Rice University faculty and leadership highlighted cutting-edge research and national collaborations during the Research Frontiers Showcase in Washington, D.C., held one day ahead of the Owls’ Sept. 27 football game at Navy.
The event marked the first time Rice staged a technology demonstration of this scale outside its Houston campus, underscoring the university’s growing impact in science, engineering, innovation and policy.
“This is a technology showcase, but more importantly, this is also a celebration of the partnership that we have with the federal agencies, congressional delegation, industry and academia at large,” said Vinod Veedu, assistant vice president for the Office of Research and head of the Defense Research Advancement initiative.
Projects on display ranged from biomedical innovations to cutting-edge network systems, demonstrating how Rice research moves discoveries from the lab to real-world applications and impact.
“We wanted to come here and showcase the great science that is happening at Rice,” said Christopher Johns-Krull, interim vice president for research and department chair for physics and astronomy at Rice. “We want to advance Rice’s impact, and we want to advance the benefits of government funding across the nation.”
Organizers emphasized that the showcase was about more than just technology — it was about building connections to spark new ideas and build solutions to global challenges through shared missions.
“Our biggest hope is to connect with the folks that are really making these big decisions of public policy so that we’re able to make a case for why Rice research can really drive the economy forward and drive the future forward,” said Robert LiKamWa, associate professor for electrical and computer engineering.
