Rice is entering a new era of growth, fueled by record student demand, an expanding faculty and research enterprise, major investments in campus infrastructure and a growing global presence — all while introducing new programs designed to ensure that a Rice education remains accessible and deeply personalized.
Shima Oliaee created the podcast “Dolly Parton’s America,” which began as a four-hour interview with the superstar in her music recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nearly 900 advanced degree recipients were celebrated May 9 as Owls walked across the stage at Tudor Fieldhouse to roars of applause and cheers, marking the culmination of their academic journeys at Rice University.
Multiple Rice-led student ventures earned top honors across categories at the Johns Hopkins Healthcare Design Competition. The founders built these winning businesses through Rice’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie), underscoring the university’s growing leadership in health care innovation.
Nearly 70 high school students from across the Houston area spent a weekend morning moving through different research labs at Rice University in order to get a firsthand view of what pursuing a professional path in science and engineering could entail.
Fondren Fellows pairs Rice undergraduate and graduate students with faculty mentors and library staff to pursue original research projects grounded in Fondren Library’s collections and digital infrastructure.
A group of graduate students at Rice is helping shape the long-term sustainability vision for The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion through a yearlong “Living Lab” collaboration that blends academic research with real-world impact.
The 2026 H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge saw five ventures founded by Rice students compete for the top prize of $50,000. The April 21 event showcased some of the university’s top student startups and celebrated the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) participants’ work over the academic year.
Students, alumni and fans gathered at Rice April 10-11 to celebrate the 69th annual Beer Bike, one of the university’s most popular traditions and a centerpiece of the residential college experience.
Rice continues to earn national recognition for the strength and breadth of its graduate programs with multiple disciplines ranked among the nation’s best in the 2026 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools.
Nearly 700 prospective graduate students, current scholars, faculty and staff gathered at the Houston Museum of Natural Science for Rice University’s annual Night at the Museum, a signature recruitment event hosted by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.