foreWord Thinking
Few events impact the life of a university as deeply as does a change in leadership.
Rice Sallyport
Each individual who takes on the consuming role of university president brings to the office a vision,
Winter 2004, Vol. 60, No. 2
a management style, and personal characteristics that indelibly mark the institution.
Published by the Division of
President-elect David W. Leebron will take office on July 1, 2004, succeeding Malcolm Gillis as
Public Affairs
Terry Shepard, vice president
the seventh president of Rice. Our next issue will feature a recap of the outstanding achievements of
President Gillis and the university he has guided for the past decade, and in the near future, we hope
Editor
Christopher Dow
to run an interview with Professor Leebron regarding his vision for Rice’s future. In the meantime,
however, we are pleased to introduce Professor Leebron and to talk a little about how he was chosen
Creative Director
Jeff Cox
to lead the university.
Elsewhere in this issue, our features cover a wide range of topics. David Medina fills us in on
Art Director
Chuck Thurmon
HOOTS, a grassroots scholarship program initiated by staff mem-
bers in Facilities & Engineering and Housing & Dining to help
Editorial Staff
David D. Medina ’83, senior editor
pay educational costs for their children who attend Rice. The
M. Yvonne Taylor, associate editor
HOOTS story is an inspiration
Lindsay Dold, assistant editor
Lorrie Lampson, production coordina-
for everyone who understands
from student to
tor
the need to help economically
disadvantaged students who
researcher to staffer
Design Staff
Dean Mackey, senior designer
aspire to a higher education.
to administrator,
Jana Starr, designer
Tommy LaVergne, photographer
We also have “Driving Us Crazy,” a rumination on the all-too-
rapid changes in media formats that our culture has experienced
we are all at rice
Jeff Fitlow, assistant photographer
during the past 50 years. This article is for anyone who has felt to play a part in the
The Rice University Board
of Trustees
frustration when looking at a shelf of records or tapes that no
advancement of
E. William Barnett, chair; J. D. Bucky
Allshouse; D. Kent Anderson; Teveia
longer can be played or a box of old computer disks that cannot
Rose Barnes; Alfredo Brener; Robert T.
be read. But don’t look for reassurance that your new media of
knowledge and to Brockman; Albert Y. Chao; James W.
Crownover; Edward A. Dominguez; Bruce
today won’t be obsolete tomorrow.
further the human
W. Dunlevie; James A. Elkins, III; Lynn
The subjects of our other two features are almost at opposite
Laverty Elsenhans; Karen O. George;
ends of the research spectrum. “Rethinking the Dismal Science”
endeavor. That, as
Susanne Glasscock; K. Terry Koonce; Cindy
J. Lindsay; Michael R. Lynch; Robert R.
profiles Feminist Economics, a scholarly journal housed here at
much as anything,
Maxfield; Burton J. McMurtry; Steven L.
Miller; W. Bernard Pieper; Karen Hess
Rice, and its founding editor, Diana Strassmann. For nearly 10
makes us a family.
Rogers; Marc Shapiro; William N. Sick;
years, the journal has helped expand the frontiers of economic
L. E. Simmons
thought, raising issues of concern not just to women but to ev-
Administrative Officers
eryone. These issues are complex and, in addition to gender
Malcolm Gillis, president; Zenaido
Camacho, vice president for Student
discrimination, include education, cultural values, power, social construction, maldistribution of re-
Affairs; Dean W. Currie, vice president
sources, and globalization.
for Finance and Administration; Charles
Henry, vice president and chief information
The second research feature, “Low Society,” by Bryant Furlow, delves into the small but very mobile
officer; Eric Johnson, vice president for
and adaptive world of the social amoeba. Lowly creature though it is, Dictyostelium discoideum actu-
Resource Development; Eugene Levy,
provost; Terry Shepard, vice president
ally bands together into colonies to propagate its species. But the process is not simple—or aggression-
for Public Affairs; Scott W. Wise, vice
free—and may just hold the keys to social behavior in higher forms of life, including humans.
president for Investments and treasurer;
Ann Wright, vice president for Enrollment;
Despite the seeming disparity of the subjects of the latter two articles, there is a fun connection be-
Richard A. Zansitis, general counsel.
tween them that has little to do with their topics, or with academics, per se. While I was working on
All submissions to Sallyport are subject
“Rethinking the Dismal Science” with Feminist Economics editor Diana Strassmann, I learned that
to editing for length, clarity, accuracy,
one of the principal researchers studying the social amoeba is Joan Strassmann, Diana’s sister.
appropriateness, and fairness to third
parties.
It was pure coincidence that the Strassmanns are appearing together in the same issue—if you can
call noteworthy academic efforts coincidental—but family connections are not unusual at Rice. There
Sallyport is published by the Division of
Public Affairs of Rice University and is sent
are many cases where various family members have attended Rice as well as instances of faculty and
to university alumni, faculty, staff, graduate
staff members being related. But whether or not a person at Rice has a direct relationship with some-
students, parents of undergraduates, and
friends of the university.
one else here, there is a distinct sense of family on campus.
Certainly, the university’s modest size helps make faces and names more recognizable, and Rice
Editorial Offices
also has a strong student culture centered around the colleges that lends lasting cohesion for both
Office of Publications–MS 95
P.O. Box 1892
student and university. But there is something else at work here, as well. From student to researcher Houston, Texas 77251-1892
to staffer to administrator, we are all at Rice to play a part in the advancement of knowledge and to Fax: 713-348-6751
further the human endeavor. That, as much as anything, makes us a family.
E-mail: sallyport@rice.edu
To the newest members of our family—David, Ping, Daniel, and Merissa Leebron—welcome. Postmaster
Send address changes to:
Rice University
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©2004 Rice UniveRsity
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