R Rice Leadership DAVID W. LEEBRON Rice President Though he grew up in Philadelphia, David W. Leebron was not part of the Franklin Field crowd that pelted Santa with snow- balls at the infamous 1968 Eagles game. Indeed, Rice’s president says he and his wife and children prefer the spirit of Rice athletic events. "Our family has enjoyed watching our student–athletes Leebron serves on the National War Powers Commission perform in a wide range of competitions," the president said, (ex-officio), the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board, "everyone from our incredible baseball pitching staff to our volley- the Jacobs University Bremen Board of Governors, the Harvard ball players defying the laws of gravity." Law School Visiting Committee, the Greater Houston Partnership Leebron became the seventh president of Rice University and board of directors and the board of directors of IMAX Corp. a member of its political sci- "Rice students are extraordinary," he said. "They compete in ence faculty on July 1, 2004. Rice Presidents everything from intramurals to club and intercollegiate sports, all Upon his arrival at Rice, he Edgar Odell Lovett 1907-46 while pursuing serious scholarship. We take great pride in the began engaging faculty, staff, William V. Houston 1946-60 diversity of our student body and the diverse talents of all our students, alumni and commu- Kenneth R. Pitzer 1961-68 students." Norman Hackerman 1970-85 nity members in a dialogue Leebron is married to Y. Ping Sun and has two young children, George R. Rupp 1985-93 on the opportunities and Malcolm Gillis 1993-2004 Daniel and Merissa. challenges that the university David W. Leebron 2004-present faces in the coming decade and beyond. His Call to Conversation produced a strategy, the Vision for the Second Century, which calls for Rice to grow in size and scope, including significant increases in its research endeav- ors and international collaborations. Leebron also has led a wide-reaching program to engage the faculty and students with the city of Houston through Passport to Houston and other community engagement programs. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Leebron was elected president of the Law Review in his second year. Prior to joining Rice, he served as dean and the Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law at Columbia University. He also served as a visiting fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and Comparative Law in Hamburg, Germany, and as the Jean Monnet Visiting Professor of Law at Bielefeld University. Leebron has authored a textbook on international human rights and written numerous articles on issues of international trade, human rights and corporate finance. He is a member of the New York State Bar and an inactive member of the Hawaii and Pennsyl- vania bars. Rice University President David W. Leebron served as an honorary coach during the Owls’ 2008 spring football game. 44 2008-09 RICE OWLS SWIMMING 60-63 Administrative Staff.indd 44 11/20/2008 5:00:51 PM Rice Leadership R CHRIS DEL CONTE Director of Athletics In two years since being named Rice University’s director of athletics, Chris Del Conte’s vision for the future of the program is rapidly becoming a reality. Reckling Park, the home of the Owls powerhouse baseball program and one of the showcase venues for the sport, saw significant upgrades to its playing surface last fall. At the same time, a state-of-the-art information 2006, after previously serving as senior associate athletics director at the and video board was installed to enhance the game experience for fans. University of Arizona. His first year on campus was truly a memorable one. This fall, the dream of a renovated Autry Court will come to fruition. The Owls returned to a bowl game for the first time in 45 years, base- The $27 million project is on track to provide Rice basketball and volleyball a ball earned its sixth trip to the College World Series, three teams earned completely renovated home court later this year. The project also includes Conference USA titles, the school had the conference players of the year in a new academic center, training facility, locker rooms and administrative both men’s basketball and baseball and produced a pair of first-round picks offices. in professional drafts. The new facility will offer fans the amenities they have come to expect Nearly 12, 000 Owls filled multiple hotels in New Orleans for Rice’s trip including new VIP seating and club area, concession stands and a state-of- to the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, making it the largest gathering of the-art video display. alumni for an event not held on the Rice University campus. But an even more dramatic reshaping of the scope of the department Also during his first year at Rice, Del Conte’s vision for a revamped was announced last spring, when Rice President David Leebron announced and aggressive approach by the department saw a consolidation of various a restructuring of administrative responsibilities. The merging of the inter- marks and logos used by Rice’s different sports into a unified, readily identi- collegiate programs with the campus recreation and intramural areas to fiable mark first made famous by the national baseball team, the Old English create an all-encompassing department under Del Conte’s leadership was “R.” The department also took over the administration of the licensing of its announced along with plans for a new $41 million Recreation and Wellness logos and entered into an agreement with Host Communications (now IMG Center, which broke ground in late spring and is set for a 2010 opening. College) to maximize marketing opportunities. This past summer, Rice and To bring these three projects to reality, Del Conte has directed a cam- IMG College announced a 10-year extension of the relationship. paign that has raised over $72 million for facilities since he came to South As a further extension of the effort to create a consistent image for Main. Rice Athletics, Del Conte negotiated an expanded apparel and equipment Rice Athletics has maintained a balanced budget in each of the last relationship with Nike for all Rice teams, beginning in the fall of 2008. two years under Del Conte’s direction. He also initiated the implementation In addition to his duties at Rice, he also serves on the Conference USA of a strategic plan for the department, outlining the mission of the depart- Television Committee. ment and clearly drawing the focus on a heightened experience for each Del Conte spent five-plus years on the athletic department staff at the student-athlete. University of Arizona. When he joined the UA program in December of 1999, Del Conte’s efforts have allowed the Owls to become co-hosts for the he oversaw all aspects of athletic fund development. In 2002 his respon- 2008 and 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Regional Championships, as well as sibilities were expanded to include overseeing the ticket office, marketing, the 2011 Final Four at Reliant Stadium. corporate sales and trademarks and licensing. That same year, he imple- While the new building projects will provide a foundation for the de- mented a capital campaign known as Campaign Arizona for the Student- partment’s future, the athletic program has seen unparalleled success both Athlete, which raised more the $120 million One year later, he was named on the playing fields and courts as well as in the classroom during Del Con- one of three senior associate athletics directors. He oversaw media rela- te’s two years at the helm. tions, business operations and external affairs, and helped co-manage the This past year, the Rice baseball team advanced to the College World day-to-day operation of the university’s 19 athletic programs. He worked Series for the third straight year. Baseball was one of four Rice teams to directly with all coaches, department heads and staff and participated in capture Conference USA championships during the year. Three teams ad- the hiring of coaches and other personnel. He also oversaw all contracts, vanced to NCAA Championship play. including corporate sponsorships, broadcast rights, sporting events and The athletic program’s academic success continues to rank among the Web site agreements. leaders in Division I. Del Conte has a master’s degree in education administration from Eight of the Owls’ 16 athletic programs were awarded Public Recogni- Washington State University where he served as assistant athletics direc- tion Awards by the NCAA, emblematic of their finishing in the top 10 percent tor for external operations before he joined the staff at Arizona. He received of their respective sport in terms of their APR (Academic Progress Reports). a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of California, The eight awards were four times the combined amount presented to other Santa Barbara. institutions in the state of Texas, with no school being honored for more than Del Conte is married to Robin Ward, Clinical Assistant Professor of one individual team. The Naval Academy was the only other FBS institution Mathematics and Associate Director for Curriculum Integration for the to have 50 percent or more of its programs recognized with the award. Rice University School of Mathematics Project. They have two daughters, Del Conte was named the 14th director of athletics at Rice on June 22, Sienna (seven) and Sophia (five). 2008-09 RICE OWLS SWIMMING 45 60-63 Administrative Staff.indd 45 11/20/2008 5:00:54 PM R Rice Leadership Rice Head Coaches David Bailiff Jim Bevan Ben Braun Wayne Graham Chris Huston Seth Huston Elizabeth Schmidt Football Women’s Track & Field Men’s Basketball Baseball Soccer Swimming Women’s Tennis Drew Scott Ron Smarr Genny Volpe Jon Warren Greg Williams Golf Men’s Tennis Volleyball Men’s Track & Field Women’s Basketball Rice Athletics Administration Suzanne Boue Leslie Claybrook Michael Dean Russ Dean Julie Griswold Clint Haggard Dr.