Back for the third year in a row, we held the STaRT@Rice program, which grew from 89 attendees in 2022 to over 125 attendees this year! What is even more impressive is that these students came from all over the U.S. and Mexico. It was an exciting three days of learning about new methods and making meaningful connections.
In recent news, we are thrilled to announce that Sherwin K. Bryant has been named the director of the Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS). We are confident that Bryant's wealth of experience and remarkable leadership will bring positive change and widespread growth to CAAAS. A collaboration between the School of Social Sciences and the School of Humanities, CAAAS is a clearinghouse for critical conversation, instruction, cutting-edge research, and community outreach, and we are excited for the program's possibilities under Bryant's direction.
At this time last year, we launched our school-wide Strategic Plan. I am happy to report that we have been making strides on the plan’s five planks and seeing real growth in our School. Our priority focus is providing students with an exceptional education, and we have also been busy enhancing our research efforts, strengthening our connections within Houston and beyond, carrying out our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and positioning ourselves as one of the top Schools of Social Sciences in the world.
Within this newsletter are recent social sciences stories about innovative faculty research and exciting student accomplishments. We would love to hear more alumni stories in future newsletters as well! I invite you to share your experiences and achievements with us so we can spread the word about the impressive work our alumni are involved in. Another excellent way to connect is through volunteering with the Frances Anne Moody-Dahlberg Gateway Program, which is providing meaningful opportunities for Social Sciences undergraduates to apply what they learn in the classroom to real life. I also look forward to seeing our alumni at the upcoming School of Social Sciences Alumni Weekend Reception on November 3 as part of this year’s Homecoming festivities.
Thank you for your continued support. Your dedication, as alumni and friends of the School, is a valuable part of our community.
With best wishes for a great fall,
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Rachel Kimbro, Dean, School of Social Sciences
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DeNicco Authors Fun and Affordable Textbook
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"A Story of Economics: A Principles Tale" hit virtual bookshelves this year, providing students with an approachable way to understand difficult concepts of economics. Instructor Jimmy DeNicco's fun textbook is peppered with personal anecdotes and barbecue recipes as a way to engage readers. Photo by Gustavo Raskosky / Rice University
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Social Scientists Headline Scientia
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Nancy Niedzielski, linguistics, and Jim Elliott, sociology, spoke about resilience during the opening lecture of the Scientia series on September 26. Niedzielski discussed the connection between sociolinguistics and social perception. Elliott addressed how Black Americans tend to live in more vulnerable areas but receive less support than white Americans.
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Elaine Howard Ecklund Elected RRA President
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Elaine Howard Ecklund was elected president of the Religious Research Association (RRA). “The RRA’s vision is my vision, and I am humbled to lead this organization,” Ecklund said. “One of my professional goals is to make sure research on religion is translated to religious leaders and members of the broader public in ways they can use.” Photo by Jeff Fitlow
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Terrence Gee and Family Donate $1 Million to CAAAS
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Rice trustee Terrence Gee '86 and family provided a generous gift to the Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS). This donation is helping to establish the Dr. Anthony B. Pinn Postdoctoral Fellowships, which aim "to recruit the best and brightest scholars from the humanities and social sciences whose research is pivotal to African and African American Studies."
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Social Sciences Gateway Community Health Practicum Launching in Spring
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The Frances Anne Moody-Dahlberg Gateway Program's Community Health Practicum will launch during the spring 2024 semester. By combining academic rigor with real-world application, the practicum will prepare students to engage with the Houston community and explore potential in the health industry.
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Awards, Accolades, and Appointments
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Undocumented Latino Families in the U.S. Suffered Higher Level of Impacts during the Pandemic
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Luz Garcini, psychological sciences, led a study which found that Latino families without permanent legal status or with mixed documentation status were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to the rest of the U.S. The study cited lack of healthcare access, unsafe living conditions, and poverty as prime factors.
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Female Politicians are just as likely to Demonstrate Corruption as Male Counterparts in Mexico
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A political science study by Gustavo Guajardo, Ph.D. candidate, and Leslie Schwindt-Bayer has found that female mayoral candidates in Mexico are just as likely to be corrupt as male mayoral candidates. The findings, Schwindt-Bayer said, are important because increasing women’s representation has recently become a popular strategy in fighting political corruption.
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NSF Grant will Fund Four-Year Study about Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Hiring Processes
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"When organizations pay for AI-based candidate assessments, they do so with the trust that they are fair to job applicants by measuring job-relevant characteristics and minimizing irrelevant information and biases. But how do they know when AI-based assessments are high quality, fair and select effective employees? Our new NSF grant aims to address this question.” - Fred Oswald, psychological sciences
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NSF-Funded Study Exploring Impacts of Community Engagement in Stormwater Infrastructure
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“[A]s we learned in Hurricane Harvey, our current stormwater infrastructure system has been overwhelmed by a changing climate with more intense rainfall patterns. So in this study, we’re really trying to take an integrated, holistic approach by bringing together social researchers, urban designers, civil engineers and community members to help identify solutions that are actionable, sustainable and affordable.” - Dominic Boyer, anthropology
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Rice Student Chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Awarded with Highest Level of Recognition
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The largest scientific association for human factors and ergonomics professionals in the world, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), has awarded the student chapter at Rice University with a Gold level of recognition. This award is given to chapters that demonstrate an exceptional contribution to their campus, their community, the discipline, or HFES.
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Sport Management Student McCardell is Making an Impact on and off the Volleyball Court
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“It's just been really cool to be able to dive into the world of sports on a business level with my internships with social media and marketing, but also learning about how I can market brands. And within that, I'm over here marketing myself with NIL. So it’s been amazing to put my name out there and really bring more awareness to myself and to my team.” - Nia McCardell
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