Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion and associate dean of humanities at Rice, has devoted much of his professional research, public lecturing and published thought to the UFO phenomenon. His latest research — compiling a massive archive from the works of fellow UFO scholars and researchers —coincides with the release of a much-anticipated report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence about UFOs. With this newest report, Kripal and his colleagues had a lot to discuss this spring when Rice hosted a conference centered around this new archive. “Opening The Archives Of The Impossible” took place in March and included exhibitions from the UFO archives across several floors of the library. Read a Q&A with Kripal in Rice News. - Read more about his work in Rice Magazine - Read more about the conference "Opening The Archives Of The Impossible."