Veloci wins the 2025 Rice Launch Challenge
Veloci, an innovative shoe company founded by Rice student-athlete Tyler Strothman, took home the top prize at the annual Napier Rice Launch Challenge (NRLC). The April 22 banner event featured pitches from the final five ventures of the competition to a panel of distinguished judges in front of a live audience.
Biotech trailblazers Robert Langer, Robert Ruffolo to headline RBL LLC launch event May 5
The Rice Biotech Launch Pad and RBL LLC will celebrate the official launch and lab opening of RBL LLC May 5 with a program featuring biotech pioneers Robert Langer and Robert Ruffolo.
President Reginald DesRoches welcomed hundreds of Rice University staff members to a morning breakfast and recognition ceremony April 23 at Tudor Fieldhouse. Themed Supporting You, Celebrating You, the gathering highlighted the university’s successes and staff’s accomplishments during the previous year and a glimpse into Rice’s trajectory in the coming years.
Rice celebrates outstanding faculty and students at annual University Awards Ceremony
Rice honored exceptional faculty, staff and students for their dedication to teaching, mentoring and service at the annual University Awards Ceremony and Reception April 24, hosted by the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE).
Rice honors Brown, Julia, Martinez, Moore, Quintanilla and Walker with 2025 Staff Excellence Award
Rice University recognized six outstanding staff members with the 2025 Staff Excellence Award during the annual staff appreciation event April 23, celebrating their extraordinary dedication and service to the university community.
Robert Langer to speak at Rice May 5 for President’s Lecture Series
Rice will welcome Robert Langer, one of the world’s most influential biotechnology innovators, for a keynote address as part of its President’s Lecture Series May 5.
‘Kindness matters’: Victoria Langlais wins Elizabeth Gillis Award
Victoria Langlais, senior assistant dean of human resources and administration in Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, was named this year’s winner of the Elizabeth Gillis Award for Exemplary Service at President Reginald DesRoches’ annual event celebrating staff accomplishments April 23.
Senior Spotlight: Sophie Urban ’25
Torn between a conservatory and a university experience, Sophie Urban said she chose Rice for the “best of both worlds”: world-class musical training and a close-knit community.
Rice Architecture students embarked on a "life-altering" trip to China as part of a course project where they learned from world-renowned architects and explored the differences between urban and rural life and infrastructure across the globe.
Journey Towards Justice: Rice students walk the path of civil rights history
A cohort of Rice University undergraduates boarded a bus bound for Alabama — not for vacation, but for a deeper understanding of America’s legacy of racial justice.
Houston’s hidden financial divide: Thousands remain unbanked and unprepared for retirement
A report from Rice’s Kinder Institute highlights critical gaps in banking access, retirement savings and financial literacy.
Karen Lozano, Eduardo Salas elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Rice professors Karen Lozano and Eduardo Salas have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the oldest and most prestigious learned societies in the nation.
Huff OEDK Showcase honors student ingenuity and impact
Student engineering teams at Rice demonstrated how hands-on design can drive real-world impact at the 2025 Huff OEDK Showcase and competition. Held April 17 at the Ion, the event featured 81 student teams, 93 judges and hundreds of visitors.
Graduate Student Spotlight: Thiago Pinheiro dos Santos ’25
For Thiago Pinheiro dos Santos, a doctoral candidate in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Brazil, research is a way to drive positive, meaningful impact across a wide range of real-world domains from energy innovation to medicine.
‘Determined to find a solution’: Rice students create wellness app
A team of students from Rice is developing a mobile app to “make happiness a daily habit.” Named Sprout Wellness, the technology’s goal is to provide users with positive psychology-based activity plans to foster social connection, improve well-being and decrease depressive symptoms. It is available for download from the Apple App Store and will soon be available on GooglePlay.
