From classroom to combine champion: Rice student wins NFL analytics title
Lucca Ferraz won the 2026 NFL Big Data Bowl, the league’s premier annual sports analytics competition, during combine week in Indianapolis.
‘Transformative’ Rice course challenges students to reinvestigate wrongful convictions
Undergraduates at Rice are digging into real, possible wrongful conviction cases this semester, examining evidence to bring renewed attention to individuals who maintain they were wrongfully convicted. The work is part of a new experiential program called Making an Exoneree.
At Rice, ‘The World at Play’ turned soccer into space for connection, conversation, care
a spirit of conversation defined the two-day conference organized by Rice’s School of Humanities and Arts faculty Jacqueline Couti and Caroline Fache ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Friends of Fondren celebration honors Rice authors, artists and composers for 2025 works
Rice's Friends of Fondren Library gathered the campus community Jan. 29 to celebrate a year of creative and scholarly achievement, honoring faculty, staff, alumni and supporters whose books, journals, musical compositions and artistic works were published or presented in 2025.
Melting glaciers are drawing more visitors: What that says about climate change
As glaciers around the world continue to shrink and disappear, they are drawing more visitors than ever, not only for their beauty but for what they have come to represent in an era of climate change. A new study examines this phenomenon, showing how melting glaciers have become powerful destinations for tourism,
Science and religion are not ‘polar opposites,’ Ecklund argues on Nature’s podcast
Rice sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund joined Nature’s career podcast “Working Scientist” to share her research on religion among scientists and discuss her book “Secularity and Science: What Scientists Around the World Really Think About Religion.”
Why misunderstood hand signals put cyclists at risk
As more Americans turn to biking for commuting, exercise and recreation, the roads are growing more crowded and more dangerous as cyclist fatalities have risen sharply nationwide. While crashes are often attributed to speeding, distracted driving or inadequate infrastructure, new research from Rice University suggests another factor may quietly increase risk: Drivers and cyclists are not always communicating as clearly as they think.
Rice faculty earn national recognition for research improving life at work
Two Rice faculty members have been recognized with national awards highlighting the university’s impact on research that shapes understanding of work, well-being and organizational life.
Experts available to discuss economic, health, policymaking in partial US government shutdown
With a partial U.S. government shutdown increasingly possible by the end of the week, Rice experts can provide insight into what is at stake, how a shutdown could happen and the likely effects on the economy, public health and federal policymaking.
Rice to host interdisciplinary conference examining global impact of soccer
“The World at Play: The Beautiful Game in 2026” will take place Feb. 6-7 at Rice’s BioScience Research Collaborative.
‘Reminder to responsibly carry intention’: Rice community honors MLK’s legacy
The Rice Black Men’s Association, multicultural community relations in the university’s Office of Public Affairs and the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence welcomed guests to honor Martin Luther King Jr for the annual vigil held in observance of the civil rights leader.
Inside marathon weekend: Rice students support Houston’s biggest single day sporting event
For Rice students, marathon weekend is more than checking off a volunteer or community service commitment. It is an opportunity to step inside the preparation, coordination and shared effort required to transform Houston into a global stage for distance running and to see firsthand the collaboration required to make race day possible.
From Houston to Jerusalem: Rice faculty fellow embarks on immersive academic journey
Senior lecturer in sociology at Rice, recently returned from Israel after participating in the Jewish National Fund-USA Faculty Fellowship, a nearly two-week program that brings American academics together with Israeli scholars, civic leaders and cultural institutions.
Why staying focused is harder than ever and what science can tell us about it
From phone notifications and flashing alerts to crowded screens and busy workspaces, modern life is full of visual distractions competing for our attention. A Rice psychologist is investigating how irrelevant visual information interferes with our ability to stay on task and why certain distractions slow us down more than others.
New study shows early motherhood carries wage penalty, while delaying pays off
A woman’s early career pregnancy decision may shape her financial future for decades, according to new research.