Issue 16 • Fall 2011 From the Office of Public Affairs and the Office of the Associate Provost at Rice University

Mathematics, Science, Tornadoes and Hurricanes Page 3

MCR Wins Award for Social Responsibility Page 4

Lifelong Learning in Full Swing at the Hallmark Page 4

Rice Launches K–12 Outreach Website Page 5

Teach for America Comes to Rice Page 5

Tapia Honored for Encouraging Minorities FREE-FLYING ATOMS: Using tennis balls as atoms, a group of elementary students learn about solids, liquids and gases and how they Page 6 relate to engineering.

Students Sharpen Writing Skills and Knowledge of The Magic of Rick Barrera Humanities Research Center College Admission Reaches Out Page 7 Enrique “Rick” Barrera wants to make sure that all stu-

Rice Culture Fair Charms dents have an opportunity to attend college, even if he Some high school students in Houston are going beyond Briarwood School has to resort to a bit of magic to entice them into the the basics: they are learning about the history of the Bible Students world of higher learning. and multiculturalism in France, among other topics in Page 7 In 1996, Barrera, a mechanical engineering and the humanities. materials science professor at Rice University, took an This academic year, more local students will also existing program — the Materials Science Magic Show be enriching their knowledge, as the Humanities — to recruit current Rice students into the materials sci- Research Center’s (HRC) Civic Humanists Program at ence major. Barrera also wanted to extend the program Rice University plans to offer more than 30 lectures at to introduce young pre-college students to science and Houston-area schools. has since presented the show to thousands of K–12 stu- This will be the fourth year that the Civic Humanists dents in the Greater Houston area. Program has sent Rice faculty from across the humani- As part of the magic show, Barrera wears goggles ties and social sciences into Houston high schools with and a protective vest while teaching students about sol- underrepresented student populations at Rice. ids, liquids and gases and how they relate to science and The Rice professors showcase the diverse range of engineering. To do this, he uses tennis balls to represent scholarship occurring in the Rice humanities depart- In Full Swing: Celebrating five years of lifelong learning atoms and places them on top of a table, to show that, ments and address key questions facing humanists with at the Hallmark Retirement when immobile, atoms create solids. To demonstrate dynamic lectures on their field of research. Community are Mary McIntire, liquids, Barrera pours the tennis balls (atoms) onto The talks not only serve as an introductory lesson dean of Continuing Studies, Susanne M. Glasscock and Janet the table and explains how in water, the atoms are less on selected topics and approaches in the humanities, Hoagland-Sorensen. See story organized and move freely. Excitement then follows, as but also give the high school students an opportunity to on Page 4. Barrera, to explain gases, throws the balls to students, ask questions about college life, the college application Continued on Page 2 » Continued on Page 3 » Magic Continued from Page 1 and teachers with a wealth of knowledge and east Texas, where he grew up. He and his two experience. He challenges each of them to brothers were some of the few Hispanics at who then throw the balls all over the room. stretch beyond their comfort zone, exploring West Orange High School, which had 750 “I ask them, ‘What does gas look like?’ not only what is, but what could be.” students. His mother was a registered nurse They say, ‘It’s everywhere and it’s moving,’” At Rice, Barrera is all too willing to help and his father was a welder at a local refinery. Barrera explained. “That’s when we’ve cap- his students achieve their career goals. For His parents encouraged Barrera and tured their attention and their imagination.” example, when he learned that one of his his brothers to go to college by offering to Barrera believes that by making science graduate students, Danny Olivas, wanted to pay for it, but Barrera knew that his family enjoyable to young minds, he may spark an be an astronaut, Barrera helped him secure a did not have the money. “For them to make interest in them to become scientists or pro- summer internship at NASA. That experience such a statement was very important to me,” fessors, but first and foremost, to pursue a eventually led to Olivas becoming an astro- said Barrera. After hearing his father speak college education. naut after he received his Ph.D. in mechanical respectfully of engineers and their ideas, “We don’t know what mind is going to engineering in 1996. He then flew two shuttle Barrera decided to become an engineer. have the next best idea and win the Nobel missions. When he was in 10th grade, Barrera walked Prize,” Barrera said. “There are a lot of people “Barrera is an awesome individual. He into his living room one day and announced who have the potential but never unlock it.” understands what it means to be a professor to his family that he was going to be an engi- In addition to the magic show, neer, then turned and walked out. Barrera is the technical leader for Nothing else was said. Several years Changing the Face of Math and later, Barrera received all three of his Science, a mathematics and science degrees — bachelor’s, master’s and program introduced in 2006 with doctorate in mechanical engineer- funds from Clarkson Aerospace ing — from the University of Texas Corporation. The program brings at Austin. Before coming to Rice together talented high school stu- in 1990, he worked as a research dents from 17 Houston public and associate in the materials science private schools and introduces division at the Brookhaven National students to the field of nanotech- Laboratory. nology and careers in engineering. In his more than 20 years at A dozen high school teachers assist Rice, Barrera has served as a resident Barrera with instruction and in associate and, from 1997 until 2002, turn learn about the latest tech- as master of Jones College. In 2002, nologies and research that they Barrera received the Presidential then incorporate into their own Award for Excellence in Science, classroom instruction. Mathematics and Engineering As part of the program, stu- Mentoring, a national honor that dents spend two weeks during was bestowed on him at a White the summer at Rice and Acres House ceremony. From 2004 to Home Chamber for Business SCIENCE MADE FUN: Rice Professor Rick Barrera presents the Materials 2010, Barrera served as chair of the Science Magic Show. and Economic Development, mechanical engineering and materi- Inc., a nonprofit organization als science department. Currently, that provides community leadership as well and knows how to be there for the students,” Barrera is chair of a national committee estab- as personal and professional development Olivas, who is now director of engineer- lished by Congress to broaden participation in opportunities. Program participants attend ing space and airborne systems at Raytheon research and education for historically black a series of workshops on entrepreneurship, Company, said. “He has a lot of energy and is colleges and universities and minority-serving time management, career paths and nano- very creative.” institutions. technology, among other topics. During the For a person so eager to help others, Not one to rest on his laurels, Barrera con- school year, the workshops are conducted on Barrera didn’t receive much help or encour- tinues to explore ways to improve outreach Saturdays at the Acres Home office in north agement from his primary school teachers programs. “I look for new ways to unlock Houston. In the past seven years, 235 students and counselors. “When I was young, a school young minds and to broaden participation,” have completed the program. counselor told my mother that I would fail if Barrera explained. “I want to give people “The program broadens their knowledge I was placed in the top group at the school she a start to move forward, to give people an of research and shows them how relevant sci- tried to put me in,” Barrera said. “My mother’s opportunity to make an impact by opening ence is in everyday life,” said Jacquie LaFluer, response to the counselor was, ‘Well, then let doors.” ■ executive director of Acres Home Chamber him fail.’” David D. Medina for Business and Economic Development. Barrera was born in Corpus Christi, but Director “Barrera engages our high school students his family moved to Orange County in south- Multicultural Community Relations

2 Rice At Large Mathematics, Science, Tornadoes and Hurricanes

Students from Galveston spent to learn that the U.S. averages 1,200 tornadoes four weeks this summer at Rice a year. They also saw the destruction of two major hurricanes that crushed Galveston — University, participating in a the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, which made camp that took them beyond the landfall Sept. 8, 1900, and killed more than classroom in a whirlwind tour 8,000 people; and Hurricane Ike, which hit Galveston Sept. 12, 2008. of real-world mathematics, sci- The students left the Rice campus with a ence, tornadoes, hurricanes and new-found appreciation for mathematics and literature. science outside of the classroom and a glimpse The students were part of 4R : Relations, of the science behind “October Sky,” and they Robots, Rockets and Roller Coasters, a sum- were thrilled at the opportunity to meet and mer camp designed for students in grades talk with a real space scientist. 6–12 to explore physics, chemistry and math- Assisting Reiff were Judy Dye, Umbe HERE COMES THE SUN: Rice Professor Patricia Reiff Cantú and two graduate students, William ematics. The program is organized by the explains to students how space weather functions Galveston ISD and the Rice University School and how seasons are affected by the tilt of the Earth’s Langley and Wayne Weichen, all from the Mathematics Project (RUSMP). axis. Department of Physics and Astronomy at As part of R4, students read “October Rice. Susan Troutman, director of secondary Sky” by Homer H. Hickam Jr. The book, set are affected by the tilt of the Earth’s axis and programs for RUSMP, who arranged the visit, in 1957, starts at the beginning of the space not by the Earth’s distance from the sun. noted, “The students’ visit to the Rice campus race between the U.S. and the former Soviet During her presentation, Reiff showed gave them a firsthand opportunity to con- Union. While at Rice, R4 participants visited pictures of sunspots and noted that Galileo nect what they were studying to the research Brockman Hall for Physics and Astronomy, discovered the first sunspot. Students were of practicing scientists, thus validating their the newest building on Rice’s campus. They able to view sunspots through telescopes on classroom work.” had the opportunity to meet world-renowned the rooftop of Brockman Hall and see the uni- After their visit to Rice, the students went space scientist, Patricia Reiff, professor of versity’s observatory. Students also watched to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to physics and astronomy and director of the “The New Force Five,” a full-dome animated see “2012: Mayan Prophecies,” another astron- Rice Space Institute. show in the university’s portable planetarium, omy-related planetarium show. ■ Reiff presented “Here Comes the Sun! which showed the effects of force-five tor- Anne Papakonstantinou Space Weather,” in which she explained how nadoes, hurricanes and solar flares. As the Director space weather functions and how the seasons students viewed the show, they were amazed Rice University School Mathematics Project

HRC Continued from Page 1 “The Civic Humanists Program also cre- and identity. Students then participated in a ates a bridge between the Reagan community discussion on how various languages are cre- process, various fields in the humanities and and the Rice community, providing valuable ated, evolve and often die out. qualities that universities are looking for in collegiate encounters for students at the high Other participating Rice humanities prospective students. school level,” she added. faculty included April DeConick, the Isla Based on growing enthusiasm for the The themes of these lectures were as Carroll and Percy E. Turner Professor of program among high schools and Rice fac- diverse as the professors who gave them. Biblical Studies; Terrence Doody, professor ulty alike, the Civic Humanists Program Assistant Professor of English Joseph of English; Julie Fette, assistant professor offered 17 such lectures last year, a significant Campana talked about “Witnessing Life: of French studies; Scott McGill, associate increase from the previous two years. Seeing and Speaking the Pain of History.” professor of classical studies; and Nicole Four high schools participated in the pro- He examined images from Life Magazine Waligora-Davis, assistant professor of gram last year, including Eastwood Academy, throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Students English. Stephen F. Austin, Reagan and Eisenhower. looked through old issues of the magazine For more information about the program “Our humanities students are engaged while Campana discussed the representa- and to see a full description of the faculty lec- and enthralled at the opportunity they have tion of iconic events, especially those that tures, please visit www.publichumanities.org. to experience an array of topics, taught by conveyed moments of great pain or violence. ■ Rice professors, which enhance and support Linguistics Chair Nancy Niedzielski Lauren Kleinschmidt the learning objectives in the classroom,” spoke to students about the fascinating Assistant to the Director said Natalie Martinez, a teacher at Reagan phenomenon of language and its highly Humanities Research Center High School. complex system that links to one’s culture

fall 2 0 11 3 MCR Wins Award for Social Responsibility

Multicultural Community Richard Tapia. The most recent speaker, ing social issue. The first speaker of this series, Relations in the Office of Public Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Stanley C. Charleta Guillory, an associate professor of Moore Professor of Bioengineering, presented pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, asso- Affairs received an award by “Beyond Traditional Borders: Engaging Rice ciate director of Level II nurseries at Texas the International Association of Students in Solving Global Health Challenges.” Children’s Hospital and director of Texas Business Communicators for its Among those who have attended are Children’s Neonatal-Perinatal Public Health Community Dialogue Luncheon Yolanda Smith, executive director of NAACP Program, spoke about health disparities Houston Branch; Johnny Mata, direc- between white and black babies. The second and Rice Connections Speakers tor of publicity for League of United Latin speaker, Stan Marek, president and CEO of Series programs under the category American Citizens (LULAC); City Council Marek Companies, one of the largest interior of social responsibility. member Melissa Noriega; State Senator Mario contractors in the Southwest, spoke about Started nine years ago, the Community Gallegos; Native American community leader immigration. Dialogue Luncheon serves as a forum for com- Sherry Cardinal; attorney Harry Gee, Harris Both programs help bring people together munity leaders to discuss social issues that County Judge Ed Emmett; State Representative from various ethnic and cultural back- affect all sectors of society. Offered every three Rick Noriega; and Daniel David Hu, assistant grounds and have been very popular with the months, the luncheons are designed to provide United States attorney. community. an informal gathering conducive to an engag- “I found the discussion pertinent and “These quarterly meetings are a great idea,” ing discussion and sharing of ideas. lively,” Rabbi Kenneth Weiss said. “The atmo- attorney Michael Gomez said. “I think they go a For each Community Dialogue Luncheon, sphere that was created should be replicated long way in building goodwill between the com- an invited Rice professor talks about a particu- in many places as a methodology for focusing munity and Rice, not to mention getting people, lar social issue, which then serves as the topic of groups on important issues.” at least for a moment, to think about some of the discussion for the select group of participants. The Rice Connection Speakers Series, the larger issues.” ■ Speakers have included Stephen Klineberg, inverse of the Community Dialogue Luncheon, David D. Medina professor of sociology; Robert Stein, professor was launched in fall 2010 and invites commu- Director of political science; Anthony Pinn, professor nity leaders to campus to present a lecture to Multicultural Community Relations of religious studies; and University Professor Rice faculty, staff and students about a press-

Lifelong Learning in Full Swing at the Hallmark

Exemplifying true lifelong learning, construction of the original Rice campus and Josephine Rodgers ’75, former director the Susanne M. Glasscock School later as head of the architecture department. of language programs at Continuing Studies, Steve Garfinkel, director of community took many of the school’s courses on cam- of Continuing Studies at Rice cel- programs for Continuing Studies, said the pus over the past few decades and now, as a ebrated five years of offering an residents requested a broad spectrum of lec- Hallmark resident, attends the lectures. A academic lecture series for the resi- ture topics, including world and U.S. history, major advantage of the lectures, she said, is art and art history, religion, music and world that “we are a group of attendees who know dents of the Hallmark Retirement cultures. “We strive to offer a balanced smor- each other — we are part of a community. This Community in Houston. gasbord of offerings in each six-lecture series,” means that after a lecture we have friends with Residents and school representatives he said. Topics from the spring program whom we can discuss what has just been pre- commemorated the milestone in late June at included the CERN supercollider, Vincent sented, which is both pleasant and enriching.” a reception held at the Hallmark. Van Gogh, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, Janet Hoagland-Sorensen, great-niece of The Rice University Lecture Series at the Somalian piracy, Socrates and the Kinder Ray Watkin Hoagland Strange, attended the Hallmark has been offered each fall and spring Houston Area Survey. five-year celebration and was pleased to hear since 2006. Lectures are given by profes- Hallmark resident Evelyn Howell, whose her great-aunt’s name mentioned as one of the sors from Rice and other universities or local husband Paul served on the Rice Board of catalysts of the successful program. Strange experts. Trustees, said that even before she moved died in 2010 at the age of 95. “She would have The idea for the series came from the to the Hallmark three years ago, she was been so proud, and so pleased that the lectures residents themselves, many of whom are Rice “delighted that they offered this very stimu- will go on,” Hoagland-Sorensen said. ■ alumni or retired faculty. Funding to pilot the lating and wonderful opportunity.” She has Carol M. Hopkins series was provided by a former resident, the attended each lecture since moving to the Communications Specialist late Ray Watkin Hoagland Strange, a 1936 building. “Every one that I have attended, I Susanne M. Glasscock School of Rice graduate whose father, William Ward have learned from, even the ones that didn’t Continuing Studies Watkin, served as supervising architect during sound interesting.”

4 Rice At Large Rice Launches K–12 Outreach Website

As a service to the commu- and grade level into three categories: teacher offer open participation, such as scholarship nity, Multicultural Community and administrator development, classroom opportunities and essay contests. resources and student programs. “As part of the university’s Vision for the Relations in the Office of Public Teachers and administrators can find Second Century, Rice is committed to mak- Affairs at Rice University has cre- information about various continuing edu- ing contributions to improve K–12 education ated a website that contains a cation and training opportunities, including in Houston,” said Linda Thrane, vice president courses, workshops, institutes and confer- for Public Affairs. comprehensive list of Rice’s K–12 ences, that improve instructional effectiveness “And while we are diversifying the geo- outreach programs. and student achievement. graphic as well as demographic make-up of “Houston’s future is in large part depen- The site also offers a broad range of our student body, we are committed to mak- dent on the success of its K–12 educational resources to complement and extend class- ing a Rice education accessible to hundreds of system,” said David D. Medina, director of room learning. The directory links to a diverse students from our city. The more we can do Multicultural Community Relations, “and collection of online resources, classroom to help prepare them in their K–12 years, the Rice is making its contribution to that success activities and information about campus tours more we can expect to welcome them through in many ways.” and classroom visits. the Sallyport — much as we did with our spec- The website, www.rice.edu/k12, was The student programs listed on the site are tacular freshman class this fall. Those young launched this summer, and the site offers designed for individual students looking to people are proof of what can happen when you links to more than 85 K–12 programs. Many supplement their education through summer couple potential with opportunity.” ■ of the programs are free and available online. workshops, enrichment classes and learning Shelby Thurston To help users find resources in their interest experiences. Some of these activities have an Events Specialist area, the programs are organized by subject application and selection process, while others Public Affairs

Teach for America Comes to Rice

Six hundred recent college gradu- Rice was the perfect host and responded ates, representing some of the best quickly and efficiently to TFA’s request. When TFA found out that it could not use and the brightest in the country, HISD classrooms for some courses, Rice was spent five weeks honing their teach- there to help. ing skills at the Teach For America “We received the request from TFA on Tuesday, and by Wednesday afternoon we (TFA) summer institute at Rice had the needed classrooms set up,” said University. Veronica Boorom, senior operations man- This is the second year in a row that Rice ager in H&D. has hosted the institute, at which partici- High scores on corp members’ feedback pants undergo intensive on-the-job training, earned Rice an agreement with TFA to return classroom instruction and practice, practice, for three more years with the expectation practice their teaching skills. PREPARING TO TEACH: Corp members for Teach For that Rice will be the model for other cam- Rice’s Housing & Dining (H&D) was America take a break during their intensive five-week puses hosting a summer institute. teaching program at Rice. responsible for ensuring a comfortable envi- “We saw what worked, what didn’t and ronment for the corp members. “Rice hosting what we could do to try to improve even an educational organization such as TFA is could to ensure that participants received the those areas that we have very little control especially significant, as the two institutions best possible service,” said Ditman. over,” said Boorom. “Our planning meet- share a mission of promoting the high edu- H&D staff members were able to improve ings with TFA began at the first of the year cational achievement of their students,” said parking access and communicate strate- so we could go over every detail. We thought Mark Ditman, associate vice president for gies for navigating summer construction. through every step so when they arrived on H&D. Hosting the summer institute was a campus- campus everything ran smoothly.” ■ Ditman added that the H&D staff was wide effort as it required cooperative services Carol “CJ” Claverie impressed with the dedication of corp mem- from the Rice University Police Department, Project and Contract Administrator bers, who experienced a grueling schedule the parking department, Information Housing & Dining that allows for very little sleep. “The corp Technology, the Barbara and David Gibbs members’ level of commitment inspired the Recreation Center, Delivery Services and staff to go the extra mile to do what they campus shuttle buses, among others.

fall 2 0 11 5 Tapia Honored for Encouraging Minorities

Richard Tapia, director of the Center for Excellence and Equity “It’s always wonderful to be rewarded for activities that you in Education at Rice University, do, especially since you don’t do them for the award.” —Richard Tapia received the 2011 DuPont Minorities in Engineering Award from the American Society for tive called Extreme Science and Engineering Engineering Education (ASEE) Discovery Environment (XSEDE). Rice is one for motivating underrepresented of 17 educational institutions to participate in the project that was officially announced students to pursue a degree in this summer. engineering. “XSEDE will be the most advanced, Tapia, who is also a University Professor powerful and robust collection of integrated and the Maxfield-Oshman Professor of advanced digital resources and services in Computational and Applied Mathematics, the world,” according to the NSF. The proj- received the DuPont award at the annual ect links computers, data and people from ASEE conference this summer in Vancouver. around the world to establish a single, virtual “It’s always wonderful to be rewarded for system that scientists can interactively use for activities that you do, especially since you their research. don’t do them for the award,” said Tapia. NSF will fund the project for five years “The recognition, however, adds credibility at $121 million to expand the availability of HELPING MINORITY STUDENTS: University Professor to these types of activities and facilitates and high-performance computing to researchers Richard Tapia receives an award for motivating encourages further action.” across the country. underrepresented students to pursue a career in The honor was established in 1979 to rec- Tapia will administer the $925,000, five- engineering. ognize the importance of student diversity year grant to help engage students from in science, engineering and technology, and across the country with XSEDE. To do this, “It builds on many years that we have worked honors educators who motivate “underrep- Tapia plans to create a national network with the high-performance computing com- resented students to enter and continue in of students, faculty mentors and XSEDE munity to bring some of the most exciting engineering or engineering technology cur- researchers to raise awareness about XSEDE science to a broader audience.” ricula at the college or university level.” and identify underrepresented faculty and Tapia was born in Los Angeles to immi- Tapia was also recently selected to be students who would benefit from the techni- grant parents from Mexico and was the first the lead partner at Rice University in a new cal assistance of XSEDE researchers. in his family to attend college. He received his National Science Foundation (NSF) initia- “I look forward to this work,” Tapia said. B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in mathemat- ics from the University of California at Los Angeles. In 1967, he joined the Department At press time, the White House cation both in his field and beyond,” Rice of Mathematics at UCLA, followed by two announced that Richard Tapia President David Leebron said. “Richard years as a member of the mathematics fac- received the National Medal of is an extraordinary scientist and a great ulty at the University of Wisconsin. In 1970, Science from President Barack mathematician, but he’s also had a much he moved to Rice University, where he was Obama. bigger impact on the world. promoted to associate professor in 1972 and The medal is the highest national “He’s helped make Rice a more full professor in 1976. honor for a U.S. scientist, but it won’t be diverse university, and he is recognized In 2005, Tapia earned Rice’s highest the first White House honor for Tapia. across the country as the person who has academic title, University Professor, becom- He received the inaugural Presidential helped countless students, particularly ing only the sixth person to earn that rank Award for Excellence in Science, Hispanic and African-American stu- at Rice. He has authored and co-authored Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring dents, overcome obstacles and succeed in two books and more than 100 mathemati- in 1996, the same year he earned a presi- graduate studies in science, technology, cal research papers. In 1992, Tapia became dential appointment to the National engineering and mathematics. Many of the first Hispanic elected to the National Science Board, the nation’s highest sci- these students now carry on his legacy at Academy of Engineering. ■ entific governing body. some of our great universities.” Alice Fisher “This National Medal of Science is A full story regarding Tapia’s National Program Manager wonderful recognition of someone who Medal of Science award will appear in the Rice Center for Excellence and has had tremendous influence and dedi- next issue of Rice at Large. ■ Equity in Education

6 Rice At Large Students Sharpen Writing Skills and Knowledge of College Admission

Maria Montelongo benefitted so Houston, Yes Prep SW, George I. Sanchez, Another highlight of all the camps was the much from last year’s essay-writing Sam Rayburn and Austin, and Marshall and diversity of corporate and community leaders the William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and who volunteered daily, presented information camp at Rice University that she Prosperity (WALIPP) middle schools. The on strategies for finding appropriate careers, came back this summer to learn Texas Diversity Council, the Harris County and shared stories about their own career more about the art of the written Department of Education and Rice’s DREAM paths. word. program sponsored the workshops. Rice football coach David Bailiff and Multicultural Community Relations in the Montelongo, a senior in the international Rice alumni and Houston Texans Cheta Office of Public Affairs offered four camps in baccalaureate program at Eisenhower High Ozougwu ’11 and James Casey ’11 were a hit which students honed their college essay-writ- School, returned to the program because writ- with the middle schoolers from WALIPP ing skills, learned about the college admission ing is her weakest subject. “The program really Academy and Marshall. and financial aid process, and picked up some helped with structuring my writing,” she said, Montelongo’s plans for her senior year are pointers on goal setting and leadership. “and I wanted to get more in-depth support for clear-cut. “I know that there will be a time to Montelongo was one of more than 100 stu- the college essay I am working on.” have fun, but right now as I apply to college, dents who participated in the 2011 sessions. The workshop sessions varied in length I can’t play around. There are deadlines to be ■ And like Montelongo, many will be the first in from several hours to several days. Many of met, and I must be focused.” their immediate families to attend college. the five-day participants wanted more time at Jan West The students came from a variety of high camp, with some suggesting in their evalua- Assistant Director schools, including Eisenhower, Chavez, South tions that the camps be extended to two weeks. Multicultural Community Relations

Rice Culture Fair Charms Briarwood School Students

Rice University undergraduate and behind Egyptian posters graduate students brought the exotic with the faces cut out. They also heard accounts of Japan world of foreign countries a bit and the resilience of its closer to students of the Briarwood people despite last spring’s School, a private school in Houston disasters. that excels in teaching pupils with The Rice students could not have been more car- learning differences and develop- ing. They were patient with mental disabilities. their learning differences The Briarwood School students were spe- and showed elation in see- cial visitors to the Rice Culture Fair 2011, ing them learn new skills. an annual campus event directed by the Despite the learning chal- ADVANCE student club. Each year, Rice stu- lenges that many of the dents from different countries and regions of Briarwood students face, the THE THRILL OF VICTORY: Briarwood School students celebrate with Rice the world, as well as U.S. ethnic groups, set Rice students taught them football coach David Bailiff (far right) after receiving Special Olympics trophies. up booths to display artifacts, food, posters, how to read in a different music, games and other cultural highlights language. to share the many distinctive customs with Only a few weeks later, Rice engaged parents. visitors. again with Briarwood students when Rice A special bond between Rice and the Tuttle The Briarwood middle and high school head football coach David Bailiff was the key- School division of the Briarwood School has students prepared for their visit by studying note speaker at the Briarwood School sports now been created. The Rice community built the countries and regions that were repre- banquet and gave an inspirational speech bridges of friendship, kindness and patience, sented at the fair. Their preparation was amply to the students who participated in Special which will go a very long way in creating spe- rewarded through the activities ADVANCE Olympics. cial relationships, memories and collaborative offered. The students were thrilled to get their tro- learning experiences. ■ The students watched how their names phies, but were further honored that Coach Adria L. Baker were written in Arabic and Farsi, and they had Bailiff helped to pass them out and congratu- Associate Vice Provost for International the opportunity to write their own names in late them. The honor went both ways, as Coach Education Chinese calligraphy and play a Chinese child’s Bailiff appeared delighted to get hugs from the Executive Director game. They tasted Turkish treats and posed students and words of appreciation from their Office of International Students and Scholars

fall 2 0 11 7 Rice University Nonprofit Org. Multicultural Community Relations–MS 700 U.S. Postage P.O. Box 1892 PAID Houston, TX 77251-1892 Permit #7549 Houston, Texas

A PEEK AT THE SUN: A Galveston student views a sunspot through a telescope on the rooftop of Rice’s Brockman Hall for Physics and Astronomy. See story on Page 3.

David D. Medina, Director, Multicultural Community Relations, Office of Public Affairs