DEPARTMENTS

The Wiess School of Natural Sciences includes the departments of:

• Biochemistry and Cell Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth Science
• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Mathematics
• Physics and Astronomy

All natural science departments offer programs leading to a B.A. degree. Majors include biological sciences, biology, chemical physics, chemistry, geology, geophysics, mathematics, physics, and astronomy. Students may also receive a B.S. degree in biochemistry, chemistry, earth science, ecology & evolutionary biology, physics, or astrophysics. Students may also elect double majors that combine a natural science program with another science or a discipline from an academic school in engineering or the humanities.

Biochemistry and Cell Biology

Biochemistry and cell biology utilize various aspects of chemistry, physics, physiology, molecular biology and biology to investigate molecular interaction and function within living organisms. Departmental focus covers biophysics to developmental biology. A biochemistry major provides students with a broad background in the physical sciences, with in-depth training in multiple aspects of modern biosciences, including biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, cell biology and developmental biology. Direct laboratory experience in modern methods of experimentation establishes a strong career base for research as well as teaching in the biological sciences, medicine and industry. A significant number of biochemistry graduates seek advanced training in graduate and medical schools nationwide.

Department Chair
Professor Janet Braam 
braam@rice.edu

Chemistry

Chemistry encompasses an extraordinarily wide range of human endeavor, ranging from the study of a substance's properties like nucleic acids, plastics and steel, to the study of how one substance transforms into another during chemical reactions like photosynthesis and gasoline manufacturing. These studies affect our lives in everything from the food and medicines we consume to the automobiles we drive. Training in chemistry is extensive, with chemistry majors at Rice encouraged to explore course offerings in other departments, as well as advanced (and graduate level) courses in the Chemistry Department. The faculty is actively engaged in research and the department has an extensive array of modern instrumentation available for a variety of research pursuits. Each major offers a program of independent research under the supervision of a faculty member, frequently leading to publication in leading scientific journals. This diversified training causes Rice graduates to be highly regarded for employment or further training in a wide variety of disciplines. The Rice Department of Chemistry has been given the authority by the American Chemical Society's Committee of Professional Training to certify degrees as meeting American Chemical Society standards.

Department Chair
Professor Seiichi Matsuda
matsuda@rice.edu

Earth Science

The past twenty years have seen major advances in the ability to image complex Earth velocity and impedance structures and stuidy the Earth's internal composition. Similar advances in solid Earth sciences have greatly increased understanding of continental dynamics and evolution. The Earth Science department offers programs in Earth Systems Science (global change, paleoceanography, low-temperature and crystal surface geochemistry, environmental geophysics and geochemistry), and in Earth Structure and Dynamics (chemistry, structure, and dynamics of the Earth's interior), covering the evolving disciplines of natural and human induced environmental change, as well as traditional geology, geochemistry, and geophysics. A number of interdepartmental cross-disciplinary research projects involving sedimentologists, tectonicists, seismologists, and geochemists are ongoing. The geophysics group has formalized its ongoing collaborations with faculty in the  Computational and Applied Mathematics and the  Electrical and Computer Engineering departments in the  Center for Computational Geophysics. The CCG researchers share major computing facilities and a number of collaborative federally funded research projects.

Department Chair
Professor Alan R. Levander
alan@rice.edu

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Ecology and evolutionary biology highlight interrelationships between organisms of the same and various species and their environment. Ecological studies investigate the global impact of these inter- and intra-species interactions. Evolutionary studies define individual environmental adaptations and the historical basis of adaptations. Along with a solid life sciences foundation, students may take courses in ecology, evolution, animal behavior, population genetics, animal and plant biology, marine biology, global ecology, statistics and molecular evolution. A diverse array of advanced techniques are incorporated as required. The department maintains an on-campus natural prairie and greenhouse, as well as remote field stations in the coastal marshes, the Big Thicket, and other local sites of biological interest. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in seminars, as well as conducting independent research projects. Students focusing in ecology and evolutionary biology will be well prepared for graduate school, or any of a variety of careers in environmental biology and the life sciences, including medicine.

Department Chair
Professor Joan E. Strassmann
strassm@rice.edu

Mathematics

The Mathematics Department is designed to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of mathematical backgrounds and abilities. A Rice student whose primary interests or aptitudes are nonscientific may pursue nontheoretical treatments of calculus and courses in modern algebra, elementary number theory, and projective geometry. Students with strong mathematical interests and abilities will find a rich fusion of sophisticated mathematics. Real and complex analysis, differential geometry, abstract algebra, algebraic and geometric topology, partial differential equations, along with advanced "topics" courses in any of the above, comprise the heart of the mathematics program. Exposure to and competency in these courses is an integral part of graduate study preparation for mathematics or the natural or engineering sciences.

Department Chair
S/B Professor Mike Wolf
mwolf@math.rice.edu

Physics and Astronomy

Physics and astronomy provide not only intellectual satisfaction to an inquiring mind, but also serve as a starting point for many technical and scientific fields. The department offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in Physics and Astronomy, and Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Astrophysics. Physics B.S. majors may choose among several options, including applied physics, biophysics, and chemical physics. Undergraduates in these programs have the opportunity to join a faculty research project and frequently present their results at professional meetings. The department offers undergraduate courses spanning everything from electricity and magnetism to galaxies and cosmology. Diverse introductory courses introduce non-majors to the wonders of physics and the universe. A majority of undergraduate students continue on to physics and astronomy graduate programs or advanced studies in related fields. A department faculty active in research underpins a strong graduate program that offers students the opportunity to pursue research in a variety of areas, including: astronomy and astrophysics; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; biophysics; condensed matter physics; nuclear and particle physics; and space physics. The Master of Science is a research degree that is normally completed as the first stage of doctoral study. The Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees both require oral defense of a thesis. The department also awards Master of Astronomy, Master of Space Science, and Master of Science Teaching degrees that require research participation and/or practicum training, but for which there is no thesis requirement.

Department Chair
Professor Barry F. Dunning
fbd@rice.edu