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NEWS 11/18/20 12:15am

Rice launches pilot campus-wide composting initiative

By Morike Ayodeji

After years of compost deliberations, Rice has partnered with a local composting company, Moonshot, and started the early phases of campus wide composting. The project kicked off last week as Moonshot collected waste on Wednesday and Thursday morning from West and North Serveries, generating 1,418 pounds of compost, according to Moonshot co-founder Joe Villa. H&D plans to expand composting to all serveries once students return in January.  

NEWS 11/17/20 11:57pm

Rice alumna blasts off on historic SpaceX flight

By Nicole Lhuillier

Shannon Walker, Baker College ‘87, MS ’92, Ph.D. ‘93 is one of the four astronauts on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon spacecraft launched on Sunday evening and arrived on Monday night at the ISS, where the crew will spend the next six months, according to NASA. This is Walker’s second space flight to the ISS.

NEWS 11/17/20 11:51pm

Rice Lab begins trials for new saliva-based COVID test

By Alizay Azeem

Rice students are currently taking part in a research study to evaluate a new SARS-CoV-2 test developed by the bioengineering department at Rice. Led by bioengineering professor  Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the research lab is recruiting test participants from the Rice student body and has already hosted testing sites within several residential colleges, including Wiess and Will Rice Colleges. According to Richards-Kortum, any student enrolled at Rice is eligible to participate in this study.  While 1,500 students have participated in the study so far, Richards-Kortum said the number of participants necessary to conduct the study will depend on the rate of positive samples the lab receives. 

NEWS 11/10/20 11:56pm

Rice physics professor appointed to Vatican science academy

By Nicole Lhuillier

Rice professor José Onuchic has been appointed by Pope Francis as one of the 80 members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences based in the Vatican. The scholars of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences advise the Catholic Church on scientific matters such as climate change and technology, according to Raymond Cook, chaplain and director of the Rice Catholic Student Center and Campus Ministry.

NEWS 11/4/20 12:14am

Award-winning architecture firm selected to design new student center

By Rynd Morgan

Adjaye Associates, an architecture firm with offices in Accra, Ghana, London and New York, will design Rice’s new student center, which is expected to be complete by fall 2023. The winner was selected by a committee of Rice administrators and faculty, with input from the Student Association and Graduate Student Association. 

NEWS 11/4/20 12:09am

Rice Program Council hosts homecoming week under COVID-19 guidelines

By Talha Arif

Rice Program Council is hosting Homecoming Week in person this week with three main events: a Rice Bubble event, which was held on Monday, Picnic Under the Stars on Wednesday and Esperanza on Saturday. Each event for Homecoming Week required a prior safety plan to be reviewed and approved by the Student Center and the Crisis Management Team, according to RPC President Samantha McClendon. 

NEWS 10/27/20 10:44pm

Prominent Rice Donor Charged in Multi-Billion Dollar Tax Fraud Case

By Keegan Leibrock and Skye Fredericks

Robert T. Brockman, the namesake behind two campus buildings and an overseer for the Jones Graduate School of Business, has been charged with hiding $2 billion in income in the largest tax evasion case in U.S. history, purchasing $30 million in luxury vacation properties along with a yacht. The news came in a press release on Oct. 15 from the U.S. Department of Justice, just one day before Brockman’s first official court hearing.

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