Wiess School of Natural Sciences
| Motto | The Frontiers of Knowledge |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1912 |
| Dean | Peter Rossky |
| Location |
Houston, Texas, United States [1] |
| Affiliations | Rice University |
| Website | [2] [3] |
The Wiess School of Natural Sciences is an academic school at Rice University in Houston, Texas. It comprises the departments of BioSciences, Chemistry, Earth Science, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy. Rice is well known for its groundbreaking research in nanotechnology. As well as undergraduate departments, the school supports the professional science master's program. One of Rice's greatest minds and pioneers of the field was Richard Smalley, the Norman Hackerman Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics and Astronomy. Smalley received the Nobel Prize (along with Robert Curl) in 1996 for the discovery buckminsterfullerene, an allotrope of carbon commonly referred to as "buckyballs".
The four founding departments of Rice (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics) are still a part of the Wiess School, which has historically been known for its strength in the sciences. Its Department of Space Science was established in 1963. The land on which the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center was built was donated by Rice University. Following this, President John F. Kennedy made a speech at Rice Stadium calling on the United States of America to develop its space program further.
Rice is also known for its emphasis on undergraduate education. The Wiess School of Natural sciences offers research experiences for its students. The premedical students in particular benefit from the nearby Texas Medical Center which offers many opportunities for research.
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