "mov- have found a number of surprising Vienna:Then and Now," co-directed sional organization's top award for ing," and "beyond expectation." things about the formation of high with Helga Schreckenberger of the education and outreach. Olson, the As a result, the Modern Language plateaus like the Altiplano University of Vermont.The summer and the Ralph and Dorothy Looney Professor Association has invited Kecht to formation of the mountains institute was one of only 11 funded and of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, has publish a volume on Vienna in its volcanoes around them." nationwide by a highly competitive won five teaching awards at Rice, series,Teaching Language, Literature, grantfrom the National Endowment including three George R. Brown and Culture. for the Humanities INEH). awards. He has taught one of Rice's Mikos Receives Top Honor from "Melting Pot Vienna" explored largest biosciences courses—the ju- Biomedical Engineering Society the multiethnic, socio-economic, nior-level BIOS 301—every fall since Earth Science's Levander Receives and political-ideological diversity 1975, except for the three years he Esteemed Humboldt Award of Vienna and its evolution over a Antonios G. Mikos,the John W. served as department chair in the 100-year period, starting with the Cox Professor in Bioengineering and mid-1980s. The course is required last decades of the multinational Alan Levander,the Carey Croneis professor in chemical and biomo- for all biosciences majors and has a Habsburg Monarchy, when the city Professor of Earth Science and chair lecular engineering at Rice, has re- current annual enrollment of about saw itself changing from the capital of the Department of Earth Science, ceived the prestigious Distinguished 200. Olson also has taught BIOS of a multistate empirewith 52 million considers his recent Humboldt Scientist and Lecturer Award for 2007 352, physical chemistry for biosci- inhabitants to present-day Austria, Research Award a professional and from the Biomedical Engineering ences, each spring since 1988, the where the city is the capital of a small personal honor.The prestigious award Society IBMES).The annual award year that many of 2006's incoming country of 8 million people. "It's an is granted by the Alexander von recognizes outstanding achievements freshmen were born. interesting examination, particularly Humboldt Foundation in Germany to and leadership in the science and Olson also was recognized for his now, considering the immigration internationally recognized scientists practice of biomedical engineering mentoring. Since arriving at Rice in issues in our headlines," Kecht and scholars working outside the and is one of the highest honors 1973, he has advised 22 PhD stu- says. "Imagine if the Austrians had country. Recipients must be nomi- bestowed on a BMES member. dents and currently is mentoring practiced a policy of exclusion in nated by established researchers Mikos's research interests in- four more doctoral candidates. In turn-of-the-century Vienna. There within Germany.The award carries a clude biomaterials, drug delivery, addition, 28 graduate studentsfrom would have been no Sigmund Freud, cash prize, travel expenses,and the gene therapy, and tissue engineer- Rice and other leading universities

Winter '07 45 INHO'S WHO

Antonios G. Mikos John Olson James Tour

around the world have carried out Linguist Shibatani Awarded NSF Nanotech Publication Names Rice rolling out a motorized nanocar; a significant portions of their thesis Grant to Study Dying Languages Chemist Innovator of the Year nanotruck with a cargo bay; a six- work in his laboratory. He has men- wheeled,three-axled nanocaterpillar; a nanotrain; a nanobackhoe, com- tored 40 undergraduate researchers Masayoshi "Matt"Shibatani's Rice Universitychemist and nanocar plete with flexible extension arm; and interns—all but three of whom studying languages on the inventor James Tour has been se- work and an ultrasmall version of the have gone on to pursue careers in lected Innovator of theYear in Small brink of extinction has netted a nanocar, dubbed "the NanoCooper." science or medicine. 77mesmagazine's Best of SmallTech nearly $300,000 National Science The team currently is working on "I was both surprisedand humbled Research Awards competition.The Foundation grant—the largest grant a high-performance version of the to be selected for the 2007 Emily awards recognize the best people, for linguistic research in the history motorized nanocar that contains M. Gray Award," Olson says. "It is products, and companies in nano- of the School of Humanities. twin solar-powered motors. nice to be recognized for being in technology, microelectromechanical With the three-year grant, "We want to build things from systems, and microsystems. Tour, the trenches,teaching the hard-core Shibatani, the Deedee McMurtry the bottom-up, one molecule at a the Chao Professor of Chemistry, courses in biochemistry and physical Professor of Humanities and chair of time, and to do that, we need to professor in mechanical engineering chemistry, and running predoctoral the Department of Linguistics, will transport molecules from place to and materials science,and professor training programs." international team of linguists place," Tour says. "Just as cells use leaden of computer science, also has been Olson says his service as direc- enzymes to assemble proteins and from New Zealand, Australia, and awarded a coveted Arthur C. Cope tor of large National Institutes of large molecules, we want to design Indonesia to study the languages of Scholar Award from the American Health (NIH)-sponsored graduate synthetic transporters that are capable eastern Indonesia.Two Rice gradu- Chemical Society, which recognizes training programs—like the of doing much the same thing in student ate students and two postgraduate and encourages excellence in organic nonbiological environments." Houston Area Molecular Biophysics students from Indonesia also will chemistry. Only 10 of the awards, Predoctoral(HAM BP)Training Grant participate in the project. sponsored by the Arthur C. Cope program—likely played a role in his The researchers will document Fund, are given annually and con- Chemical Engineering Dynamo winning the Gray Award. HAMBP the deterioration of these languages' sist of a $5,000 prize and a $40,000 provides fellowships for students complex voice systems.Western lan- unrestricted research grant. from Rice, Baylor College of Medicine, guages like English have a two-voice Smalllimes recognizedTour,direc- Michael Wong, an assistant pro- M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the system—active and passive—thatcan tor of the Carbon Nanotechnology fessor in chemical and biomolecu- University of Houston,the University be distinguished by the placement Laboratory in Rice's Richard E. lar engineering and in chemistry, ofTexas Medical School at Houston, of the subject and object. But the Smalley Institute for Nanoscale garnered an impressive array of and the University ofTexas Medical eastern Indonesian languages, part Science and Technology, for his awards last year for his ground- breaking work in several areas of Branch at Galveston. of the large Austronesian language pioneering research in molecular develop- nanotechnology. "Part of this award should be family, originally had a four-way self-assembly,including the ment of single-molecule nanocars. Wong was named to the 2006 shared with the others who started contrast, defying the grammatical Tour's group unveiled its ultrasmall list of the world's 35 Top Young the HAMBPTraining Grant program rules ofWestern languages.Through nanocars in 2005. Measuring just Innovators by Technology Review in 1986, including Graham Palmer its fieldwork in eastern Indonesia, three-by-four nanometers, nanocars magazine. The annual TR35 list and Kathy Matthews at Rice, the Shibatani's team hopes to under- have four wheels, a rigid chassis, recognizes individuals under age late FinnWold at UT Medical School stand the nature of these complex and axles that spin freely and swivel 35 whose innovative research in at Houston, Flo Quiocho at Baylor voice systems, which deteriorate independently of one another. About technology has a profound impact into more simple systems as one College of Medicine, Monte Pettitt 20,000 nanocars can be parked on today's world. Nominees are at the University of Houston, and moves from east to west along the side-by-side across the diameter of recognized for their contributions in many others," Olson says." HAM BP archipelago stretching from Flores a human hair. The nanocars were transforming the nature of technology was one of the first—if not the Island to Bali. Shibatani says the imaged in action in collaboration and business in industries such as first—successful interinstitutional findings from this research will chal- with Tour's colleague Kevin Kelly, biotechnology and medicine, com- graduate training grant programs lenge many basic grammatical con- assistant professor of electrical and puting, and nanotechnology. in the United States. It has served cepts and assumptions of Western computer engineering. Wong also was recognized with as a model for many other NIH- linguistics, including the universal Tour designed nanocars as a the Young Investigator Award from and National Science Foundation- use of the subject and object, the test system for new methods of the American Institute of Chemical sponsored predoctoral fellowship opposition of the active—passive molecular self-assembly. During Engineers(AlChE) Nanoscale Science programs, and it is still going strong voice, and the distinction between the past year, his research team and Engineering Forum. AlChE is organization for after 20 years." nouns and verbs. has extended the original concept, an international

46 Rice Sallyport WHO'S WHO)

tl Michael Wong Eugene Zubarev Mark Embree Scott Rixner

chemical engineering professionals, suspension.This room-temperature, The CAREER funding will pay for increasing networking demands. with more than 40,000 members in mild-pH,spontaneous self-assembly continued investigations and for However,the complexity of modern 93 countries. The honor acknowl- process has been used to create a comprehensive K-12 outreach microprocessors will prevent such edges interdisciplinary research in microcapsules that can be used program. continued performance growth. nanoscale science and engineering in drug delivery, improved medical Embree, assistant professor of Instead, chip manufacturers have by an engineer or scientist under diagnostics, and other biomedical computational and applied math- begun to provide multiple proces- the age of 35. applications. ematics, seeks to answer funda- sors on a single chip to make up In addition, Wong garnered two mental questions about some of for the loss in performance growth other honors: the Best Applied the most important algorithms used of individual processors. Rixner Paper Award, with co-authors NSF Awards Will Support to solve large-scale linear algebra hopes to find ways to restructure Michael Nutt and Joseph Hughes, Development of Three Faculty problems. Solving such problems the interfaces between computer from the South Texas Section of Members is necessary in a number of ap- hardware and software within the AlChE and Rice's 2006 Hershel M. plications, like understanding the network subsystem to allow net- Rich Invention Award, presented Assistant professors Eugene complex fluid dynamics associated working performance to continue annually to a faculty member or Zubarev, Mark Embree, and with systems as diverse as artificial to scale with these new single-chip student who has developed an Scott Rixner have won Faculty hearts, chemical-process containers, multiprocessors. He also intends to original invention. Early Career Development(CAREER) or jet aircraft. Though the efficient use the project to expose under- The various awards recognized Program Awards from the National solution of such problems is es- graduate and graduate students to Wong for his use of nanoparticles Science Foundation(NSF). CAREER sential to high-fidelity mathematical system-level networking issues in to develop new catalysts for the grants support early career develop- modeling, and the nation's fastest computer systems and architecture chemical industry, a new class of ment of junior faculty and are among computers devote many cycles to courses.• microcapsules for biomedical ap- the most competitive grants awarded this challenge, several of the most plications, and palladium-coated by the NSF, which gives only about important algorithms are unreliable —Reported by B. J. Almond, Jade Boyd, Dawn Dorsey, Jennifer Evans, gold nanoparticles for the purifi- 400 the five-year grants annu- and not fully understood. Embree of Patrick Kurp, Lynette McGlamery, and cation of water contaminated by hopes to gain insights that will ally across all disciplines. CAREER lead Marilyn Howard Sparks chlorinated compounds. Wong grants typically range from $400,000 to more rapid and reliable algo- has found, for example, ways to to $500,000 and are designed to rithms. His research program will incorporate nanoparticle-supported support the early career-develop- be complemented with educational metal oxides into new catalysts ment activities of scholars who are efforts that include mentorship for the chemical industry, which likely to become academic leaders programs for graduate students spends more than $11 billion annu- in their field. and undergraduates, as well as the ally on catalysts. Wong's catalysts, Zubarev,the Norman Hackerman- development of a new graduate which make use of nanoparticles Welch Young Investigator and as- course and the broad public dis- rather than microparticles, could sistant professor in chemistry, won semination of educational material allow industry to reduce energy support for his efforts to create new for numerical analysis through Rice's costs and waste chemicals and to nanoparticles and nanostructures Connexions project. produce gasoline, chemicals, and using the hydrophobic effect—the Rixner, assistant professor of pharmaceuticals more efficiently. tendency of some materials to repel computer science and in electrical His catalysts also could be used water molecules. and computer engineering, will use in more effective smog-reduction Some of the most basic building his CAREER funding to develop devices and in new chemical tech- blocks in biology—including the new architectures for computer nologies, such as those needed to membranes that encase all living networking that make efficient use produce hydrogen. cells—are amphiphiles,compounds of next-generation multiprocessor In a separate area of research, that consist of ordered arrangements technology. Modern operating Wong and his group are making ad- of both water-repelling and water- systems rely largely on increasing vances in understanding nanoparticle attracting components. Zubarev processor performance to keep synthesis and scale-up. They have already has pioneered a range of pace with the rising demand for discovered a fundamentally new techniques to create an entirely network communication. To date, approach for synthesizing micro- new class of synthetic amphiphiles exponential gains in microprocessor capsules by mixing together a poly- that can be useful in both molecular performance always have allowed mer-salt solution and a nanoparticle electronics and biomedical science. processing power to keep pace with

Winter '07 47 Liz Haryyood has a simple philosophy: give st.udents enoughdPE and ' they'll use it Ott get off camps and into the great outdoors. Outdoor Programs and er—each with succeeding levels of responsibility ROPE, short for Rice and training. The trip leaders assist in planning the Education, is a new extracurricular recreation logistics of excursions and then work to ensure the safety of the participants and staff during the program that provides students the oppor- outings. There also is a student outdoor program tunity to participate in a variety of outdoor manager to help facilitate the program. ROPE may be starting off modestly, but Harwood activities, such as hiking, camping, rock climb- has grand plans for the future "Some students ing, horseback riding, caving, and canoeing. say they're interested in a sailing program, and I'm looking at the possibility of doing a scuba trip down to Corpus Christi for seniors who already "Intramural sports are big at Rice, and they've are certified Right now, we're offering a begin- been going on for a long time: says Liz Harwood, ner scuba class in the pool. Eventually, I'd like to assistant director for outdoor programs at the Rice get into some longer trips as well, such as going Recreation Center."But Rice wanted to offer other out to West Texas and hiking in the mountains recreational opportunities for students who don't One of my big dreams is to do a sea kayaking trip have an interest in intramurals" ROPE gives stu- along the coast:' dents a less-competitive physical outlet, and it's Taking excursions like this is fun, and that's one also a good way for them to meet others on cam- of the main draws, but it isn't Harwood's sole pus "Most of the students come into the outdoor motivation. "I want to give the students ageneral program knowing maybe one or two people, and love of the outdoors',' she says, "but I also want to they branch out from there: Harwood says. "We teach them both self-sufficiency and an understand- can get them off campus and give them a break ing of the group process. This includes teaching doing something a bit different" leadership skills, especially with the student trip Harwood, who joined Rice in July 2005, also is leaders as they learn to facilitate groups and to be responsible for the aquatics program As an un- responsible for the welfare of others" dergraduate at Ohio University, she wanted to go In an effort to further advance ROPE, Harwood into high school alternative education, but after has become one of the founding members of the she became involved in the campus recreation Texas Outdoor Leadership Conference (TOLC), program, she was hooked and graduated with a which will hold its first meeting this spring "TOLC BS in adventure recreation "I've gotten plenty of is made up of all the Texas schools that have out- laughs about that over the years," Harwood admits. door programs:' Harwood says "We're hoping She went on to earn a master's degree in outdoor to get our students involved in local conferences, education and administration from Georgia College where they can go to workshops and pick up and State University. "A lot of universities now different skills. And I think there are going to be have outdoor programs," she says, "and they've some roundtables for the student trip leaders to become successful elements of their campus rec- discuss issues freely without the administrators reation programs.There are so many opportunities around" in this area that Rice thought it was the right time ROPE also has begun a tentative affiliation with to get something started." the International Wilderness Leadership School Although ROPE did not officially begin until this (IWLS), which specializes in providing high-quality academic year, the program hosted its first trip last wilderness education, outdoor leadership train- spring, when seven students went to hike and rock ing, and technical instruction and takes students climb the huge granite dome of Enchanted Rock to some of the world's most alluring wilderness in the Texas Hill Country. This past fall, there were areas "This isn't an alliance, yet," Harwood says horseback riding, hiking, canoeing, backpacking, "I have a strong background with the National and caving excursions There was even a seminar Outdoor Leadership School, one of the larger such on cooking in the backcountry. One of the short programs. It does a very nice job of going around nature hikes, held at Armand Bayou Nature Center, the country and doing presentations and bringing focused on native spiders, and another, appropri- its EcoBus around. But IWLS asked to visit the ately enough, on owls. campus, so we're going to do a quick, one-hour Harwood wants to instill in her students not only presentation with it to see how it works out"

•••;. a love for the great outdoors but also the technical Harwood has high hopes for ROPE, but she says skills to safely enjoy a variety of outdoor activities. it's the students who make the program. "Rice So far, most of the participants are beginners in students are so much fun to work with: she says the various activities, but about a third have some "I definitely find they're very challenging, which experience "As time goes on and we branch out," is great They keep me on my toes I love the fact Harwood says,"we're going to get more advanced that they're involved in so many activities. They've students. And we'll try to get those students in- really made the job for me" volved as trip leaders." —Christopher Dow There are three ranks of trip leader—assistant trip leader, lead trip leader, and adventure trip lead-

Winter '07 49 PA I pin he newssent jubilation and celebration through- tage of its good field position on a touchdown pass to Rice re- with another score to put the ceiver Jaren Dillard that closed out the university: Rice was on its way to the Trojans ahead 28-10 at the half. the gap to 34-17 with just un- T New Orleans Bowl, its first bowl game in 45 Graham summed up the der five minutes to play, but an- Owls first-half play pretty con- other Troy touchdown put the years. And to add to the excitement, the Owls, with a cisely. "We were really disorga- game out of the Owls' reach. 7-5 season record, were favored to win over the Troy nized in the first quarter and a The Owls were unprepared fol- half defensively," he said. "They for Haugabook, whose effec- Trojans, appearing in only their second bowl,also made some big plays on us. We tive mix of running and passing lowing an 7-5 season. gave up the big play, and that plays earned him the game's really hurt us." MVP and showed why he was named the Sun Belt Conference At the end of the day, howev- defense like we did, and you're The Owls player of the year. "We had a lot er, the Owls found themselves not going to have a chance to tendency to give of confusion out there," Gra- outmatched, as the Trojans win the game." up the big play ham said. "We did a very poor dominated Rice to the tune of On the game's first posses- and not mount job defensively of preparing our 41-17. Rice fans' disappoint- sion, Trojan Mykeal Terry's kids." Another problem was un- ment at the loss was dimin- 40-yard reception put Troy a consistent doubtedly the Owl's failure to ished, however, by the Owls' on the Owls' 1-yard line. defense— take care of the ball. Rice com- outstanding effort during the Three plays later, Troy took mistakes they mitted five turnovers in the loss, season and a bright outlook the lead 7-0. After Rice had avoided a season high. for next year. quarterback Joel Armstrong's for most of the Part of Rice's struggles It was clear by the end of first pass was intercepted, stemmed from the absence of the first quarter that the game Troy was back on the Rice 1- stellar second several key Owls. Sophomore would be a tough one for Rice. yard line, and it was quickly half of their Ja'Corey Shepherd, Rice's best Troy—which had racked up 14-0. Armstrong followed season—doomed defensive back, did not travel only 23 first-quarter points all shortly after with an 11-yard them from the to New Orleans due to a viola- season—already had taken the touchdown pass to Mike kickoff. tion of team rules, and tight lead 21-7, scoring on four of its Falco that cut the lead to end Chance Talbert, whose spe- first five possessions. 14-7, but the first quarter cialty is blocking the run, also The Owls tendency to give scoring wasn't over yet. Troy A 25-yard field goal in the was suspended for the game. In up the big play and not mount quarterback Omar Hauga- third quarter increased Troy's addition, the Owls were miss- a consistent defense—mistakes book put more points on the lead to 31-10, and another in ing injured starting quarterback they had avoided for most of board with a 56-yard touch- the fourth brought the score to Chase Clement. Armstrong, the stellar second half of their down pass to Terry. 34-10. Armstrong connected filling in for Clement, struggled season—doomed them from In the second quarter, Rice under pressure from the the kickoff. "We did everything kicker Clark Fangmeier made it outside of the way we normally 21-10 with a 43-yard field goal, play," said former Rice head but after the Owls botched an coach Todd Graham."You play onside kick, Troy took advan-

50 Rice Sallyport Trojan defense, throwing five 1-yard touchdown grab in the will be an important building interceptions and getting sacked fourth quarter brought the block for future years. After tak- four times. He completed 35 of number of consecutive games ing over the program in Janu- 54 passes for 306 yards and one in which Dillard has scored to ary 2006, Graham oversaw a touchdown. 15, dating back to the 2005 renaissance for the football Armstrong, who was clearly season. His 13-game touch- program, including impressive unhappy with his effort, said down streak in 2006 set an renovations to Rice Stadium, after the game he felt he'd let 4•111. NCAA record. Dillard an increase in fundraising, and his teammates down."As a finished the game with an improvement in the win—loss quarterback, the main thing nine catches for 71 yards record from 1-10 in 2005 to you have to do is take care and one touchdown. After 7-6 this year. of the ball, and I did a hor- Most importantly, Graham rible job of that," he said. Despite a loved what he saw in the hearts But Graham was quick to disappointing of the players. "We lost the defend Armstrong's play game," Graham said. "But these "Joel's done a tremendous appearance in kids are victors in life. No one job for us," he said. "No the New Orleans knows the hard work these kids blame goes toward Joel. Bowl, the 2006 put in to take a team that was as He got out there and season was down as the Rice program and competed and did the to resurrect it in a single season. best he could. We are a special one They locked arm in arm, and to proud of him." for Rice—one me,they triumphed unlike any A bright spot that will be team I've ever coached. I want- for the Owls was ed them to have the opportu- Dillard, who con- an important nity to finish this thing as bowl tinued his touch- building block champions, and we just didn't down streak. His for future years. get it done. But is doesn't take away from what we've accom- plished and what it's going to the game, however, Dillard said mean to this program in years he'd rather have gotten a win. to come."• "I really don't look at individu- al statistics," he said. "The re- —Sarah Williams cord, that's nice, but all I worry about is the Rice Owls getting the win." Despite a disappointing ap- pearance in the New Orleans Bowl, the 2006 season was a special one for Rice—one that

Winter '07 51 SCOREBOARD

Bailiff produced a total of 14 All Southland Conference first team selections, and 13 of his players were named to the academic all conference squad in the last two years. David Bailiff

David Bailiff Named Rice University Head Football Coach

David Bailiff was introduced on January 19 as Rice's Bailiff inherited was picked to embraced by the community in 18th head football coach by athletics director Chris finish last in the Southland Con- San Marcos. For the past two Del Conte. ference (SLC), but the Bobcats summers, Bailiff and the Bob- posted a 5-6 record and headed cats made a point of getting out into the final week of the season in the community to meet with Bailiff, 48, has spent the last State, serving as a defensive with conference championship area business leaders and involve three seasons as the head coach graduate assistant coach in 1988 aspirations. Texas State ended themselves in various projects, at Texas State University in San before being promoted to the up 3-2 in the SLC and finished from making appearances at Marcos, Texas, where he posted Bobcats' defensive line coach in third in the league, the team's San Marcos elementary schools' a 21-15 record while leading 1989. Bailiff left Texas State in highest ranking in the SLC since Citizenship Days to lending a the Bobcats to their first South- 1992 for an assistant coaching 2000. hand to Habitat for Human- land Conference champion- position at New Mexico, where ity. The Bobcats also took time ship and the semifinals of the he handled the defensive line In his pasttwo seasons atTexas away from preseason drills to NCAA Division 1-AA playoffs and recruiting. He returned to State, Bailiff produced stand- help students move in to the in 2005. He replaces Todd Gra- Texas State in 1997 as defensive outs both on the field and in the dorms. ham, who led the Owls to a 7-6 coordinator and added assistant classroom, including both the Thanks to these efforts, Texas record and their first bowl bid head coach responsibilities to his Southland Offensive and Defen- State set school records for total attendance as well as attendance since 1961 before resigning on role in 1999. That year, Bailiff sive Players of the Year in 2005 average during the 2005 season January 11 to become the head was selected the NCAA Division (Barrick Nealy and Fred Evans) coach at the University of Tulsa. I-AA Assistant Coach of the and then bettered that mark in and the league's Student Athlete Bailiff's roots with Texas Year by the American Football 2006. For his efforts, Bailiff was of the Year for football in 2006 State already ran deep when he Coaches Association. named the American Football (Walter Musgrove). was named the Bobcats' 14th He then spent three seasons Coaches Association's Region 5 head coach in 2004. During his on the staff at Texas Christian Coach of the Year and finished Overall, he produced a total playing career at what was then University (TCU),serving as third in the voting for the Eddie of 14 All Southland Conference Southwest Texas State Uni- the Horned Frogs' defensive Robinson Award presented an- first team selections, and 13 of versity (1977-80), he served coordinator in both 2002 and nually to the top coach in Divi- his players were named to the as a team captain in 1980, was 2003 while working with the sion I-AA. academic all conference squad named All-Lone Star Confer- team's defensive linemen. While Bailiff is married to the for- in the last two years. ence, and was an honorable at TCU,Bailiff was honored mer Angie Daniels of Versailles, While his own background mention for both All-America as the Top Assistant Football Missouri. He has a daughter, has been as a defensive coach, and the Lone Star Team of the Coach by the All-American Brooke, 22, and the couple has Bailiff's squads have led the Decade. Football Foundation following twin 9-year-old sons, Grayson league in total offense in each of He began his coaching ca- the Horned Frogs' 2002 season. and Gregory.• the last two seasons. In addition reer as the defensive line coach Bailiff, who is known as one to re-energizing the Bobcats at New Braunfels High School of the premiere recruiters in fortunes on the field, Bailiff also (1982-84). His first collegiate Texas, returned to coach at Tex- engineered a program that was coaching position was at Texas as State in 2004. The team that

52 Rice Sallyport Charitable Gift Annuities: A GIFT TO RICE THAT GIVES BACK TO You!

Joe Anne BerWiCkearned an undergraduate financial strategy for retirement. The interest degree from Rice in 1944,majoring in biology. rate, especially as you get older, remains the "I had the grades to get into Rice," she says, highest compared with traditional investment "but I didn't have money to go anywhere else, opportunities." so I went to Rice." Ms.Berwick has established seven gift annuities After graduation,she started working at Shell that,in exchange for her gift wovide her with Oil Company and spent her entire career there a fixed annual income for life. Each of her gift as a refinery chemist."When I got to be 70/12, annuities supports the students ofthe Shepherd I had to start withdrawing money from my School ofMusic. "I worry about violinists and IRA," she says. "I started researching where I singers in particular," she says. "I believe it's mightinvest it,found out about Rice charitable worthwhile to support music students, and gift annuities, and decided they were a good my annuities do just that."

For more information about this fund or about making charitable gifts to Rice through your estate, please contact the Office of Gift Planning for gift illustrations and calculations tailored to your situation. Phone: 713-348-4624 • Email: giftplangrice.edu • Website: www.giving.rice.edu/giftplanning inn

Rice University Nonprofit Organizatior U, Sallyport HELEN GIBBS U.S. Postage Publications Office—MS 95 !RICE UN I UEPS I TY PAID PO. Box 1892 MAIL: FONDREN LIBRARY CAMPUS MAIL — M5-44 Permit #7549 , Houston, Texas 77251-1892 Houston, Texas

,Thotu H, LaVerve

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Former President Bill Clinton drew a large crowd when he spoke on the Rice campus in February. In his speech, he urged listeners to adopt a global perspective to tackle the challenges facing the United States and touched on topics from energy policy to health- care Clinton also answered questions that Rice students submitted prior to the event