nization'l c,7 J6'3 MAWIIrl NIVERSITY • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ORT 1993 NIVERSITY 22 1993 RARY "I must help" Professor Richard Tapia's Mission for Minorities Won't you consider sending Rice something back? Your voluntary subscription helps cover the cost of our prizewinning magazine. Please see the bound-in, postage-paid envelope for full subscription details and subscribe today. FE IT1 RES RICE UNIVERSITY 1111111R1 OCT 22 1993 LIBRARY 12 The Class of'68 Members of the Class of'68 reflect on life at Rice during one of the most culturally and politically pivotal years in the country's history. —by Michael Cinelli 16 "I Must Help" Computational and applied mathematics professor Richard Tapia's mission is to bring more minority students into science, engineering and mathematics classes. —by David D. Medina 22 The Second Face of Scholarship Thanks to women's studies, researchers across the spectrum of disciplines are expanding theo- ries to include females, directing attention to specifically female issues, incorporating gender as a basis of analysis and scrutinizing accepted paradigms for gender bias. —by Greta FoffPaules 28 The Transformation of Eastern Europe Rice professors Gale Stokes and Ewa Thompson examine the tur- bulent events in Eastern Europe since the fall of communism and look ahead to the future of this volatile region. —by David D. Medina October / November '93 1 DEP AR TM ENTS 4 Letters SA 6 Through the Sallyport OCTOB Russell Pitman gives tours of a cemetery where much of Rice's past rests. Publi • • .. 8 News Exec( Malcolm Gillis addresses Class of'97; Rice donates Kennedy lectern to Mich: NASA; Rice alum walks in space; Alan Grob speaks of difficult choices, past Asso( and present; and distinguished writer and former Rice professor Mercedes Valdivieso dies. Art Edit, Phil h C.S. 10 Academia Desi@ Rice computer scientists team up with biologists to hunt for disease genes. Christ • . Rice, NASA and JFK, page 8. The I 11 Books, Etc. Trit.Sto JORepl Charles Zelden reviews the history of a powerful district court in Texas; Andel and Dana Blankenhorn looks at the not-too-distant future of computer J. Mcl J.D. bulletin boards and field computing. Wjllja Paula Alurn VValte 31 Sports Smith Claudia Haywood takes three giant steps toward the 1996 Olympics. Admi Presid Kinsey 13. Ry; 35 Students tratiot The Graduate Student Association looks out for graduate students' dent Gradu interests. tems, Sll Ryn 36 Gifts and Giving '57, r Merril Students serve as university ambassadors; scholarships provide crucial stu- Wells dent aid; Rice increases fellowship support; and Emilie Slohm reflects on Presid Presid family, Rice and giving. Josepl Assoc Student ambassadors, page 36. Assoc 38 Alumni Gazette sally' Vicki Bretthauer keeps Owls together in Chicago; ARA seeks nominations Encl.] all uni for key positions; and more ways to stay involved. studet friend Allen yersity 40 Sally Forth Maik 77251 Colonial Williamsburg brings back the joy of Christmas past. tunity Volun 42 Classnotes avails] Postrn Office 60 Yesteryear P.0.1 ©199. 61 Calendar Colonial Christmas, page 40. 04 .14 FOR E W OR D MIAPORT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1993. VOL 50, NO. 2 Lifetime of Learning ................................ A Published by the Office of External Affairs Every fall, when news magazines that revolutionized neurosurgery. An- ................................ publish their rankings of the best other alumnus, Claude E. Payne, reporters ask switched careers from chemical Executive Director of News & Publications, universities, call to Michael Berryhill what Rice thinks about these sur- engineering to the Episcopalian veys. Every fall I give the same an- ministry. He has been named bishop last Associate Editor, Greta Paules swer. It's nice to be highly ranked, coadjutor and will Art Director, Jeff Cox as Rice always is. The college sur- eventually become interest Rice the seventh bishop Editorial Staff: David D. Medina '83, veys generate in Phil Montgomery, staff writers; among prospective students and of the Diocese of C.S. Monholland '89, copy editor their parents and create a wider Texas. Yet another Design awareness merits. And no Rice graduate, Dr. CS. Staff: Tommy LaVergne, photographer; of our Christine Minuto, designer matter how hard anyone tries, the Anita Katherine ................................ quality of a university education Jones, has been The Rice University Board of Governors can't be reduced to a number. sworn in by the Sec- Trustees: Charles W. Duncan Jr., chair, The very function of a liberal retary of Defense as Josephine E. Abercrombie, vice chair, I). Kent Anderson, J. Evans John I. Cox, Burton education is to educate students to director of the mas- J. Attwell, McMurtry, Jack T. Trotter; Term Members: be skeptical of such reductions. sive research and en- J.D. "Ruck" Allshouse, James A. Baker III, E. Our work is not to finish up stu- gineering enterprise William Barnett, A.L. Jensen, George R. Miner, Paula M. Mosle, James L. Pate, Selby W. Sullivan. dents but to open them to risk and of the Department Alumni Governors: T. Robert "Bob" Jones, G. Walter to prepare them for a lifetime of of Defense. McReynolds, Steven J. Shaper, Stephen B. Smith learning. Surely Rice can- Such is the theme the univer- not be credited with Administrative Officers celebrates inauguration these achievements, President, Malcolm Gillis; Acting Provost, James sity in the Kinsey; Vice President for External Affairs, Frank of Malcolm Gillis as the sixth pres- and yet ifwe were to take the measure B. Ryan; Vice President for Finance and Adminis- ident of Rice at the end of Octo- of this university with some- tration, Dean W. Currie; Vice President for Stu- dent Affairs, Sarah Burnett; Vice President for ber. thing beyond class rankings, test Graduate Studies, Research and Information Sys: Gillis has recruited three dis- scores and financial data, we would terns, G. Anthony Gorry; Treasurer, Scott W. Wise tinguished academics to discuss find it in the accomplishments and Sallyport Editorial the spirit of the alumni. One Rice Ryn Board this theme. John Hope Franklin, Bowers '64, Paul '57, Burka '63, Sidney Burrus the historian and professor emeri- graduate is studying rain forests in David Butler '80, Lynda Grist '67, Bill Merriman '67, Rebecca '73, tus from Duke University, is re- Mauritania with the Peace Corps. Wells Uddcn Ronny '62. Ex officio: Frank B. Ryan '58, Vice searching, 70s, Another is creating an investment President in his late a new for External Affairs; Albert Kidd '64, house in Alabama. One couple has President-elect, Association Rice book about slavery. Stanford Joseph of Alumni; Elias '93, President, Graduate Student economist Anne Krueger draws left the oil business to create a bed- Association; Julia Farnham, President, Student 6. Association on both her scholarly work and and-breakfast in Vermont. Another her public policy experience as a alumnus helped found an important Sallyport is published bimonthly by the Office of top official at the World Bank. And regional theater. Such activities in- External Affairs all of Rice University and is sent to Clinton's nominee to dicate what it is possible to do with university alumni, faculty, staff, graduate President students, parents of undergraduate students and head the National Science Founda- a Rice education, and that is: almost friends. Editorial Offices: Allen News & Publications, tion, former Rice provost and anything. Center for Business Activities, Rice Uni- versity, 6100 S. Main St. physicist Neal Lane, offers a na- That questing spirit is best con- Mailing Houston, TX 77005. address: P.O. Box 1892 Houston, TX tional perspective on scientific re- veyed in one letter from a recent 77251-1892. Rice University is an equal oppor- search. graduate, Kim Loepp, who writes tunity/affirmative action institution. These speakers reflect the (not without a little doubt) of hav- Voluntary subscriptions to available Sallyport are quality to which Rice aspires. ing landed a job "in keeping with for a $15 suggested contribution. But if someone wanted to know my usual course of never having a Postmaster: Send address Office of changes to Sallyport, whether Rice has been educating job that pertains to my field of News 8c Publications, P.O. Box Rice University, lifetime of learning, study and always doing things so 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892. people for a I can think of no better place to field-specific that they will be of no 01993 Rice University turn than to this issue's Classnotes use to me in the future." tip section. Such spirit can't be captured in Sallyport is printed on recycled paper. The accomplishments of Rice a statistic, but it guarantees a life- alumni are impressive.The late James time of learning. Greenwood Jr. invented a device —Michael Berryhill October / November '93 3 I,F. I I F. Undergraduates Need number of students limits the ex- Athletics Debate Continues Research Experience posure to research that under- graduates will see as they make I thank professors Baker and I would like to clarify some of the their way through Rice. There are Haskell for relating in more detail more subtle points that were men- exceptions to this, and that is the faculty study and sentiment on tioned in the article entitled "A students who are chosen in se- Rice athletics [August/September Hand of Hope" in the April/May lected departments, usually as an 1993, pp. 6-7]. I heartily endorse 1993 issue [pp. 24-291. While the honors course, to perform research the strong faculty stand they re- article does not explicitly state so, by interacting with faculty and port. this is a rather unique research graduate students on a project. I believe Rice should not project at Rice. It is unique not These undergraduates are the very compete in Southwest Conference due to the utilitarian reason for its fortunate, and while their numbers football.