That’s a wrap, 2024!
Rice University concluded the year on a high note, celebrating a year of transformative growth, achievements and community spirit. The university welcomed one of its largest and most diverse incoming classes. In addition, 94 new faculty members joined the institution, enriching academic programs with innovative perspectives.
Several significant milestones will continue to be celebrated into the new year including the 50th anniversaries of the Jones Graduate School of Business, Shepherd School of Music, George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing and Wiess School of Natural Sciences. OpenStax celebrated 25 years, while the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the Doerr Institute for New Leaders commemorated 15 and 10 years, respectively.
Campus enhancements included the redesign of the Academic Quadrangle, the completion of William T. Cannady Hall for architecture students and the groundbreaking for a $54 million business building. Progress on the Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall, a cutting-edge arts hub, also continued.
Rice’s research enterprise expanded with five new institutes and five centers addressing global challenges in health, climate and urban resilience. Partnerships with MD Anderson and Baylor College of Medicine advanced critical medical research, while faculty and students earned numerous prestigious awards for their research endeavours.
The university also celebrated outstanding athletic achievements, including crowning an American Athletic Conference individual tennis champion, the women’s basketball team’s NCAA Tournament appearance, the volleyball team’s preseason AAC No. 1 ranking and 300 student-athletes earning All-AAC academic honors, the highest in the conference.
2024 Rice wrap: A look back on a year of ‘transformative growth’
