Name: Rice University nanomachines constructed to deliver drugs, destroy diseased cells @riceuniversity
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Rice University nanomachines constructed to deliver drugs, destroy diseased cells

Rice University 2026-09-22 | Rice University nanomachines constructed to deliver drugs, destroy diseased cells

Hannah Usadi 23 creates the Rice University holiday card

Rice University 2022-12-15 | Hannah Usadi '23, mechanical engineering and studio art major, designed the art for this year's holiday card from President Reginald DesRoches to Rice supporters. Hear more about her artistic process and what Rice means to her.

Happy Holidays from Rice University!

Rice University 2022-12-13 | On behalf of everyone at Rice, we wish you the happiest of holidays!
As this year comes to an end, we celebrate all the excitement, joy and spectacular collaborations that have come from our Rice community.
Thank you for another fantastic year!

2022: The year in review at Rice University

Rice University 2022-12-12 | From emotional goodbyes to celebrations of new beginnings and accomplishments, 2022 was quite the year at Rice University.

#2022 #riceuniversity #college

Puppetry workshop brings Owls, performers together for larger-than-life performance

Rice University 2022-12-12 | Thanks to a collaboration between the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts and the Department Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures within the School of Humanities, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art and Bread and Puppet Theater — one of the oldest nonprofit political theater companies in the country — Rice students got the chance to play roles in a larger-than-life puppet show Nov. 22.

Ultimately, eight Rice students took part in the Bread and Puppet performance of “The Apocalypse Defiance Circus,” a show created in response to the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic and “our culture’s unwillingness to recognize Mother Earth’s revolt against our civilization,” according to the group. On Nov. 21, participating students gathered at the Orange Show headquarters for an afternoon workshop in which they worked with Bread and Puppet to learn their roles and help manipulate the puppets that would be used in the performance.

The Bread and Puppet Theater was founded in 1963 in New York City before moving to Vermont in 1974. The group’s dynamic shows feature massive puppets and elaborate costumes, and every event ends with the audience sharing in traditional sourdough rye bread baked by the puppeteers themselves.

“Our students got to actually work with them, be in this show and have this kind of hands-on, lived experience,” said Natasha Bowdoin, Rice associate professor of painting and drawing in the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts who co-organized the event with Orange Show curator of programs Pete Gershon.

Esther Fernández, associate professor and program advisor in Spanish and Portuguese in the Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures, was excited to participate in the event along with her students.

“I am teaching a class on Spanish theater on social justice and outreach, and when Natasha mentioned this opportunity, I read the email three times because I could not believe it,” Fernández said, who was thrilled that the workshop and performance “encouraged students to get more involved in experiencing first-hand what the Houston art community can offer."

Study break with therapy dogs at Rice University

Rice University 2022-12-08 | It's time to 'paws' for some pet therapy! At Fondren Library students took a well-deserved break to pet all the cute dogs from Paws for Therapy.

#riceuniversity #dogs #college

Highlights from the 2022 December Convocation

Rice University 2022-12-07 | With Rice’s growth in enrollment, increasing numbers of graduate and undergraduate students are finishing their degrees at different times during the year. For August and December graduates, who are unable or do not wish to return for the May convocation ceremony, Rice will now hold a single, combined December convocation ceremony for all students eligible to walk across the stage.

#riceuniversity #college #graduation

Rice University: December 2022 Convocation Ceremony

Rice University 2022-12-06 | https://ceremony.rice.edu/

Convocation Ceremony
December 6, 2022

10 am CT in Tudor Fieldhouse

Please check back often for new updates.

With Rice’s growth in enrollment, increasing numbers of graduate and undergraduate students are finishing their degrees at different times during the year. For August and December graduates, who are unable or do not wish to return for the May convocation ceremony, Rice will now hold a single, combined December convocation ceremony for all students eligible to walk across the stage.

Rice lab’s catalyst could be key for hydrogen economy

Rice University 2022-11-26 | Rice University researchers have engineered a key light-activated nanomaterial for the hydrogen economy. Using only inexpensive raw materials, a team from Rice’s Laboratory for Nanophotonics, Syzygy Plasmonics Inc. and Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment created a scalable catalyst that needs only the power of light to convert ammonia into clean-burning hydrogen fuel.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/rice-labs-catalyst-could-be-key-hydrogen-economy

New Art / New Music at the Moody Center for the Arts with Shepherd School of Music Students

Rice University 2022-11-21 | 0:10
Titled - Paul Mortilla (b. 1995)
Paul Mortilla, voice, bass viol, and electronics

9:04
Sonata For Solo Violin - Daniel Cho (b. 2001)
III. Reflections
Daniel Cho, violin

13:55
Display 2 - Tian Qin (b. 2000)
Tian Qin, harmonica
Paul Mortilla, cardboard box

22:55
Aurora - Alex Moreno (b. 2001)
Hannah Tassler, flute

28:52
aerial silk roads - Sam Wu (b.1995)
i. contrails
ii. deserts
iii. mountains
iv. night
Nathan Hsu, cello

38:17
Vertical Sprawl - Jaylin Vinson (b. 2002)
Dillon Akerman, Sam Rachleff, marimbas

Grad student life at Rice: Njideka Syndi Nnorom mixes research with a purpose

Rice University 2022-11-17 | Njideka Nnorom (Syndi) is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering program at Rice University. Syndi began research in water purification as an undergraduate. “I knew that was what I wanted to do, given the fact that access to water is just something that people from developing regions don’t necessarily have.”

Her passion for this field led her to graduate school via Rice University’s Center for Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), an interdisciplinary nanosystems engineering research center. Syndi said joining Rice allowed her to be part of the forefront of the research and apply her work by creating methods to remove toxic contaminants from water.

Syndi is the president of the Black Graduate Student Association, which focuses on the academic development and social acclimation of Black graduate students at Rice. “It’s something I always searched for growing up, having that person who understood what it’s like to be Black in school. Being involved in BGSA, I’m able to do that more holistically for other students who may want the community aspect.”

Rice Student Sings in Upcoming Malayalam Film

Rice University 2022-11-15 | At Rice University, Ahi Ajayan ’26 goes quietly about her business as a student at the Wiess
School of Natural Sciences.

But on the other side of the world, she’s a hit. The freshman sings a featured song, “Kannilu Kannilu,” in a new Indian comedy, “Ayisha.” She’s the voice behind a breezy dance number that was released to YouTube weeks before the film itself. To date, the video has more than 3.5 million views.

“My mom said that I was singing all the time as a child,” said Ajayan, the daughter of Pulickel
Ajayan, a professor and chair of Rice’s Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering,
and Poornima Ajayan, a finance and data specialist at the George R. Brown School of
Engineering. “I used to hum, and every time I was doing activities, I would sing. On my third
birthday, my mom put me in classical Indian music lessons.”

Ajayan entered Rice as a student of cognitive studies, but hopes to find a connection between
music and the brain. “I think it would be interesting to see if I could somehow create a bridge between music and neuroscience and see what the effects are of music on our brains, our development and our cognitive abilities. There's a lot of scope for discovery with cognitive science,” she said. One thing remains constant – music will always be a part of Ajayan’s life.
“Music has become one of the biggest parts of my life,” she said. “In the studio, I recognized
this is what I want to do with my life. I’ve never felt this special about anything else in my life
than in that moment. Being able to interact with audiences and see how they respond to my
music made me love it and become more passionate about it. I would love to pursue music
fulltime, pursue more collaborations and record more songs.”

Learn More: https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/rice-university-student-ahi-ajayan-performs-main-track-upcoming-film-ayisha

Owls give back by writing handwritten thank you notes to donors

Rice University 2022-11-15 | Rice Owls Give Back (ROGB) is an annual campaign hosted by the Student Philanthropy Council during which the student community signs thank you notes to the Rice donors who generously support scholarships and the student experience. This year, more than 400 students signed thank you notes to donors and shared how their gifts have made an impact on campus.

Veterans Day at Rice University 2022

Rice University 2022-11-11 | The 20th annual Veterans Day Ceremony honors and remembers the men and women who have served in the United States military, including the veterans among our faculty, staff, and students.

This year’s honoree is Sherrie Kingston from the Wiess School of Natural Sciences. The ceremony features remarks by Nick Sammons, a pilot for United Airlines and with the Texas Air National Guard out of Ellington Field, Kenneth Jackson, an MBA student at the Jones Graduate School of Business, and Naval ROTC midshipman Joseph Paci.

Modeling moving cars and tires

Rice University 2022-11-11 | Mechanical engineers at Rice University and Waseda University in Tokyo have dramatically advanced their computational fluid dynamics models of airflow around a moving car and its tires. Now, their simulations connect what air does when it passes around the front tire and how that affects the flow around the rear tire, significantly increasing the simulations’ accuracy. Read more at https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/engineers-go-further-flow-model-moving-cars-and-tires.

“Building Ecologies” at Post Houston demonstrates a “circular” strategy to incorporate green systems

Rice University 2022-11-11 | A Rice University architect, an engineer and a musician are bringing work that debuted on the other side of the world much closer to home at Post Houston. The trio — in order, Juan José Castellón, Qilin Li and Kurt Stallmann — have completed the prototype of their cool oasis, “Building Ecologies,” an installation at the former downtown Houston post office that itself was only recently reconfigured as a commercial, art and entertainment space. Read about the project here: https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/cool-respite-conscience

Hispanic alumni celebrate 50 years of tradition at Rice University

Rice University 2022-11-09 | The Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice (HACER) is commemorating its 50th anniversary with a gala at the River Oaks Country Club Nov. 5.

Raíces A Ramas: Cincuenta Años Gala will celebrate Latino culture on campus while raising money to boost Latin American programs and events. A VIP reception starts at 6:30 p.m. and dinner follows at 7 p.m.

The evening will highlight University Professor Richard Tapia — a founding member of the Rice Association of Mexican American Students, which later became HACER — and his lasting legacy. Tapia is the Maxfield-Oshman Chair in Engineering, professor of computational applied mathematics and operations research and director of the Tapia Center for Excellence and Equity.

Oscar-nominated composer and Shepherd School alumna Germaine Franco ’84 will serve as the keynote speaker. Franco plans to speak about developing a craft, relying on the community for support and opening doors for others.

“Rice reflects Houston’s and the country’s population,” said Medina, director of multicultural community relations in Rice’s Office of Public Affairs and an honorary co-chair for the gala. “This is very important to the university because hosting a wealth of diversity brings in several points of views. The culture, the language, the arts, the music … it all exposes students to various cultures.”

Other honorary co-chairs for the gala are Sofia Androgué ’88 and SOLAR president and chair Fernanda Pierre ’14.

Adrogué said she’s honored to join in a “toast to our Rice community by embracing diversity and tolerance in recognition of our responsibility to level life’s playing field and serve as creators not only of knowledge, but also of opportunity and equality.”

RAMAS, founded by Tapia and more than a dozen other members in 1972, evolved to become the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enhancement at Rice. It served as the genesis for the five other Rice Latinx and Hispanic student organizations that exist today: The Latin American Graduate Student Association, the university’s chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Latin Business Student Association, Mariachi Luna Llena, and Rice Salseros.

Proceeds from the gala will help create an endowment for HACER, which will use the funds for sponsoring events and outreach programs.

“HACER has been important in cultivating a sense of belonging for Latinx and Hispanic students, especially for our first-generation college students who are more at risk for feelings of isolation,” Pierre said. “Furthermore, HACER's programming helps strengthen the cultural competency of everyone in the larger Rice community.”

SOLAR, a Hispanic alumni group associated with Rice, will present the fundraiser.

“Hispanics are about 20% of the population at Rice now, and that's historic for Rice,” Medina said. “We're all part of the mosaic to create this great, diverse university.”

To learn more about the event, visit alumni.rice.edu/raices-ramas#Gala.

Halloween 2022 at the Rice Student Center

Rice University 2022-11-08 | This Halloween, the Rice Memorial Center (RMC) transformed into a smorgasbord of board game-themed displays.

Each office housed in the RMC created an interactive experience based on the classic board game of their choice. The Center for Civic Leadership created a Ticket to Ride themed trail with a 1970s twist through their second-floor space, while the Student Center administration team decked out the Grand Hall with Candyland flair, featuring a photobooth and plenty of sweet treats.

Rice sport management major celebrates World Series win as a Houston Astros employee

Rice University 2022-11-07 | Thomas Avalos, a Lovett College senior majoring in sport management at Rice University, is all smiles while working during the World Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Avalos is a ticket experience ambassador for the team. The Astros won the World Series in six games over the Philadelphia Phillies.
#sportmanagement #riceuniversity #houstonastros

2022 Owl Together Highlights

Rice University 2022-11-03 | Owl Together connected thousands of members of the Rice community for a celebration that combined Homecoming & Reunion and Families Weekend. Alumni, families, students and friends shared special memories during this one-of-a-kind campus experience.

See more photos flickr.com/photos/ricealumni/albums/72177720303351028

https://alumni.rice.edu/owl-together

#riceuniversity #college

Rice University Theatre presents Jane Austens Pride & Prejudice

Rice University 2022-11-02 | Set in Regency England during the last years of the Napoleonic wars, “Pride and Prejudice” follows the engaging war of words and wit between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy as they dance around one another both literally and metaphorically.

While the show has at times been seen as merely a tale of romance, this modern version — with just eight actors playing its many roles — is a satire of social class and manners, which Hamill brings to the fore in a show that is as relevant today as it was in Austen’s time.

The production was directed by Christina Keefe and Skye Bronfenbrenner, with Brofenbrenner also serving as choreographer and intimacy director. Keefe, director of the Rice Theatre Program and professor in the practice in theatre, most recently directed “The Importance of Being Earnest,” for which she was nominated for best director by BroadwayWorld Houston. Bronfenbrenner is a fight director and actor who has worked with Houston institutions such as Rec Room Arts and Catastrophic Theatre, as well as the theater and opera programs at both the University of Houston, School of Theatre & Dance and Rice.

Mark Krouskop, senior lecturer and production manager for the Rice Theatre Program, was the set designer. His most recent design for Rice Theatre was the middle school gym for its production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

The costumes are designed by Paige Willson, professor of costume design and technology at the University of Houston’s School of Theatre and Dance. Her previous design credits include the Houston Shakespeare Festival, Stages and Main Street Theater.

Bacterial sensors send a jolt of electricity when triggered

Rice University 2022-11-02 | When you hit your finger with a hammer, you feel the pain immediately. And you react immediately.

But what if the pain comes 20 minutes after the hit? By then, the injury might be harder to heal.

Scientists and engineers at Rice University say the same is true for the environment. If a chemical spill in a river goes unnoticed for 20 minutes, it might be too late to remediate.

Their living bioelectronic sensors can help. A team led by Rice synthetic biologists Caroline Ajo-Franklin and Jonathan (Joff) Silberg and lead authors Josh Atkinson and Lin Su, both Rice alumni, have engineered bacteria to quickly sense and report on the presence of a variety of contaminants.

Their study in Nature shows the cells can be programmed to identify chemical invaders and report within minutes by releasing a detectable electrical current.

Such “smart” devices could power themselves by scavenging energy in the environment as they monitor conditions in settings like rivers, farms, industry and wastewater treatment plants and to ensure water security, according to the researchers.

The environmental information communicated by these self-replicating bacteria can be customized by replacing a single protein in the eight-component, synthetic electron transport chain that gives rise to the sensor signal.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/bacterial-sensors-send-jolt-electricity-when-triggered

Remembering Larry Rachleff, beloved conductor of Rice’s symphony and chamber orchestras

Rice University 2022-10-31 | Larry Rachleff, the longtime conductor of the Rice Shepherd School of Music symphony and chamber orchestras who was renowned throughout the classical music world for his deep musical understanding, powerful interpretation of scores and rapport with performance ensembles, died Aug. 8 after a long battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 67.

“Those of us lucky enough to have followed his baton from the stage will remember Larry as a once-in-a-generation musician and educator of the highest caliber,” said Matthew Loden, the Lynette S. Autrey Dean of Music at the Shepherd School. “On the podium, he was a clear and inspired conductor who routinely expected his ensembles to collectively outperform individual talent and ability. Teamwork, disciplined listening and joint responsibility for bringing the best possible music to an audience are just a few of the legacies of excellence that Larry leaves behind.”

A ubiquitous presence at the Shepherd School for three decades, Rachleff, the Walter Kris Hubert Professor of Orchestral Conducting, had an immeasurable impact on the lives and careers of countless musicians. At Rice since 1991, Rachleff was revered as a dynamic, exacting maestro who expected – and elicited – the very best performance standards from his students and helped bring the Shepherd School to world-class standing.

“Larry’s musical genius was obvious to anyone that saw him conduct or met him off the podium,” said Grammy Award-winning conductor Cristi Macelaru, a former student of Rachleff who received master’s degrees from the Shepherd School in 2006 and 2008 and is currently music director of the Orchestre National de France in Paris. “He was passionate, funny, knowledgeable, sensitive, caring and supportive, but most of all he had a unique gift of bringing people together and making them feel valued and appreciated. He had the ability to build an atmosphere for success where everyone was able to contribute their personal best. The impact of his passionate mentoring continues to be an inspiration for all those choosing to leave behind a better world.”

Rachleff is also remembered by faculty and staff as an elegant and gracious colleague who was not only an exceptionally encouraging teacher but also a steadfastly supportive mentor to his peers.

“Larry was unique, unlike any colleague I’ve ever known,” said longtime colleague Leone Buyse, professor of flute at the Shepherd School “His influence on students and fellow professionals alike was enormous, life-changing and utterly incalculable. He was a superb musician, an extraordinary conductor and an educator who cared deeply for all of the young talents whom he mentored at the Shepherd School, at top music festivals across the country and in masterclasses abroad. For all of us at the Shepherd School this loss is indescribable, but we’re comforted to know that his spirit will always remain with us and his legacy will live on through generations.”

Described by the Chicago Tribune as a “take-charge maestro who invests in everything he conducts with deep musical understanding,” Rachleff was in high demand as a guest conductor throughout his career. He was also a passionate advocate for contemporary music who collaborated with leading composers including Samuel Adler, the late Luciano Berio, George Crumb, Michael Daugherty and John Harbison.

A devoted educator, Rachleff was dedicated to the many students who crossed his path, whether at the Shepherd School or through other engagements. Rachleff was a familiar face at a number of prestigious music festivals, including Tanglewood, Aspen, Interlochen, Chautauqua, Grand Teton, Brevard, Music Academy of the West and the Opera Theatre of Lucca, Italy. He was also highly sought-after as a masterclass instructor around the world, offering insight to pupils at the Chopin Academy in Warsaw; the Zurich Hochschule; conservatories in Sydney and Queensland, Australia; the Juilliard School; the New England Conservatory; and Royal Northern College in the U.K. An enthusiastic advocate of public school music education, Rachleff conducted all-state orchestras and festivals in virtually every state in the U.S. and throughout Europe and Canada.

For more https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/remembering-larry-rachleff-beloved-conductor-rices-symphony-and-chamber-orchestras

Grad student life at Rice with Rosa Selenia Guerra Resendez

Rice University 2022-10-27 | Rosa Selenia Guerra Resendez is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology program. A Fulbrighter from Monterrey, Mexico, Guerra Resendez found Rice’s welcoming community a significant factor in deciding where to attend graduate school. “When I met with several of the faculty at Rice, they were super approachable,” she said. "It made me feel like, oh, maybe this is a good place to spend the next five years of my life." Another key component of her decision was Rice’s support of entrepreneurship through the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “LILIE has guided me through what feels like a crash course MBA on commercialization of our lab's research,” she said. Guerra Resendez’s work in Dr. Isaac Hilton’s lab focuses on CRISPR Cas-9 based technology, and has applications in therapeutics that can prevent, treat or cure different diseases. “I didn’t want my research to stay in the lab, I wanted to try and bridge that gap and get it sooner to the patient,” she said.

Drone show lights up President DesRoches inauguration weekend

Rice University 2022-10-25 | The three-day hurrah to inaugurate Rice University’s eighth president, Reginald DesRoches, continued with a light and sound celebration at the academic quadrangle Oct. 20. The 15-minute aerial display used LED-equipped drones to create images like the Rice owl, music notes on a staff, athletes and the president’s name. The audio accompaniment included a recording of the Marching Owl Band performing "For Rice’s Honor" and Steve Reich’s Music for Ensemble and Orchestra.
The drone show was performed by @Verge Aero

#drone #riceuniversity #droneshow

Shepherd School of Opera presents Street Scene

Rice University 2022-10-25 | The year is 1946, and it’s an unbearably hot day on the east side of Manhattan. Drama abounds, from neighborhood gossip to romantic affairs to daily squabbles. Welcome to “Street Scene,” the fall opera production from the Rice University Shepherd School opera program, set for Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. in Brockman Hall for Opera’s Morrison Theater.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1929 play of the same name by Elmer Rice, the performance examines the complicated daily lives of the people living in an apartment building and the surrounding neighborhood. The production navigates their wide-ranging emotions, from the sense of despair that hovers over their interactions to their hopes, dreams and joyful moments.

Blending the best elements of traditional European opera and American musical theater with blues and jazz musical influences, this “American opera” includes music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Langston Hughes and the book by Rice. The groundbreaking work received the inaugural Tony Award for best original score in 1947.

And while the production premiered on Broadway 75 years ago this year, the show’s themes of love, loss, betrayal and the human condition still resonate today.

“The same topics, the same storylines that we encounter with our neighbors, in our communities and on the news, they’re all in this opera,” said Pat Diamond, stage director for the production.

Diamond said the combination of the talents of Weill, Rice and Hughes created something unique in the opera world.

“It’s really quite a beautiful opera,” he said.

Tickets are $50 for preferred seating (including one drink ticket), $25 for general admission and $10 for Rice faculty, staff and students. Shepherd School faculty, staff and students receive one free ticket per person. To purchase tickets, visit https://music.rice.edu/departments-and-ensembles/opera/2022-2023-opera-season

#opera #music #riceuniversity

Pioneers of Innovation: A Fireside Chat

Rice University 2022-10-24 | The ECE alumni, Walter Loewenstern and Robert Maxfield, who built a Fortune 500 Company and the engine of Silicon Valley, the ROLM Corporation, came back to visit campus on Oct. 19, 2022 for a fireside chat.

The Inauguration of President DesRoches

Rice University 2022-10-24 | Rice University celebrated the inauguration of its eighth president, Reginald DesRoches, with a series of events and traditions that involved the entire Rice community, members of the Houston community and beyond. The inauguration was a historical moment for Rice in that President DesRoches is the university's first black president, first immigrant president and first president who is an engineer.

A tribute to President Reginald DesRoches

Rice University 2022-10-23 | Some of Reginald DesRoches' closest friends, family members and colleagues reflect on President DesRoches and the people and values that have shaped him into the person he is today - a devoted father, thoughtful husband, supportive colleague and exceptionally kind and caring leader who
never stops putting others before him.

Rice University: The Inauguration Of Rices Eighth President

Rice University 2022-10-22 | https://inauguration.rice.edu/

Rice University is pleased to celebrate the inauguration of its eighth president, Reginald DesRoches.

Investiture is defined as a ceremony in which someone is given an official rank, authority or power. An investiture is one of the oldest traditions in academia; a milestone that celebrates a new era for the university while honoring its history.

Though President DesRoches assumed his role July 1, 2022, the Rice community, alongside members of the international academic community and citizens of the city of Houston, will join together to celebrate the official transfer of leadership.

Rice’s Kiese Laymon awarded ‘genius grant’ MacArthur Fellowship

Rice University 2022-10-13 | Rice University English professor and acclaimed author Kiese Laymon has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, the prestigious honor popularly known as the “genius grant.”

A Black Southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi, Laymon’s work bears witness to the forms of violence that mark the Black experience. His writing across multiple forms — including essays, memoirs and fiction — is rooted in his perspective as a Black Southern man.

“I'm not big into awards and recognition, but this one feels special,” Laymon said of the fellowship. “Revision and Mississippi did this. I'm just thankful. Some really incredible people thought my work was OK. That's a big deal to me.”

#macarthur #writer #riceuniversity

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/rices-kiese-laymon-awarded-genius-grant-macarthur-fellowship

2022 STaRT at Rice University

Rice University 2022-10-12 | STaRT@Rice is an innovative program that will provide a panoramic view of the research process and offer professionalization opportunities. It will increase expertise via exposure in applied workshops. Participants will learn how to ask better questions about the research process and develop important professional skills. Workshops will cover a broad range of content, moving from introductory to intermediate to advanced. Thus, participants can choose workshops matching their skill sets and background. For example, a sixth year graduate student analyzing their dissertation data can attend workshops covering in-depth interviewing and automated text analysis, while interacting with others on campus (including Rice University faculty) with expertise using those methods. As another example, a senior undergraduate planning to attend graduate school or a first year graduate student might select workshops including only introductory methodological content such as linear models and professionalization topics including effective research presentations.

#socialscience #graduateschool #riceuniversity

For more: start.rice.edu

Business major serves the community as pipe organ player at Houston-area church

Rice University 2022-10-10 | It’s a long drive, but a business major at Rice doesn’t mind hitting the road every week to play the organ at a church in The Woodlands.

Bruce Xu ’24 came to Rice to study in the Shepherd School of Music but he’s since switched to the new undergraduate business major from the Jones Graduate School of Business. Performing at The Woodlands Community Presbyterian Church helps him not only maintain his musical talent, but also play his part in the Greater Houston community.

“Everybody knows that Rice students — the organists — are top-notch, and so that’s usually the first place I go when I’m looking for someone to fill in,” said Jonathan Aigner, director of music at the church, who chose Xu from a group of musicians who auditioned.

“I was expecting a really good freshman organist, and what I heard was a very capable, sensitive musician that plays way beyond his years,” he said.

Xu said playing at the church “allows him to get out of the hedges on a regular basis.”

“It’s been a pleasure getting to know some of the members here,” Xu said. “I feel like this church really prides itself in its community outreach efforts. Certainly, I think it has a great effect on me and makes me improve my character as well, and my levels of empathy and altruism.”

Pipe organ players are a dying breed as more churches move to ensembles, said Pastor David Jones.

“That’s a gift,” he said. “And I hope we hold onto it as long as possible.”

KTRU Musical Performance: Senior Katherine Wu plays the Chinese guzheng

Rice University 2022-10-04 | Katherine Wu '23 played the guzheng, also known as the Chinese table-harp, during a live session broadcasted on KTRU 96.1 fm and streamed live at ktru.org.

#guzhengmusic #college #music

Soft robotics controlled by programmable soft valves for digital and analog control

Rice University 2022-09-28 | In a study published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, robotics researchers, engineers and materials scientists from Rice University and Harvard University showed it is possible to make programmable, nonelectronic circuits that control the actions of soft robots by processing information encoded in bursts of compressed air. What began as an undergraduate summer research project turned into a monthslong collaboration to demonstrate that simple air-driven logic gates constructed primarily from everyday materials like plastic drinking straws and rubber bands could be combined and configured in system architectures that incorporate both digital and analog controls for soft robots.
https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/fluidic-circuits-add-analog-options-controlling-soft-robots
#engineering #riceuniversity #robot

Author and professor Kiese Laymon is welcomed to Rice

Rice University 2022-09-26 | Kiese Laymon, the renowned Black Southern writer and the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of Creative Writing and English in the School of Humanities, introduced himself to the Rice community at large during a lively reading and welcome reception Sept. 8.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/english-professor-laymon-converses-rapt-crowd-reading-welcome-reception
#author #creativewriting #riceuniversity

Rice-led project could make perovskite solar cells ready for prime time

Rice University 2022-09-22 | Rice University engineers say they’ve solved a long-standing conundrum in making stable, efficient solar panels out of halide perovskites.

It took finding the right solvent design to apply a 2D top layer of desired composition and thickness without destroying the 3D bottom one (or vice versa). Such a cell would turn more sunlight into electricity than either layer on its own, with better stability.

#solar #engineering #riceuniversity

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/solvent-study-solves-solar-cell-durability-puzzle

Rice lab grows macroscale, modular materials from bacteria

Rice University 2022-09-21 | Engineered living materials promise to aid efforts in human health, energy and environmental remediation. Now they can be built big and customized with less effort.

Bioscientists at Rice University have introduced centimeter-scale, slime-like colonies of engineered bacteria that self-assemble from the bottom up. It can be programmed to soak up contaminants from the environment or to catalyze biological reactions, among many possible applications.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/rice-lab-grows-macroscale-modular-materials-bacteria

nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33191-2
#bioscience #naturalscience #research

Six trailblazing Owls honored at the First Black Student-Athletes Celebration

Rice University 2022-09-20 | To mark the 50th anniversary of a pair of momentous occasions in Rice history, six trailblazing Owls were honored at the First Black Student-Athletes Celebration Sept. 16 at the Ion.

The event recognized four members of Rice’s matriculating Class of 1972 — football players Rodrigo Barnes '73, Mike Tyler '72 and Stahlé Vincent '72 and basketball player LeRoy Marion '72, who were the first Black men to play for the Owls — as well as volleyball and basketball player Denise Bostick '80 and track and field athlete Leila Freeman '79, the first Black women to perform for Rice following the implementation of Title IX in 1972.

The six student athletes were also recognized the next day during the Rice football game, which featured the current Owls wearing helmets paying tribute to the 1971 team.

Click here to read more about the honorees and their experiences and impact at Rice.

#riceuniversity #history #athletics

Research Relays showcase collaborative research between social sciences and engineering

Rice University 2022-09-19 | On Sept. 15, Rice’s School of Social Sciences hosted the semester’s first “Research Relay,” providing an informal setting to allow faculty to learn about each other’s research, promote informal discussions and stimulate collaborations. This month, the school joined with the George R. Brown School of Engineering to feature new collaborative research between the two.

#research #riceuniversity #faculty

Rice breaks ground for Cannady Hall

Rice University 2022-09-16 | Rice University broke ground this week for William T. Cannady Hall, a 22,000-square-foot building that will serve the renowned Rice School of Architecture.
The project was announced in 2019 shortly after lead donor Cannady retired following 55 years of teaching at Rice, and promptly unretired to become an adjunct professor at Rice’s Jones School to teach the business of architecture. (Rice News profiled Cannady and his first half-century in 2014.)
“I am pragmatic and I believe steps can be taken to achieve your life’s vision,” said Cannady, a professor emeritus of architecture, to an overflowing crowd in the Rice Architecture courtyard on Sept. 15. “I’ve tried to build my life based on workable activities in architecture, construction and teaching the fundamentals of designing and building in the real world. I'm blessed to have loved my career.”
“He is one of the most recognized figures on campus and one of the most beloved figures amongst our alumni,” said Rice President Reginald DesRoches of Cannady, noting the new facility will help Rice Architecture maintain its status “as one of the jewels of Rice and one of the truly premier architectural programs not just in the West, but around the world.”
Sited across a courtyard and connected by an aerial walkway to Rice Architecture’s longtime home, Anderson Hall, the new structure is designed by Jeannette Kuo of Swiss architecture firm Karamuk Kuo. It will house a two-story gallery, flexible teaching space, research and fabrication space and faculty offices, and is expected to open in Fall, 2023. The Linbeck Group is the general contractor.

#architecture #riceuniversity #construction

Space selfie draws hundreds to Rice Stadium in honor of JFKs moon speech anniversary

Rice University 2022-09-13 | The space selfie – a Spelfie, as it’s called – drew hundreds to Rice Stadium on the first day of the university’s celebration of President John F. Kennedy’s famous moon speech 60 years ago. Those willing to pose had their own reasons: Some were at the stadium six decades ago, others were reuniting with friends from the Rice space research community, and many were there just for the fun of taking part in something unique.

Rice video producer Brandon Martin captured the vibe and shows what the satellite, an Airbus Pléiades, saw from on high.

#satellite #riceuniversity #space

Rice, NASA celebrate anniversary of JFK’s historic moon speech

Rice University 2022-09-12 | One after another, speakers at the 60th anniversary celebration of John F. Kennedy’s “moon” speech at Rice Stadium quoted the president’s famous line:

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

And NASA administrator and former astronaut Bill Nelson made the point stick.

For more https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/jfk-we-will-go-moon-nasa-we-will-go-farther

#nasa #jfk #riceuniversity

Odili Donald Odita Mural Debuts at Shepherd School Through Moody Partnership

Rice University 2022-09-08 | Combining aspects of Western abstract painting with elements from traditional African cultures, Odili Donald Odita’s compositions speak to the ways in which color, form and scale can convey the culturally complex heritage of the United States. Working from a stance of civic engagement, Odita’s large-scale installations heighten our awareness of physical space, while drawing attention to our relationship to the broader world.

Inspired by music and the adjacent James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace, this site-specific wall painting activates the lounge and central hallway of the Shepherd School of Music with its vibrant colors and geometric forms. Created specifically for Alice Pratt Brown Hall, the work responds to the architecture on campus, as well as the building’s focus on teaching and performing music. The title Meeting Place / Painting with Changing Parts references both the Turrell Skyspace with its origins in Quaker meeting houses, and the 1971 album by American composer Philip Glass, Music with Changing Parts. Here, the experimentation and innovation within structural, often repetitive compositions, similar to those by Glass, combines with the physical experience of being immersed in fields of color to create a space for gathering, conversation, and inspiration.

About the Artist: Odili Donald Odita (b. 1966, Enugu, Nigeria) earned his BA with distinction from Ohio State University, OH, in 1988 and his MA in Fine Arts from Bennington College, VT, in 1990. He has been the subject of solo exhibitions and site-specific commissions at various institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art (2021); the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (2020); the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (2019); the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham (2015); and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (2010), among others. Odita’s work is held in the permanent collections of numerous museums, including the Baltimore Museum of Art; the Pérez Art Museum, Miami; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York. Odita lives and works in Philadelphia where he is a Professor of Painting at Tyler School of Art, Temple University

Can fungi help Texas’ grasses cope with climate change?

Rice University 2022-09-06 | Rice University biologist Tom Miller’s research group studies range limits, invisible biological dividing lines between where species can survive and where they can’t. In a world of changing climate, those lines are moving, and Miller and his students are using Texas as a “living laboratory” to better understand those changes. Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, they’re conducting a first-of-its-kind study at eight sites along a 580-mile stretch of I-10 from Lafayette, Louisiana, to Sonora, Texas. The goal is to find out whether a strange, ancient marriage between native Texas grasses and their hidden fungal partners could position the plants to better withstand droughts that are expected to be more frequent and severe due to climate change.

#nsf #biology #climatechange

Creating wearable textiles that respond to users needs

Rice University 2022-08-30 | For all the talk about embedding computers in clothing, here’s an interesting option. Make the clothing the computer, and do it without electricity.

Mechanical engineers at Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering are trying the concept on for size with a set of textile-based pneumatic computers capable of digital logic, onboard memory and user interaction.

The lab’s “fluidic digital logic” takes advantage of how air flows through a series of “kinked” channels to form bits, the 1s and 0s in computer memories.

The idea is to have such textile-based logic gates support pneumatic actuators, potentially in conjunction with an energy harvesting system developed by the Preston lab, to help people with functional limitations with their day-to-day tasks.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/wearables-take-logical-step-toward-onboard-control

New Rice Owls get taste of Houston and service-learning through Civic Immersion program

Rice University 2022-08-29 | A few weeks prior to Rice’s weeklong new student orientation, dozens of incoming Owls took time out of their summers to immerse themselves in the city of Houston and the social justice issues local advocates are striving to address through the Civic Immersion program, one of the flagships of the university’s Center for Civic Leadership (CCL).

Civic Immersion is a service-learning opportunity for incoming students to engage in the Greater Houston community while forming close bonds with their fellow Owls before they officially start their academic journeys at Rice. All incoming students were invited to apply to the program, and no previous experience with civic engagement was required.

#riceuniversity #college #civicengagement

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/new-rice-owls-get-taste-houston-and-service-learning-through-civic-immersion-program

President DesRoches visits KTRU

Rice University 2022-08-26 | KTRU Houston is Rice University’s student-run radio station. KTRU currently broadcasts on 96.1fm (low-power) and streaming online at ktru.org

Walking feeds pressure to pneumatic robots that could help those with disabilities

Rice University 2022-08-25 | Everybody could use a third arm sometimes, but for some it would be particularly helpful.

Mechanical engineers at Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering have built a handy extra limb able to grasp objects and go, powered only by compressed air. It’s one of several ideas they’ve implemented with a textile-based energy harvesting system.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/powering-arm-air-could-be-mighty-handy

O-Week 2022 at Rice University

Rice University 2022-08-22 | #riceuniversity #college #university

Rice O-Week 2022 wrapped up on a hot August Saturday after seven straight days of academic advising, introductions to all things Rice and more than a little fun along the way.

It was the first weeklong new student orientation at Rice since 2019 to take place entirely in person, without quickly pivoting online or cancelling events over COVID-19 concerns.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/after-joyful-o-week-2022-student-and-staff-leaders-reflect-another-rousing-orientation

Cancer fighting drug factories show promise in fighting mesothelioma

Rice University 2022-08-22 | Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine researchers have shown they can eradicate advanced-stage mesothelioma tumors in mice in just a few days with a treatment combining Rice’s cytokine “drug factory” implants and a checkpoint inhibitor drug.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/drug-factory-implants-eliminate-mesothelioma-tumors-mice

#cancer #research #mesotheolima