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Dear Alumni and Friends of the School of Social Sciences,
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the School of Social Sciences, and I am so grateful to have been connected to the School for a number of those 45 years as a student, parent, faculty member, and now dean.
As many of you know, the Rice University strategic plan, Momentous, launched on October 1. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read through the plan, which outlines how we intend to become the premier institution for teaching and research over the next ten years.
We have had a lot going on in the School since we last connected. On the global front, Rice University and Université Paris Sciences & Lettres launched a
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strategic global partnership for research and innovation. Rice anthropologists made an international impact with the unveiling of the world’s first glacier graveyard and global glacier casualty list. Nationally, our new Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience (CFAR) received widespread attention for its map of major polluters during this active hurricane season, and our renowned faculty are providing valuable expertise on AI, energy, and the upcoming elections. Here at the School, we’ve held numerous events, including the recent STaRT@Rice, a top tier learning experience for students at Rice and beyond.
Speaking of the student experience, if you would like to make a meaningful impact on the lives of our students, I invite you to consider a donation to the Access & Opportunity Fund. The fund supports students seeking assistance with financial challenges and allows them to participate in opportunities related to their academic, professional, social, or interpersonal development. Any gift is genuinely felt and appreciated.
When I look back on everything our School has accomplished over the past 45 years, and I look forward to all that is to come, I am in awe. As demonstrated in the stories below, the social sciences are deeply interwoven into our world, and it is truly remarkable to see the innovative contributions of our faculty and students. I look forward to celebrating this 45-year milestone with many of you this week at the annual Alumni Weekend School Reception on November 1 at 4:00 pm in Kraft Hall 130!
To another meaningful and Momentous 45+ years of excellence,
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Rachel Kimbro, Dean, School of Social Sciences
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10 new tenure-track faculty members join the School
of Social Sciences
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"We are delighted to welcome our largest-ever cohort of new faculty to the School of Social Sciences. We look forward to their many contributions to the Rice community.”
- Rachel Kimbro, dean of the School of Social Sciences
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Welcoming renowned linguist John Baugh
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"My career remains devoted to the advancement of linguistic human rights, and I am honored to continue that unwavering quest for justice at Rice University in the name of Barbara Jordan, an inspirational Houstonian of exceptional merit.”
- John Baugh, linguistics
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Showcasing courses on careers in politics and public service
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"So many of our students come to Rice wanting to take action and make positive change but don’t know how. I hope this teaches them about the possible pathways to being an agent of change, whether it be running for office or getting behind a candidate you believe in.”
- Libby Vann, political science
Photo: Cyrus Hosseini
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The 4th STaRT@Rice makes a splash
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“Having a solid foundation in research methods for success in the social sciences is extremely important, and this is what our School of Social Sciences truly excels in."
- Rice President Reginald DesRoches
Photo: Gustavo Raskosky
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Cunha to participate in creation of NLSY
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“[T]he National Longitudinal Surveys have stood as a cornerstone for labor economists investigating the labor market dynamics and pivotal life events across various cohorts of young Americans. Our anticipation grows as we embark on a collaboration with RTI to develop the NLSY 2027."
- Flávio Cunha, economics
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CFAR hazardous polluters map featured in NYT
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The New York Times featured the Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience (CFAR) ahead of Hurricane Francine. “The rains look like they’re going to be the big issues," said Jim Elliott, sociology. "But as I always say, the real disaster comes after the actual climatic event."
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Sport management students at the 2024 Olympics in Paris
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“Our students are the best of the best and have so many opportunities while studying in our department, but we fully expect they will look back on this as a
once-in-a-lifetime experience”
- Clark Haptonstall, sport management
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Science and Technology Studies launched by Social Sciences and Humanities
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“STS is an incredibly dynamic, multidisciplinary field of study that brings together the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. It’s designed to be compatible with many different majors at Rice, from engineering and computer science to art and architecture.”
- Cymene Howe, anthroplogy
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Remembering pioneering economist YingHua He
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“In addition to being a dear friend and an exceptionally compassionate human being, YingHua was a dedicated colleague who went above and beyond and a dedicated teacher who guided his students with an unwavering commitment.”
- Hülya Eraslan, economics
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Awards, Accolades, and Accomplishments
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New Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience (CFAR) addressing impact of climate change on coastal economic powerhouses
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“With approximately 40% of the world's population residing in coastal communities, Rice University is uniquely positioned to harness its interdisciplinary expertise and strategic coastal location to lead in the study of climate change and the development of effective strategies for environmental, economic and social challenges."
- Rice President Reginald DesRoches
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Support for Black nationalism now more widespread as profile of Black nationalist has changed across time
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“Past studies typically found that young Black people wanted to be separate from whites, Black men wanted their own sovereign nation and people with high levels of income and education did not support Black nationalism as they had success in the current system. Our findings show that age wasn’t a predictor, men and women were the same and there were no income or education effects.”
- Tony Brown, sociology
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"The Pandemic Workplace," by anthropologist Gershon, discusses what the pandemic workplace taught us about democracy
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“People may have been dissatisfied with how their workplaces were run beforehand, but in the pandemic, their dissatisfaction suddenly had much higher stakes. It is one thing to be frustrated with how your boss makes decisions without consulting with everyone about whether whatever they want to do is a good idea or can even work. But refusing to take other people’s concerns into account changes from being regularly irritating to feeling life-threatening in a pandemic.”
- Ilana Gershon, anthropology
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Stress-related cell damage linked to negative mental and physical health effects among caregivers
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“This work builds on our previous research on chronic stress and immunity by highlighting the crucial role of cellular health in the mind-body connection. We’ve discovered that chronic stress impacts not only immune function but also the health of individual cells, suggesting a deeper, more intricate relationship between our mental state and physical well-being.”
- Chris Fagundes, psychological sciences
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A summer of global experiences for MGA students
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This past summer, several students from the Master of Global Affairs (MGA) program had the opportunity to travel internationally to two conferences. While at the conferences, the students engaged with peers and leaders from around the world, learning skills in collaboration, global negotiation, and service learning. Funding for their travels was provided by the MGA program.
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Social sciences archaeology graduate students win prestigious Dienje Kenyon Memorial Fellowship two years in a row
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The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) recently announced the 2024 winners of the Dienje Kenyon Memorial Fellowship, marking the second consecutive year that the award has been given to archaeology students in the anthropology department. Maggie Katongo and Sylvia Wemanya were awarded the fellowship in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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HCI/HF doctoral student co-leads team for NASA SUITS challenge
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Melissa Cloutier, a psychological sciences doctoral student studying human-computer interaction and human factors (HCI/HF), co-led a team of 10 Rice students, including HCI/HF doctoral student Shrreya Aagarwal, and one Rice alum, in the NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (NASA SUITS) challenge. This is the second year in a row that Cloutier has participated in NASA SUITS. Photo: NASA JSC Office of STEM Engagement
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MEECON student García Pérez awarded competitive Mercatus Center fellowship
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Last May, Brandon García Pérez was notified that he was a recipient of the Frédéric Bastiat Fellowship awarded by the Mercatus Center, which would run for a year starting in August 2024. The fellowship is awarded to graduate students from around the world who focus on fields such as public policy, economics, political science, and law. The award includes travel and accommodations for meetings in Washington DC, readings that are required of the fellows, and a stipend.
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Kirsty Leech '23 recounts her experience as a Watson Fellow
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Kirsty Leech '23 spent a year traveling the world and conducting research inspired by her own familial experiences with disability, funded by the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. "I think that my Watson has demonstrated that my personal connection to disability rights is not my vulnerability as an advocate, but my strength," said Leech. Photo: Jeff Fitlow
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Gunnarsdóttir '22 '23 represented Rice, Iceland in 2024 Paris Olympics
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Erna Gunnarsdóttir proudly represented her home country of Iceland and the Rice Master of Global Affairs program competing in the shot put at the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I was just insanely happy. I was jumping with joy, quite literally,” Gunnarsdóttir said.
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Selman '78 joins Rice Board of Trustees, Kraft '87 reelected
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Wagner '87 celebrates 30 years as Houston craft beer pioneer
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Brock Wagner ’87 recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of Saint Arnold Brewing Company, a Houston institution that has released over 100 different beers. In those 30 years, Saint Arnold has grown tremendously and received many awards and accolades.
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