Rice University played a key role in Houston’s Fleet Week celebration, hosting senior military leaders, engaging students and joining citywide events that highlighted the deep connection between the U.S. Navy and one of the nation’s busiest maritime hubs.
The weeklong series of activities served as both a celebration and a reminder of the longstanding partnership between Houston and the Navy — a relationship grounded in the protection of global trade and strengthened through collaboration with institutions like Rice. Billions of dollars in goods move through the Houston Ship Channel each day, and the Navy’s role in safeguarding that seaborne commerce underscores the shared economic and national security interests at the heart of Fleet Week.
“At Rice, we are thrilled to work with mission-oriented national security partners such as the Navy,” said David Sholl, executive vice president for research at Rice. “Creating close partnerships with the Navy allows Rice researchers to focus on real-world challenges.”
Rice hosted senior military officials including Vice Adm. Wayne Baze, Maj. Gen. Matthew T. Mowery and Rear Adm. Marcus J. Lockard Jr. for a campus visit April 16-17 that highlighted the university’s contributions to research and national security. The visit included a leadership meeting with Sholl; Vinod Veedu, assistant vice president for research and head of the university’s Defense Research Advancement initiative; and Brian Lindoerfer, associate vice president for facilities, as well as tours of laboratories in the O’Connor Building and the BioScience Research Collaborative.
“Billions in trade may flow through our ship channel, but the real strength of Houston is the partnership that keeps it safe,” Veedu said. “By bringing the Navy’s leadership to Rice, we are bridging the gap between the thinkers on our campus and the heroes on the water who protect our way of life.”
Fleet Week also created opportunities for direct engagement between students and military leadership. Baze visited Rice’s Navy ROTC Houston Consortium April 16, speaking with students at Hudspeth Auditorium about leadership, service and career pathways in the Navy.
The visit carried added significance as a homecoming of sorts — Baze is a 1990 graduate of Rice, highlighting the impact of the university’s alumni in top military roles.
“In this important sector of national security, one of the top leaders is from Rice University,” Veedu said. “That’s a prime example of ‘Rice to leadership.’”
Beyond campus, Rice participated in citywide Fleet Week festivities in Galveston Bay, where members of the university toured the USS Kearsarge, one of the Navy’s largest amphibious assault ships. Earlier in the week, Rice’s mascot Sammy joined other Houston mascots at the Port of Houston for a kickoff event, welcoming sailors and celebrating the city’s connection to the maritime community.
Together, the events reflected a broader goal: strengthening partnerships between Rice and military leaders while showcasing the university’s role in advancing research, education and national service.
“This was a unique opportunity to show that we as a campus are united behind this,” Veedu said.
