News Releases

Thermochromic material could make indoor temperature control more energy-efficient

Rice engineers have developed a smart material that could significantly enhance energy efficiency for indoor space cooling. The new thermochromic polymer blend has an estimated lifespan of 60 years and is lower cost than existing thermochromics.

Rice engineers develop AI system for real-time sensing of flooded roads

Rice engineers have developed an AI machine learning system for real-time sensing of flooded roads through existing data sources and reporting mechanisms.

Rice’s Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies unveils first annual Energy Insights

Texas’ energy reliability and the future of global energy supply chains are just a few of the topics addressed in the first annual Energy Insights – a collection of articles from fellows and scholars at the Center for Energy Studies (CES) from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy that provides expert data and analysis on some of the most pressing policy issues affecting national and global energy markets.

Activate fellows ‘embody the best of Rice entrepreneurship’

Four Rice fellows and three Rice-affiliated startup ventures were selected to be a part of the inaugural Houston cohort of The Activate Fellowship for 2024. Activate is widely recognized as one of the flagship entrepreneurship programs that support startups focused on deep tech, and these four founders are the only representatives of Texas academia in the cohort.

New Rice center to address impact of climate change on coastal economic powerhouses

Globally, 800 million people living in hundreds of urban areas will face grave social and economic risks from sea level rise and routine coastal flooding by 2050.

Rice bioengineers develop lotus leaf-inspired system to advance study of cancer cell clusters

Rice bioengineers have harnessed the lotus effect to develop a system for culturing cancer cell clusters that can shed light on hard-to-study tumor properties. The new zinc oxide-based culturing surface mimics the lotus leaf surface structure, providing a highly tunable platform for the high-throughput generation of three-dimensional nanoscale tumor models.

Rice’s Shepherd School of Music announces 2024-25 season

The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University is preparing for a monumental milestone, beginning a multiyear celebration this fall in honor of the school’s 50th anniversary.

Rice Kinder Institute survey: More than 75% of HISD residents support bond, majority want focus on campus safety

More than 75% of in-district respondents signaled their support for a bond that does not result in a tax increase.

Researchers teaching artificial intelligence about frustration in protein folding

Peter Wolynes and his colleagues have found a new way to predict how proteins change their shape when they function.

Sanjoy Paul appointed executive director of the Rice Nexus, aims to ‘shape the future of technology’

Rice has appointed Sanjoy Paul as executive director of the Rice Nexus, the university’s premier innovation factory in the Ion that will offer state-of-the-art facilities for prototyping, testing and launching new ventures by Rice faculty and students.

ChatGPT could help people with creativity in everyday tasks, study says

ChatGPT, the generative artificial intelligence technology developed by OpenAI, could help humans with daily, creative tasks — even tasks typically thought to require the human ability to “read between the lines,” according to new research by the University of Houston and Rice University. Its capability has proven to be superior compared to traditional Google search or even human brainstorming without any technical assistance, the study authors argue.

Musical powerhouses strengthen offerings at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music

Rice's Shepherd School of Music is celebrating the return of alumni Cristian Măcelaru and the addition of opera luminary Patrick Summers to its faculty.

Rice Innovation awards second cycle of One Small Step Grants

Rice Innovation announced its two most recent awardees of the One Small Step Grant , marking a significant milestone in accelerating the transition from lab to market for these Rice-developed technologies. Launched in September 2023, the grant aims to support lab-stage projects across campus, providing crucial capital for projects to spin out of the university and successfully attract investment from angel investors and venture capital.

Glaciers in peril: World’s first glacier graveyard and global glacier casualty list unveiled

Iceland is a land made famous by its glaciers, but these ancient ice forms in the island country and around the world are in danger amid rising global temperatures.

Researchers make breakthrough in fight against COVID-19

Jose Onuchic is part of a research team that has made a discovery in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.