On April 2, the School of Social Sciences will host the second Research Relay of the Spring 2026 semester at 4:00 pm in Kraft Hall 130. The upcoming relay will showcase five talks from Rice experts about external research partnerships, such as partnerships with industry, government, foundations, and communities.
“The objective of Research Relays is to feature pioneering research led by Rice social scientists and promote cross-disciplinary collaborations,” said Pat DeLucia, associate dean for research for the School of Social Sciences. “Featuring research that involves external partnerships demonstrates exactly what we aim to accomplish with these events.”
The April relay lineup will include four-minute presentations from:
- Leah Aschmann, director of corporate and foundation relations, and Ted Walker, director of foundation relations;
- Philip Kortum, professor and associate department chair of psychological sciences and member of the Ken Kennedy Institute, who is a leader in the field of human factors/human-computer interaction;
- Maura Coughlin, assistant professor of economics, whose research areas include health economics, applied microeconomics, and empirical industrial organization;
- Scott Powers, assistant professor of sport analytics and statistics and director of the Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sport Analytics, which provides cutting edge analytics support to Rice sports teams and helps Rice students seeking careers in sport analytics; and
- Michelle Smirnova, associate professor of sociology and director of the Center for Housing and Neighborhoods at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, who specializes in health, medicine, housing, reparative justice, movements, and intersectionality.
Following the talks, attendees are encouraged to stay and connect with the presenters over light bites and refreshments.
“We have been incredibly pleased with the response received from the Rice community for this ongoing series,” said Rachel Kimbro, dean of the School of Social Sciences. “I welcome faculty across campus to join us for the April Research Relay to learn more about ways to engage in multifaceted research efforts with members of our school and with external partners.”
Research Relays: External Partnerships will be held on Thursday, April 2 from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm in Kraft Hall 130. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Attendees are kindly asked to RSVP. For questions, contact Pat DeLucia.