George R. Brown School of Engineering
The George R. Brown School of Engineering is an academic school at Rice University in Houston, Texas. It contains the departments of Bioengineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computational and Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Statistics. Engineering has been part of Rice's curriculum since the university's founding in 1912, but the school was not established as its own unit until 1975. History. In its earliest days, Rice offered courses in chemical, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering. Over the  years, the engineering program grew, and in 1975 the George R. Brown School of Engineering was established and named after George R. Brown, a major donor and leader of Brown & Root Inc. Presently, the school comprises nine academic departments and includes 22 engineering-related research institutes and centers. One third of Rice's students are engineering majors. Teaching. Among the more than 136 engineering faculty are 9 members of the National Academy of Engineering, 3 members of the National Academy of Sciences and 2 members of the National Academy of Medicine. Students work closely with professors, often working in labs  and research projects. More than 60 percent of undergraduates have had significant research experience by the time they graduate. Research expenditures in FY 2018-19 exceeded $76 million. Departments and centers within the school of engineering take advantage of Houston's role as a center for the energy industry, medical research, space exploration, and the city's rapidly growing high-technology sector. Several departments have active industrial affiliates programs, and many research projects are undertaken with local companies. Students benefit from these relationships through collaborative research projects, summer internships, and making contacts for employment before graduation. George R. Brown