Kathleen Shive Matthews
For nearly five decades at Rice, Kathleen Shive Matthews has set the highest standard for impactful research, mentorship and inclusive leadership. The Stewart Memorial Professor Emerita of BioSciences has dedicated her career to scientific discovery and expanding opportunities for women and minorities in STEM.
Matthews, who obtained a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and her doctorate in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, joined Rice in 1972 as a founding member of the biochemistry department, where she conducted groundbreaking research on protein-DNA interactions underlying gene regulation. Her contribution to the field for more than five decades is noteworthy, as evidenced by her 170-plus publications, her service on numerous scientific committees and boards, and her impressive awards from the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and American Association for the Advancement of Science, to name just a few.
Scott W. Wise ’71
Throughout his decades of service, including as Rice’s former chief investment officer and as alumni trustee, Scott Wise has stewarded the university through a period of transformative growth and impact.
Wise earned his B.A. in economics from Rice in 1971 and a Master in Accounting from The University of Texas in 1973. As a pitcher on the Rice baseball team, Wise was a four-year letterman and co-captain and posted the lowest earned run average in the Southwest Conference in 1970. During his 31-year career at Rice, including over 20 years as vice president for investments and treasurer at Rice, he was responsible for the management and oversight of all investment matters. From 2009-2010, he also served as the founding president of Rice Management Company. By the end of his tenure, Rice’s endowment assets had grown from approximately $1 billion in 1989 to more than $4 billion. In 2010, Wise was recruited by TIAA to become founding President of Covariance Capital, an investment management company for non-profit clients. For the last seven years, Wise has served as CEO and CIO for the Cullen Foundation, which supports health care, educational and civic initiatives in the Houston area, including at Rice.