Rice University Research Repository
The Rice Research Repository (R-3) provides access to research produced at Rice University, including theses and dissertations, journal articles, research center publications, datasets, and academic journals. Managed by Fondren Library, R-3 is indexed by Google and Google Scholar, follows best practices for preservation, and provides DOIs to facilitate citation. Woodson Research Center collections, including Rice Images and Documents and the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice, have moved here.
Communities
Recent Submissions
The 2025 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2025) Sherman, Stephen A.; Cheong, Caroline; Banerjee, Debolina; Kim, Andrew; Yang, Aram
Since 2020, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research has provided an in-depth snapshot and analysis of Harris County and Houston’s rapidly changing housing landscape. As each study has found, both renting and buying a home in the area has become increasingly unaffordable to many households, despite being nationally known as a city with much lower housing prices. As the region contends with this challenge, developers, government agencies, housing nonprofits, and other stakeholders are also aware of the increasing risks posed by extreme weather and climate change. This year’s report grapples with these dual challenges by monitoring core indicators of the housing market conditions and new indicators of environmental and climate impacts. Like previous reports, an array of indicators is also made available on the State of Housing Data Dashboard.
6.7 NGL Entreaty on Access and Equity
(Rice University, 2025) Sousa do Nascimento, Cibele Zolnier; Johnson, Alicia; Kato, Emma Sebunya; Vigar, Justin R.J.; Perez, Rolando; Kiattisewee, Cholpisit Ice; Molla, Kutubuddin
At the Spirit of Asilomar Summit, conversations about biotechnology’s future took center stage. One of the most important discussions was on Access and Equity, under the "Framing Biotechnology’s Future" theme - focusing on the barriers, needs, and opportunities for making science more accessible, especially for researchers from resource limited or low and middle-income countries. The original Asilomar Conference balanced innovation with responsibility, but failed to address equity. The 'Spirit of Asilomar' organizers were able to address that and position entreaties as a corrective to that oversight. As young leaders in biotech, we wanted to bring our experiences to the table - sharing the initiatives we’ve worked on, the challenges we’ve faced, and the opportunities we see to build a more inclusive and equitable field.
6.9 NGL Proposal for Spirit of Asilomar Fund
(Rice University, 2025) Perez, Rolando; Chappell, Callie; Flores, Wari Nkwi; Lopez, Andrea Isabel; Johnson, Alicia; Kiattisewee, Cholpisit; Zimmerman, Elise; Elcock, Leon B.; Emanuel, Kato Sebunya; Chavez, Maria; Rath, Shrestha; Lardner, Casey; Zolnier, Cibele; Palmer, Xavier-Lewis; Astolfi, Maria; Seah, Adeline
This entreaty is a call to ensure biotechnology is a tool for global flourishing by establishing the Spirit of Asilomar Fund. Fear caused the 1975 Asilomar meeting to build barriers that ultimately hindered the transformative potential of biotechnologies to enable global flourishing. The 2025 Spirit of Asilomar Summit emphasized that we are at a critical juncture for Biotechnology. The Summit revealed a continued fear of Biotechnology amongst the general public and a growing lack of trust between the public and biotechnologists. Biotechnology as a tool for global flourishing is only possible by considering its cultural, ecological, political, and historical contexts. The research enterprise must empower all people, not just some, to unlock Biotechnology's transformative power. To nurture these interdisciplinary biotechnological futures, we propose the establishment of a Spirit of Asilomar Fund. The Spirit of Asilomar Fund will support the transition to transform the Biotechnology enterprise towards rights- and community-based, interdisciplinary, and culturally-centered approaches to Biotechnology innovation and governance. Our overall goal is to foster the sustained, responsible and mindful development of biotechnologies for global benefit.
5.4 Letter to our relatives, ancestors, and future generations: A call to establish Indigenous Biotechnology
(Rice University, 2025) Flores, WarīNkwī; Astolfi, Maria C.T.; Perez, Rolando; Elcock, Leon B. III; Bonilla, Janeth; Rhyans, Steven; Kong, David
At the 50th anniversary of the Asilomar Summit, the Indigenous Biotechnology Working Group share this letter as a collective call to establish Indigenous Biotechnology as a distinct and self-determined field. Grounded in Indigenous Knowledge Systems, this emerging field reimagines biotechnology through the values of reciprocity, sovereignty, stewardship, and kinship with all life. In response to centuries of extractive science and ongoing colonialism, Indigenous Biotechnology centers the rights of Peoples and the rights of Nature in the design, governance, and development of biotechnology. This letter highlights foundations of the field, calls for global alliances, and invites to build the Principles of Indigenous Biotechnology by 2026. We write to our ancestors, relatives, and future generations to shape a future in which biotechnology safeguards the biodiversity, cultures, and Peoples that sustain our scientific innovations.
5.5 The Future of Biotechnology: A Show of Good Faith
(Rice University, 2025) Camenares, Devin; López, Andrea Isabel; Jannah, Roudlotul; Jibriel, Mohammed; Anjum, Bushra E.
Religion and biotechnology are often seen as being in conflict, but this narrow view can deepen divisions and alienate communities. Building biotechnology’s future requires learning from the past and understanding its cultural and religious contexts. We urge scientists to engage with other disciplines to grasp broader social issues and improve communication across divides. Envisioning responsible innovation means honoring history, fostering dialogue, and recognizing the diverse traditions that shape how biotechnology is received and applied.