
H&D increases residential college ambiance funds
Housing & Dining has increased the ambiance fund from $9,000 to $14,000 for each residential college starting this semester.
Housing & Dining has increased the ambiance fund from $9,000 to $14,000 for each residential college starting this semester.
A team of Rice biologists have observed the red-shouldered soapberry bug’s rapid evolution in response to Hurricane Harvey on campus.
Imani Perry, the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at Harvard University and a MacArthur Fellow, will give two lectures at Rice for the Campbell Lecture Series at 6 p.m. Nov. 15 and 16.
Rice is missing opportunities to hire potential faculty members due to concerns surrounding Texas’s political climate, according to an interview with President Reggie DesRoches published in Bloomberg. DesRoches said Rice is seeking to hire 200 new faculty members, but many professors from the East or West coasts are reluctant to consider moving to Houston.
Jerzy Szablowski and Julea Vlassakis won the National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator awards for their individual research projects. The award, announced Oct. 3, recognizes early-stage investigators who demonstrate relevant, creative and influential project proposals that align with the NIH mission.
The Rice Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice released its final report and recommendations for the university after four years. Originally commissioned in 2019 by then-President David Leebron, the task force has conducted historical research, hosted webinars and updated the Rice community on its endeavors.
Camp Kesem will hold Move 4 Magic, a 5k marking the start of a three-day fundraising campaign, on Oct. 21 at 9 a.m. This event will be the first race hosted by a campus organization, according to Kesem development coordinator Zoe Wang.
Rice alumnus Louis E. Brus ’65 was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Oct. 4. Brus, a professor emeritus at Columbia University, shared the distinction with Moungi Bawendi, the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Alexei Ekimov of Nanocrystals Technology Inc. for research on quantum dots, which are semiconductor particles so small their size determines their properties.
The Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment is changing its name to better reflect the diversity of the Rice community, according to club Co-President Valeria Aguirre. HACER will invite students to suggest a name, with a $50 cash prize for the contest winner.
Ray’s Courtyard saw nearly 200 students, staff and administrators convene Oct. 11 for an evening event titled “Vigil for Israel.” Rice President Reggie DesRoches, Provost Amy Dittmar and Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman were all present at the vigil held by Chabad at Rice and Houston Hillel, two Jewish groups affiliated with Rice.
Rice Students for Justice in Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement and other groups led a protest in support of Palestine at Houston City Hall Oct. 14. More than 2,000 demonstrators attended, according to the Houston Police Department.
Rice Votes and the Greater Houston Pachyderm Club jointly hosted the non-partisan Houston Mayoral Forum at the McMurtry Auditorium Oct. 14. The talk was moderated by Mark Jones, a political science fellow at the Baker Institute and professor in the department of political science.
President Joseph Biden appointed David Satterfield, the director of the Baker Institute for Public Policy, as the special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues Oct. 15. Satterfield said he will continue to serve as the Baker Institute’s director through his “temporary mission” as special envoy. According to the U.S. Department of State, Satterfield will “lead U.S. diplomacy to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” Satterfield will arrive in the Middle East shortly, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
University Court made a unanimous ruling in a preliminary investigative hearing Saturday, Sept. 30, stating that the Student Association violated its constitution during its constitutional amendment ratification on April 23.
Rice trustee Terrence Gee and his family donated $1 million to help launch the Dr. Anthony B. Pinn Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Center for African and African American Studies.
The Wiess President’s House, which serves as both a private residence for the university president and a space for university-hosted events, is nearing completion of its latest construction phase.
Rice EcoReps hosted a two-day clothing exchange Sept. 27-28 prior to the Sid ’80s public. Students were able to donate unwanted clothes and receive clothes free of charge.
Housing and Dining and the Rice African Student Association collaborated Sept. 29 to taste African dishes, served at the Chopd & Stewd Fest hosted at the POST the next day.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program unlawful on Sept. 13. According to this ruling, current DACA recipients, or individuals whose DACA status has been expired for less than one year, can continue to renew their status. However, first-time applications will be blocked.
Rice Pride ended its partnership with Houston Hillel, a Jewish campus ministry at Rice, on Sept. 18. Pride’s latest statement on the decision says that the organization will no longer “receive funding or co-create spaces with Houston Hillel” and cited concerns by Palestinian and Arab students who did not feel comfortable engaging in Pride due to the partnership.