Rice dedicates the Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science
This September, hundreds of faculty, students, staff, alumni and supporters gathered for the formal dedication of the Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science, the highly anticipated new home for innovation and research supported by an extraordinary lead gift from the estate of Ralph O’Connor. The celebration included remarks from several Rice leaders, as well as an official ribbon-cutting ceremony with the O’Connor family, building tours and a reception.
“It’s especially fitting that this building should bear the name of Ralph S. O’Connor, so that we permanently commemorate his generosity, goodwill and lasting legacy through a facility that represents our very highest aspirations and future impact,” President Reginald DesRoches said. The O’Connor Building will enable Rice students and faculty to address a host of pressing needs spanning new materials, health care, quantum science, energy and the environment, while serving as a centerpiece of its reenvisioned engineering quad and a focal point for the university’s broader technology commercialization efforts.
For more information, visit futureofresearch.rice.edu.
OEDK honors Harrell and Carolyn Huff '63
During this year’s George R. Brown School of Engineering Design Showcase and Poster Competition, President DesRoches announced that the competition would now be known as the Huff OEDK Engineering Design Showcase in recognition of years of support from Harrell Huff and his late wife Carolyn, a Rice alumna. Since 2013, the Huffs have directly sponsored more than 59 teams in the competition, served as student mentors and established multiple endowments to support the design kitchen. This year, Harrell also pledged a substantial estate gift for the purpose of endowing key faculty and staff positions, among other priorities.
Gordon Green ’62 donates personal collection to Comic Art Teaching and Study Workshop
A generous donation of rare and vintage comics from Rice University alumnus Gordon Green ’62 was recently made to the Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library. Green’s donation was unveiled March 31 as part of a celebration of the establishment of the Comic Art Teaching and Study Workshop, a treasure trove of original comic art and books housed in Rice’s Department of Art.
New postdoctoral fellowship to help recruit star African and African American Studies scholars to Rice
Terrence Gee ’86, a member of the School of Humanities Advisory Board and Rice Board of Trustees, and his wife, Terri, have created the Dr. Anthony B. Pinn Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Center for African and African American Studies. The fund — which honors the center’s founder, Anthony Pinn, the Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of Humanities and professor of religion — allows Rice to recruit cutting-edge young scholars to share research, collaborate with faculty and inspire undergraduates.
Rice hosts topping out celebration for Cannady Hall
In August, Rice Architecture commemorated the completion of William T. Cannady Hall with a topping out celebration. “The construction of Cannady Hall represents a collective effort by students, faculty, staff and generous donors who share a passion for architectural excellence,” said Cannady, professor emeritus of architecture. “It is my hope that Cannady Hall will serve as a testament to the innovative spirit that lies at the core of Rice University.” Designed by Jeannette Kuo and Ünal Karamuk, globally renowned architects and co-founders of Karamuk Kuo Architects based in Zurich, Cannady Hall is set to be completed in early 2024.
Soaring Together: scholarship reception honors recipients and supporters
On Oct. 19, the university celebrated scholarship recipients and their supporters during the new annual event “Soaring Together,” held at the Moody Center for the Arts. The event, which recognizes the generosity of the Rice community and the transformational impact of endowed scholarships, allowed students and donors to mingle and hear remarks from Yvonne Romero da Silva, Rice’s vice president of enrollment, as well as Julie Itz ’72 and Puneetha Goli ’24.
