Premier Research

Rice researchers lay groundwork for designer hybrid 2D materials

An international team of researchers led by Rice materials scientists has succeeded in creating a genuine 2D hybrid material called glaphene.

Rice's SSPEED Center unveils Galveston Bay Park Plan: A comprehensive solution to hurricane storm surge threats

The Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center at Rice, in collaboration with a team of experts, has developed the Galveston Bay Park Plan, an in-bay barrier and park system designed to provide enhanced storm surge protection and navigation and environmental benefits for the highly vulnerable west side of Galveston Bay.

‘Pinballs in a cosmic arcade’: New study suggests how wide-orbit planets form, supporting existence of Planet Nine

In a new study published in Nature Astronomy, researchers from Rice and the Planetary Science Institute used complex simulations to show that wide-orbit planets are not anomalies but rather natural by-products of a chaotic early phase in planetary system development.

Rice geophysicist Ajo-Franklin wins Reginald Fessenden Award for pioneering work in fiber optic sensing

Jonathan Ajo-Franklin, a leading mind in applied geophysics and Trustee Professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice, has been awarded the 2025 Reginald Fessenden Award by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Rice method refines ultrapure diamond film fabrication for quantum and electronic applications

Rice researchers have developed a simpler and more effective technique to make ultrapure diamond films for quantum and electronic applications.

‘Hopelessly attached’: Scientists discover new 2D material that sticks the landing

Researchers from Rice and Northwestern University discover new 2D material, confirming decade-old prediction.

Forging a path to a sustainable carbon economy: Inside the vision of Rice’s Carbon Hub

As the world races to address the climate crisis, a coalition headquartered at Rice is taking a radically collaborative approach to one of the toughest challenges: how to decarbonize industry while at the same time boosting manufacturing, improving infrastructure and securing the supply chains for the energy and materials we rely on every day.

Rice researchers engineer personalized treatments for movement impairments

Impaired neuromusculoskeletal function due to conditions such as stroke, osteoarthritis, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, limb amputation, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and cancer is a leading cause of disability.

Lydia Kavraki named University Professor, the highest faculty distinction at Rice

In a landmark moment for Rice, renowned computer scientist Lydia E. Kavraki has been named a University Professor, the institution’s highest academic rank. She becomes only the 11th person and the third woman in the university’s 112-year history to earn this prestigious title.

Rice’s Mikos elected to the European Academy of Sciences

Rice bioengineer Antonios Mikos has been elected to the European Academy of Sciences, an international body that recognizes excellence in scientific research and technological innovation.

Invisible currents at the edge: Rice research team shows how magnetic particles reveal a hidden rule of nature

Recently, a team of scientists and engineers at Rice discovered a phenomenon on a microscopic scale, where tiny magnetic particles driven by rotating fields spontaneously move along the edges of clusters driven by invisible “edge currents” that follow the rules of an unexpected branch of physics.

Bao wins Robert Henry Thurston Lecture Award

Rice's Gang Bao has been selected to receive the Robert Henry Thurston Lecture Award from the American Society for Mechanical Engineers for his sustained contributions to the mechanics of composites, cell mechanics and nanomedicine.

Rice engineers tackle sunlight intermittency in solar desalination

A team of Rice engineers has developed a system that could transform desalination practices, making the process more adaptable, resilient and cheaper. The new system is powered by sunlight and uses a creative approach to heat recovery for extended water production ⎯ with and without sunshine.

ENRICH Office’s Health Innovations Symposium showcases Rice-TMC biomedical collaboration ecosystem

Rice’s ENRICH Office hosted a two-day symposium April 24-25 at Helix Park highlighting the encompassing range of biomedical research at the university and the network of collaborations with institutions across the Texas Medical Center.

About time: Rice researcher exploring how seasonal rhythms shape the hidden web of life

Volker Rudolf, a professor of biosciences at Rice, is investigating just how powerful seasonal rhythms, known as phenologies, can be.