News Releases

Harnessing failure as an asset: How Rice researchers are innovating smarter wearable tech

A new study by mechanical engineers at Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing explores how programmed failure in heat-sealable, sheet-based systems can be used to protect devices, enable complex sequencing of actions and even streamline control mechanisms.

Rice computer science department invites Houston industry, community partners for discussion on generative AI and DeepSeek

The Rice Department of Computer Science and Ken Kennedy Institute invite Houston industry and community partners to an evening discussion on LLMs, DeepSeek and the future of generative AI.

Rice-led study finds 2D carbon material is 8 times tougher than graphene, resists cracking

Rice researchers found that a carbon material known as monolayer amorphous carbon is eight times tougher than graphene.

Annual event showcases AI and high-performance computing advances in energy

Rice’s Ken Kennedy Institute will host its annual Energy HPC Conference Feb. 25-27.

Rice opens the Rice Nexus, an innovation factory in the Ion focused on AI

Rice is celebrating the grand opening of the Rice Nexus, its flagship innovation hub in the Ion District designed to help faculty, students and alumni founders turn breakthrough research into high-impact startups.

OpenStax algebra curriculum receives unanimous approval in Texas

OpenStax, the world’s largest publisher of open educational resources based at Rice, announced that its algebra curriculum has received unanimous approval from the Texas State Board of Education. With this approval, the curriculum has been added to the Texas Instructional Materials Allocation list, underscoring OpenStax’s commitment to providing secondary educators with affordable, high-quality resources that support student success.

Rice-BCM research achieves gene-editing breakthrough that could improve treatment for liver disease, other disorders

The Rice lab of bioengineer Gang Bao and collaborators at Baylor College of Medicine have developed a new gene-editing strategy that dramatically boosts the effectiveness of gene therapies in the liver, a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for about 700 genetic disorders in this vital organ as well as in other organs and tissues.

Glasscock School of Continuing Studies launches teaching minor

Rice’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies is now offering a minor in teaching, marking the school’s first undergraduate credential.

Rice’s Lydia Kavraki elected to National Academy of Engineering

Rice computer scientist Lydia Kavraki has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional honors accorded to an engineer, for her work on “developing randomized motion-planning algorithms for robotics and robotics-inspired methods in biomedicine.”

Mothers with incarcerated children shoulder emotional and financial burdens

The financial and emotional toll borne by mothers whose adult children have experienced incarceration is often overlooked but can exacerbate financial burdens, especially for Black mothers, according to new research from Rice sociologist Brielle Bryan.

‘Smaller and better’: Rice research uncovers performance sweet spot for relaxor nanomaterial

A new study led by Rice materials scientist Lane Martin sheds light on how the extreme miniaturization of thin films affects the behavior of relaxor ferroelectrics — materials with noteworthy energy-conversion properties used in sensors, actuators and nanoelectronics.

Caught in the crossfire: How political attacks erode public trust in local news

Local news outlets, long seen as the most trusted source for keeping communities informed, are facing a new challenge: political attacks that are chipping away at public trust.

Rice-BCM research enables detection of hazardous chemicals in human placentas with unprecedented speed and precision

Rice scientists and collaborators at Baylor College of Medicine have demonstrated a new method for detecting the presence of dangerous chemicals from tobacco smoke in human placentas with unprecedented speed and precision.

Rice Nexus grand opening event Feb. 14

Rice will officially open the Rice Nexus, its flagship innovation factory located in the heart of Houston’s vibrant Ion District.

Rice scientists create tiny, water-based reactors for green chemistry

Researchers at Rice have developed a new method for performing chemical reactions using water instead of toxic solvents.