The 2026 issue of Rice Engineering and Computing Magazine is here!
This issue explores the ideas, people and partnerships shaping what comes next. Inspired by the momentum behind Vision 2030 — our school’s new strategic plan — this year’s stories highlight how our community is taking on big challenges in health and well-being, sustainability and resilience, and computing and AI. Inside, you’ll find a closer look at the research, collaborations and bold thinking driving Rice Engineering and Computing forward.
Looking Back / Looking Forward
Looking Back
Houston Becomes Space City
Rice began collaborating with NASA in 1959, just months after the agency’s founding. At the urging of board chairman George R. Brown, Humble Oil donated more than 1,000 acres to Rice, which offered the land for a national space facility. In 1961, NASA selected Houston as the site of its Manned Spacecraft Center—now Johnson Space Center—just miles from campus. The decision anchored human spaceflight in Houston and positioned Rice engineers at the forefront of the space race.
Looking Forward
Rice Engineers Power the Next Era of Spaceflight
From research labs to rocket launches, Rice engineers are contributing to space exploration at every stage. For NASA’s Artemis II mission, where parachutes are critical to a safe landing, mechanical engineer Tayfun Tezduyar and his team led computational fluid-structure interaction (FSI) modeling to complement NASA’s drop tests—reducing costs and accelerating the design of the Orion spacecraft’s parachute system. A new Center for Space Technologies, supported by the Texas Space Commission, will explore how lunar soil can be used to create hand tools and vehicle parts, while student team Rice Eclipse earned top honors at the 2025 International Rocket Engineering Competition. Together, these efforts reflect the range of ways Rice engineers are contributing to the future of human spaceflight.