REA Events

Fall 2012

• Fri Oct 12: Alumni Honors Presentation
  Friday, October 12
  4:00 pm
  McMurtry Auditorium, Duncan Hall
  
  Honoring:
  N. Wayne Hale Jr., ME ’76: Outstanding Engineering Alumnus
  Troy Thacker, ChE ’95: Outstanding Young Engineering Alumnus
  J. Bartlett “Bart” Sinclair, EE ’73, MEE ’74, PhD ’78: Distinguished Service Medal

Followed by
Engineering Centennial Reception
4:30 to 6:30 pm
Duncan Hall
Register here

• Sat Oct 27: Football Tailgate Party*
  10:00 AM (kickoff at 12:00 noon)
  Rice Stadium
  REA invites engineering alumni, faculty, staff, family and friends to cheer on the Rice Owls as they take on conference rival Southern Miss. The pregame tailgate begins 2 hours prior to kickoff. Be sure to wear your Rice gear!
  Register here
  
  
• Tue Dec 4: Fall Social and New Faculty Address*
  6:30 pm
  Saint Arnold Brewing Company
  2000 Lyons Avenue
  Houston, TX 77020

Outstanding New Faculty Speaker
Rafael Verduzco
BSChE ‘01
Louis Owen Assistant Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Please look for registration link in October!

In 2010, REA began the practice of recognizing each year a faculty member in the School of Engineering who, although relatively new to Rice, has already brought considerable recognition and distinction to Rice and to the School. The honoree is asked to give the keynote talk at the REA Fall Social.

In this Centennial year, we are proud to recognize one of our fellow alumni as our New Faculty Speaker. Professor Rafael Verduzco joined the Rice faculty in 2009 after earning his BS summa cum laude from Rice, completing his MS and PhD at Caltech, and conducting postdoctoral research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. At Rice he leads a research group that is breaking important new ground in polymer materials, including the development ofsemiconductive block copolymers for use in polymer- based solar cells, which are significantly cheaper and easier to fabricate compared with silicon-based solar cells.

*To cover costs and to properly steward REA funds, certain events carry a nominal charge. This fee is waived for REA Sponsors, whose contributions provide essential support for REA’s scholarships, grants and other programs. Please consider becoming an REA Sponsor today. Sponsorship levels range from $25 for young alumni to $2500 for REA Fellows. Please visit the Support REA page for further details.

Past Events

Spring 2012

• Sat Mar 31:  Beer-Bike

• Sat Apr 14:  REA/School of Engineering End-of-Year Picnic

4:30-7:00 pm
Engineering Quad

Join the entire Rice engineering community for this celebration, hosted by REA, of the many accomplishments of Rice students, faculty and staff in the past year!  Enjoy entertainment, drinks, and barbecue in the company of fellow students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends as we recognize major achievements of the year and award over $100,000 in scholarships and prizes to Rice students.  Families and friends are always welcome as we salute another great year of Engineering at Rice.  No RSVP is necessary.

Click here for the 2011 event program.

• Sat Apr 21:  REA Baseball Tailgate

12:00-1:45 pm (first pitch at 2:00 pm)
Reckling Park

REA invites engineering alumni, family, friends, and fans to cheer on the Rice Owls as they take on conference foe East Carolina at Reckling Park.  Be sure to wear your Rice gear!

Tailgate tickets are $5 for adults and free to Rice students and children 12 and under. Cost includes hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, assorted chips, soft drinks, water, and beer.  Door prizes will be awarded.

Game tickets are available through REA for $5. Tickets will be distributed at the tailgate tent.

Click here to register for the Tailgate and to order game tickets.

• Thu Apr 24:  2012 Engineering Design Showcase and Poster Session

4:30-6:30 pm
Tudor Fieldhouse

As part of the Rice Centennial's UnConvention, this competition will showcase the innovative work of our talented and ambitious undergraduate students.  Engineering alumni are asked to serve as judges for the competition. 

Details and registration

• Thu May 3:  3rd Annual Rice Undergraduate Technology Venture Challenge

Times TBD
Jones Graduate School of Business

Details and registration

• Mon Feb 20:  “Engineering Your Career” panel discussion

7:00 pm
McMurtry Auditorium, Duncan Hall
Dessert reception following

As part of National Engineers Week, REA, the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Rice’s student engineering groups are co-sponsoring "Engineering Your Career," a panel discussion designed to inform current students and recent alumni about careers open to Rice engineering graduates and how to manage their career paths.  Help mentor today’s engineering majors and network with fellow alums.

Panelists and Details

• Tue Feb 28:  “Engineering for Impact: Effecting Sustainable Change in the Developing World”

National Academy of Engineering regional meeting
1:45-5:10 pm
Bioscience Research Collaborative
Reception following

For the list of distinguished speakers and to register, visit Rice 360.

The NAE regional meeting is held in conjuction with the De Lange Conference VIII:  The Future of the Research University in a Global Age, which begins Mon Feb 27.  For details and to register for the De Lange Conference, visit the De Lange Conference site. 

• Fri Mar 2:  Science & Engineering Fair of Houston -“ REA judging and scholarship interviewing

George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall D

Through a long-standing partnership, REA provides alumni volunteers who serve as judges and scholarship interviewers at the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston and select two high school students to receive $5000 scholarships to Rice.  For further details, or to serve as an REA judge and to help select the winner of the Rice scholarships, please visit our Mentoring page. 

• Thu Mar 8:  Around the Kitchen Table Discussion -“ Energy and Sustainability

5:30-7:30 pm
OEDK classroom

Dine with students as they present their ideas and seek advice about their design projects from seasoned professionals.

Details and registration

Fall 2011

• Wed Sept 21: Austin: Engineering Networking Mixer
  6:30-8:00 pm

Scholz Garten
1607 San Jacinto
Austin, TX 78701

Join like-minded engineering professionals at our first dedicated networking mixer at Scholz Garten.  Bring your ideas and suggestions to build a vibrant Rice engineering network in Austin, and REA president George Webb ’88, ’91 will be in attendance to give feedback.

Although there is no fee to attend, please email us if you plan to attend.

Special thanks to Austin hosts Rajiv Bala ’02 and Javier Prado ’79.

• Sat Oct 8: REA Football Tailgate party
  9:30-11:00 am (kickoff at 11:30 am)
  Rice Stadium east side
  

REA invites engineering alumni, family, friends, and fans to cheer on the Rice Owls as they take on the Memphis Tigers!  The pregame tailgate begins at 9:30 a.m. (or 2 hours prior to kickoff if game time changes). Be sure to wear your Rice gear!

Related URL: Register for the tailgate online by Wednesday, October 5!

• Fri Nov 4:  Dr Bill Wilson IEEE Student Lounge dedication

3:00 pm
A147 Abercrombie Lab

In memory of William “Dr Bill” Wilson, professor of electrical engineering 1972-2006 and resident associate of Wiess College 1978-2006.

Click and here for a copy of the dedication, and here for the news story. 

• Fri Nov 4: Outstanding Engineering Alumni Awards Presentation & Reception

4:00 pm
McMurtry Auditorium, Duncan Hall
Reception following

Welcome:  Ned Thomas, William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering
“REA: A Year in Progress”:  George Webb, EE ’88, MEE’ 91, REA President
Outstanding Young Engineering Alumnus:  Aaron Hertzmann, CS ‘96
Outstanding Engineering Alumnus:  R. Norris Keeler, ChE ‘51

For further details on the honorees and the awards presentation, please visit our Outstanding Engineering Alumni page

• Thu Dec 1:  REA Lecture Series

6:30 pm
McMurtry Auditorium, Duncan Hall

Jeff Ross ’75:  "New Paradigms in Public Sector Engineering"

During a time when the common cry in the country was to reduce governmental regulation and taxation, members of the Houston Council of Engineering Companies organized a grass roots campaign to establish a dedicated fund for street and drainage improvements and maintenance. The resulting amendment charged the Council to adopt a drainage fee, eliminate future debt financing, and convert a portion of the City’s tax rate to "pay as you go" funding. Learn about the journey of these paradigm changers and the effort that it took to win this historic election.

Refreshments will be served.  Although there is no cost to attend, we ask that you register online by Tuesday, November 29, or contact the alumni office by phone at 713-348-4270.

• Tue Dec 6:  Fall Social and Outstanding New Faculty Address

6:30 pm
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
2000 Lyons Avenue
Houston, TX 77020

Welcome:  Ned Thomas, William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering
Special Honoree:  Richard Tapia, Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering and National Medal of Science recipient
Keynote Speaker:  John McDevitt, Brown-Wiess Professor of Bioengineering and Chemistry
"Building the Biomarker Highway: A Pathway to Affordable Healthcare"

Programmable bio-nano-chip sensors are now in development at Rice University with goal of diagnosing chronic health conditions like cardiac heart disease and various types of cancers early in their development when their treatment costs are more affordable and patient outcomes are better.

Join fellow engineering alumni and friends for food from Treebeards and drinks at Saint Arnold.  Tickets are $10.

Related URL: Register online by Friday, December 2!
Update:  Click here for the complete program from this event.