Current News

Rice lauds Medina’s 35 years of bridging communities, enriching relationships

Rice is recognizing David Medina for 35 years of service. As the director of multicultural community relations in the Office of Public Affairs, Medina conducts and participates in more than 100 activities annually, which reach more than 10,000 people. These activities include college information sessions, school visits, community dialogue luncheons, lectures, film festivals, media relations, college essay-writing workshops, galas, receptions and community events. Additionally, he oversees a quarterly newsletter that raises awareness of the university’s outreach efforts. His last day with the university will be March 31.

Calling all staff: Nominations open for the Rice Staff Excellence Award

In recognition of the outstanding contributions of Rice staff members, the Rice Staff Council is calling for nominations for the 2026 Rice Staff Excellence Award.

New data-driven 3D chromosome model reveals structural and dynamic features of DNA

Rice researchers develop a new and effective approach for creating 3D maps of chromosomes from real-world data.

Shepherd School of Music offers inside look at contemporary American opera

Led by internationally acclaimed stage director Paul Curran, the Aleko Endowed Artist and Director, the program explores two full-length American comic operas through a deconstructed, audience-guided format.

Rice MBA alumnus Riley provides insights on leadership, crisis management in health care

Peter Rodriguez, dean of Rice Business, sat down Jan. 14 with Dr. Wayne Riley ’02, president of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, to gather insights about Riley’s leadership of complex health care organizations. The event was the first of the 2026 season’s Rice Business Partners’ Thought Leadership Series.

Shepherd School of Music, Houston Symphony partner as hosts of Cliburn’s new International Competition for Conductors

The Cliburn International Competition for Conductors will launch in June 2028 in Houston in partnership with the Houston Symphony and the Shepherd School.

Rice researchers replicating Edison’s 1879 light bulb experiments show graphene may have been unintentional by-product

Researchers at Rice produced graphene by replicating Edison's 1879 light bulb experiments.

Newly identified protein dark energy provides insight into form vs function in protein structure

Rice researchers and collaborators recently published a paper describing the “dark energy” found in the structural protein universe.

On world stage, President DesRoches underscores universities’ role in economic growth, innovation and global engagement

As global leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Rice President Reginald DesRoches used a one-on-one interview with Bloomberg Media to make the case for research universities as essential drivers of economic growth, innovation and societal impact.

Putting the screens away: Rice humanities faculty rethink how students read, write, think

In an era when classroom technology is often treated as synonymous with innovation, a small number of faculty in Rice’s School of Humanities and Arts are moving deliberately in the opposite direction.

Rice to host interdisciplinary conference examining global impact of soccer

“The World at Play: The Beautiful Game in 2026” will take place Feb. 6-7 at Rice’s BioScience Research Collaborative.

At Davos, Rice provost makes case for ‘faster’ global research university

As global pressures accelerate and the pace of technological change intensifies, universities are being asked to move faster, not only in discovery but in delivering real-world impact. At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this week, Rice Provost Amy Dittmar delivered the opening remarks for a panel discussion focused on advancing innovation through collaboration.

Owls take down Tulsa for 11th straight win

The Rice women's basketball team used a second-half surge to take down Tulsa 78-66 Tuesday night at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

Researchers reinventing household water and sanitation one modular system at a time

Researchers at Rice’s WaTER Institute are leading an ambitious new effort to transform the way the world manages water and sanitation at the household scale.

Burke to conclude 25 years of leadership at Rice Alliance, marking defining chapter for university’s work in entrepreneurship

After nearly 25 years of leadership that helped shape Rice’s role in entrepreneurship, Brad Burke will conclude his tenure leading the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and programming in the Ion District, Houston’s transformational innovation district, June 30.