This August, Rachel Carlson (Martel '11) will be traveling overseas for postgraduate education thanks to the George Mitchell Scholarship. Out of 300 applicants, Carlson was one of 12 chosen to receive the scholarship for the 2012- 2013 academic year. She will study at Trinity College Dublin where she will pursue an master's in Environment and Development.
Students walking to their first classes of the new year had to get past more than just their snooze buttons. According to weather data on the university website, Rice's campus received 4.98 inches of rain Monday, flooding roads and parking lots in and around the university.
After receiving 4.98 inches of rain parts of campus flooded Monday morning forcing some off-campus students, faculty and staff to stay home until the water drained. Those on-campus who ventured outside braved water that was more than a foot deep in places. While some students waded across the Inner Loop to get to class, others put on their swimsuits and took advantage of the weather or helped stranded motorists move their cars out of flooded intersections.
As each year draws to a close, Time Magazine selects the men and women whom they believe have made a significant impact in the world for their "People Who Mattered" list. This year, Virginia Moyer (Jones '74) was chosen for her work as chairwoman of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and her counterintuitive recommendation against routine prostate cancer screening.
Hang around Jones College long enough with a full bladder and you might notice something new at the loo. Biometric fingerprint scanners were installed outside of all community bathrooms and will be replacing the old keypad locks.
With the start of a new semester come plans for a new athletics facility on the south side of campus. The Rice University Board of Trustees approved the $44.5 million project, which includes renovations to the current football stadium and the addition of a new two-story training complex for athletes, at its December board meeting. The Board did not allocate any university funds for the project, meaning all $44.5 million is expected to come from donors and fundraising.
Johnny Whitehead, the current chief of police at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, has been selected as the new chief of police and director of public safety for Rice effective March 1st.
The following items were reported to the Rice University Police Department for the period Sept. 21-27.
Students walking past Coffeehouse's former space will notice that the Willy's Pub offshoot, Little Willy's, is no longer there. The cafe was shut down over the winter break and will soon be replaced by O'Yeah Cafe, which will serve Chinese cuisine.
The Rice Dance Theater performs its fall show "Points of Contact" in the Dance Theatre of the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center. The show ran from Nov. 16 through 18 for sold-out audiences of students, faculty and staff.
Professor of History Douglas Brinkley clashed with Alaskan Representative Don Young at a congressional hearing two weeks ago in a heated argument after Young dubbed Brinkley's testimony "garbage" and mistakenly called him "Dr. Rice."
Curing cancer has long been a lofty goal of scientific researchers and one that researchers in the Rice University Department of Chemistry have made promising strides toward achieving in recent months.
Rice continues to reach beyond the hedges as two students head to the United Kingdom next fall to pursue their graduate studies practically free of charge as Marshall Scholars.
The Student Association has pushed deadlines back until next semester for a bill that would suggest ways to get outside newspapers brought to the residential colleges. The SA had originally hoped to have a final draft of the bill ready to present by the end of the semester, but talks about financing and concerns from college leadership have postponed the bill. Drafted by SA Secretary Yoonjin Min, Lovett College sophomore Brian Strasters and SA President Georgia Lagoudas, the bill originally proposed to institute a $5 increase in student fees to cover costs for the newspapers.
Rice's South Asian Society presented its annual winter dance extravaganza on Nov. 19 to a packed crowd in the RMC grand hall. With dancing, singing and even a fashion show, Dhamaka had something for everyone.
Contestants impressed audience members and judges with a host of talents, including a seductive dance or two, while raising awareness and funds for Stone Soup, an AIDS Foundation Houston organization.
