Nanoscience

Pattern Materials makes its mark in Houston

A Rice graduate student has launched a company aiming to make graphene production faster, cheaper and more scalable. Alex Lathem founded Pattern Materials in January to commercialize his proprietary laser-induced graphene and flash graphene technologies, which create graphene and carbon nanotube-like patterns in a single, rapid step. He believes these materials, known for their exceptional electrical conductivity, flexibility and strength, could significantly enhance the performance of sensors and other electronic devices.

Wade Adams, nanotechnology research leader and advocate, served Rice as ‘dynamic force’ while paving way for Smalley-Curl Institute

Wade Adams, former director of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice, passed away Feb. 12 at the age of 78. A self-described “technical optimist,” Adams was not only an experienced researcher and educator but also an enthusiastic advocate of nanotechnology, which he defined as “making small stuff do big things” and viewed as offering potential solutions to pressing challenges, particularly in energy but also in clean water and medicine.

Rice’s Gustavo Scuseria wins Aneesur Rahman Prize

Pioneering computational chemist Gustavo Scuseria has won the 2024 Aneesur Rahman Prize for Computational Physics.

Three Rice students receive Hertz Fellowships

The Hertz Fellowship is as prestigious as it is selective: Only 16 fellows each year are admitted to the program, which funds five years of graduate research and offers lifelong professional support through the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation.