Q: How long have you worked at Rice?
A: I started working at Rice in 2000. I left in 2011 and returned in 2013, so I’m approaching 22 years. Essentially, my career at Rice is old enough to have graduated from college.
Q: What is your favorite part about working for the university?
A: I am grateful to be part of a community of smart, open-minded people who are dedicated to creating and sharing knowledge.
Q: What do you want people to know about living in Houston?
A: While Houston is rightly celebrated for its wonderful food, I also love its creative spirit, embodied by the Art Car Parade and the Orange Show. I enjoy running and cycling along Brays, Buffalo and White Oak bayous, especially when the wildflowers are blooming.
Q: What do you do in your downtime?
A: Despite thinking for most of my life that I hated running, I’m currently training for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon with my wonderful running group. It turns out that I have excellent conversations while exploring Houston on foot, and runner’s high is real for me. I’m also taking improv classes, which feel like playtime for grownups. To do my part in addressing what I believe is one of our greatest challenges, I volunteer with a few groups focused on climate action.
Q: What’s your favorite spot on campus to show someone?
A: When I was an undergraduate at Rice, I met the man who would become my husband while he was playing guitar under a gorgeous live oak tree by Hanszen College. That tree became my father’s retirement tree (he was a Rice research scientist in space physics), and I hope it will be mine as well.
Q: What’s the most exciting time of year for you as it relates to Rice?
A: I’m all about beginnings, so I get jazzed up at the start of the fall semester as the students return to campus.
Q: What’s the one thing that makes Rice special to you?
A: As someone who has occupied pretty much every role at Rice (child of a staff member, student, alumna, staff member, instructor and now parent), I especially appreciate the university’s quirky, caring and collaborative culture.
Q: If you could be Sammy The Owl for a day, what would you do?
A: I would join the Rice Audubon bird-watching group on Tuesday morning and hope to catch a glimpse of a great horned owl.
Q: How would you describe your experience as a Rice employee?
A: Lucky. Over the course of my career at Rice, I have collaborated with many bright, kind and dedicated people and have gotten to work on exciting projects that have helped me grow and feel a sense of purpose.
Q: Where do you see Rice in 25 years?
A: While thinking about the world in 25 years triggers the dystopian in me, I will lean towards hope and imagine that in 2049(!) Rice is a global center in mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis. I hope that it also continues to nurture a vibrant community of researchers, artists and students.
Q: Describe Rice University in four words or less.
A: Curious, cooperative, creative and caring.
Q: What else have we not talked about yet that merits discussion?
A: Many people aren’t aware that Fondren Library not only provides rich collections of books and journals but also lends equipment such as video cameras and umbrellas, makes available audio and video studios (now with soundproofing, courtesy of the Friends of Fondren) and offers free workshops on everything from generative AI to video editing. It also enables students to work on inquiry-based learning projects through the Fondren Fellows program.