The spring 2024 issue of Rice Engineering Magazine is here!
At Rice Engineering, we are driven by a passion for innovation and a commitment to responsible engineering practices. It’s with great excitement that we unveil the new design of Rice Engineering magazine, which underscores our dedication to excellence in research, education, and service. The 2023-24 issue is full of news about how Rice Engineering is solving for greater good.
Looking Back
In 1929, Anna Rebecca Turner (pictured here, on the right) became the first woman to graduate from Rice Engineering. She defied female dress codes daily, wearing coveralls so that she could work safely in the labs. Her pioneering spirit also led her to become the first female engineering graduate in Texas. Close behind her was Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau, who graduated from Rice with a chemical engineering degree in 1932. She went on to study at MIT and, in 1937, became the first woman to earn a doctorate in chemical engineering in the United States. She left her mark on the engineering world by designing the first commercial penicillin production plant.
Looking Forward
Fast forward to 2024 and women’s presence in the Rice Engineering community is notable among leadership, students and alumni. In 2023, more than 150 undergraduate female students received their diplomas, representing 38% of the graduating class.
In Turner’s time, no women graduated from Rice with an advanced degree in engineering. Today, women make up nearly 32% of engineering students graduating with a master’s or doctoral degree.