Ride STEM Festival

Contact Information

Dr. Patricia Reiff | reiff@rice.edu
(713) 348-4634
Rice Space Institute, MS-108
Rice University
6100 Main Street
Houston, TX 77005-1892

Reach For The Stars! Archive

2045-25 Festival

The 2024-25 Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held March 7, 2025, on the campus of Rice University in Houston, TX.

The 2025 Reach For The Stars keynote speaker was Dr. Julianne Pollard-Larkin, the Physics Section Chief of Thoracic Service in the Department of Radiation Physics at MD Anderson Cancer Center.. She gave an amazing inspiring speech "everyone is a scientist".

2023-24 Festival

The 2023 Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held Sept 30, 2023, on the campus of Rice University in Houston, TX.

The KEYNOTE SPEAKER for 2023 was: Astronaut Dr. Shannon Walker (BIO)

Shannon holds three degrees in Space Science from Rice University (BS, MS and PhD), and was the first woman to fly to the ISS on the Dragon as part of "Crew 1".

2021-22 Festival

The 2021-22 Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held April 9, 2022, on the campus of Rice University in Houston, TX.

The KEYNOTE SPEAKER for 2022 was: Nicola J. Fox (BIO)
Director of the NASA Heliophysics Science Division

Dr. Nicola (Nicky) Fox is the head of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. Previously she was a research scientist at Johns Hopkins University and Chief Scientist for the Parker Solar Probe.

2021 Festival

Reach For The Stars STEM Festival 2021 poster

The Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held April 17, 2021, on the campus of Rice University in Houston, TX. This year, instead of choosing individual workshops, each girl chose an "interest track":

A: SPACE and ASTRONOMY
B: MEDICINE (including space medicine)
C: PHYSICS, ROBOTICS, CHEMISTRY
D: EARTH SCIENCE and ENVIRONMENT

Thanks to our 2021 Sponsors:

MAJOR SPONSOR: CHENIERE
MAJOR SPONSOR: Rice University
SPONSOR: BAYLOR "TRISH" Translational Research Institute for Space Health
SPONSOR: NASA HEAT
SPONSOR: Emeritus Professor Neal Lane
SPONSOR: Discovery Dome
ORGANIZER: Department of Physics & Astronomy and Rice Space Institute, Rice U
ORGANIZER: Ride Family Foundation

2019 Festival

We had a fantastic time at our 2019 festival, held October 12 at the Rice campus. We had 502 girls, 130 chaperones, and over 200 exhibitors, presenters, and volunteers. The speaker was Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj, relating her experiences as founder of “Science in the Wild” and Commander of the HERA II NASA Mars simulated mission. The students asked her many very interesting questions about her life and experiences, andabout how to apply to be an astronaut. After the keynote, the girls attended two hands-on workshops led by women scientists, engineers, or physicians.

Download a summary of the 2019 Festival

Previous Sally Ride Festivals at Rice University

2024 - 2025	The Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held March 7, 2025. The keynote speaker was Dr. Julianne Pollard-Larkin of MD Anderson.
2023 - 2024	The Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held September 30, 2023. The keynote speaker was Astronaut Dr. Shannon Walker.
2021 - 2022	The Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held April 9, 2022, at Rice University following COVID protocols. The keynote speaker was Nicola Fox, Ph.D., Head of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters (and now Chief Scientist).
2020 - 2021	The Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held April 17, 2021, at Rice University following COVID protocols. Instead of choosing individual workshops, each girl chose an "interest track". The keynote speaker was Prof. Kirsten Siebach, a "Martian Geologist" in the Rice University Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences.
2019 - 2020	CANCELED due to COVID-19
2018 - 2019	In 2019 the keynote speaker was Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj who related her experiences as founder of “Science in the Wild” and Commander of the HERA II NASA Mars simulated mission.
2017 - 2018	Astronaut Peggy Whitson In 2018 Peggy Whitson returned for her third time to thrill the Ride Festival participants! In 2007 she greeted the girls from space when Eileen Collins was the keynote speaker (see the link to the video below), and in 2008 she spoke in person. Now ten years later and the record-holder for longest single flight of a Woman in Space (289 days), and most total days of any American in space (667!), she returned to her Alma Mater to inspire again!
2016 - 2017	In 2016-2017 Rice hosted the "Conference for Women Undergraduates in Physics" instead of a Ride Festival
2015 - 2016	The keynote speaker was again Wendy Lawrence.
2014 - 2015	In 2014 Catherine Coleman returned as keynote speaker. In addition, there were 35 hands-on workshops for the students, led by women scientists, engineers, and doctors.
2013 - 2014	The keynote speaker was Barbara Morgan.
2012 - 2013	2012 was special because it was just after Sally Ride passed away in July, so the 2012 Festival was dedicated to her memory, and Wendy Lawrence returned as keynote speaker.
2011 - 2012	The keynote speaker was Catherine Coleman.
2010 - 2011	The keynote speaker was Wendy Lawrence.
2009 - 2010	The keynote speaker was Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space.
2008 - 2009	The keynote speaker was Peggy Whitson.
2007 - 2008	Peggy Whitson aboard the ISS The keynote speaker was Eileen Collins. During her talk, we were pleased to have Peggy Whitson greet the attendees from space (she was the first woman Commander of the ISS, and she later greeted Eileen in space when the shuttle visited the ISS.
2006 - 2007	The inaugural Sally Ride Festival was created when Sally reached out to us about hosting an event for women. Sally Ride herself was the first keynote speaker.

Rice Space Institute 6100 Main MS-108, Houston, Texas 77005-1827 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892