Momentous Momentum
Since unveiling the Momentous Strategic Plan in late 2024, Rice University has taken confident steps toward its ambitious 10-year vision. With progress already underway across campus life, enrollment growth, infrastructure, and strategic leadership, the plan is quickly moving from promise to reality. We track Momentous through high-level metrics—reach, engagement, visibility, strategic progress, and stakeholder feedback—to show how our work advances the plan's priorities. What follows is a look at the key milestones that are already shaping Rice’s next chapter.
Our Progress
A year ago, we launched Momentous: Personalized Scale for Global Impact — an ambitious strategic plan to guide Rice University over the next decade into a new era of excellence, access and innovation. Today, we are pleased to share that we are not only on track with our goals put forth in the plan but are accelerating and exceeding. Thanks to the dedication, creativity and energy of our campus community, we are already seeing signs of progress.
This plan was never intended to sit on a shelf. It is a living blueprint — one built on the core belief that Rice can grow thoughtfully while remaining true to its distinctive culture and values. As you’ll see in the information that follows, we’ve taken meaningful steps to accomplish this. We’ve strengthened our infrastructure, expanded student capacity and deepened support systems, ensuring that our growth is guided by data, design and purpose.
Importantly, this progress reflects more than just construction projects or policy shifts. It represents a shared commitment across our faculty, staff, students, alumni and leadership to imagine boldly and act decisively. Whether it’s the groundbreaking of new campus facilities, the expansion of our student body and academic offerings, or the creation of systems to ensure long-term success, we are building a stronger Rice for generations to come.
As we move forward, we do so with humility and confidence — aware of the challenges ahead but inspired by what we’ve already accomplished together. Thank you for your continued support, partnership and belief in what Rice can achieve. We look forward to the work ahead and to continuing this momentous journey with all of you.
Reginald DesRoches, President
Amy Dittmar, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
We Want to Hear From You
Momentous touches all aspects of the university and campus, and we want it to reflect the voices and needs of the entire Rice community. Please use this form to share feedback or questions about the plan. Every submission is reviewed by staff in the Office of the Provost and helps us make Momentous more effective and transparent for everyone at Rice.
Advance Undergraduate Education
- Rice announced Chao College as 12th residential college
- Rice launches Office of Academic Support for Undergraduate Students in spring 2025
- Rice Women's Golf announced an agreement with Westwood Golf Club
Advance Graduate Education
- Rice welcomed more than 400 students to the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium in November 2025
- Rice University announced the launch of Rice Digital Learning and Strategy, a reimagined office aimed at expanding the university’s impact through innovative digital learning initiatives.
- Rice Online Master of Computer Science earned a top 10 spot in the U.S. News rankings for online graduate computer science program
World-Class Research Enterprise
- Since Rice’s ribbon-cutting ceremony in Bengaluru last November, formally announcing the university’s Rice Global India initiative, the university’s collaborations and involvement in the region have continued to expand.
- Since fall 2022, Rice has welcomed 139 new faculty whose core research ties directly to Momentous strategic priorities for premier research and responsible AI.
- Rice welcomes 31 Fulbright students from 20 countries this academic year, one of the largest groups of international scholars on campus. They join 60 returning Fulbrighters in the Fulbright@Rice community.
Build Thriving Urban Communities
- HISD’s collaboration with the Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium has informed its approach to non-instructional services and supports like their Sunrise Centers. Later this year, Kinder Institute researchers will be taking a closer look at Sunrise Centers’ impact on student outcomes and additional needs assessments could also be on the horizon.
- In the aftermath of the devastating July 2025 floods in the Texas Hill Country, the need for reliable, real-time flood warning systems has never been more urgent. Rice University’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center leads efforts in flood modeling and disaster preparedness.
- Dozens of incoming Owls started their academic year early by engaging with the city of Houston and its social justice issues, addressing them through the Ross Rankin Moody Civic Immersion program, one of the flagships of the university’s Center for Civic Leadership.
Generate Sustainable Futures
- Rice University is proving that growth and water conservation can go hand in hand. Through the leadership of the Office of Sustainability, an innovative water monitoring program has dramatically reduced campus water use while supporting the needs of a growing university.
- A team of researchers from Rice University, Carnegie Mellon University and other leading global institutions has outlined a bold new roadmap for harnessing heterogeneous catalysis to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the so-called “forever chemicals” that have contaminated water supplies worldwide.
- Rice University’s Campus Services and Sustainability has been recognized by Keep Texas Beautiful with its Beautify Texas Award in the Outstanding Program of the Year category. The department was honored for its “Give a Hoot! Donate Your Loot!” move-out collection campaign coordinated by the Office of Sustainability and Housing and Dining.
Lead Innovations in Health
- Rice and the Baylor College of Medicine are leading the Center for Humanities-based Health AI Innovation supported by a $500,000 NEH grant
- Establishment announced of the Center for Nanoscale Imaging Sciences, led by Anna-Karin Gustavsson
- ENRICH Office’s Health Innovations Symposium showcased Rice-TMC biomedical collaboration ecosystem, bringing together more than 400 researchers, clinicians, students and biotech entrepreneurs
Responsible AI
- Rice is launching a new undergraduate degree in AI
- Introduction of Teaching with AI at Rice: From Curiosity to Confidence, a course tailored for Rice faculty and staff curious about how to incorporate AI into their teaching and work with students
- Rice is expanding access to AI tools that enhance teaching, research, and operations. The university launched two new tools, Gemini and NotebookLM. This rollout reflects Rice’s ongoing commitment to responsible AI, data privacy, and campus-wide innovation.
Empowered Campus Culture
- Rice's new budget model will provide increased transparency while building incentives into the budget model to support schools' and administrative units, increasing their ability to understand and leverage opportunities, growth, possibilities, and outcomes.
- In FY25, Rice invested $1.3M in salary increases, increased contributions to medical and dental benefits, and enhanced existing tuition support, parental leave, and PTO benefits. Read more about these investments and priorities for FY26.
- Rice introduced “Building Momentum Together,” an initiative emphasizing collaboration to streamline services, reduce administrative burden, and improve stakeholder experiences. Phase 1 prioritizes efforts in facilities, IT and research administration aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, transparency, and customer-centered service delivery across campus.
Behind the process
Rice President Reginald DesRoches stated in his inaugural address that his vision for the university is that Rice be a premier research university with much greater visibility and with graduate programs of the same distinction as the university's undergraduate program, all while maintaining Rice's commitment to excellence in undergraduate education and the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.
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Organize Planning Process and Leadership
The journey for this new plan began more than a year ago with the culmination of the University’s previous long-term strategic plan. The process has been thorough, with research gathered from a wide range of stakeholders. This plan comes directly from our community.
View Planning Site -
Gather Stakeholder Feedback
Between January and April, 32 focus groups were held convened around a specific topic, including research, infrastructure, DEI and the Rice experience.
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Draft, Refine, Then Finalize the Plan
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Develop Implementation Plan
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Official Launch
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President DesRoches and Provost Dittmar embarked on a tour of eight cities and each of the schools to connect with the broader Rice community and share our Momentous vision.
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Program manager Brittni MacLeod was hired to lead the implementation, measurement, and reporting of the strategic plan's objectives and key results. MacLeod conducted 39 meetings with individuals assigned to own various components of Momentous.
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Momentous OKR reporting is underway and we are testing a strategic plan management tool
As program manager in the Office of the Provost, MacLeod leads the implementation of Rice University’s Momentous strategic plan, coordinating initiatives that span academic affairs, research, undergraduate and graduate education, student support and more.
MacLeod works closely with senior leadership, initiative owners and campus partners to build the structures, processes and tracking tools needed to translate the university’s strategic vision into measurable action. She provides project management, prioritization frameworks and strategic counsel to ensure progress across university-wide goals.
Bringing Momentous to Life
The people across our Rice community who turn big goals into real progress are the heart of Momentous. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and our valued partners all make the plan’s vision more tangible every day. We’re proud to recognize their creativity, dedication, and collaboration in advancing Rice’s vision and making a meaningful impact on campus, in Houston and around the world.