Natural Sciences

Kasey Leigh Yearty receives George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching

Kasey Leigh Yearty has been named the 2025 recipient of the George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching.

Rice announces historic enrollment growth, expanding access and free tuition

Rice will increase access by growing the university’s student body, marking an unprecedented growth trajectory that began earlier this decade. The expansion is part of Rice’s commitment to access and is aligned with a strategic vision to solidify its position as a global leader in both teaching and research.

Rice experts available to discuss environmental research, insights ahead of Earth Day

As Earth Day approaches April 22, Rice University experts are available to provide insight into their research on a range of environmental topics.

Senior Spotlight: Zoe Griffin ’25

As Rice prepares to celebrate the Class of 2025 at commencement May 9-10, Rice News is spotlighting a collection of standout seniors.

Owls fly high in Austin for first Rice Day at the Capitol

More than 50 Rice University students, faculty and staff visited the Texas Capitol in Austin April 14 for a day of advocacy, connection and celebration of the university’s impact on the state and beyond.

Inside Yellowstone’s fiery heart: Rice researchers map volatile-rich cap, offering clues to future volcanic activity

A team of researchers from Rice, University of New Mexico, University of Utah and the University of Texas at Dallas have discovered a sharp, volatile-rich cap just 3.8 kilometers beneath Yellowstone’s surface.

AI tool unlocks long-standing biomedical mystery behind Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s

A study led by Rice's Peter Wolynes introduces RibbonFold, a new computational method capable of predicting the structures of amyloids.

Rice public health expert says uptick in US measles cases arising due to multiple factors

Amid an uptick in measles cases in the U.S., Rice University public health expert Kirstin Matthews is available to discuss recent cases.

‘Oscars of Science’ Breakthrough Prize honors Rice physicists

An international team of physicists, including Rice’s Paul Padley, Frank Geurts, Karl Ecklund, Wei Li and Darin Acosta, was awarded the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

Researchers unlock hidden pathway to tunable magnetic devices

Led by Pengcheng Dai, researchers uncovered the cause behind a vanishing electronic phenomenon in a class of crystalline materials known as kagome lattice.

Frank Jones retires from Rice 7 decades after first arriving as a student

Frank Jones retires from Rice seven decades after first arriving as a student.

Rice biosciences students take lab to Brazos Bend State Park to study local ecology

For students in Introductory Lab in Ecology and Evolution, the classroom stretches far beyond campus walls into the heart of one of Texas’ most ecologically rich landscapes: Brazos Bend State Park.

Rice scientists pioneer method to tackle ‘forever chemicals’

A new study unveils a method that eliminates PFAS from water systems and also transforms waste into high-value graphene.

Rice physicists use quantum entanglement to crack mystery of strange metals

Led by Qimiao Si, a research team has shown that electron entanglement peaks at a quantum critical point.

Thomas Killian reappointed dean of Wiess School of Natural Sciences

Thomas Killian has been reappointed dean of Wiess School of Natural Sciences.