It was a night to remember as the Black Student Association (BSA) celebrated students, faculty, staff and alumni at the Black Excellence Gala, an awards-style banquet honoring Owls for their dedication to the success of Black students at Rice.
The theme for this year was “BlackTIE: Black Tradition, Impact, and Excellence.” It was inspired by a quote from President Reginald DesRoches: "We have lots of work to do, but we're poised to take the university to the next level of excellence and impact."
DesRoches provided welcoming remarks, and Rice alum and Houston Rockets Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Julian Duncan '99 served as keynote speaker.
The evening’s honorees included:
- Outstanding Senior: Malaika Bergner
- Student Choice: Muna Ogbunamiri
- Outstanding Graduate Student: Njideka C. Nnorom
- Outstanding Graduate Student: Tia Gray
- Student Athlete: Shelby DesRoches
- Staff Award: Tamara Jones
- Faculty Award: Alexander Byrd
- Unsung Hero: Janice Robinson
- Alumni Award: Rebecca Allen
- Distinguished Alumni Award: Jan West
The BSA’s gala is impactful to the lives of the Rice Black student community, as proceeds support programs like Welcome B(l)ack Week, Soul Night and more.