News Releases

OpenStax, Kendall Hunt K-12 partner on high school social studies

OpenStax, Rice’s initiative to make education more affordable and accessible to all learners, announced an expansion of its existing partnership with Kendall Hunt Publishing Co. Building on Kendall Hunt’s role as OpenStax’s official print partner, this collaboration expands the relationship to include the Kendall Hunt K-12 division as a curriculum partner, adapting OpenStax’s openly licensed social studies textbooks for enhanced impact in high school classrooms.

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, 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.

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.

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.

Rice establishes Global Brain Economy Initiative in Davos, aligned with new report on brain health and AI

Rice has launched the Global Brain Economy Initiative.

Breaking barriers in lymphatic imaging: Rice’s SynthX Center leads up to $18M effort for ‘unprecedented resolution and safety’

Rice's SynthX Center has received an up to five-year, $18 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

Rice bioengineers explore new gene delivery systems with Keck Foundation support

Rice bioengineers Gang Bao and Caleb Bashor are leading a project focused on exploring how biological systems derived from nature can be engineered to deliver long-form genetic instructions for the expression of critical proteins and genome modification to target tissues in living organisms.

Smart clothing coming sooner than you think and Rice engineers are helping build it

Rice professors of mechanical engineering Daniel J. Preston and Vanessa Sanchez are core partners in the New Frontiers in Research Fund project led by the University of Alberta, bringing breakthrough materials, soft-robotic actuation and human-centered design to the team.

What can AI do for space exploration?

The In-Space Physical AI Workshop to be held Feb. 11-12 at the Ion will explore the intersection of AI and space exploration.

Rice researchers awarded Hill Prize in Engineering for light-driven ammonia synthesis

Rice’s Naomi Halas, Peter Nordlander and Hossein Robajatzi have been awarded the 2026 Hill Prize in Engineering for their work advancing light-driven technologies for sustainable ammonia synthesis.

Training for the future of health care delivery: Rice now offering master’s in digital health

Rice is launching a new master’s degree in digital health, an interdisciplinary graduate program designed to train the next generation of engineer-leaders to invent the future of health care.