Rice University’s Alumni Weekend welcomed alumni, students, faculty, staff and the community for a weekend of festivities, fellowship and football Nov. 1-2. Part Homecoming and part class reunion, Owls reconnected and contemplated the past, present and future of the beloved institution.
The weekend also provided an opportunity for class reunions, starting with the Class of 1974 and continuing in five-year increments through the Class of 2019. Each class participated in robust reunion-giving campaigns, amassing more than $42 million over a five-year span to bolster the ongoing work of the university and to support students.
In total, more than 2,000 guests returned to campus to participate in the two-day celebration — a 30% increase over the previous year.
“We are always excited and energized by bringing the alumni community back to campus, and what a weekend it was,” said James Hurley, associate vice president of alumni relations. “We want to give a massive shoutout to all our campus partners who helped pull off such an incredible weekend of programming.”
The weekend kicked off when Rice Space Institute Director David Alexander delivered a lecture titled “Expanding the Space Frontier: The Innovation Landscape,” followed by four Rice faculty members who shared insights into a range of topics in engaging TEDx-style talks. Association of Rice Alumni President David Mansouri ’07 also engaged in a conversation with Troy Schaum, associate professor of architecture, during a live recording of the “Beyond the Hedges” podcast.
President Reginald DesRoches greeted alumni during a town hall Friday afternoon, where he highlighted Rice’s newly unveiled strategic plan Momentous and delivered a breakdown of some of the university’s key metrics, including a student body of nearly 4,800 undergraduates and more than 4,000 graduate students with 94 new faculty members. He emphasized increased research in urban communities, sustainable futures and health innovations.
“Momentous, which is personalized scale for global impact, is going to guide the university for the next 10 years,” DesRoches said in a video played for the audience in McNair Hall’s Shell Auditorium. “It’s about teaching and research. It’s about arts and sciences. It’s about undergraduate and graduate students. It’s about global impact — doing something really big but also having a personalized touch with our students.”
In a Q&A session with Mansouri, DesRoches fielded questions regarding Rice’s new strategic plan with a preview of the future.
“Fundamentally, the reason why Rice will be transformed in 10 years is because of the people,” DesRoches said. “We are recruiting the best faculty, keeping them here and providing them everything they need; we are recruiting the best staff and investing in them; we are recruiting the very best students and preparing them.
“I’m excited about the fact that we are growing. Very few of our peers are growing like Rice, both in terms of students and faculty. We are hiring exceptional talent, and they’re excited because they see the growth that’s happening at Rice. It’s really about the people, and that’s what excites me the most.”
The town hall also provided an opportunity to recognize this year’s Builders Award recipients — Tim Harrison ’20 and Vivas Kumar ’14 — for their significant contributions to the university postgraduation. Harrison, who founded EPOG Academy, a nonprofit that leverages coaching and personal development to empower youth in underserved communities, contributed to Rice through guest lecturing, conducting research and using his spoken word performances to foster critical discussions on belonging and identity. Kumar has served in several key roles at Rice, including on the Association of Rice Alumni board and Rice Engineering Alumni board, and continues to mentor young alumni. He is the CEO and co-founder of Mitra Chem, the first lithium-ion battery materials manufacturer focused on drastically shortening the lab-to-production timeline.
Friday wrapped up with a beer garden at Valhalla, where returning classmates got a chance to catch up and ruminate about their time at Rice.
For Vince James ’79 and Kevin McKenna ’79, who both live in Europe, the weekend was a chance to meet up on their old stomping grounds and experience the changes since they were students 45 years ago.
“It is different to see so many more buildings on campus compared to when I was a student, but the feeling of being on campus remains the same,” James said. “This is a beautiful campus, and the undergraduate environment is tremendous. It’s just amazing how fast it’s growing.”
“This is a tremendous place,” McKenna said. “This university is going from strength to strength. Back when we were here, nobody knew Rice. Now it is in the top 10 of several rankings. It’s impressive, and I very honestly have to say I’m proud.”
Stacie Nimchan ’94, who returned for her 30th class reunion, said she appreciates the outdoor spaces and was looking forward to viewing the newly redesigned Academic Quad.
“There were not as many outdoor spaces to sit and relax or study when I was here,” Nimchan said. “It is nice that there’s all these options for being outside.”
Rick Davis ’89 returned for a class reunion five years ago, but this weekend was his first time returning with DesRoches at the helm.
“Rice has always had a nice reputation, and I’m glad Reggie is in place,” Davis said. “We’re excited about having Reggie as president, and I think he has already been doing and will continue to do great things for the university.”
Saturday proved to be another event-filled day, and not even the gloomy skies could dampen the spirit of Owls as they again engaged in multiple happenings throughout campus.
Owls gathered for an inaugural alumni run around campus immediately followed by a community market featuring products and services offered exclusively by more than 30 Rice alumni business owners.
No Alumni Weekend would be complete without a football game. Owls both past and present gathered for a tailgate and family fest on the east side of Rice Stadium before watching Rice beat the Navy Midshipmen 24-10.
To learn more about and get involved with Rice Alumni, visit alumni.rice.edu.