Current News

New students break bread with president

The university’s newest Owls enjoyed a Texas barbecue dinner with President Reginald DesRoches during the president’s welcome party to conclude the second day of O-Week Aug. 14.

OpenStax to launch open access organic chemistry textbook

The first 12 chapters of the textbook Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition are now freely accessible to students through OpenStax, an educational initiative of Rice University. On Sept. 12, students and faculty will have free access online to the full version of this historically costly textbook that is a required material for organic chemistry courses nationwide.

President DesRoches inauguration book makes online debut

A new book detailing President Reginald DesRoches inauguration and early days at the helm of the university is available for viewing online.

Class of 2027 lauded for diversity, talent during matriculation address

Fireworks lit up the sky over Lovett Hall and the Sallyport the night of Aug. 13 as the incoming Class of 2027’s first day of O-Week culminated with Rice’s annual matriculation ceremony.

Gold buckyballs, oft-used nanoparticle ‘seeds’ are one and the same

Rice chemists have discovered that tiny gold “seed” particles, a key ingredient in one of the most common nanoparticle recipes, are one and the same as gold buckyballs, 32-atom spheres that are cousins of the Nobel Prize-winning carbon buckyballs discovered at Rice in 1985.

Weaker transcription factors are better when they work together

Rice bioengineer Caleb Bashor and colleagues have developed a generalizable method to address “off-target” gene activation, a significant problem in the field of synthetic biology. Taking a cue from nature, the researchers showed they could all but eliminate the activation of off-target genes by designing weak transcription factors that cooperatively assemble.

Cost-effective jaundice testing developed for low-resource hospitals

The Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies has validated the accuracy of its latest testing technology for newborn jaundice. BiliDx addresses a critical gap in the availability of accurate, affordable, point-of-care jaundice testing in low-resource hospitals.

Newest parliament of Owls lands on campus

Rice University greeted the incoming Class of 2027 for the first time during an eventful, emotional and celebratory O-Week move-in day on Aug. 13.

Rice EMS receives grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation

Rice University is now better equipped to keep community members safe thanks to a grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The foundation granted more than $18,000 to Rice University Emergency Medical Services (REMS) to purchase eight automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and associated accessories, fulfilling a critical need within the department.

Newly created Owl Access program welcomes Rice students

The Office of Student Success Initiatives has launched a pre-matriculation program for first-year students who identify as first generation or limited income registrants.

Doerr’s Demystifying Measurement course examines impact of leader development programs in higher ed

A Doerr Institute for New Leaders course titled Demystifying Measurement is equipping students with the skills to develop evaluation systems that explore the impact of leader development programs in higher education and beyond.

Rice’s Jing Chen receives early career award from American Psychological Association

Jing Chen, an assistant professor of psychological sciences at Rice University specializing in human factors and human-computer interaction, has received the Earl Alluisi Early Career Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association (APA), the world’s largest association of psychologists.

Hayon to make international debut Friday

Rice junior swimmer Arielle Hayon has qualified for her first international competition and will represent Israel at the 2023 LEN European U23 Championships in Dublin, Ireland, August 11-13.

New Rice University students move to campus Aug. 13

Rice University will kick off its annual O-Week tradition Aug. 13, welcoming the incoming Class of 2027 with a weeklong orientation program to familiarize incoming students with their new campus, residential colleges and classmates.

Education program tackles race-based cancer health disparities

Rice U.’s Carolyn Nichol has won a competitive 5-year, $1,038,544 NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) award to address race-based cancer health disparities by increasing underrepresented minority student populations’ engagement and participation in biosciences education.