Research
Undergraduates are encouraged to participate in research during their time at Rice. Research is a valuable way to engage with the topics of the minor further, as well as prepare for potential Graduate education.
Environmental Studies is a growing field of research, supported in particular by the the number of Research Centers affiliated with the university, such as CENHS, The Baker Institute, and Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Recurring opportunities for research include:
Community Bridges
The Kinder Institute’s Community Bridges Program is a year long fellowship in which students work with a community partner to do a research project and service work. Past Community Partners and projects have enabled research on Environmental Justice as well as Environmental Health and Safety.
HART Projects
Houston Action Research Teams (HARTs) are small, interdisciplinary teams of Rice students who work together with city offices and community organizations to address issues and challenges facing Houston and its residents. HART projects are developed through collaboration between Rice University’s Center for Civic Leadership and Houston community partners. A number of past projects have dealt with environmentally related issues, such as "Measuring Houston Arboretum Visitor Experience (Spring 2019)”, "Modeling Hurricane Harvey Flood Risk (Spring 2018)”,"Renaturalizing White Oak Bayou (Spring 2017)”, and "Quantifying the Value of Ecosystem Services (Fall 2019).”
This is is a paid research opportunity. Applications are through the Rice Center for Civic Leadership. More information can be found here: https://ccl.rice.edu/students/act/hart
Additional Opportunities
Students are encouraged to reach out to Faculty whose research is of interest to see if Research Assistant positions are available, contact the Minor Advisor if they are interested in gaining credit for an independent study research project, and join the Environmental Studies Listserv to stay updated on new opportunities as they arise.
A past archive of Faculty Sustainability Research can be found here or in the AASHE STARS Report for Rice University.