Mechanical Engineering

Rice Wind Energy advances to final phase of Collegiate Wind Competition

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected Rice Wind Energy as one of 12 teams advancing to the final phase of the 2025 Collegiate Wind Competition.

Rice-BCM research achieves gene-editing breakthrough that could improve treatment for liver disease, other disorders

The Rice lab of bioengineer Gang Bao and collaborators at Baylor College of Medicine have developed a new gene-editing strategy that dramatically boosts the effectiveness of gene therapies in the liver, a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for about 700 genetic disorders in this vital organ as well as in other organs and tissues.

Rice’s Lydia Kavraki elected to National Academy of Engineering

Rice computer scientist Lydia Kavraki has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional honors accorded to an engineer, for her work on “developing randomized motion-planning algorithms for robotics and robotics-inspired methods in biomedicine.”

Engineers develop breakthrough method for aluminum surfaces, enabling advancements in cooling, self-cleaning and anti-icing technologies

An international team of engineers has developed an innovative, scalable method for creating topography-patterned aluminum surfaces, enhancing liquid transport properties critical for applications in electronics cooling, self-cleaning technologies and anti-icing systems.

New Rice-TMC research projects drive advances in health and medicine

Seven research partnerships involving Rice, the Baker Institute for Public Policy and various institutions within the Texas Medical Center (TMC) received seed grants in 2024 through the Provost’s TMC Collaborator Fund. These grants were facilitated by Rice’s office for Educational and Research Initiatives for Collaborative Health (ENRICH).

Rice alum Rasheed named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list for energy and green tech

Rawand Rasheed ’23, a Rice University alumnus and trailblazer in sustainable technology, has been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in the “Energy and Green Tech” category for 2025.

Rice graduate student advocates for diverse and inclusive spaces with intentionality in Science Robotics

Marquise Bell, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has published an article in Science Robotics that underscores the critical need for fostering diverse and inclusive spaces within the robotics community.

Ultimate Owl: Christian Francisco soars at the highest level, uses Rice experience to empower others

Christian Francisco, recently named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, has made the most of his experiences at Rice as a student and as an athlete, despite numerous challenges and bouts with adversity along the way.

Foam fluidics showcase Rice lab’s creative approach to circuit design

Rice engineers have shown that something as simple as the flow of air through open-cell foam can be used to perform digital computation, analog sensing and combined digital-analog control in soft textile-based wearable systems.

RSI awards seed funding grants to propel ‘pioneering’ space exploration research at Rice

The Rice Space Institute has awarded $150,000 in seed funding to Rice researchers to further our understanding of the universe and humanity’s place in it.

Japanese migrants’ experiences in Texas celebrated in award-winning exhibit

Completed in time to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Month in May 2023, Fondren Fellows project “History of Japanese Farmers in Texas” recently won the 2024 Texas Digital Library’s Trailblazer Award.

‘Symbolic of the hard work and talent’: Rice graduate programs rate highly in latest US News rankings

A number of Rice graduate programs are rated among the nation’s best in the latest edition of U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” rankings.

‘Revolutionizing the human spaceflight experience’: Rice students design augmented reality system for NASA spacewalks

A team from Rice participated in the NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students program.

European Academy of Sciences honors Rice’s Pol Spanos with prestigious award

Rice’s Pol Spanos, the Lewis B. Ryon Professor of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, has been awarded the 2024 Blaise Pascal Medal in Engineering by the European Academy of Sciences.

Wearable devices get signal boost from innovative material

An international team of researchers from Rice and Hanyang University have developed a new material that moves like skin while preserving signal strength in electronics. The technology could enable the development of next-generation wearable devices with continuous, consistent wireless and battery-free functionality.