Texas population is barreling toward eye-popping milestone in 2022

growth spurt

Based on recent population growth figures, you should probably get ready for more traffic. Photo courtesy of TxDOT

Texas is edging closer to a milestone — a population of 30 million.

Estimates released December 21 by the U.S. Census Bureau show the population of Texas grew 1.1 percent between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021. During that period, the state added 310,288 residents, going from 29,217,653 to 29,527,941. The tally takes into account births, deaths, people moving to Texas, and people moving out of Texas.

Texas ranked first among the states for the number of residents added from 2020 to 2021, which worked out to 850 new residents per day, and seventh for percentage growth. At 2.9 percent, Idaho ranked first for percentage growth.

If Texas maintains a year-to-year growth rate of at least 1.1 percent, the state might break the 30 million mark sometime in 2022. Driving the state’s continued population explosion are people of color, who’ve made up 91 percent of new Texas residents in the 21st century, according to The Texas Tribune.

Lloyd Potter, the state demographer, says it’s conceivable that Texas could be home to 30 million residents in 2022.

“However, our rate of growth has slowed noticeably between 2020 and 2021, with lower fertility, higher mortality, and less international migration. If we add the same number of people estimated to have been added between 2020 and 2021, then it looks like we’ll come up a bit short of 30 million in 2022,” Potter says.

Throughout the country, the COVID-19 pandemic helped drag down population growth from July 2020 to July 2021. The U.S. population rose just 0.1 percent during that period — the smallest one-year increase since the nation was founded.

“Population growth has been slowing for years because of lower birth rates and decreasing net international migration, all while mortality rates are rising due to the aging of the nation’s population,” Kristie Wilder, a demographer at the Census Bureau, says in a news release. “Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this combination has resulted in a historically slow pace of growth.”

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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Nearly 4 million people became Texans in the past decade. Courtesy photo

Texas explodes with 16 percent surge in population, new census data shows

Growth spurt

Texas' population swelled so much from 2010 to 2020 that it essentially swallowed a state the size of Oklahoma.

Figures released April 26 by the U.S. Census Bureau show Texas gained 3,999,944 residents from April 2010 to April 2020. By comparison, the entire population of Oklahoma totaled 3,959,353 in April 2020. Those nearly 4 million new residents brought Texas' population to 29,145,505 as of April 2020.

Buoyed by a spike in the Hispanic population and an influx of out-of-state and international arrivals, Texas led the nation for the sheer number of residents added from the every-10-years headcount in 2010 to the headcount in 2020. Florida ranked second in that category (2,736,877), and California ranked third (2,284,267).

"The growth for Texas was a little bit slower than expected, which may be a function of lower fertility rates post-Great Recession and slower international migration," Lloyd Potter, the Texas state demographer, tells CultureMap.

California still remains the biggest state as measured by population (39,538,223). However, the Quartz news website reported in 2019 that Texas' population could surpass California's by 2045.

Meanwhile, Texas holds the No. 3 position for percentage population growth from 2010 to 2020, according to Census Bureau data. The state's population shot up by 15.9 percent during that period, behind only Utah (18.4 percent) and Idaho (17.3 percent). By contrast, California saw its population climb by just 6.1 percent from 2010 to 2020.

As a result of population shifts across the country, Texas will pick up two seats in the U.S. House, bringing its total to 38, the Census Bureau says. Five states will add one seat each: Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon. Seven states will lose one seat each: California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Based on earlier population estimates, experts had expected Texas to tack on three congressional seats following the 2020 Census. But Potter says Texas' growth relative to population changes in other states pared the Lone Star State's final tally to two more seats.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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Rice University spinout lands $500K NSF grant to boost chip sustainability

cooler computing

HEXAspec, a spinout from Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, was recently awarded a $500,000 National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation grant.

The team says it will use the funding to continue enhancing semiconductor chips’ thermal conductivity to boost computing power. According to a release from Rice, HEXAspec has developed breakthrough inorganic fillers that allow graphic processing units (GPUs) to use less water and electricity and generate less heat.

The technology has major implications for the future of computing with AI sustainably.

“With the huge scale of investment in new computing infrastructure, the problem of managing the heat produced by these GPUs and semiconductors has grown exponentially. We’re excited to use this award to further our material to meet the needs of existing and emerging industry partners and unlock a new era of computing,” HEXAspec co-founder Tianshu Zhai said in the release.

HEXAspec was founded by Zhai and Chen-Yang Lin, who both participated in the Rice Innovation Fellows program. A third co-founder, Jing Zhang, also worked as a postdoctoral researcher and a research scientist at Rice, according to HEXAspec's website.

The HEXASpec team won the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship's H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge in 2024. More recently, it also won this year's Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition during CERAWeek in the TEX-E student track, taking home $25,000.

"The grant from the NSF is a game-changer, accelerating the path to market for this transformative technology," Kyle Judah, executive director of Lilie, added in the release.

5 ways technology is transforming the workplace for people with disabilities

Guest Column

When Camp For All opened its barrier-free gates more than 30 years ago, our founders believed that design could level the playing field for children and adults with challenging illnesses, disabilities, or special needs. Today, that same philosophy is necessary for workplaces across Greater Houston and beyond; only now the ramps and handrails are digital as much as physical, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and innovation.

Technology has significantly transformed the workplace for individuals with disabilities, making it easier for them to perform their roles with greater efficiency and independence. Tools such as ergonomic workstations, adaptive keyboards, closed captioning, dictation software, screen magnifiers, and robotics help customize the work environment to accommodate various needs. Additionally, advancements in remote work technology have opened the door to broader employment opportunities, reducing physical barriers to participation in the workforce.

Here are five ways that technology turns “reasonable accommodation” into universal enablement and why every employer should take note.

From closed-captioning to real-time conversation

Ten years ago, businesses relied upon human typists and translators to convert conversations and presentations for those with disabilities. Today, AI speech-to-text engines like Microsoft 365’s Live Captions or Google Workspace’s Meet Transcripts render spoken words into on-screen text across 40-plus languages and dialects in milliseconds. This means deaf and hard-of-hearing employees can follow rapid brainstorming sessions without waiting for a post-meeting transcript.

If you are not already using these tools in your workplace, it is easy to start. Most of these services are free or very low-cost, but produce a high return in employee productivity. Individuals with hearing deficiencies can participate in real-time conversations, give feedback, and bring their unique perspectives to the conversation. These tools also enhance productivity for the larger team by providing all employees with a greater flow of ideas, engagement, and recall.

Voice is the new keyboard

Voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Windows Voice Access have matured into integrated tools for everyday life and business. They can now handle paragraph-length dictation, code snippets, and complex spreadsheet commands.

Workers with limited dexterity or sight can participate fully in work tasks, which can level the playing field so everyone can succeed and contribute significantly to the workplace. Additionally, voice-assisted technology can help older employees or employees with differing physical needs continue working longer and retain vital organizational knowledge and expertise, contributing to their team's success.

Readability and writing coaches at scale

The new and highly sensitive AI-powered editors, such as GrammarlyGO and Microsoft Editor, flag jargon, suggest plain-language rewrites, and even adjust tone for cognitive accessibility. This can be a game-changer for neurodivergent professionals, including people with dyslexia or ADHD, as they have to use less brain power decoding dense emails and can get help writing responses in their workplace correspondence.

Again, these free or low-cost tools enable all team members to contribute their unique ideas and perspectives when working together to address workplace challenges, better serve clients, and increase productivity.

Alternative text that captures context

Image-recognition models can now draft alt-text beyond “blue shirt on chair.” Tools like Adobe’s Intelligent Captioning or Meta’s Automatic Alt Text describe emotion, action, and even brand context, giving screen-reader users a richer experience.

Employees with blindness or low vision are more likely to navigate online documents, presentations, and requests independently. These technologies also reduce workloads on marketing teams and help them meet accessibility standards without extensive labor and time.

For businesses that want a varied workforce that brings multiple perspectives, these tools give them a power that hasn’t been harnessed before. If employees living with disabilities have more tools at their disposal, they can, in turn, target specific customers in new ways.

Robots and exoskeletons

Many of us remember The Jetsons cartoon show from the 1960s and how far-fetched their housekeeper robot Rosie seemed then. But now, affordable robots and wearable devices to support employees with spinal cord injuries, chronic pain, and disabilities are helping perform repetitive tasks and reducing strain for everyday work tasks.

These devices may revolutionize unemployment to full-time employment opportunities for many individuals. Devices like ABB’s GoFa and Ottobock’s Paexo can help employers reduce injury claims and retain skilled staff; it’s truly a win-win for employees and employers.


The impact is universal

Eight-foot-wide accessible sidewalks, like the ones we have at Camp For All, help wheelchair users, parents pushing a stroller, and travelers rolling luggage. Similarly, AI captions level the playing field for hearing-impaired colleagues, neurodiverse team members, aging professionals, and every employee skimming a meeting on mute. When we treat accessibility as an innovation driver rather than a compliance checklist, we unleash the potential of productivity, loyalty, and creativity throughout our organizations and companies.

Camp For All sees this throughout the year: when design removes barriers, people discover abilities they never knew they had. Let’s bring that spirit into every Houston boardroom and breakroom — because an inclusive workplace isn’t just the right thing, it’s the smart thing.

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Pat Prior Sorrells is president and CEO of Camp For All, a Texas-based nonprofit organization. Located in Burton, Texas, the 206-acre Camp For Allsite was designed with no barriers for children and adults with special needs to experience the joy of camping and nature. Camp For All collaborates with more than 65 nonprofit organizations across the Greater Houston area and beyond to enable thousands of campers and their families to discover life each year. She speaks regularly on the need for inclusive design in public spaces.

CPRIT grants $22M to bring top cancer researchers to Houston

fresh funding

Several prominent cancer researchers are coming to the Houston area thanks to $22 million in grants recently awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).

The biggest CPRIT recruitment grant — $6 million — went to genetics researcher Jean Gautier. Gautier, a professor of genetics and development at Columbia University’s Institute for Cancer Genetics, is joining the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to continue his research.

The website for Gautier’s lab at Columbia provides this explanation of his research:

“The main objective of our research is to better understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of genome stability. These controls are lost in cancer, which is characterized by genomic instability.”

Aside from his work as a professor, Gautier is co-leader of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Cancer Genomics and Epigenomics Program at Columbia.

Other recipients of CPRIT recruitment grants include:

  • $2 million to recruit Xun Sun from the Scripps Research Institute to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
  • $2 million to recruit Mingqi Han from the University of California, Los Angeles to MD Anderson.
  • $2 million to recruit Matthew Jones from Stanford University to MD Anderson.
  • $2 million to recruit Linna An from the University of Washington to Rice University.
  • $2 million to recruit Alissa Greenwald from the Weizmann Institute of Science to MD Anderson.
  • $2 million to recruit Niladri Sinha from Johns Hopkins University to the Baylor College of Medicine.
  • $2 million for Luigi Perelli to stay at MD Anderson so he can be put on a tenure track and set up a research lab.
  • $2 million for Benjamin Schrank to stay at MD Anderson so he can be put on a tenure track and set up a research lab.

Over $20.2 million in academic research grants were awarded to researchers at:

  • Baylor College of Medicine
  • Houston Methodist Research Institute
  • Rice University
  • Texas Southern University
  • University of Houston
  • University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
  • University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

In addition, nearly $4.45 million in cancer prevention grants were awarded to one researcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and another at Texas Southern University.

Also, five Houston businesses benefited from CPRIT grants for product development research:

  • Allterum Therapeutics, $2,999,996
  • CTMC, $1,342,178
  • Instapath, $900,000
  • Prana Surgical, $900,000
  • InformAI, $465,188

“Texas is a national leader in the fight against cancer,” said Kristen Pauling Doyle, CPRIT’s CEO. “We can measure the return on investment from CPRIT grants … not only in the economic benefits flowing from increased financial activity and jobs in the state, but more importantly in the cancers avoided, detected early, and treated successfully. Thanks to the Legislature’s vision, this commitment is saving lives.”

Overall, CPRIT approved 61 grants totaling more than $93 million in this recent round of funding.

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