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Dear Alumni and Friends of the School of Social Sciences,
I always marvel at how quickly the spring semester seems to go by, even though academic years tend to follow a similar cadence. From the moment students arrive back at campus in January to May commencement, the Rice School of Social Sciences community is actively engaged in teaching, research, and discovery, preparing our students for promising futures and generating innovative ideas for society.
Rice University prides itself on offering personalized scale for global impact – a charge that is evident in the meaningful collaborations and initiatives in our school. This semester, we participated in cross-disciplinary and cross-sector dialogue about the societal complexities surrounding the game of soccer, in advance of Houston hosting the World
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Cup. In other global news, we responded to a growing interest from our students in learning more about today’s borderless challenges by launching the new Global Affairs major.
Our social scientists are also notably contributing to cross-disciplinary innovations in brain health – engaging in the Rice Brain Institute, hosting a neuroscience conference, expanding dementia research, and more. These promising initiatives aim to address today’s pressing questions and offer hopeful solutions for the near future.
I invite you to read the inspiring stories below about our social sciences students, faculty, and alumni. Just as our graduates are about to take new and meaningful steps in their lives, I hope that you can do the same – whether in your careers, your personal lives, or your communities.
With best wishes for an enjoyable summer,
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Rachel Kimbro, Dean, School of Social Sciences
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Houston Endowment grant enhances MSPE program, community
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The Houston Endowment recently awarded a $2.4 million grant to expand opportunities for Master of Social Policy Evaluation (MSPE) students and support Houston-area nonprofits. A partnership with the Kinder Institute, the grant funds three different fellowships that support MSPE students and evaluation services for local organizations.
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Baugh's linguistic initiatives making waves in Houston and beyond
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In the winter issue of Rice Magazine, John Baugh, linguistics, discussed linguistic profiling, the Texas Linguistics Consortium, and Rice’s Center for Advancing Linguistic Science. "We created the Texas Linguistics Consortium explicitly to build a network of linguists based here in Houston but serving the entire state." - John Baugh
Photo: Jeff Fitlow
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Students explore wrongful conviction cases in new immersive course
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Led by Kavya Padmanabhan, sociology, "Making an Exoneree" is a new course at Rice that engages students in potential wrongful conviction cases. The students spend the semester researching a real case, conducting interviews, and creating a documentary to raise awareness. Co-developed at Georgetown university, Rice is one of five universities involved in the initiative.
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Jones featured in NYT during Texas primary elections
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Anthropologists discuss climate change and storytelling at SXSW
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Cymene Howe and Dominic Boyer, anthropology, were panelists of "Storytelling in a Time of Transition" at the SXSW festival. They discussed the need for connecting climate science with effective storytelling. “Statistics and scientific reports are effective, but they tend to reach expert audiences. Storytelling helps bridge that gap." - Dominic Boyer / Photo: Rafael Rojas
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IHRI hosts community mental wellbeing conference and health fair
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The Institute of Health Resilience and Innovation (IHRI) hosted two community events recently, the Real Men Real Talk Mental Wellness Conference and Black Men’s Wellness Day. Designed to uplift Black men by focusing on broader social factors that influence health outcomes, both events were free and open to the public. / Photo: Tony Brown
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Awards, Accolades, and Accomplishments
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Corey Abramson, sociology, was awarded a year in residence at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University.
Kirsten Adam, psychological sciences, received an NSF CAREER Award for her research on the impacts of distraction on the human brain.
Margaret Beier, psychological sciences, was elected as a 2026 fellow of the American Educational Research Association and as a Board Member-at-Large of the Association for Psychological Science.
Jing Chen and Simon Fischer-Baum, psychological sciences, were named fellows of the Association for Psychological Science.
Jeff Fleisher, anthropology, received the Senior Research Award in Archaeology from the NSF.
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Danielle King Jordan, psychological sciences, received the Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Science Award from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP).
Eden King, psychological sciences, received the SIOP Humanitarian Award.
Ken Medlock, economics, received the 2025 OPEC Award for Research at the 9th OPEC International Energy Symposium.
Ted Loch-Temzelides, economics, received a Fulbright Association Specialist Program award to collaborate with the Université de Bordeaux in France.
Kaitlyn Robinson, political science, received the Hoover Institution W. Glenn Campbell & Rita Ricardo-Campbell National Fellowship at Stanford University.
Rice University End of Year Awards and Honors
- Jeremy Fiel, Sociology - Sarah A. Burnett Teaching Prize in Social Sciences
- Steven Rackley, Sport Management - Sarah A. Burnett Teaching Prize in Social Sciences
- Pat DeLucia, Psychological Sciences - Dean’s Distinguished Research Award
- Leslie Schwindt-Bayer, Political Science - Dean’s Distinguished Research Award
- James DeNicco, Economics - George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching
- Philip Kortum, Psychological Sciences - George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching
- Elaine Howard Ecklund, Sociology & the Boniuk Institute - Rice University Faculty Award for Excellence in Professional Service and Leadership
- Sandy Parsons, Psychological Sciences - Nicolas Salgo Outstanding Teaching Award
- Rossella Calvi, Economics - Charles W. Duncan, Jr. Award for Outstanding Faculty
- Ann Mikus, Political Science - Staff Service Retirement Award, 26 years
- Shawna Forney, Anthropology - Staff Service Award, 10 years
- Britni Bowles, Dean’s Office - Staff Service Award, 5 years
- Jessica Minskey, Political Science - Staff Service Award, 5 years
Read more about faculty, staff, and students honored for excellence in teaching, mentoring, and service and faculty recognized with the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching.
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On 10 year anniversary of Tax Day flood, CFAR team cautions possible risks
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Rice experts from the Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience (CFAR), including sociologist Jim Elliott, anthropologist Dominic Boyer, and senior researcher and postdoctoral fellow in geography Yilei Yu, found that a storm similar to the 2016 Tax Day flood in Houston could have even greater impacts if it were to occur in more densely populated locations. An interactive map created by the team enables users to see how such a flood could impact other areas.
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Increases in violent crime observed in tandem with legalized sports betting
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Hua Gong, sport management, co-authored a study that observed increased incidents of violent crime - including assaults, larceny, and vehicle theft - following professional sporting events in the wake of the legalization of sports betting. The authors found that this increase was even present in neighboring states where sports betting was not yet legalized. “Legal betting brings in revenue, but there are serious social consequences we cannot ignore." - Hua Gong
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New findings reveal oldest signs of butchering Elephas (Paleoxodon) recki
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A new study led by archaeologist Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo provided a groundbreaking new discovery: hominins used sophisticated methods to butcher the larger ancestors of elephants 1.8 million years ago - further back than the previous estimated 1.5 million years ago. The finding revealed more information about the human brain and its evolution.
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Social Sciences books explore pressing global questions
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School of Social Sciences scholars seek to find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues through a societal lens. This spring, political scientist Jae-Hee Jung, sociologist Kevin J. A. Thomas, and anthropologist Gökçe Günel authored pioneering books that explore questions about morals, societies, and resilience.
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Sport analytics students win big at competitions
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Sport analytics swept recent data competitions, with Lucca Ferraz winning the 2026 NFL Big Data Bowl, a team winning first place at the Society of American Baseball Research Diamond Dollars Case Competition, and a team winning the undergraduate division of the NFL Players Association Data Analytics Case Competition.
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MGA team competes as semifinalist in international competition
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A team of Master of Global Affairs (MGA) students competed in the Geneva Challenge, which tasks master’s students from around the world to address a global concern. The MGA team's proposal earned them a spot as a semifinalist and shed light on a pressing issue faced by international migrant communities.
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SOPA capstone connects students to policy and community
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The Social Policy Analysis (SOPA) capstone connects students with an organization to provide analytical support. “By working with a community partner on an ongoing issue...they can use the empirical skills they’ve learned in the classroom to make recommendations and help develop policies with tangible social impact.” - Steven Perry / Photo: Kat Cosley Trigg
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Archaeology field course prepares student for future legal career
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Rice Owl Isabella participated in the excavation of Varner-Hogg Plantation in Brazoria County as part of the course Archaeological Field Techniques. Isabella recounted how the excavation had a deeper purpose by providing descendants of the enslaved with information about their ancestry. The course also equipped Isabella with important skills needed to support a future career as a lawyer.
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Remembering Russ Pitman '58
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The Rice community remembers and honors the life of beloved philanthropist, campus leader, and economics alum, Russ Pitman '58. His dedication to Rice and his generosity has impacted nearly every corner of the university. “Russ embodied the very best of Rice: quiet generosity, deep loyalty and an unwavering commitment to lifting others up and advancing the university’s mission.” - Stephen Bayer
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Maher honored at Laureates Awards
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Economics alum Michael Maher ’75, ’79, ’80 will receive a Meritorious Service Award at this year's Rice Laureates Awards Dinner. A program advisor for the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies, Maher has served the School of Social Sciences as founding advisory board chair and as a member of the board of affiliates for the Master of Energy Economics and the Master of Global Affairs programs.
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Recent Social Sciences alumni discuss their majors and career paths
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A recent "Owls Just Out" series featured stories from Social Sciences alumni who graduated within the past few years. The articles included stories from four alumni who shared how their majors prepared them for unique and promising career paths in finance and public health, as well as global affairs and advising.
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Social Sciences alumni are integral to Houston's restaurant scene
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Married couple and social sciences alumni Willet Feng ’06 and Diane Wu Feng ’07 combined their international culinary and teaching experiences to open the beloved Burger-Chan. Located in the Galleria area, the restaurant continues to be recognized as one of Houston's top 100 restaurants by the Houston Chronicle. The Fengs also started a pop-up concept called Borrowed Goods and intend to move to Taiwan soon.
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