Current News

Benefits open enrollment begins March 31

Rice’s annual open enrollment period for benefit plans is March 31-April 16 this year.

Architect Lyndon Neri gives lecture at Rice

Lyndon Neri, co-founder of Neri & Hu Design and Research Office, lectured at MD Anderson Hall March 29 as a part of Rice Architecture’s lecture series, Engaging Pluralism.

Rice’s Todd Treangen wins NSF CAREER Award

Todd Treangen wins NSF CAREER Award to develop a comprehensive computational platform for detecting yet-unseen microbial pathogens.

Rice announces launch of Budget Transformation Initiative

I am excited to announce the launch of Rice’s Budget Transformation Initiative, co-led by Provost Amy Dittmar and Vice President for Finance and Administration Kelly Fox. The purpose of the initiative is to build transparency and an understanding of the university’s budget as well as design, develop and implement a new campus budget model built for Rice by Rice leaders and stakeholders that will better reflect our mission, values and priorities.

Ancient DNA reveals entwined African and Asian ancestry along the Swahili coast of eastern Africa

A new genetic study of medieval people who lived along the Indian Ocean coast of eastern Africa — an area often called the “Swahili coast” for its language and culture — revealed that they had both African and Persian ancestry.

US patents chief to discuss research and innovation at Rice U. event

The commissioner for patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Vaishali Udupa, will headline an event April 5 on how to transform research into innovation, and ways in which universities and her office — working separately and together — can pick up the pace.

Shepherd School spring opera ‘L'incoronazione di Poppea,’ set for April 14 and 16

A shameless quest for power through any means necessary is the focus of Monteverdi’s “L'incoronazione di Poppea” (The Coronation of Poppea), the spring opera production from the Rice University Shepherd School of Music’s Opera and Chamber Orchestra.

Higgs, Ramos elected AIMBE Fellows

Engineering’s Fred Higgs and Renata Ramos have been elected fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Eco-efficient cement could pave the way to a greener future

Rice U. scientists develop process to remove toxic heavy metals from coal fly ash, making for greener, stronger concrete.

Rice to honor MacArthur-winning professor Kiese Laymon April 10

Rice President Reginald DesRoches, Provost Amy Dittmar and School of Humanities Dean Kathleen Canning invite all members of the Rice community to a special reception at Cohen House April 10 to formally honor English professor Kiese Laymon, recipient of a 2022 MacArthur Fellowship.

Rice's 2003 baseball team gathers for 20-year championship anniversary celebration

Rice Athletics held a reunion event dubbed “A Championship Celebration” March 24 in honor of the 20-year anniversary of the 2003 baseball team’s national title, which was clinched with a 2-1 series victory over Stanford University.

Rice’s Englebretson and Fischer-Baum present at AAAS symposium

Rice University’s Robert Englebretson, an associate professor of linguistics, and Simon Fischer-Baum, an associate professor of psychological sciences, organized “Braille and the Reading Sciences: Diversity Through Research and Engagement,” a symposium at the recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C.

People, papers and presentations for March 27, 2023

Douglas Brinkley, the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Professor in Humanities, has been elected to the board of directors of the National Archives Foundation, which works to generate financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs and educational initiatives.

James Chappell wins NSF CAREER Award

Rice bioscientist James Chappell has won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop RNA programming methods that can improve human health and the environment.

Rice hosts 40th annual Victor Lopez Classic

Rice University hosted the 40th annual Victor Lopez Classic this past weekend, featuring the Owls men’s and women’s track & field teams, as well as local high school teams.