Rice University
Rice Magazine| The Magazine of Rice University | No. 1 | 2008

Through the Sallyport:

Grain of Sand
The Universe in a Grain of Sand
By Jade Boyd
Imagine trying to glean useful information from processes that take millions of years or from objects so far away they can’t be seen. Welcome to the world — or, rather, the universe — of the astronomer. Sometimes, though, ingenuity can help bridge even interstellar distances and shed light on the unknown.
Parry
A Place in the Sun
By Merin Porter
Ron Parry’s favorite destination has a name: It’s called “the middle of nowhere.” Nothing makes the full-time Rice chemistry professor and part-time environmental activist happier than wandering through uncharted wilderness areas.
Signing of grant
Gift Boosts Biomedical Research
By B.J. Almond
“The health of nations is more important than the wealth of nations,” wrote philosopher and historian Will Durant. That may be, but modern biomedical research often takes substantial financial backing — the kind Rice recently received from the Virginia and L.E. Simmons Family Foundation.
Next-Gen Wireless
Next-Gen Wireless

By Jade boyd
When Rice computer scientist Edward Knightly and his graduate student Joseph Camp began to design and build an experimental wireless network in 2003, they thought they were working on a model of how broadband wireless Internet might one day be provided to whole cities. Little did they know how far their network would reach.

Nanos

Nano News
By Jade Boyd

Carson

Carson Appointed Dean of Natural Sciences

By B.J. Almond

Dan Carson, currently the Trustees Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware, has been appointed dean of Rice University’s Wiess School of Natural Sciences.

Pressure is On
Tissue Engineering
By B.J. Almond and JADE Boyd
Replacing or repairing damaged or diseased tissue with healthy tissue is one of bioengineering’s goals. The results are even better if the healthy tissue is grown from the patient’s own body because that minimizes the risk of rejection. Discoveries by two Rice bioengineers may help point the way.
Who knew a great place to learn is also a great place to work?
Rice’s reputation as a first-rate educational institution has again been complemented by its reputation as a great place to work.
Dog Days
When Colleen Dutton went to look for her copy of the latest Rice Magazine, she found her 2-year-old terrier/Chihuahua, Macy, already relaxing with it on the sofa.
High-Flying Records
Rice faculty member and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson ’86 has broken a few things during her two stints aboard the International Space Station, but nobody is complaining.

Cyber Sleuth

The set of letters written by Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, looked innocuous enough on the auction house Web site. But Lynda Crist immediately smelled a rat.

U.S. District Judge Rosenthal Joins Rice Board of Trustees
“We are truly fortunate to have Judge Rosenthal as the newest member of our board,” said Rice President David Leebron.
Space Medicine Webcast from Mt. Everest
The International Space Medicine Summit II featured panels on space medicine, human performance and solar radiation risks for lunar operations.
Chip Off the Old Block
Rice University computer engineers have created a way to design integrated circuits that contain many individual selves.
Parochial Bacterial Viruses
Viruses that infect bacteria are sometimes parochial and unrelated to their counterparts in other regions of the globe.
Single-Molecule Sensing
Many of us have difficulty finding our car keys in the morning, so trying to sense a single molecule sounds daunting, no matter what time of day.
Chipping Away at Chip Pirates
Pirated microchips — chips stolen from legitimate factories or made from stolen blueprints — account for billions of dollars in annual losses to chipmakers.