Members of the media are invited to attend the 12th annual conference of Rice University’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center, which brings together more than 30 leading experts from academia, industry and government to explore strategies for flood protection, infrastructure resilience and climate adaptation.
This year’s theme, Flood Protection Strategies: Infrastructure Solutions for Resilient Communities, will focus on nature-based flood mitigation, new carbon market mechanisms and lessons learned from the Hill Country flood this summer.
The two-day conference will take place Nov. 6-7 at the Anderson-Clarke Center (Glasscock School of Continuing Studies) at Rice.
Media opportunities
Thursday, Nov. 6 – Afternoon sessions (3-5:30 p.m.)
Media are invited beginning at 3 p.m. to attend key sessions on resilient infrastructure and the July 2025 Hill Country flood, followed by a reception and poster session.
Session highlights:
- Resilient Communities and Infrastructures — Dominic Boyer, Rice professor
- Hill Country Flood: Advanced Flood Warning and Monitoring Systems — Nick Fang, University of Texas at Arlington; Jacob Torres, Torres and Associates
- Closing remarks — Philip Bedient, SSPEED Center director and Rice professor
- Reception and poster session
Friday, Nov. 7 – Full-day program (8 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Day 2 will spotlight the emerging nature-based carbon market, bridging ecological stewardship and economic innovation. Sessions will cover soil, forest, coastal blue and methane-related carbon initiatives as well as cross-border carbon collaborations with Mexico.
Speakers include:
- Jim Blackburn, co-director, SSPEED Center
- Carrie Masiello, Rice Sustainability Institute
- Katie Pearson, Grassroots Carbon
- Eric Unverzagt, BCarbon
- Adam Usadi, ExxonMobil
- Ivonne Cruz, Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
Interview opportunities
Rice flood experts will be available for interviews, including:
- Philip Bedient, director of the SSPEED Center and the Herman and George R. Brown Professor of Engineering.
Expertise: flooding from tropical storms and hurricanes, stormwater management and regional protection strategies. - Jim Blackburn, co-director of the SSPEED Center.
Expertise: environmental law, flood policy, nature-based mitigation, carbon credits and sustainable land-use planning.
About the SSPEED Center
The SSPEED Center integrates research, planning and policy to reduce the impacts of severe storms and flooding along the Gulf Coast and beyond. Its work combines scientific modeling, nature-based solutions and data-driven policy recommendations to advance resilient infrastructure and community protection.
Event Details:
Location: Anderson-Clarke Center, Rice University
Dates: Nov. 6-7
Media arrival: 3 p.m. Nov. 6 or full day Nov. 7
RSVP: Media interested in attending should contact Alex Becker, media relations specialist in Rice’s Office of Public Affairs, at alex.becker@rice.edu.