The Wiess School of Natural Sciences is a focused and dynamic community of scholars that:
- Generates scientific, mathematical, and technical knowledge that is at the forefront of inquiry, that defines the frontiers of understanding of the natural world, and that gives rise to beneficial applications;
- Educates and inspires new generations of scientific leaders and scientifically literate citizens to contribute to the well-being of humankind;
- Innovates in research and education within disciplines and explores across disciplinary boundaries to identify unknown linkages and connections.
The Wiess School of Natural Sciences aspires to be an internationally recognized leader in key research areas across the full range of Natural Sciences and to have outstanding, rigorous, and creative educational programs integrated with its research mission at all levels. These aspirations demand outstanding faculty, staff, and students; creative and effective use of resources; success in the research mission; innovative teaching and mentoring; state-of-the-art infrastructure; and highly visible impact, including engagement with the community at large.
The School has 130 tenured and tenure-track faculty lines (including five members of the National Academy of Science), an undergraduate enrollment of ~1100, a full-time graduate enrollment of ~400, a staff of ~250 administrative, technical, and research positions, a budget of over $26 million, and externally funded research expenditures of approximately $38 million. The School comprises seven academic departments: Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Kinesiology, Mathematics, and Physics & Astronomy. The Wiess School also engages more than a dozen research centers and institutes and utilizes shared equipment facilities that build on its exceptionally close interactions with the Brown School of Engineering. The partnerships with the Brown School and with other Rice Schools and programs create unique research and educational opportunities. Additional information on the Wiess School may be found at: http://www.natsci.rice.edu/