Bats, poaching and the pulse of the forest: Rice researchers lead biodiversity study in Tanzania
Deep in the heart of Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains, a trio of Rice researchers embarked on an ambitious summer field study to understand how human impacts are reshaping forest ecosystems.
Faculty, staff now have access to AI tools Google Gemini and NotebookLM
Responsible AI is foundational to achieving the strategic goals and vision set forth in Momentous, Rice’s 10-year strategic plan. To further empower the campus to maximize the use of AI for premier teaching, research and operations, the university has expanded access to a broader set of tools.
Rice rises 26 spots in ranking of top 100 US universities for utility patents
Rice is now ranked 68th on the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2024, a list published by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) — a leap of 26 spots from last year’s list. Rice ranked 94th in 2023 with 14 granted patents; this year, Rice brought in 30 new patents, leading to its sharp increase in ranking.
Rice SSPEED Center’s FIRST system provides critical flood warnings in real time
In the aftermath of the devastating July 2025 floods in the Texas Hill Country, the need for reliable, real-time flood warning systems has never been more urgent.
The RISING Center at Rice, a partnership accelerating U.S.-India collaboration in advanced materials and defense-related technologies, held a one-year review meeting on campus last month.
Rice scientists discover way to engineer stronger soft devices through smarter silicone bonding
In a step forward for soft robotics and biomedical devices, Rice engineers have uncovered a powerful new way to boost the strength and durability of silicone-based soft devices without changing the materials themselves.
Rice experts available to discuss new round of tariffs
Experts from Rice are available to provide insights on the new round of tariffs from the Trump administration.
Artificial intelligence is infamous for its resource-heavy training, but a new study may have found a solution in a novel communications system that markedly improves the way large language models train.
Vanishing shores: Coastal geologist issues urgent call to save the Gulf Coast
For John B. Anderson, the W. Maurice Ewing Professor Emeritus of Oceanography at Rice, the Gulf Coast is personal.
New coating for glass promises energy-saving windows
A new coating for glass developed by Rice researchers and collaborators could help reduce energy bills, especially during the cold season, by preventing heat-loss from leaky windows.
Why some genes are more error-prone: Scientists uncover hidden rule in DNA transcription
The study by Rice scientists shows why genetic sequences are not equally prone to errors.
Thick electrodes’ chemistry matters more than structure for battery performance
Rice researchers showed that even if the materials used in thick battery electrodes have nearly identical structures, their internal chemistry impacts energy flow and performance differently.
Rice researchers develop superstrong, eco-friendly materials from bacteria
Scientists at Rice and University of Houston have developed an innovative, scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials.
Rice engineering student honored for research to reduce surgical complications
Chihtong “Lily” Lee recently earned second place in the undergraduate category at the ASME SB3C Summer Bioengineering Conference, a competition hosted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
NSF CAREER Award funds Rice project to shrink hospital-grade imaging into wearable devices
Rice’s Lei Li wins NSF CAREER Award to develop a new generation of wearable medical imaging technology capable of visualizing deep tissue function in real time.
