[Rice Catalyst Issue 14]

from the editors
Dear reader,
We are ecstatic to bring you the 14th
issue of Rice Catalyst, Rice’s own
Undergraduate Science Research
Journal! Even though COVID-19
prevented us from publishing
new issues of Rice Catalyst from
2019 to 2022, we have compiled
the contributions from our writers
during those years, which we
published as the Omnibus Edition
on our website, ricecatalyst.com.
Despite setbacks in our publication
schedule, we remain committed
to providing our peers with a
platform to exhibit interdisciplinary
perspectives on scientific dialogue
as a peer-reviewed journal
written, edited, and designed by
undergraduate students, as well
as encouraging scientific dialogue
both on and off the Rice University
campus. Hopefully, regardless
of your academic background
or affiliations, Rice Catalyst can
continue to bring you exciting
scientific literature in an engaging
and accessible manner. As the
first issue to be published in print
since the start of the pandemic,
this year’s publication presents
articles on every thing from vaccine
development, to treatments for
Type I Diabetes, to hypothyroidism.
It goes without saying that pausing
publication for several years meant
that we had taken several steps
back as an organization. However,
surviving the decline in engagement
and outreach that we suffered
as a result of COVID-19 was our
foremost priority in our gradual
return to normalcy. We began the
year with several goals in mind:
to ensure our past writers’ works
come into fruition by publishing
the Omnibus Edition, to return
to our regular annual publication
schedule, and to revise our internal
infrastructure in order to create a
solid groundwork for future Catalyst
leaders to make the journal more
successful than ever. We not only
achieved these goals, but also
expanded remarkably compared
to our pandemic years, and we
are optimistic about the future of
our publication. Furthermore, in
pursuit of bringing quality scientific
communication on a national level,
Rice Catalyst has joined the National
Undergraduate Consortium for
Science Journalism as a participating
member, and we will help organize
the annual NUCSJ conference
to facilitate the creation of a
collaborative network for quality
undergraduate scientific journalism.
In the coming years, we hope to
bring back familiar initiatives like
the Eureka, Fusion, and the Annual
Catalyst Fall Research Panel to
promote scientific engagement on
the Rice campus. Please stay on the
lookout for different ways to engage
with Rice Catalyst throughout the
upcoming school year!
Our return to regular annual
publication could not have been
done without the responsibility
and diligence of all Catalyst
members, and we would like to
acknowledge their indispensable
contribution to our journal.
Furthermore, Rice Catalysts’
return could not have been made
possible without assistance from
external collaborators. We would
like to acknowledge Rice Design for
helping Catalyst recruit designers
for our beautiful journal, the
Student Association’s Blanket Tax
Committee for sponsoring Catalyst’s
renewal, and the Student Activities/
President’s Programing Fund for
continuing to support us financially
and making the printed publication
possible. Last but certainly not least,
we remain incredibly grateful for our
advisor, Dr. Daniel Wager, who has
guided Catalyst through its highs
and lows for over a decade with
invaluable advice.
We are proud of Catalysts’ rebound
in the post-pandemic world, and we
are more excited than ever for our
growth in the coming years. From
the entire Catalyst staff, we hope
you enjoy our latest issue as much
as we enjoyed making it!
Best,
William Zhang
Editor-in-Chief (2023-2024)
Lillian He
Publications Director (2023-2024)
Michelle Sekili
Publications Director (2023-2024)
Anika Sonig
Editor-in-Chief (2022-2023)
Ben Walls
Publications Director (2022-2023)
Daanish Sheikh
Publications Director (2022-2023)