Steven Murdock, founding director of Rice University’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas who served as director of the U.S. Census Bureau and state demographer of Texas, died April 7. He was 75.
Rice U. engineering students aim to shed better light on surgeries
A team of Rice University engineering students designed a tunable lighting system that would allow surgeons to better illuminate their working area without having to handle equipment or wear headlamps.
Strong ultralight material could aid energy storage, carbon capture
Rice U. materials scientists and collaborators at the University of Maryland showed that fine-tuning interlayer interactions in a class of 2D polymers can determine the materials’ loss or retention of desirable mechanical properties in multilayer or bulk form.
Rice University provost, trustee recognized by Houston Woman Magazine
Rice University’s top brass is represented in Houston Woman Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2022 list. Among the honorees are Provost Amy Dittmar and Board of Trustees member Claudia Gee Vassar, as well as seven others with Rice connections.
Rice mourns loss of trailblazing history chair, former dean Katherine Fischer Drew
Katherine Fischer Drew ’44 ’45, the esteemed Rice history chair, former acting dean of humanities and social sciences and the first woman ever hired as a tenure-track faculty member by the university, died March 19 at the age of 99.
Rice psychologist Danielle King wins coveted NSF CAREER Award
Rice University’s Danielle King, an assistant professor of psychological sciences and a member of the faculty since 2018, has won a coveted National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. The accolade includes a five-year grant that will support her research on preventing and overcoming race-based threats and how employers can improve workplace experiences for employees who face such threats.
Rice’s Todd Treangen wins NSF CAREER Award
Todd Treangen wins NSF CAREER Award to develop a comprehensive computational platform for detecting yet-unseen microbial pathogens.
Rice announces launch of Budget Transformation Initiative
I am excited to announce the launch of Rice’s Budget Transformation Initiative, co-led by Provost Amy Dittmar and Vice President for Finance and Administration Kelly Fox. The purpose of the initiative is to build transparency and an understanding of the university’s budget as well as design, develop and implement a new campus budget model built for Rice by Rice leaders and stakeholders that will better reflect our mission, values and priorities.
Higgs, Ramos elected AIMBE Fellows
Engineering’s Fred Higgs and Renata Ramos have been elected fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Eco-efficient cement could pave the way to a greener future
Rice U. scientists develop process to remove toxic heavy metals from coal fly ash, making for greener, stronger concrete.
Rice to honor MacArthur-winning professor Kiese Laymon April 10
Rice President Reginald DesRoches, Provost Amy Dittmar and School of Humanities Dean Kathleen Canning invite all members of the Rice community to a special reception at Cohen House April 10 to formally honor English professor Kiese Laymon, recipient of a 2022 MacArthur Fellowship.
James Chappell wins NSF CAREER Award
Rice bioscientist James Chappell has won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop RNA programming methods that can improve human health and the environment.
Protein-based coating could keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer
Rice University materials scientist Muhammad Rahman has won a National Science Foundation grant to develop a sustainable, low-cost coating to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Rice’s Salas receives American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology
Eduardo Salas, professor and chair of Rice University’s Department of Psychological Sciences, is a 2023 recipient of the American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology.
Rice selects Lane Martin to lead new Advanced Materials Institute
Lane Martin has been appointed director of the new Rice Advanced Materials Institute and Welch Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering in the George R. Brown School of Engineering.