Texas Speaker Straus visits Rice

Texas House of Representatives Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, joined Rice faculty, staff and trustees for a lunch on campus Tuesday. The speaker came to campus to discuss Rice's legislative priorities and how the Texas legislature can help the university continue with its academic mission. From left, Lisa Kaufman, Straus' director of policy and budget and special counsel; Linda Thrane, vice president for public affairs; Cory Kennedy, director of government relations; Vicki Colvin, vice provost for research, the Kenneth S. Pitzer-Schlumberger Professor of Chemistry and professor of chemical and biomolecular chemistry; Rice trustee Robert Clarke '63; Straus; John Hutchinson, dean of undergraduates and professor of chemistry; Ned Thomas, dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering; and Rice trustee Larry Kellner. Not pictured but in attendance at the lunch was Provost George McLendon.