Current News

Rice recruits biophysicist to boost cancer research efforts

Rice’s Department of Chemistry will soon welcome Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede.

Rice welcomes 3 new members to board of trustees

Rice University has appointed three distinguished alumni to its board of trustees.

Near-perfect defects in 2D material could serve as quantum bits

Researchers at Rice and collaborators at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Technology, Sydney report the first demonstration of low noise, room-temperature quantum emitters in h-BN made through a scalable growth technique.

Remembering E. William ‘Bill’ Barnett ’55: Visionary leader and former Rice Board chairman

Rice University is mourning the passing of E. William “Bill” Barnett ’55, an esteemed alumnus, former chairman of the Rice Board of Trustees and a transformative figure in the university’s modern history.

Physicists confirm elusive quantum spin liquid in new study

An international team of scientists led by Rice's Pengcheng Dai has confirmed the existence of emergent photons and fractionalized spin excitations in a rare quantum spin liquid.

Houston high schoolers uncover Jewish history through Rice’s South Texas Jewish Archives

The Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives at Rice welcomed four high school students June 9-13 as inaugural STJA Archival Fellows, offering them a unique, hands-on dive into the rich tapestry of Houston’s Jewish history.

‘A transformational initiative’: Rice hosts college preparation camp for Houston youth

Rice hosted the 15th annual Texas Leadership Consortium Summer Youth Program June 9-13. This weeklong camp engaged 100 students from Houston area high schools and middle schools to provide life lessons and college readiness activities.

Owls return for Juneteenth: Alumni reflect on their experiences as student leaders during the era of Black Lives Matter

Rice welcomed five distinguished alumni back to campus June 13 for the university’s fifth annual Juneteenth celebration. The event, featuring a panel discussion titled “Looking Back, Looking Forward: Leading in the Time of Black Lives Matter,” offered reflections and insights from former student leaders who navigated pivotal moments of leadership during the movement.

Internationally recognized ‘Woman Life Freedom’ mural makes US debut at Rice

A powerful work of public art that captured global attention when it first appeared on the facade of the Jerusalem Tolerance Museum is now making history on American soil. The “Woman Life Freedom” mural, created by Iranian-American filmmaker and activist Hooman Khalili, was recently unveiled at Rice, becoming the first temporary installation of its kind on a U.S. college campus.

Rice’s Archives of the Impossible offer insight and expertise for World UFO Day

Housed within the Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library, the archives have amassed more than a million documents, recordings and files related to unexplained phenomena.

Rice scientists harness vacuum fluctuations to engineer quantum materials

Rice researchers and collaborators have developed a new cavity design that selectively enhances the quantum vacuum fluctuations of circularly polarized light in a single direction, achieving chirality — a feat that typically requires the use of a strong magnetic field.

Rice, Houston shine on global stage at VivaTech 2025

The university joined the Greater Houston Partnership in hosting the first city booth at the global event, which drew more than 180,000 attendees from across the international tech ecosystem.

2025 Kinder State of Housing report finds rising vulnerability and shrinking affordability

The newly released 2025 State of Housing report from Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, shows rising home prices, surging insurance premiums and growing climate risks are reshaping how and where residents can afford to live.

RBL LLC welcomes James Watson to board of directors

RBL LLC announced the appointment of James Watson to its board of directors.

DUNE-TECH boot camp at Rice ignites next generation of America’s neutrino scientists

In a milestone moment for science education and collaboration, Rice hosted its first DUNE-TECH (DUNE Training ExperienCe Hub) camp this June, drawing students, researchers and scientists from across the country into the world of neutrino physics and computing.