Q: How long have you worked at Rice?
A: 11 years.
Q: What is your favorite part about working for the university?
A: The ability to collaborate with some of the best people in their professional fields to find solutions to challenging problems.
Q: What do you want people to know about living in Houston?
A: It’s a lot bigger than people think from a geographic perspective.
Q: What do you do in your downtime?
A: In March, my wife and I welcomed twins into our family, and that puts us with four children under 4 years old. In other words, downtime is a myth! My “downtime” is mostly spent chasing toddlers, changing diapers, playing trains and reading stories. If I do get a rare moment, you can either catch me fishing, working out at the gym, grilling or building something in the garage.
Q: What’s your favorite spot on campus to show someone?
A: The Academic Quad. In addition to the redesign, I try to show all the unique features included in the buildings, especially the whispering chamber and the frog wall.
Q: What’s the most exciting time of year for you as it relates to Rice?
A: When the azaleas bloom in the spring. We should try to figure out how to make them bloom year-round.
Q: What’s the one thing that makes Rice special to you?
A: To quote Edgar Odell Lovett, Rice assigns “no upper limit to its educational endeavor.” Over a century later, this is still true, and I’ve appreciated that this has allowed me and our office to explore ways to enhance the educational experience and given us the space and resources to do so.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A: I end up with a lot of “problems to be solved” or “questions that need an answer” coming my way. I enjoy being able to try to find a creative solution for these that will be sustainable for the future and repeatable. It’s also nice to see the answers to those problems/questions come full circle when those who had the issue follow up down the road and explain how it impacted the educational experience.
Q: What advice would you give to new employees?
A: Don’t be afraid to ask why we do something the way we do. Perhaps there is a good reason for it being done that way, and you’ll learn more about the university. Perhaps there isn’t a good reason, and you’ll have an opportunity to explore how to improve what Rice does and contribute to its flourishing and pursuit of excellence.
Q: Would you share a bit about your background and career journey?
A: I graduated college during the Great Recession, and it was difficult to find a job. After about a year of having no luck, someone (now a good friend and mentor) took a chance on me and hired me to work at Western Kentucky University, where I became a records associate. The person who hired me eventually left for a different institution, and I took over her role; however, shortly thereafter, I took an assistant registrar role at Texas A&M University. When an associate registrar position opened at Rice, I applied, and the registrar hired me shortly thereafter.
Since being at Rice, I’ve moved from associate registrar to senior associate registrar to deputy registrar, the position I now hold.
Q: What’s your secret talent?
A: Probably cooking — particularly grilling. I started an annual BBQ festival in our office that occurs in the fall in which I grill for the office and bring it in, so it’s not so much a secret from everyone.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
A: Slow down and think through major life decisions. Get off the computer/phone/game system and go outside more. Do things with people you love while you can.
Q: If you could be Sammy The Owl for a day, what would you do?
A: I would start off by going to the Rec Center as I do most mornings and work out — I think that would make a lot of people laugh and smile, not to mention it would be a great photo opportunity. After that, I would go around to as many offices on campus as I could to brighten people’s days and show up to a few classes unannounced.
Q: How would you describe your experience as a Rice employee?
A: I initially had only planned to be at Rice for five years, but I’ve stayed and more than doubled that due to my experience. It has been a journey of growth with both challenges and successes along the way. I’ve had opportunities to learn, adapt and contribute in meaningful ways while being given progressively more responsibility. I’m especially thankful for my supervisor David Tenney, who has encouraged and supported me in my professional growth, and it’s been rewarding to be part of a community that encourages continuous improvement and values its people.
Q: Where do you see Rice in 25 years?
A: I see Rice being a slightly larger institution that continues to lead on the academic front and also on the administrative front and be a model for other institutions.
Q: What’s your favorite memory from your time with Rice?
A: Going on a date with my girlfriend at the time (now my wife) to Skyspace one evening when we were still early on in our relationship.
Q: Describe Rice in four words or less.
A: Collaborative, innovative, impactful and scenic.