Rice University is recognizing Dean Mackey for 31 years of service. As a senior graphic designer in the Office of Public Affairs, he provides creative visual designs that propel marketing and communications needs. Mackey’s work has taken the form of posters, brochures, stationery and T-shirts to name just a few areas where his visual eye and creative mind bridge design and Rice’s brand. His last day with the university will be March 31.
Q: What is your favorite time of year at Rice and why?
A: Spring at Rice has become the season that stands out to me the most. The campus is always a beautiful place, but the Rice landscape just seems to brighten even more so over the spring. Along with that, there’s a sense of energy and excitement in the Rice community that builds over the semester much like an unseen wave. It begins cresting as the final days of classes approach and breaks open when the grand finale of commencement arrives.
Q: Share your most memorable, stand-out moments during your time at the university.
A: In the early days of the Baker Institute, they asked our team help to build a marketing identity. That in itself was a fun challenge, but when the time came to present the concepts, it just so happened that Secretary James A. Baker III was on campus. Being new to the team, I was expecting that someone with more seniority would take the concepts and pitch them; however, that’s not how it went because other colleagues were saying, “It’s your work, you go.”
So I found myself sitting at the table with Secretary Baker and Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, pitching my concepts to them directly. In the end, they loved what I had come up with. It all felt so unexpected and unscripted at the time. I was euphoric as I walked back across campus to my office in Allen Center. When I got home from work that night, I was still so excited that I called my parents and told them the story. According to family, my dad would go on to repeat that story to his friends over the years after.
Q: How have you seen Rice evolve over the years?
A: I’m almost at a loss for words when I think about the sheer number of buildings that have risen on campus during three decades. There’s Duncan Hall, the Humanities building, Brochstein Pavilion — none of those spaces existed when I arrived here. The list has kept growing ever since, but there’s more to it than that when you think about it. With each new building that has appeared, the campus community has grown too. It’s exciting to think that over the years, each new space has become a home to the classes, discussions, learning and discoveries that make Rice what it is.
Q: How have you evolved because of your experience at the university?
A: Being at Rice has really cultivated an appreciation for new viewpoints and the ideas of others. I have to believe this is rooted in the many wonderful people I’ve crossed paths with while working here. The years have granted me the privilege of working alongside talented, passionate and dedicated teammates and being able to witness other creative ways to think and work. That in itself has challenged and inspired me.
I’ve met so many people from other parts of the Rice community as well — professors, students and staff members. It’s tough to recite 30-plus years of names, but that wonderful crowd includes professors such as Matthias Henze, Jeffrey J. Kripal and Anthony Brandt. There were also fellow staff members such as Sylvia Louie, Darlene Judd, Mike Morgan and others. Through all of those conversations, I’ve been exposed to cultures, beliefs and topics that probably would have been more difficult to discover in any other single place.
To sum it up, the people of the Rice community have played the role of influencers over the decades. They may not have been aware of it, but they helped me to grow as much as I have. Here at Rice, I’ve learned that great ideas can come from anyone, anywhere and at any time.
Q: What advice would you give to employees to make the most of their time at the university?
A: First, always remember that education is something that can transform people’s lives when they have opportunity and access to pursue it. Rice fills in an exciting space in that mission of education by equipping its students to be the authors of their own lives. Taking this to heart has motivated me to keep contributing in all the ways that I could. It’s important to recognize that every role on this campus has something to bring to the table of Rice’s mission. Do what you do with excellence in mind, because you never know when you might be serving as a positive influence to someone else.