Newly rebranded Center for Environmental Studies celebrates with launch party

The doors of the Solar Studios were open wide last week in celebration as the Rice community toasted to the newly renamed Center for Environmental Studies, formerly known as the Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences. Joseph Campana, the Alan Dugald McKillop Chair in English who is currently serving as the center’s director, gave brief opening remarks before welcoming local artist Laura Napier.

Napier’s newest piece, “Sea of Oil,” was funded by a grant from the Houston Arts Alliance and focuses on how the oil and gas industry intersects with everyday life. Her work fills all three buildings in the Solar Studios space and will be on view through Dec. 13. (Photos by Chi Liang Yu)