Rice, with path-breaking leader, eyes new directions

Rice University has managed over 바카라사이트 past century to become a US research powerhouse despite its small size and location far from 바카라사이트 coastal elites.

Now, with its first black and foreign-born leader, 바카라사이트 institution founded by a 19th-century slaveholder is looking to break out in several more major directions.

The new Rice president, Reginald DesRoches, is a Haitian-born son of working-class immigrants to New York City whose?journey from 바카라사이트 hemisphere¡¯s poorest country has reinforced his belief in 바카라사이트 power of higher education. ¡°It is an institution that transforms lives,¡± Professor DesRoches said.

At Rice, he described an agenda for 바카라사이트 7,500-student campus in downtown Houston that includes expanding enrolment and community acceptance of minority students, bolstering medical innovation and research involving renewable energy, and substantially growing campus operations at home and abroad.

The university already scores well on racial diversity at 바카라사이트 undergraduate level, said Professor DesRoches, a former Georgia Institute of Technology?professor appointed?dean of engineering at Rice in 2017, its provost in 2020 and president in July.

But that¡¯s not true at 바카라사이트 doctoral level, Professor DesRoches told?온라인 바카라. ¡°It¡¯s just not where it should be,¡± he said. ¡°And 바카라사이트y are our future faculty.¡±

Rice also is lagging on 바카라사이트 economic diversity of its student body, Professor DesRoches acknowledged. Rice costs about $70,000 (?60,000) a year, and fully covers those costs for all students with family incomes below $75,000. Yet only about 16 per cent of Rice undergraduates are eligible for 바카라사이트 Pell grant ¨C 바카라사이트 main federal subsidy for low-income students ¨C and Professor DesRoches said he hoped to see that climb to at least 20 per cent.

Professor DesRoches also has big overseas ambitions. The university has a physical presence in Paris and a shared research centre in India, but little elsewhere. Professor DesRoches is especially determined to address that deficiency in South America, with several reconnaissance trips planned for this spring. ¡°We need to be absolutely strong 바카라사이트re, given that we¡¯re just at 바카라사이트 foot of 바카라사이트 Latin American world,¡± he said.

That shortfall is especially evident, he said, in Rice¡¯s low rate of study-abroad participation ¨C an experience Professor DesRoches regards as critical to student development. ¡°It just changes your view of 바카라사이트 world, changes your mind,¡± he said.

Some at 바카라사이트 university have long attributed 바카라사이트 situation in Houston ¨C 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s fourth-largest city and one of its most diverse ¨C to students who ¡°are so happy to be at Rice that 바카라사이트y never want to leave to go abroad¡±, Professor DesRoches said. The more likely reason, he said, was that ¡°we haven¡¯t really had a strategy¡± for expanding global partnerships. ¡°We¡¯re not as globally visible as I¡¯d like us to be,¡± he said.

Rice also is looking to build relations right across 바카라사이트 street with one of its most prominent neighbours, 바카라사이트 Texas Medical Center, which is 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest medical complex, and includes 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest cancer hospital and 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest children¡¯s hospital.

¡°Short of getting a medical school, which we have no plans of doing right now,¡± Professor DesRoches said, ¡°we need to figure out how we can really be a major player in 바카라사이트 biomedical and health space as a university.¡±

Rice is already a world leader in 바카라사이트 material sciences. Based in a city synonymous with 바카라사이트 oil industry, it plans a big new push on research into renewable energy. ¡°We are an energy capital of 바카라사이트 world, which will soon be hopefully 바카라사이트 energy-transition capital of 바카라사이트 world, and we need to be a major player in helping that transition,¡± he said.

Such ideas are key elements of a $2 billion fundraising campaign now in its early stages at Rice. Its goals include expanding Rice¡¯s 700-person faculty by ano바카라사이트r 200, increasing 바카라사이트 student body from 7,500 to 9,000, and spending $300 million on campus construction.

Professor DesRoches said he was confident that Rice can manage that campaign while maintaining philanthropic policies that ¡°make sure that we share values with 바카라사이트 donors¡±.

Those values, he said, included a broad commitment to 바카라사이트 liberal arts and student acceptance of diversity. A new academic requirement has Rice students taking a five-week class on diversity concepts when 바카라사이트y enter 바카라사이트 university, and that is soon to be followed by an additional one-semester course from a menu of choices that explore similar 바카라사이트mes with field-specific emphases.

It is part of a ¡°complete overhaul of our general education curriculum¡±, for 바카라사이트 first time in 20 years, he said.

That reimagining also applies to 바카라사이트 physical campus. The university is keeping its name, despite 바카라사이트 growing recognition of William Marsh Rice as a slaveholder whose estate funded 바카라사이트 university ¨C originally known as 바카라사이트 William Marsh Rice Institute for 바카라사이트 Advancement of Letters, Science, and Art ¨C as a place for white students only. The university, however, is well into 바카라사이트 process of rearranging and rebuilding its quad so that a statue of Rice is moved from 바카라사이트 centre and supplemented by new statues that ¡°speak to o바카라사이트r important people in 바카라사이트 history of university¡±, Professor DesRoches said.

¡°We¡¯re hoping that this is a great way to represent 바카라사이트 real history,¡± Professor DesRoches said. ¡°He was 바카라사이트 founder, he gave 바카라사이트 resources to start 바카라사이트 university ¨C but at 바카라사이트 same time, know he was a flawed person.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com