Welcoming the ‘Year of the Horse’ at Rice’s Chinese New Year Gala
Rice students gathered Feb. 14 to celebrate the Lunar New Year at a festive Chinese New Year Gala hosted by the Rice Chinese Students and Scholars Association. The event honored the traditions of the Spring Festival, also known as the Lunar New Year, which marks the transition from the old lunar year to the new and is widely celebrated in China and across Asian communities around the world.
Houston families invited to explore orchestra at Shepherd School’s Family Concert
Designed especially for children and first-time concertgoers, the hourlong performance centers on Benjamin Britten’s beloved “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra."
At Rice, ‘The World at Play’ turned soccer into space for connection, conversation, care
a spirit of conversation defined the two-day conference organized by Rice’s School of Humanities and Arts faculty Jacqueline Couti and Caroline Fache ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Farwell remembered as guiding force for generations of singers at Shepherd School
Joyce Farwell, professor emerita of voice, passed away Jan. 21 in Waco, Texas.
Rice commends Nichol’s 19 years of sparking scientific curiosity, bolstering access
Rice is recognizing Carolyn Nichol for 19 years of service. She is the director of the Office of STEM Engagement, providing strategic leadership for a team of 14 professionals dedicated to advancing excellence in teaching and learning.
Rice partners with Astronaut Scholarship Foundation on STEM scholarships
Rice recently announced a partnership with the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which offers students up to $15,000, mentorship, networking and a paid trip to the ASF Innovators Symposium and Gala.
‘Inside Look’ brings students, faculty, audience into making of modern opera
Led by stage director and Aleko Endowed Artist Paul Curran, the program featured the world premiere of “A Joint Interest,” a 50th anniversary commission by Karim Al-Zand.
Black History Month Kickoff celebrates community, remembrance
Rice launched Black History Month Feb. 2 with a powerful and celebratory showcase at the Rice Memorial Center’s Grand Hall that drew a crowd of more than 300 students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members. The evening honored Black history, culture and excellence through music, dance, poetry and reflection.
Mega Shabbat fosters warmth, tradition, community
The annual Mega Shabbat, hosted by Chabad at Rice, transformed the Grand Hall of the Rice Memorial Center into something far more than a dining space; it became a living expression of Jewish warmth, resilience and togetherness. Students and employees gathered for an evening that celebrated not only Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest and celebration that begins Friday before sunset), but the enduring power of community and shared tradition.
Shepherd School ticket sales for historic production of Verdi’s ‘Falstaff’ open Feb. 6
Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. April 17, 2 p.m. April 19 with an added third performance at 7:30 p.m. April 21.
Rice praises Curet’s 15 years of nourishing bodies, minds
Rice is saluting Johnny Curet for 15 years of service. He has operated both as the director of campus dining as well as a co-instructor for the course Chem 178: The Chemistry of Cooking.
Before rockets, there were stories: Rice explores human meaning of space
Two Rice scholars are asking what it would mean to treat that long human relationship with space as not just a footnote to engineering but as a central intellectual pursuit.
The four-part series of discussions reframes AI as a cultural, ethical and historical problem, not simply a computational one.
Sustainability office introduces eco-friendly commute challenge
Rice’s Office of Sustainability has launched its “New Year, New Commute” challenge, running through Feb. 16 exclusively for Rice staff and faculty. The goal is to encourage Owls to explore and track sustainable and smart commuting options using the ConnectSmart app, helping the university meet its sustainability goals while making daily travel more efficient and rewarding.
Strengthening service: Rice consolidates safety, security entities
As Rice’s footprint expands into more public-facing environments, the scope of its efforts to maintain safety and security has grown as well. To better reflect this reality, the unit formerly known as Campus Safety and Research Security has been renamed Public Safety and Research Security.
