The Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP), a cornerstone of STEM outreach for nearly four decades, has formally joined the Rice Center for Education within the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies — a move leaders say will deepen the university’s commitment to supporting educators and students across the Houston region and beyond.
“RUSMP has been one of Rice’s most impactful bridges to Houston’s schools for nearly four decades,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches said. “Bringing the program into the Glasscock School’s Center for Education strengthens our commitment to supporting teachers and students at every stage of their learning journey. This integration positions Rice to deepen its impact on preK-12 education across our region and beyond.”
“Integrating RUSMP into the Center for Education strengthens Rice’s ability to translate research into real impact for classrooms,” said Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “This alignment allows us to support educators with the depth and collaboration they deserve, ensuring that our university’s academic excellence directly benefits preK-12 learners across our region.”
Founded in 1987 in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, RUSMP has long served as a conduit between the university’s mathematics research community and preK-12 teachers, helping educators strengthen their content knowledge and instructional practice while inspiring thousands of students to see mathematics as a creative, connected and empowering field. More than 14,000 teachers and teacher leaders and over 20,000 K-12 students have participated in RUSMP programming since its inception.
Now housed within the Center for Education, RUSMP is poised to build on that legacy. The center brings together several of the Glasscock School’s most influential preK-12 initiatives, including Rice Education, the Center for College Readiness and School Literacy and Culture — creating a collaborative hub for research-informed, practice-driven programming that supports teachers from their earliest preparation through advanced professional growth.
“Rice Continuing Studies is committed to building the thriving Houston of tomorrow, and that starts with equipping educators and students today,” said Robert Bruce, dean of the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. “This latest addition is one of several we’ve made this year, illustrating our commitment to our local educators and schools. We are at a turning point in education, and Rice is committed to ensuring that the turn is upward. RUSMP has, for several decades, been instrumental in advancing teacher professional development in Houston, and we look forward to advancing these efforts in concert with our overall focus on preK-12 education.”
RUSMP will continue its hallmark offerings for teachers and students, including professional development courses for elementary and middle school mathematics educators and hands-on summer math programs that help high school students prepare for success in precalculus and calculus. Registration for 2026 summer programs opens Jan. 15 with all sessions hosted on the Rice campus.
The integration comes amid a period of significant growth in the Center for Education. Recent initiatives include the new minor in teaching for Rice undergraduates and an early childhood-third grade alternative teacher certification pathway, both designed to expand the pipeline of well-prepared educators in the region. Together with RUSMP, these programs position the center as a comprehensive “engine for theory into practice,” uniting Rice researchers, Houston-area practitioners and clinical faculty to strengthen learning outcomes in public schools.
“The Rice University School Mathematics Project and the programs of Rice’s Center for Education are some of the longest-tenured community-focused programs in Rice’s history,” said Brenda Rangel, assistant dean of the Center for Education. “It makes perfect sense to bring these education programs together and represents a tremendous opportunity to further expand our service to educators and our impact on area schools.”
Within the Center for Education, RUSMP will collaborate with multiple established programs:
- Rice Education, which prepares teachers and school leaders through the Master of Arts in Teaching, alternative teacher certification, principal certification and the undergraduate minor in teaching.
- Center for College Readiness, which supports educators and students through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, college access counseling and customized training.
- School Literacy and Culture, whose early literacy initiatives, professional development programs and Oral and Written Language Labs help young learners build strong language and literacy foundations.
For RUSMP leaders, the move is less a transition than a new platform for growth — one that aligns directly with the program’s mission.
“Born in and grown out of the mathematics department, RUSMP has long served the greater Houston education community and beyond,” said Adem Ekmekci, RUSMP director of research and operations. “It is committed to strengthening and expanding its mission by complementing the divisions within the Glasscock School’s Center for Education. RUSMP will continue to bridge not only Rice mathematics and mathematics education faculty with preK-12 mathematics educators but also theory and research with practice.”
For more information on RUSMP, visit https://rusmp.rice.edu/. To learn more about Rice’s Center for Education, visit https://centerforeducation.rice.edu/.