Samantha Ketterer

5 days ago | houstonchronicle.com | Samantha Ketterer

Rice University officially began construction on a new student center this week, aiming for a fall 2027 opening to accommodate a rapidly growing student body. The Moody Center Complex for Student Life will join two existing buildings that provide gathering spaces for students. The project is a crucial part of the university’s expansion, as a 30% increase in undergraduate enrollment will add 1,200 people to Rice's annual population over the next eight years.

6 days ago | houstonchronicle.com | Samantha Ketterer

A $100 million board investment will give the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Civic Leadership – which originated as a smaller center championed by conservative lawmakers – a permanent home on campus. The UT System Board of Regents announced the building on Thursday as one meant to help the school expand and become a national leader in civic education. UT’s 101-year-old Biological Laboratories building will be renovated for new use in 2028.

6 days ago | houstonchronicle.com | Samantha Ketterer

The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved a six-year, $31.8 million contract on Thursday for Sean Miller, the Longhorns’ new head men’s basketball coach. The agreement will net Miller an average $5.3 million a year through the end of the 2031 season. Article continues below this adMiller’s job will come with some perks: two dealer cars, club memberships, game tickets, 20 hours of personal use on a private airplane, and a $250,000 relocation payment.

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Samantha Ketterer

Diego Treviño remembers the excitement he felt when his third-grade teacher paused classes for the 2013 conclave, and later when he walked into church and saw a framed photo of Pope Francis for the first time on the wall. It’s different for Treviño this conclave, being 12 years wiser and more established in the faith. Watching news coverage of Vatican City from the University of St. Thomas, the college junior mostly felt peace.

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Samantha Ketterer

Texas A&M AgriLife Research received its largest competitive grant in history in 2023. About two years later, the $65 million award was terminated, according to a government spending database. The decision came last month as the U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed a $3.1 billion Biden-era program known as Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities.