HOUSTON – (Aug. 27, 2021) – Wealth inequality dropped in 2019 in the U.S. for the first time in almost three decades, but proposed tax legislation is threatening to reverse the progress, according to an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Rice lab dives deep for DNA’s secrets
Structural biologist Yang Gao receives a five-year National Institutes of Health grant to detail how complex protein chains replicate DNA and fix errors on the fly. What they find could help treat genomic disease, including cancer.
US must take responsibility for Afghan refugees, says expert
As some Afghan refugees fleeing the chaos in their home country head to the United States, Kelsey Norman, fellow for the Middle East and director of the Women’s Rights, Human Rights and Refugees Program at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, argues that the U.S. is dodging responsibility by distributing most refugees across the globe, which will force them to wade through more bureaucracy.
Drive-through voting is a hit with Harris County voters, according to newly released Rice U. survey
HOUSTON – (Aug. 24, 2021) – As Texas legislators continue fighting over election reform, a new survey from researchers at Rice University finds that drive-through voting is a big hit with Harris County voters who chose to cast their 2020 general election ballots in their cars – even among Republicans.
Trailblazing Rice bioengineer is turning cells into disease fighters
Rice University bioengineer Isaac Hilton has been awarded an NIH Trailblazer Award to create synthetic circular DNA that can be used to reprogram cells as disease fighters.
National 2D materials research center wins NSF funding
Rice, Penn State and Boise State have won a federal grant to expand ATOMIC, a national research center that develops atom-thin 2D coatings via university, industry and government partnerships.
Shale oil investments may be protected from nationalization, experts say
Shale oil’s short-cycle production protects foreign investors from the risk of expropriation — government taking private property for public use — providing an opportunity for the increasingly risk-averse global petroleum industry, according to a new report.
Rice U. study: Use your team’s emotions to boost creativity
HOUSTON – (Aug. 17, 2021) – If you’re putting together a team for a project, you might be inclined to pick people with cheerful, optimistic dispositions and flexible thinking. But a new management study indicates your team might also benefit from people who are exactly the opposite, according to experts at Rice University, the University of Western Australia, Bond University and the University of Queensland.
Woven nanotube fibers turn heat into power
Carbon nanotubes woven into thread-like fibers and sewn into fabrics become a thermoelectric generator that can turn heat from the sun or other sources into energy.
‘Smart cells’ show promise to treat disease
Laura Segatori wins NIH backing to develop synthetic biological circuits for cells that may someday sense trouble and respond by making just enough of the appropriate drugs.
Helpful house design has an eye on history
Rae Atkinson, a master of architecture student at Rice University, won first place in the American Institute of Architects Houston chapter’s Gulf Coast Green Student Competition to design a “self-help hub” for residents in Houston’s Fourth Ward.
Rice provost, structural engineer available to comment on Haiti earthquake
HOUSTON – (Aug. 15, 2021) – Rice University Provost Reginald DesRoches, a professor of civil and environmental engineering with expertise in structural engineering, is available to discuss this weekend’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Haiti.
Rice Alliance to host startup pitch event at OTC
OpenStax to provide ed tech companies with training to develop equitable courseware
OpenStax, Rice’s educational technology initiative, announced today that 13 companies have been selected to participate in the organization’s new equity in courseware training program. The training will help the participating companies learn about and develop educational technology platforms that provide better outcomes for all students, especially those from historically marginalized and underserved communities.
'Cool' kids in the cosmos may not be so unique
Rice University scientists show that "cool" stars like the sun share dynamic surface behaviors that influence their energetic and magnetic environments. Stellar magnetic activity is key to whether a given star can host planets that support life.
