Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rice’s Technology Development Fund backs faculty projects

Nine projects proposed by Rice researchers have been granted seed funding by Creative Ventures' Technology Development Fund.

Microplastic pollution aids antibiotic resistance

Microplastics dispersed in the environment may enhance antibiotic resistance. A study led by Rice University found the chemical-leaching plastics draw bacteria and other vectors and make them susceptible to antibiotic resistant genes.

Rice conference on natural disasters draws international panelists, attendees

The Nov. 19-20 conference focused on narratives around natural catastrophes in the Americas and Circum-Caribbean

Alvarez, Mikos elected to Chinese Academy of Engineering

Pedro Alvarez and Antonios Mikos have been elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Rice names Reginald DesRoches as next president

Reginald DesRoches, who is now serving as the university’s provost, has been named as the next president of Rice University.

National Academies Gulf Scholars Program launches at Rice

A new National Academies Gulf Research Program will expand the opportunities Rice students have to study and impact the most pressing environmental, health, energy and infrastructure challenges in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Phil Bedient honored by American Institute of Hydrology

Rice’s Phil Bedient has been awarded the American Institute of Hydrology's Ray K. Linsley Award in honor of outstanding contributions in surface water hydrology.

Rice builds FIRST flood-alert system for City of Houston

SSPEED Center's early-warning system covers hospitals, nursing homes, other critical facilities on Brays, Sims, Hunting and White Oak bayous.

Houston refines hunt for COVID in wastewater

There are many ways to test municipal wastewater for signs of the virus that causes COVID-19, but scientists in Houston have determined theirs is the best yet.

Seven research teams win Carbon Hub funding

Carbon Hub, Rice University's zero-emissions research initiative, has awarded seed grants for seven projects that will rapidly advance its vision for transforming the oil and gas sector into a leading provider of both clean hydrogen energy and solid carbon products that can be used in place of materials with large carbon footprints.

Rice mourns death of Ilinca Stanciulescu, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering

Ilinca Stanciulescu, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice, died Sunday after battling cancer. She was 49.

DARPA backs Rice sensor to detect COVID-19 virus in air

Researchers receive funding for up to $1 million to develop a real-time electronic sensor able to detect minute amounts of the airborne virus that causes COVID-19 infection.

Failed storage tanks pose atmospheric risks during disasters

Rice engineers model hypothetical threats from toxins released when aboveground storage tanks fail during a storm.

Industrial-strength brine, meet your kryptonite

A thin coating of the 2D nanomaterial hexagonal boron nitride is the key ingredient in a cost-effective technology developed by Rice University engineers for desalinating industrial-strength brine.

NSF renews Rice-based NEWT Center for water treatment

The National Science Foundation renews the Rice-based Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment Center for five years. The Engineering Research Center is dedicated to enabling access to clean water around the world.