Fall Y’all

Readers, welcome back to our bustling campus — we hope this issue captures a sense of excitement as we return, thoughtfully and carefully, to many pre-pandemic routines.

More than 1,200 new undergraduates and 1,280 graduate students arrived on campus in mid-August to begin their studies. For members of the Class of 2026, that meant experiencing Rice’s legendary O-Week in person — from the high emotions of move-in day to the packed schedule of introductions to college culture, academic opportunities, health and wellness resources, and student activities. We caught up with new students and asked them a few questions about their brand-new home. (See “Fresh Faces, New Spaces.”)

On Sept. 12, 2022, we marked a milestone anniversary in Rice’s history. Sixty years ago, a president visited our campus and delivered a history-making speech. The speech by President John F. Kennedy at Rice Stadium set in motion a quest, heretofore unimaginable, to send astronauts to the moon — an achievement buoyed by the work of Rice engineers and scientists. Today, NASA is setting a course to return to the moon, and far beyond, to Mars. Space science writer Eric Berger reminds us how we got to this pivotal moment in human exploration. (See “We Choose to Return to the Moon.”)

More than 1,200 new undergraduates and 1,280 graduate students arrived on campus in mid-August to begin their studies.  

We asked historian Melissa Kean ’96 to interview President Reginald DesRoches on behalf of the magazine. The result is a lively and candid conversation that touches on where Rice is now and DesRoches’ vision for our future. (See “Pleased to Meet You” in print and expanded online.)

Our fall departments are brimming with stories about campus life, like the return of study abroad programs, for example, and the enduring nerdom that is Dungeons & Dragons; with stories about research, like Brielle Bryan’s findings on the consequential stigma of felony convictions and the latest data from the Kinder Institute’s Houston Area Survey; and alumni stories, such as our profile of Maryana Iskander ’97, CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation.

As always, I’d like to hear from you — send your feedback, gripes and/or appreciations to ricemagazine@rice.edu.

— Lynn Gosnell