10/9/2009

People, Papers and Presentations

Matthew Wilkens, an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Rice's Humanities Research Center, is one of four finalists in the Nebraska Digital Workshop, sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The workshop aims to enable early career scholars in the field of digital humanities to present their work in a forum where it can be critically evaluated, improved and showcased. Wilkens' project is titled "Revolutions and Large Text Corpora, or What is a Period?"

Wade Adams, director of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, delivered a "24/7 lecture" on nanotechnology at the 19th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at Harvard University. The lectures are part of the annual spoof of the prestigious Nobel Prizes and feature several of the world's top thinkers explaining their subject twice: first in a 24-second technical description and then in a seven-word summary that anyone can understand. Adams' presentation: "$2.7 trillion industry by 2015; solutions to the top 10 problems facing humanity in the next 50 years; gold nanoshells -- cancer therapy; buckyballs -- MRI contrast enhancers; graphene ribbons -- oil recovery; carbon nanotubes -- ballistic conducting grid wire; nano-electronics -- smaller, faster, cheaper; nanophotonics -- sensors; nanomembranes -- water filtration; ultralightweight, strong nanocomposites -- energy-efficient SUVs! Rick Smalley's challenge -- Be a scientist; save the world!" His seven-word definition: "Nanotechnology: Making small stuff do big things."

Fathi Ghorbel, professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of bioengineering, moderated a session at the first conference on Arab Women in Science and Technology: Empowerment for the Development of the Arab World. The session was titled "Initiative on Empowerment of Arab Science and Technology Women for Socio-economic Development in the Arab World." The conference was organized by the Arab Science and Technology Foundation, of which Ghorbel is vice president.

Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Bioengineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering, is the first speaker for Texas A&M University's 2009-2010 University Distinguished Lecture Series. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13, she will provide an overview of innovations to prevent disease in vulnerable populations during a lecture titled "From Cell Phones to Cell Biology: High Tech, Low Cost Solutions for Global Health."

Entries for “People, Papers, Presentations” should be submitted to the Office of News and Media Relations by e-mail to ricenews@rice.edu or campus mail to MS 300.