News Releases

New COVID-19 business grading system could help economy reopen more safely

Restaurants have long been subject to health department inspections evaluating their cleanliness and safety. Researchers at Rice University’s Texas Policy Lab (TPL) propose creating a similar system for grading businesses on COVID-19 safety, which they hope will help consumers make informed decisions amid the pandemic.

Global scientific collaboration hindered by politics, says Baker Institute study

HOUSTON – (June 22, 2020) –A survey of thousands of scientists conducted by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy suggests international scientific collaboration can be improved through policy reform.

Georgia State U.'s Aurign wins 2020 Rice Business Plan Competition

HOUSTON – (June 22, 2020) – Aurign from Georgia State University in Atlanta rose to the top in the 2020 Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) hosted June 17-19 by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business.

Fluorocarbon bonds are no match for light-powered nanocatalyst

Rice University engineers have created a light-powered catalyst that can break the strong chemical bonds in fluorocarbons, a group of synthetic materials that includes persistent environmental pollutants.

Rice expert available to discuss upcoming Supreme Court decision on DACA

HOUSTON – (June 17, 2020) – As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to issue a ruling on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Rice University's Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is available for comment.

China, India need to act quickly to 'return to peaceful disagreement,' says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (June 17, 2020) – The most serious face-off between China and India on the world's longest unsettled land border in nearly half a century left dozens of soldiers dead Monday night. "The resurgence of a decades-old border dispute between India and China, and especially an escalation to violent conflict with casualties, threatens to destabilize regional order unless leaders from both countries act quickly to negotiate a return to peaceful disagreement," said Steven Lewis, the C.V. Starr Transnational China Fellow at the Baker Institute.

‘Relaxed’ T cells critical to immune response

Rice University researchers model the role of relaxation time as T cells bind to invaders or imposters, and how their ability to differentiate between the two triggers the body’s immune system.

Baker Institute expert available to comment on Biden tax proposals

HOUSTON – (June 16, 2020) – The tax proposals outlined by former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, would raise $3.8 trillion in revenue over 10 years but do little to address debt growth, according to a new report co-authored by an expert at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

42 student startups to compete for over $1 million in first virtual Rice Business Plan Competition

In its 20th year, the Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) — the world's largest and richest student startup competition — is going virtual. Register to watch at rbpc.rice.edu/agenda.

Ana María Martínez to join Rice Shepherd School as professor of voice

Grammy Award-winning soprano Ana María Martínez will join Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music beginning July 1, 2021, as a professor in the Department of Voice.

Excitons form superfluid in certain 2D combos

Mixing and matching computational models of 2D materials led scientists at Rice University to the realization that excitons can be manipulated in new and useful ways.

Stress-management strategies can boost health care teams during pandemic

Celebrating successes, admitting mistakes and encouraging honest communication can improve teamwork during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New $2.9M grant to fund science and religion research

HOUSTON – (June 11, 2020) – A new subfield of sociological research examining how identities and beliefs are related to attitudes about science and religion will be advanced by a $2.9 million grant to sociologists at Rice University and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

Sun Belt cities comprise nearly half of US population growth

The Sun Belt's large metro areas are growing much faster than those elsewhere in the United States, and they are adding more young and old residents than the rest of the nation, according to a new white paper from Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

Rice lab turns fluorescent tags into cancer killers

Fluorophores with one oxygen atom replaced by a sulfur atom can be triggered with light to create reactive oxygen species within cancer cells, killing them.