News Releases

Rice University celebrates largest graduating class in history

Rice awarded more than 2,900 degrees to its newest graduates — the most in the university’s history — during its 112th commencement weekend, held May 9–10.

‘A new chapter’: Rice breaks ground on Moody Center Complex for Student Life

Rice marked a major milestone with the groundbreaking of the Moody Center Complex for Student Life, a bold step toward enhancing the student experience through connection, engagement and growth.

Machine learning powers new approach to detecting soil contaminants

A team of researchers at Rice and Baylor College of Medicine has developed a new strategy for identifying hazardous pollutants in soil ⎯ even ones that have never been isolated or studied in a lab.

‘Deeply meaningful’: Rice President Reginald DesRoches named ASCE distinguished member

Rice President Reginald DesRoches, a nationally recognized leader in resilient infrastructure and engineering education, has been elected to the 2025 class of distinguished members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Rice to host 2025 Carbon Hub Annual Meeting

Rice will host the 2025 Carbon Hub Annual Meeting May 12-13, marking the fifth anniversary of the Rice-led coalition of academia, industry and federal labs working to advance industrial decarbonization, electrification and hydrogen production.

Persona AI expands in the Ion as Rice and Ion District support growth of AI innovation

Persona AI, the Houston-based humanoid robotics startup that recently closed $25 million in pre-seed funding, is significantly expanding its operations at the Ion, the Houston innovation hub powered by Rice.

OwlSpark announces students, alumni and staff selected for its 13th cohort

OwlSpark, Rice’s startup and small business accelerator for Rice-affiliated ventures, brings together 11 companies in the program’s 13th year who represent a new wave of entrepreneurs tackling challenges across technology, consumer products, health care and more. Since 2013, the accelerator has supported 229 founders and launched 104 ventures with participants collectively raising more than $116 million in funding.

New roadmap advances catalytic solutions to destroy ‘forever chemicals’

A team of researchers from Rice, Carnegie Mellon University and other leading global institutions has outlined a bold new roadmap for harnessing heterogeneous catalysis to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the so-called “forever chemicals” that have contaminated water supplies worldwide.

Kosmos 482’s return being watched closely by Rice experts

Rice University experts are available to discuss Kosmos 482.

Rice to break ground on Moody Center Complex for Student Life May 8

Rice will break ground on the Moody Center Complex for Student Life at 3 p.m. May 8, marking a transformative moment for the university’s commitment to student engagement, development and success.

Kinder Institute study shows Houstonians may be underprepared for disasters

As hurricane season approaches new insights from Rice’s Kinder Institute highlight Harris County households’ disaster preparedness.

Rice scholar available to discuss selection of next pope

As the Vatican prepares to choose the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Rice University sociologist Craig Considine is available to provide analysis and commentary on the conclave to select the next pope, the critical issues facing the Catholic church and the potential direction the next Pope may take on a number of issues.

Biologist Scott Solomon named Piper Professor for excellence in teaching

Scott Solomon, a biologist, science communicator and teaching professor in the Department of Biosciences, has been named a 2025 Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.

Matthew Tyler receives NSF CAREER award to improve reliability of survey-based research

Matthew Tyler, an assistant professor of political science at Rice, receives NSF CAREER award.

Electricity-generating bacteria may power future innovations

A team led by Rice's Caroline Ajo-Franklin has discovered how certain bacteria breathe by generating electricity.