Tarence Rice, a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at Rice University, brings expertise in Scientific Machine Learning (SciML) for digital twins to the Particle Flow & Tribology Lab (PFTL). His research focuses on harnessing the synergy between physical modeling and data-driven machine-learning approaches to enhance inference capabilities. By integrating numerical partial differential equations with neural networks and deep learning, he contributes to developing advanced computational techniques that are robust, generalizable, and computationally efficient.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee State University, with a concentration in Computer Engineering, and a Master of Electrical Engineering from Rice University, where his thesis focused on embedded wireless drone networks for next-generation MIMO systems.

In his professional career, Rice has held positions at Intel Corporation as a Software Developer, at Texas Instruments as a Semiconductor Test Engineer, as a System/Mission Operations Engineer at Lockheed Martin - Space Systems, as an Industrial Engineer at Eaton Corporation, and as a Power Engineer at DTE Energy Electric Company showcasing his versatility and problem-solving capabilities.

At Rice University, Tarence founded and serves as the president of SKY Campus Happiness, a program that empowers students through breathwork, meditation, yoga, and personal awareness seminars. He is also deeply committed to mentorship and community involvement, serving on the Advisory Committee for the Houston Independent School District and mentoring undergraduate students. Additionally, Tarence has organized seminars to promote diversity in STEM fields, including one featuring Dr. Sandra K. Johnson.

Rice has a broad range of technical skills, including proficiency in Python, MATLAB, LaTeX, AutoCAD, and is a certified Lean Six Sigma White Belt. He has participated in significant conferences and leadership programs, such as IEEE MILCOM, NeurIPS - Black in AI, and ACM MobiCom.

A recipient of several awards, including the Most Outstanding Student Leader at TSU College of Engineering and the GEM Fellowship, Rice's career is marked by a commitment to engineering innovation through artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.