Established in 1937, the Association of Rice Alumni's
laureates program recognizes the contributions and accomplishments
of outstanding Rice alumni and friends of the university.
2010 Laureates Dinner
Saturday, May 15, 2010 — River Oaks Country Club
1600 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston, TX 77019
If you would like
additional information about the ARA Laureates Program,
contact Lauren
Linn at 713-348-6093 or 800-742-3258.
ARA Awards
Nominations are accepted each year for three awards:
the Gold Medal, the Distinguished Alumni Award, and
the Meritorious Service Award. The selection committee
may award one or more of each award each year. Completed
nominations for 2010 candidates are due September 30,
2009.
Jay Collins is president and CEO of Oceaneering International, Inc. – the premier provider of engineered products and services for the oil and gas industry with special emphasis on deepwater applications. Oceaneering is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, employs more than 7,500 personnel worldwide and has offices and operations in all the major oil and gas offshore areas of the world. In addition, Oceaneering provides engineering services and products to the U.S. Navy and NASA. Under Mr. Collins' leadership as both CEO and COO, Oceaneering has experienced phenomenal growth and profitability and is considered one of the best technology companies by providing some of the most sophisticated equipment to deepwater drilling, exploration and development. Mr. Collins' vision and insight into the needs of the deepwater applications were instrumental in exploiting the technology of remotely operated vehicles (underwater robots). Today, the company is the leading provider of these services and equipment worldwide. He is the model that is often cited in the energy industry for the ideal energy executive.
Rachelle Doody is the Effie Marie Cain Professor in Alzheimer's Disease Research in the Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine. She is head of the Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Research Center, recognized as one of the premier centers in the country for the treatment of Alzheimer's. She is an internationally recognized neurologist and research scientist with a distinguished career grounded in exceptional expertise and tireless devotion to helping patients and families cope with the many challenges of dementing illnesses. Dr. Doody has been a principal investigator or investigator on more than 35 research projects on dementia and Alzheimer's and has made many valuable contributions to the field, particularly by furthering the understanding of the clinical features of memory disorders. She works with local and national community and civic groups and travels internationally to raise awareness and understanding about this dreaded disease. Dr. Doody is the recipient of numerous awards and honors and has been recognized both by her peers and by agencies serving those affected by Alzheimer's disease. Her impact on the field of Alzheimer's and dementia has been dramatic and widespread.
Robert Martin has had a long, distinguished career as a librarian, and has earned a high level of respect in the library and museum community. He is the former director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This government agency is at the core of federal support for humanistic scholarship in our universities, the major cultural organizations and grants to artists across the country and the nation's libraries and museums. Prior to his position as director of the IMLS, he held the post of acting chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts, and served as director and librarian of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Currently, he holds the Lillian Bradshaw Chair in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Women's University. His profoundly important contributions to the cultural and intellectual life of America were recently recognized by President Bush with the awarding of the Presidential Citizens Medal.
This award is presented to alumni who have advanced the interests and standards of excellence of Rice University through distinctive professional or volunteer careers. It is reserved for those who attended the university as an undergraduate or graduate student for a period of at least one year and are living at the time of consideration. No one who has received the Gold Medal is eligible for this award.
Teveia Barnes has been associated with the Rice University Board of Trustees since 1997, all the while living more than 2,000 miles away and working both in the banking/legal profession and as a volunteer with Lawyers for One America. Despite her busy California schedule she manages to travel to Houston at least four times a year for meetings. When she comes to Houston, she can be found having lunch in a college, mentoring students and listening to their needs and concerns. She was a member of the Rice: The Next Century campaign leadership committee, attends her class reunions regularly and co-chaired the 30th reunion for her class and was a member of the Presidential Search Committee in 2003. In addition, she has hosted functions for the Shepherd School and Development Office in her home and served as host of numerous ARA events in San Francisco.
Kathy Matthews is the former dean of the Wiess School of Natural Science. Her devotion to Rice is evident in her service, which has reached far beyond her responsibilities as dean, and the impact of that dedication will be felt for decades to come. Over the years her outstanding teaching has been recognized with five teaching awards, including winning the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching three times. In her role as dean, she strongly championed the cause of having undergraduate students be engaged in original research, now a pillar of the University's Vision for the Second Century. She has also worked tirelessly as an academic leader to promote and advocate for Rice's interests and mission “beyond the hedges.” One of her most important accomplishment in this regard has been the founding and expansion of the Gulf Coast Consortium, which brings together six of Houston's premier research institutions (including Rice) to advance science and medical research through institutional collaborations.
Director of Athletics Chris Del Conte calls Jeff Rose a stellar role model for student-athletes. He is an enthusiastic and ubiquitous presence on campus. Jeff's support of Rice students is evident whether he is attending their athletic events or their performances at the Shepherd School of Music. His service on committees is impressive and has included the Alumni Trustee Nominations Committee, the Undergraduate Curriculum Standing Committee, the ARA Laureates Committee, the Athletic Steering Committee, the Rice University Fund Council, the ARA Board of Directors (including a term as president), and his reunion class committee. He is currently in his second year on the Rice University Board of Trustees. Jeff is a member of the Association of Rice University Black Alumni and in 2006 played an important role as the university planned for the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the first African American undergraduates who matriculated and graduated from the university. His role as a spokesperson for the Rice Annual Fund has not only allowed him to express his gratitude for his Rice education publicly but he is educating others about the initiatives supported by the Annual Fund.
There is almost no part of the university that Ric Stoll has not touched in the thirty years he has been at Rice. He is demanding of his students but well-liked and respected by them. His political science courses are among the most popular and he has been recognized with a number of teaching awards. He has had much to do with the success of the Baker Institute and has been very involved with the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies and their recently instituted Master of Liberal Arts program. He helped recruit a number of successful teachers from the Rice faculty to ensure the program's success. He has served on many university committees including chairing the Rice University Athletics Committee and the very challenging Committee to Study the Curriculum. For almost 30 years he has been a Jones College Associate serving as a dedicated advisor to students. His importance to Jones College was evident when the college instituted a special associates award in his honor called the Richard Stoll Associates Award, the only such associates award given in all of Rice's nine colleges.
This award was established in 1986 to provide recognition for those who have made significant, sustained, and voluntary contributions of energy, time, and creativity toward the advancement of the university. Alumni, active or retired faculty, staff, administrators, and friends of the university who are living at the time of their selection are eligible. No one who has received the Gold Medal is eligible for this award.
Edward Djerejian's central role in taking the James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy from a concept to its status today as one of the most respected public policy institutes in the country has had a profound impact on Rice University. Ambassador Djerejian brought with him 33 years of international experience, innumerable contacts, and a highly developed professional discipline to become the founding director of an institute that began with no funding, no building, no track record, and no detailed plan for maturing into a first rate public policy institute. In its short existence, many of the most famous statesmen in the world have participated in programs at the Baker Institute, including Nelson Mandela, Colin Powell, Mikhail Gorbachev, Vladimir Putin, Madeline Albright, King Abdullah, as well as several American presidents. Ambassador Djerejian has successfully integrated the Institute with the university by including faculty, students, administrators and trustees in the development of the Institute. Thanks to his commitment, he has attracted to Rice countless Houstonians who otherwise would have no relationship with the university. Rice University is a growing presence internationally through the Baker Institute's work.
Neal Lane is the Malcolm Gillis University Professor in the department of physics and astronomy and is a Senior Fellow in the James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy. He first came to Rice in 1966 and as a widely respected professor has distinguished himself in the classroom, winning three teaching awards, and in the research arena, where he has a national and international reputation. He also served Rice as provost during the period of 1986-1993. Professor Lane brought great honor and recognition to Rice when he was named director of the National Science Foundation, then assistant to the president of the United States for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Upon completion of his extraordinary public service, he returned to Rice and through his work with the Baker Institute has been a prominent participant in national and international science-policy debates.
This is the highest award presented by the Association of Rice Alumni. The Gold Medal is designed to recognize Rice alumni, faculty, staff, or friends who have rendered extraordinary service to the university. Each recipient must demonstrate one or more of the following criteria: outstanding service in promoting the ideals of the founder of the university OR unusually deep dedication to and advancement of the academic excellence of the university OR uncommon generosity of time and means in support of the university. Preference will be given to living nominees, but posthumous awards are not forbidden.
