The White House announced a pause on all federal grants and loans Jan. 27. The freeze was slated to go into effect Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. EST — just minutes before the clock hit, a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze, effective until Feb. 3.
This year’s iteration of the Rice Marriage Pact opened Wednesday, Jan. 22 via email. Matches will be released later this week, according to Allison He, Marriage Pact coordinator. The questionnaire closed at 5 p.m. on Tuesday after a one-day extension due to a “lopsided” respondent pool that would leave 52 heterosexual men unmatched. According to He, 2217 students filled out the survey total.
The Student Association’s director of elections Natalie Wang announced the election timeline in a senate meeting this Monday. Campaigning begins on Feb. 12 and ends on Feb. 26, with the voting period open for a week afterwards. Election results will be announced March 6 around noon.
Winter Storm Enzo, which brought snow to Houston and halted operations at Rice Tuesday Jan. 21, may suggest similar weather events to come in the future. As a result of climate change, students can expect warmer Decembers and sudden frigid weather, Office of Sustainability executive director Richard Johnson said.
The School of Humanities announced Nicole Waligora-Davis as the new associate dean of humanities Jan. 21. Waligora-Davis will replace Natasha Bowdoin as one of the associate deans, with the other being Fay Yarbrough.
The Rice Recreation Center recently introduced Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry scans, which Anatolia Vick-Kregel, senior associate director of health and well-being at Rice, described as a cutting-edge method for body composition analysis. DEXA scans provide a detailed breakdown of muscle mass, body fat percentage and bone mineral density.
Classes and normal campus operations will halt on Tuesday, Jan. 21, due to a winter storm watch, Rice Emergency Management announced Jan. 19. Houston is forecasted to receive sleet, two to four inches of snow and possible freezing rain. The Rice Memorial Center, Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center and Fondren Library will be closed. Campus bus service will be suspended until roads are safe to travel.
Rice held a vigil to commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jan. 19. The vigil, held in Kraft Hall, included a reception, followed by a series of talks from Rice professors. The Rice Black Men’s Association and Multicultural Community Relations, within the university’s Office of Public Affairs, helped organize the event.
The Faculty Senate will vote on a possible AI major Feb. 5, proposed by Rice’s Committee on the Undergraduate Curriculum. The program has been in development within the computer science department since Spring 2024, and if approved, could be offered as soon as Fall 2025.
A Rice physics professor has proven the existence of particles that were long thought impossible. Kaden Hazzard and his former graduate student, Zhiyuan Wang, presented their findings in a Jan. 8 Nature publication.
Rice has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as one of 2024’s most engaged campuses. Harris County precinct data indicates a record number of 1,399 ballots were cast from students and employees living on campus.
Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced the magisters and one resident associate Jan. 4. for the upcoming College 12, set to open fall 2026. In the email, Gorman also announced the establishment of a college 12 website and founding committee.
Rice’s cancer research and sustainability goals are hypocritical to its use of a lobbying firm associated with fossil fuel interests, according to a recent report by environmental group F-Minus.
Housing and Dining unveiled a restructured dining schedule for the spring semester, introducing extended meal times and continuous weekday dining. Lunch and dinner times are staggered at different serveries — for example, Baker offers lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., while Seibel offers lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Under the new plan, at least one servery will be open at any given time between 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Rice accepted 13.2% of Early Decision applicants in its first round of admissions for the class of 2029, said Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment. With 2,970 total applicants, this year saw yet another record-high; a 3% increase from last year’s previous high of 2,886. An additional 100 students gained admission through the Questbridge National College Match program, an uptick from last year’s 77.
The proposed student ID swiping system will not be implemented at Will Rice College’s upcoming public party, Risky Business Saturday, Jan. 18. The proposal required swiping student IDs at scanners before entering publics to shorten attendee verification times and long lines.
Rice is joining the Scholars at Risk network as well as the Welcome Corps, planning to host threatened scholars and refugees seeking resettlement into the U.S.
The first Student Association meeting of the semester, held Jan. 13, introduced several action items for the upcoming semester, including increasing meal swipe donations and planning for the new student center set to replace the Rice Memorial Center. A report on the results of December’s special election regarding divestment and university spending was also on the agenda, however was tabled as student elections director Natalie Wang was unable to attend.
The construction of Sarofim Hall, the art department’s new building, remains on schedule for an expected opening in August 2025. The project is moving forward as planned while construction crews continue to work at the site, said John Sparagana, art department chair.
The student body voted to pass S.REF 01, which asks the Rice Management Company to disclose all of its holdings investments, but rejected the remaining divestment proposals. While every ballot measure gained a majority of votes in favor, the remaining three did not achieve the two-thirds majority required to pass.
