Mark Ditman, a longtime Rice employee who retired June 30 after nearly 29 years of service, is the inaugural recipient of the Y. Ping Sun Award for Outstanding Community Engagement.
Ditman was presented with the honor at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s state of the institute event held last month. The award, named after the wife of former Rice President David Leebron, is presented annually to a member of the Rice community who has provided devoted service to the city of Houston.
“I’m very pleased that Mark Ditman was named the first recipient of the Y. Ping Sun Award,” Sun said. “Mark represents our high aspirations for contributions to the community — both the Rice community and the Houston community. He played a major role in our United Way effort, kept our students safe and cared for during major hurricanes, established an on-campus farmer’s market, created an internship program for local high school students and more. He has truly embodied Rice’s culture of care.”
Ditman’s many contributions also included securing a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for mass timber projects on campus, serving as United Way campus chair for many years and other efforts in support of the university’s goal of becoming more engaged with Houston. Across campus, he was highly respected for his dedication to the betterment of university programming and supporting his teams, and known for his personal mantra, “Be strong, be smart, have a good heart,” which was on display in everything in which he was involved.
“Being recognized as the first winner of the Y. Ping Sun Award was a thrill,” Ditman said. “I have great respect for Ping’s community engagement and consider her a role model, so I am honored and humbled.”
The Y. Ping Sun Award, recognizing and honoring its namesake’s service to Houston as an ambassador of Rice, was first announced April 29, 2022, at a gala honoring the couple .
“I’m very grateful to the Rice Board of Trustees for establishing an award in my name that recognizes the importance of community service,” Sun said. “Houston is a great city full of nonprofit organizations serving the people in need. I’m truly lucky to be a member of this community.”