Rice’s Center for Environmental Studies is where humanists, artists, architects and social scientists come together to research and teach our current era of climate instability and environmental turmoil. We create transdisciplinary conversations with our colleagues in the natural sciences and engineering that consider the profoundly social and cultural nature of our embeddedness in the Earth’s many and complex living systems.
We recognize the critical role that representation plays in how we think and feel about our rapidly changing planet, which is why the creative arts and media hold an important place in our work. We study to understand but also to create, converse and harness the powers of the imagination to live differently than we do now and help envision and create viable futures.
As a Houston institution, we understand the importance of supporting the invaluable work led by local nonprofits, NGOs, and environmental advocates. Our community partnerships allow us to develop opportunities for engaged research and pedagogy with local experts. Our partners are core input and feedback is key to how we continue to grow and learn as an organization.