The 2025 issue of Rice Engineering and Computing Magazine is here!
In our 50th anniversary issue, we celebrate the deep and growing connection between engineering and computing. From our early breakthroughs in high-performance computing to today’s advances in AI and data science, Rice has long been at the forefront of computing innovation. This edition highlights some of the people, ideas, and investments shaping what’s next.
Looking Back/Looking Forward
Looking Back: The first Macintosh at Rice
In 1984, through its university consortium, Apple Computer Inc. unveiled the microcomputer called “The Macintosh” at Rice University. Suddenly, students had access to a new world of computing capabilities.
Unlike other computers used at Rice at the time, which were connected to the mainframe computer and required a punch card to program, the Macintosh was freestanding and featured a mouse with a cursor. It also had software packages that allowed variations in type size, symbols, and graphics as well as a built-in sound generator—all novel features at the time.
Looking Forward: Programming robots from the computer lab
Forty years later, Rice continues to be a pillar of future computing. Students have access to technology that puts them at the forefront of innovations in artificial intelligence, robotics, and hardware and software systems. Now, students can develop intelligent robotic agents to solve problems in clinical healthcare, manufacturing and more.