Rice University is located in Houston, the nation's fourth largest city. Houston has experienced extraordinary growth for a decade and a half, and the U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2050, the city will be among four in the United States to attain the status "mega city."
Geographic location is of particular strategic importance for the study of environment and energy. Houston is the center of both the energy industry and the world's largest petrochemical complex, and it boasts a world-renowned medical center. The economic and environmental consequences of these characteristics are substantial, with great relevance for both developed and developing nations. In the latter case, Houston's geographical and cultural proximity to Latin America presents special opportunities for collaboration.
