Celebrating our newly promoted and tenured faculty
As the academic year has drawn to a close, it is a joy to recognize the remarkable achievements of our faculty. In my message today, we are celebrating a group of exceptional colleagues who have reached pivotal career milestones through promotion to a new rank and, for some, the awarding of tenure. I am deeply grateful for their dedication to our students and their respective fields of study.
Rice, San Jacinto College renew Take Flight Scholars partnership
Rice and San Jacinto College formally renewed and expanded the Take Flight Scholars program partnership, celebrating a collaboration designed to increase educational access and create stronger transfer pathways for community college students.
Sí se puede: Ship Channel bridge named for late Rice professor Richard Tapia
Houston’s Ship Channel bridge now honors the life and contributions of late Rice professor, Richard A. Tapia. The bridge, currently under construction as a new cable-stayed structure, was officially renamed the Dr. Richard A. Tapia Bridge during a dedication ceremony held May 26.
Richard Tapia, pioneering mathematician and advocate for diversity, passes away at 88
Richard A. Tapia, a distinguished professor at Rice and a trailblazing mathematician renowned for his dedication to increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering, has passed away at age 88.
Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez named president of Wake Forest University
Peter Rodriguez, dean of Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business and the Virani Undergraduate School of Business since 2016, has been named the 15th president of Wake Forest University.
From campus classrooms to commencement stage: Rice faculty, staff celebrate their own graduates
As more than 1,360 students crossed the stage at Rice during the university’s largest undergraduate commencement ceremony in history, the celebration at Rice Stadium was especially personal for a number of faculty and staff members watching from the stands — and in several cases, standing on stage to hand their own children a diploma.
Rice conferred 270 doctoral degrees during its 113th commencement May 9 at Tudor Fieldhouse. Doctoral candidates along with friends, family and loved ones gathered for the ceremony, which included the awarding of doctoral regalia and dissertation titles, congratulatory remarks, cheers and a few moments to reflect on this milestone.
‘So much love and gratitude in my heart’: Rice celebrates advanced degree graduates
Nearly 900 advanced degree recipients were celebrated May 9 as Owls walked across the stage at Tudor Fieldhouse to roars of applause and cheers, marking the culmination of their academic journeys at Rice University.
Rice is rapidly advancing one of the most ambitious faculty expansion efforts in its history, reinforcing a commitment to world-class research, transformative teaching and global impact.
Science communication as feedback loop explored at annual ethics symposium
The annual Ethics and Compliance Symposium brought renowned vaccinologist Peter Hotez, senior fellow in disease and humanity at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, to share his research and discuss the ethics of academic public engagement.
Rice’s Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance awarded its 2026 Senior Scholar Award to John Inazu, the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law & Religion and professor of political science at Washington University in St. Louis.
Celebrating excellence: Announcing Center for Teaching Excellence Award winners
Rice’s 2026 University Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Center for Teaching Excellence, brought together faculty, students and academic leaders to celebrate one central idea: Great teaching transforms lives. The event highlighted not only outstanding educators but also the broader culture of mentorship, innovation and community that defines the university.
Schilke appointed next University Registrar
Justin Schilke has been appointed Rice’s next University Registrar, following David Tenney’s retirement this spring after many years of dedicated service to the university.
Watch: Provost Dittmar, Project Metis leaders outline vision for brain health, brain economy
Four months after its launch, Project Metis is building momentum — with a new website and video offering a deeper look at the initiative’s vision to position the Houston-Galveston region as a global leader in brain health and the emerging brain economy.
Rice graduate programs earn strong national rankings in latest US News listing
Rice continues to earn national recognition for the strength and breadth of its graduate programs with multiple disciplines ranked among the nation’s best in the 2026 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools.
