40th Anniversary Celebration
Save the date for the Ken Kennedy Institute's 40th Anniversary Celebration on Monday, November 9. The celebration will feature invited talks and posters, followed by an evening reception. This event is planned to be invite-only. More details to come.
When: Monday, November 9, 2026 (all-day)
Where: Duncan Hall
Keynote Speakers
We are honored to welcome distinguished leaders in AI and Computing to celebrate the Ken Kennedy Institute’s 40th Anniversary.
John L. Hennessey
President Emeritus, Stanford University;
Chairman of the Board, Alphabet Inc.
Insert speaker bio here.
Eric Horvitz
Chief Scientific Officer, Microsoft
Insert second speaker bio here.
Schedule
View the tentative schedule for Monday, November 9, 2026 below:
| Time | Session Details |
|---|---|
| 10:00–10:45 AM | Check-in Enjoy refreshments and pastries before the event begins |
| 10:45–11:00 AM | Welcome Remarks |
| 11:00 AM–12:00 PM | Keynote: John L. Hennessy, PhD President Emeritus, Stanford University Chairman of the Board, Alphabet Inc. |
| 12:00–2:00 PM | Lunch + Poster Session (Clusters, Members, Fellowship Students) |
| 2:00–3:30 PM | Lightning Talks (Clusters) |
| 3:30–4:00 PM | Break + Refreshments |
| 4:00–5:00 PM | Keynote: Eric Horvitz Chief Scientific Officer, Microsoft |
| 5:00–6:00 PM | Reception |
| 6:00 PM | Cohen House Reception (Invite Only) Closing reception and seated dinner 5:45 PM — Check-in, cocktail hour 6:15 PM — Remarks from President DesRoches 6:30 PM — Dinner + Remarks from Provost Dittmar 7:30 PM — Panel, close |
Additional Event Details
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Schedule
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The day will be broken down into invited talks, a poster session and an evening reception. More details to come. View the tentative schedule for Monday, November 9, 2026 below:
Time Session Details 10:00–10:45 AM Check-in
Enjoy refreshments and pastries before the event begins10:45–11:00 AM Welcome Remarks 11:00 AM–12:00 PM Keynote: John L. Hennessy, PhD
President Emeritus, Stanford University
Chairman of the Board, Alphabet Inc.12:00–2:00 PM Lunch + Poster Session (Clusters, Members, Fellowship Students) 2:00–3:30 PM Lightning Talks (Clusters) 3:30–4:00 PM Break + Refreshments 4:00–5:00 PM Keynote: Eric Horvitz
Chief Scientific Officer, Microsoft5:00–6:00 PM Reception 6:00 PM Cohen House Reception (Invite Only)
Closing reception and seated dinner
5:45 PM — Check-in, cocktail hour
6:15 PM — Remarks from President DesRoches
6:30 PM — Dinner + Remarks from Provost Dittmar
7:30 PM — Panel, close -
Parking Information
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Paid parking will be available in Founder's Court Lot or the Entrance 3 (COB) Garage. Visit the Rice University Campus Maps webpage for directions: https://www.rice.edu/campus-maps.
- Houston Visitor Information
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There are several nearby hotels for out-of-town guests that offer discounted rates for Rice University guests, including the Marriott, Westin, Hilton, and InterContinental hotels (primarily located in the Texas Medical Center. Compare the Rice rates across participating hotels using this link. Complimentary shuttle services to the Rice campus are available through many nearby hotels—coordinate with your hotel's concierge team for more information.
Additional resources:
Visit Houston
Houston Metro Rail Information
Ride Metro Information (Bus & Rail) -
Policies and Accessibility Information
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Policies: We uphold Rice University's standard of safety and emergency protocols. To ensure a safe and positive environment for all attendees, the conference venue will have building security available as well as campus security on-site. To learn about additional Rice University policies, please visit the following links:
Rice University Discrimination and Harassment Policy
Rice University Affirmative Action PolicyAccessibility: We are committed to making efforts that ensure an inclusive event experience for all attendees. If you have an accommodation request for a disability or would like to inquire about possible modifications that might improve your experience, please contact us at kenkennedy@rice.edu.
Please note that some requested services may not be available. We recommend reaching out at least one month in advance of the event.