Perry appoints Gillis to cancer research grant committee
Former Rice President and current economics professor Malcolm Gillis was appointed to Texas' Cancer Prevention and Research Institute Oversight Committee last Thursday by governor Rick Perry. The institute was formed after a statewide vote in November with the purpose of allocating a total of $3 billion in grants for cancer research to researchers nationwide, not just those based in Texas."I wouldn't have signed up if it had been just Texas researchers," Gillis said. "This proves that we can compete with anybody on equal footing."
The oversight committee, which will consist of 11 advisors, will be responsible for choosing the institute's leader and establishing and monitoring its goals. Members of the committee are expected to hold their first meeting within the next few months and will then begin the process of forming the structure of the organization.
"It could take us a year to find a director for the institute because we want a first-rate scientist with management capabilities," Gillis said.
The leader the committee chooses will be responsible for directing the institute once it is set up.
Gillis became involved with the institute through his encouragement of research in bio-, info- and nanotechnology, the intersection of which he hails as one of the greatest advancements in recent years.
Gillis recently helped to establish the Texas/United Kingdom Collaborative Research Initiative, a group connecting Texas and United Kingdom universities and medical centers.
He said he views both projects as essential in keeping talented, young engineers in Texas and providing Texas researchers with the tools they need.
"My personal goal for the Cancer Institute is to make sure that we find, identify and fund the most promising treatments for cancer that are available," Gillis said.
More from The Rice Thresher
Jones wins men’s and women’s Beer Bike races, GSA snags alumni
Jones College won both the women’s and men’s Beer Bike 2024 races, while the Graduate Student Association claimed the alumni team win. Hanszen College bike teams were the runner-up in the alumni and men’s races, while Brown College was the runner-up in the women’s race. Martel and McMurtry Colleges did not bike in the alumni race, according to the Rice Program Council’s final report, and the GSA was disqualified from the men’s race for accidentally sending out two bikers simultaneously.
Super Smash Bros. ultimate tournament sees smashing success
The Super Smash Bros. Club held their second annual ultimate tournament Friday, April 12. Club president Jashun Paluru said all Smash players were welcome, regardless of ability, experience or involvement in the club. The event was held in collaboration with Owls After Dark, a late-night activity series headed by the Rice Student Center, at the Rice Memorial Center’s Grand Hall.
‘Off the beaten track’: Commencement speakers through the years
A former American president, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Nobel laureates and the founder of Khan Academy. All may share similar traits or levels of fame, but there’s another, quieter, common ground: They’ve all spoken at Rice’s commencement.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.