Shepherd School celebrates 50 years with gala concert, dinner
The evening, chaired by Anne and Albert Chao and Isabel and Danny David with underwriter chairs Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan, brought together alumni, faculty, students and supporters to celebrate five decades of musical achievement and philanthropy.
Multiple Shepherd School alumni earn Grammy nominations
Three alumni of Rice's Shepherd School of Music have been recognized by the Recording Academy with nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Global Insights: Research security in an evolving global landscape
Tam Dao explained that research espionage has shifted from targeting government agencies to focusing on universities, where collaboration and innovation often cross borders.
Training musicians, teachers, music lovers: A new era for conducting at Shepherd School
Under Miguel Harth-Bedoya’s direction, the Shepherd School of Music revived the Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting, a program that reflects his belief that conducting is not only a craft but also a calling rooted in generosity, listening and lifelong curiosity.
Rice to launch Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
The result of several years of collaboration among Rice’s creative writing faculty, the three-year graduate program will welcome its first cohort in fall 2026.
Rice alumnus Gaffigan to helm Houston Grand Opera as music director
James Gaffigan, a 2003 graduate of the Shepherd School of Music, becomes only the fifth music director in Houston Grand Opera’s 70-year history.
Rice establishes endowed professorship in Jain studies
Supported by alumni and members of the Jain community nationwide, the establishment of the Thirthankar Shantinath Professorship builds on a decade of partnership between Rice and the Jain community.
Shepherd School Chamber Music Festival to celebrate art of learning through performance
The seven-concert festival showcases the artistry of Shepherd School students as they bring to life chamber works that span centuries, styles and emotions.
Expert on innovation, higher education: Rice’s Levander on reinventing the American university
As colleges, universities and policymakers grapple with how to remain relevant in an era of rapid technological change, reassess the value of a degree and reinvent what higher education means for today’s learners, Caroline Levander is uniquely positioned to offer authoritative insight.
‘Religion happens everywhere’: Brunton connects faith, environment, ethics of energy
“Religious studies lets you inhabit another person’s worldview,” said Judith Ellen Brunton, assistant professor of religion and a Boniuk Institute Faculty Fellow.
Across deserts and dynasties: Uzbekistan exhibition unveiled in Herring Hall
Rice’s Department of Art History unveiled its “HART in the World: Uzbekistan” student exhibition Oct. 29.
‘Endangered Feces’ turns humor into habitat in Harris Gully
Installed near Rice's Harris Gully Natural Area, the work features two decomposable sculptures shaped like the droppings of the Houston toad and the Attwater’s prairie chicken, both endangered species native to the Gulf Coast.
ASAP/16 turns Houston into living gallery
From Oct. 22-25, more than 500 scholars, artists and curators filled lecture halls and galleries from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to Project Row Houses, exploring how the arts shape the present moment and how cities like Houston can help define it.
Loden reappointed as dean of Rice’s Shepherd School of Music
Since taking the helm, Loden has overseen a period of notable growth and renewal for the Shepherd School.
Journalist, historian Cobb to deliver Campbell Lecture Nov. 19-20
Jelani Cobb's two talks promise to cast fresh light on some of the most volatile questions confronting the country today.
