Let’s progress together
This is my first column for the Thresher as Rice’s new president, and the opportunity fills me with a sense of awe and gratitude. Rice is a remarkable institution of higher education, and I am honored to lead and serve our community.
To begin, my wife Paula and I want to welcome our new and transfer students to Rice. We are so glad that you chose Rice for your education and enjoyed meeting many of you during the move-in and welcome dinners last week. I also want to welcome back our returning Owls. It’s been great to see you again around campus!
If Orientation Week is any indication, the fall and spring semesters are going to be filled with renewed energy and hope for a bright future. The students I met while moving into their residential colleges are full of excitement, ideas, hopes and dreams. They also are dedicated to investing in their futures and in Rice.
This fall’s entering class is one of the largest ever — thanks to a growing student population and a more normal university environment as we continue to monitor and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The virus poses a different challenge today than it did more than two years ago. We now have vaccines and treatments to combat the effects of COVID-19, and we have a better understanding of how we can protect ourselves with simple precautions like wearing masks in certain public settings when needed. Being responsible for your own health and respectful of other people’s health is especially important with the emergence of other viruses, such as Monkeypox.
As I mentioned, the Class of 2026 is 1,210 new Owls strong. The class has no single ethnic or racial majority — 32% are from underrepresented minority groups and another 14% are international students who hail from 55 countries around the world.
Our faculty, which is also growing, is becoming more reflective of our diverse community as well. The last two classes of new faculty members were among the most diverse ever at Rice. We continue to work hard in this area.
I have only been in my role as president for about a month and a half. Much of my time thus far has been focused on assembling the university’s leadership team. I have announced several new members of the administration and am thrilled with the talent we have been able to recruit to Rice and the collaborative spirit and energy they all bring to their roles.
The new members of the leadership team include: Provost Amy Dittmar, Vice President for Innovation Paul Cherukuri, Vice President for Finance and Administration Kelly Fox, Vice President for Research Ramamoorthy Ramesh and General Counsel Omar Syed. This group of new leaders — working closely with the vice provosts, other vice presidents, deans, chairs and institute directors — will work with me and others across campus to define and carry out some of my top goals, which include improving the student experience, and enabling Rice to reach a new level of distinction nationally and internationally for impactful scholarship, research and innovation.
I also want to grow and elevate Rice’s graduate programs to the same distinction as our undergraduate programs, enhance our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and expand our general education curriculum and study abroad program. We have made great strides in many of these areas in recent years, and I know this great community will keep up the momentum and take us further.
I will continue the listening tour I started shortly after my announcement as president, with the goal of meeting as many staff, faculty and students as possible to hear about their hopes, concerns and aspirations for Rice. I look forward to visiting with you and wish everyone a fulfilling semester.
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