News Releases

'Zero bias' in retirement investments may shortchange you

HOUSTON – (July 27, 2020) – Target Retirement Funds are touted as a simplified investment option for people saving money for their golden years, but Rice University researchers have discovered retirees can be shortchanged by a curious behavioral phenomenon known as “zero bias.”

Rice receives NSF grant to boost STEM education

A multi-institutional team led by Rice University has received a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a collaborative project studying persistence and retention of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers across the nation.

Link between education, income inequality has existed for a century

HOUSTON – (July 27, 2020) – Income is inextricably linked to access to education in America and it has been for a century, according to a new study from researchers at Stanford University and Rice University.

How to stop the next pandemic: Reduce wildlife trafficking and forest loss

The ultimate global financial cost of COVID-19 could top $15 trillion, but governments might be able to prevent future pandemics by investing as little as $22 billion a year in programs to curb wildlife trafficking and stem the destruction of tropical forests, according to a new paper from an international team of scientists including Rice University's Ted Loch-Temzelides.

China’s energy infrastructure mapped by Baker Institute

HOUSTON – (July 23, 2020) – Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy has released its latest China Energy Map, an open-source, interactive chart of the country’s energy infrastructure.

HISD partners with Rice University to conduct districtwide study on educational equity

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) has partnered with Rice University’s Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), a program of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and School of Social Sciences, to conduct a comprehensive study on educational equity across the district.

Better wastewater treatment? It’s a wrap

A shield of graphene helps particles destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the free-floating genes in wastewater treatment plants.

Changing CEO before IPO may raise valuation

HOUSTON – (July 17, 2020) – New research from Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business shows that a change in leadership before a startup’s initial public offering (IPO) can increase its valuation and performance.

Global health students’ innovation not stopped by COVID-19

Students at Rice University and in Malawi present device designs to deal with the COVID-19 crisis during the Rice 360˚ Institute for Global Health Intern Showcase.

Houston and Texas expected to fall short of postsecondary education goal

HOUSTON – (July 16, 2020) – As demand for workers with college degrees rises, Houston and Texas are predicted to fall short of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s (THECB) goals for the next decade, according to a new report from Rice University's Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), part of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and School of Social Sciences.

‘Bystander’ Cs meet their match in gene-editing technique

Biomolecular engineers at Rice have developed new tools to increase the accuracy of CRISPR single-base editing to treat genetic diseases.

As coronavirus cases grow in Houston, some people say they’re less anxious, according to COVID-19 registry

HOUSTON – (July 15, 2020) – COVID-19 continues to spread in Texas and especially the Houston area, but nearly one-fifth of residents surveyed by Rice University's COVID-19 Registry say they’re less anxious now than at beginning of the pandemic.

Tale of the tape: Sticky bits make better batteries

Rice University scientists use an industrial laser to turn adhesive tape into a component for safer, anode-free lithium metal batteries.

Bird droppings carry risk of antibiotic resistance

Rice University engineers analyze the droppings of urban birds and show persistent levels of antibiotic-resistant genes and bacteria that may be transferred to humans through the environment.

Emmett joins Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies

Former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett has been named a fellow in energy and transportation policy in the Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, the institute announced July 1.