Rice University invites the community to commemorate a legacy of groundbreaking science at a Nobel Prize open house event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 9, held on campus at the Welcome Center in Sewall Hall. The special occasion marks the start of a yearlong celebration leading up to the Wiess School of Natural Sciences’ 50th anniversary in the fall of 2025, spotlighting five decades of scientific innovation and impact.
Late Rice chemistry professors Robert F. Curl ’54 and Richard Smalley, with Sir Harold W. Kroto of the University of Sussex, were awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their pioneering discovery of carbon-60 molecules – known as buckyballs – which revolutionized nanoscience and materials research.
Curl and Smalley’s Nobel Prize medals will take center stage at the event, symbolizing the achievements that cemented Rice’s status as a hub for cutting-edge research and collaboration in science and engineering. Separately, a private reception is scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m., which will be open to the media.
WHAT
Nobel Prize open house and private reception
WHEN
Monday, Dec. 9
- Open house: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (open to the public)
- Private reception: 4-5:30 p.m. (open to the media)
WHERE
Rice Welcome Center at Sewall Hall
Rice University, 6100 Main St.
WHO
Featured speakers at the private event include:
- Thomas Killian , dean, Wiess School of Natural Sciences
- Angel Marti , chair, Department of Chemistry
- Junichiro Kono , director, Smalley-Curl Institute
- Ramamoorthy Ramesh , executive vice president for research
MEDIA INFORMATION
Media interested in attending the private reception should RSVP by contacting:
- Marcy de Luna: marcy.deluna@rice.edu
- Alexandra Becker: alex.becker@rice.edu