February Q&A with President Leebron

By Margeux Clemmons     2/5/09 6:00pm

Beginning this week, the Thresher will conduct a monthly interview with President David Leebron to ask him about current events, university issues and anything else of interest to the Rice student body. To submit a question a future interview, email threshernews@gmail.com.

What is your favorite movie of the moment?

La Vie En Rose: I think the story of Edith Piaf, who I love as a singer, the adversity she faced in her life and what she overcome, is really very powerful and one of the best acting performances I've seen in years.

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What is your favorite pie from House of Pies?

It has to be something with chocolate, maybe chocolate mousse pie.

How did you meet your wife?

This is complicated. She was applying to law schools, and she had been admitted to both Columbia and NYU, and I was a professor at NYU. As an admitted student she was sent to talk to me because I advised potential students, and my job was in part to make her come to NYU. I failed at that job; she graduated from Columbia in 1988. I went to Columbia in 1989 and ultimately accepted a permanent position. Ping and I were never professor and student in the same institution let alone in the same class.

What is your favorite color?

Red.

What is your favorite sports team?

My favorite sports team would be a Rice sports team, and I don't know that I want to get into trouble by picking. I like watching Rice sports more than any other college activity.

What is your favorite residential college?

Hanszen, because I've now learned how to spell it.

What is your favorite Rice building?

I'm very fond of the Pavilion, which is new and creates opportunities and is different. I really like Duncan Hall because it's kind of different and odd and imaginative. I like Baker Hall because it's such a classic building and has an international dimension to it.

Has your family downsized due to the recession?

In fact, we've had a slight increase in family size which has caused me to go from number four in the family to number five: We've gotten a dog.

Was this decision influenced by the Obamas' new pet?

Well, I think it is. My daughter wondered why if the president of the United States promised his children a dog, why we couldn't also have a dog. She's only been lobbying for four years. My daughter is a very effective lobbyist.

Are you planning on any international trips after your two recent trips to Beijing and Iran?

There will be a trip to Mexico before the end of the semester for the second consortium of Mexican universities, and there are tentative plans for traveling to Brazil, among other locations. China, Latin America and India remain top priorities.

What is the best major?

I'm going to refuse to answer the "best" question. There are some majors I think are interesting; one of the most interesting ones is linguistics. What interests me about linguistics is understanding how humans express themselves and interact with one another, the relationship between language and culture. It seems very interdisciplinary. I think there are a lot of majors like that, and some of them are overlooked.

I think the most important thing about a student picking a major is that the student have a passion for that and pursue it at a deeper level. I wish a larger percentage of our students wrote something equivalent to a senior thesis ... Out of everything I did, I only remember two papers I wrote in college. Especially when students get to the end of their time at Rice, what's much more important than the grade you get on a paper is do you feel you've tried to do something original, something you've put your heart in.

Is the possible acquisition of Baylor Med part of a larger plan? Can you ever see Rice having a law school?

I can certainly see it, and in fact the founding president, Edgar Odell Lovett, had some plans drawn up for the campus in which he showed locations for a medical school and a law school. One of the things I like about the possibility of making Baylor a part of Rice is it would significantly expand student opportunity, significantly expand our presence in the world without changing the undergraduate and graduate student experience. While I believe expanding the university 30 percent is important to the success of the university, I don't believe we can have an expansion much larger than that. In terms of having a law school, while I do think it would be beneficial, I've got enough things to worry about. It's not on the immediate agenda.

How do you feel about President Obama and the inauguration?

I feel very excited about Obama's inauguration and election. It's kind of odd when you're living history. For many people the election of Obama has been a sign of hope and progress and on the other hand we're faced with these fairly horrendous economic situations. One thing I care about, one thing I don't think a lot of Americans care about is how we are perceived abroad. It's sent the world a message that we as a nation still have a great fidelity to the values that we profess: values of opportunity and values of equality and values of the rule of law. I'm very exited and optimistic about it. I do have to say I really loved the Thresher backpage from last year that tracked our parallel careers, including the fact that we both married way above our heads.

What are you doing, if anything, to stay visible and connected to the undergraduate population?

One of the things I try to do is get out to the colleges informally and formally, perhaps have lunch. I would like to schedule more semiformal interactions, but I leave it significantly to the colleges to be in touch with me about what works from their point of view. The main thing I'm trying to do is wander around a little bit and visit folks where they live.

What did you think of the Super Bowl? What team were you rooting for?

It was a great Super Bowl. It was like a Rice game; it was full of twists and turns. Some of the ads were pretty good; some were offensive. I was not motivated to pick a side in this contest.

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