Q: How long have you worked at Rice?
A: I started in July 2012, which is easy for me to remember because it was two weeks after my daughter was born.
Q: What is your favorite part about working for the university?
A: I love talking to faculty members and their teams about their research. So many brilliant people are gathered in one place to make the world better and expand our base of knowledge.
Q: What do you want people to know about living in Houston?
A: Houston might be sprawling, unsightly, hot and infrastructurally challenged, but we’ve got the best people. We’ve got heart.
Q: What do you do in your downtime?
A: I coach my kids’ baseball and softball teams, travel with my wife and family and podcast about stationery and note-taking with an old friend.
Q: What’s your favorite spot on campus to show someone?
A: Rice Public Art offers so many great points of interest across campus. I enjoy pointing out pieces of the collection as we pass by.
Q: What’s the most exciting time of year for you as it relates to Rice?
A: It’s not calendar specific, but I love any time I get to be in the mix on a faculty team building a dynamic and impactful proposal to a philanthropic foundation.
Q: What’s the one thing that makes Rice special to you?
A: After my home flooded during Hurricane Harvey, my Rice colleagues collected funds and gift cards to provide my family with a boost as we figured out what to do next. You learn in a moment like that that it’s more than just a workplace.
Q: If you could be Sammy The Owl for a day, what would you do?
A: Maybe that thing where you pretend to be a statue then move a little and jump-scare people walking by.
Q: How would you describe your experience as a Rice employee?
A: I didn’t attend Rice, but many of my family members did (sister, parents, stepfather, aunts and uncles), and I grew up nearby. So I always knew Rice pretty well, but working here has given me a new window into the life of this university and all of the folks who move it forward.
Q: Where do you see Rice in 25 years?
A: We’ll be bigger, bolder and flashier in 25 years, but I think we’ll maintain that particular Rice personality that we all recognize and treasure as a place where people come first.
Q: Describe Rice in four words or less.
A: Oasis.
Q: What else have we not talked about yet that merits discussion?
A: I am always impressed by the knowledge, perspective and insight brought to work by staff members who have dedicated long careers to Rice. I have tons of respect for that level of commitment and service.