The Rice University community is mourning the tragic, violent loss of Andrea Rodriguez Avila, a Jones College junior from Nottingham, Maryland, remembered as a bright and dedicated young scholar with a promising future.
It was standing room only inside the university’s Memorial Chapel as students and friends of the university participated in a candlelight service in her honor Wednesday night. Organized by the Joint Campus Ministers and local houses of worship, the event for the 21-year-old pre-law political science major was an opportunity for the Rice community to come together in reflection following her death Monday. Members of her family were in attendance.
“Andrea was a remarkable young woman, beloved by her family, friends, classmates and all who had the privilege of knowing her,” Rice Provost Amy Dittmar told the attendees. “She embraced life and was both brilliant and brave.”
Rodriguez Avila transferred to Rice in the spring from the Community College of Baltimore County. There, she was deeply involved in various organizations, including the collegewide student programming board, the Multicultural Student Association, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the First-Year Experience Mentor program.
It was her commitment to service and helping others that stood out to Yvonne Romero, Rice’s vice president for enrollment, who called her “the exemplar of the talent” among community college applicants. “She was truly an inspiration and engaged in helping others realize their potential,” Romero said.
Rodriguez Avila jumped in with both feet upon her arrival at Rice. She served as deputy parliamentarian of the Rice Student Association (SA) and a peer academic advisor, offering support on academic matters to students in her residential college. Additionally, she was a member of the university's Honor Council, dedicated to upholding academic integrity across the campus. As a student ambassador for the Doerr Institute for New Leaders, she encouraged other students to live up to their full potential as leaders.
“In the short amount of time that I have gotten to know Andrea as the deputy parliamentarian of the SA, I have only glimpsed a fraction of her passion, warmth and the beauty of her soul that she shared with the world,” SA President Jae Kim said in a message to students.
The student’s family arrived in Houston Tuesday morning and has been receiving support from the university’s leadership team during this profoundly challenging time, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman said. “We mourn the loss of a wonderful person taken from us too soon,” she wrote in an email to the Rice community.
“The bonds of care and trust that we develop here at Rice between teachers and students make this kind of loss particularly painful,” Department of Political Science Chair Ashley Leeds wrote in an email to faculty. “I am sad and angry for Andrea, for her family and for our community.”
On Monday afternoon, Rice University Police conducted a welfare check and discovered Rodriguez Avila deceased from a gunshot wound in her Jones College room, alongside a male acquaintance with a self-inflicted gunshot wound who was not affiliated with the university. There were no signs of forced entry. All classes were canceled Tuesday.
Rice President Reginald DesRoches addressed the media Monday night following a brief campus lockdown prompted by the day’s events. “Tonight, we will wrap our arms around our students,” he said. “As a parent of a past Rice student, I can only imagine how devastating this must be.”
“This is a heartbreaking, devastating incident, and it is important to recognize that this loss will affect our close-knit community in the days and weeks ahead,” DesRoches wrote in an email to the Rice community. “The pain we feel on campus tonight is immeasurable, and I know that words cannot fully capture the sorrow and grief that many of you may be experiencing. I urge you to lean on each other, to offer support and compassion and to remember that we are all joined in our grief and care.”
Students who are struggling to cope with this tragedy can seek the professional resources available at the Rice Wellbeing and Counseling Center. They do so by simply calling the center’s 24/7 phone line: 713-348-3311. Faculty and staff in need of support can speak 24/7 with representatives of the Employee Assistance Program at 888-881-5462. Additionally, the university’s SAFE Office offers support to students who may be victims of interpersonal violence.
“We are here to support you, and no one should feel alone during this time,” DesRoches added. “In moments like these, our strength, care and resilience as a community are more important than ever. Please take care of yourselves and each other. Let us honor Andrea’s memory by coming together in unity and compassion.”