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OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON LATINA VOICES AND ITS GUESTS[Latina Voices (#129): “Dr. Reginald DesRoches, Rice U President”]
DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF HCV TELEVISION OR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.WITH THE DISCLAIMER THAT I'M A PROUD RICE GRADUATE, AS IS OUR FORMER MAYOR ANISE PARKER.
TODAY ON LATINA VOIDANCE VOICES, WE WELCOME DR.
REGINALD DE ROCHE RICE UNIVERSITY'S EIGHTH PRESIDENT, LEADING 8,200 PLUS STUDENTS WITH EIGHT SCHOOLS MORE THAN 900 FACULTY.
HE ALSO SERVES AS PROFESSOR OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND PROFESSOR OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, BORN IN HAITI, RAISED IN QUEENS, NEW YORK.
HE IS NOW AN HONORARY TEXAN AT THE HELM OF RICE, KNOWN FOR ITS ACADEMIC RIGOR, WORLD CLASS FACULTY, UNPARALLELED UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, AND ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST SELECTIVE INSTITUTIONS.
THIS YEAR'S CLASS, 1,140 NEW OWLS REPRESENTS 8% OF THE 30 1056 STUDENTS WHO APPLY THE MOST SELECTIVE CLASS IN RICE'S HISTORY.
PERHAPS LESS KNOWN IS THAT THERE'S NO SINGLE ETHNIC OR RACIAL MAJORITY, 32% ARE FROM UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY GROUPS, AND ANOTHER 13% ARE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS REPRESENTING 53 STATES AND TERRITORIES, AND MORE THAN 47 COUNTRIES.
WHAT MORE CAN I SAY? BUT GO OWLS, LATINA VOICES, SMART TALK.
I'M HOW I AM HOST AND PRODUCER, TEXAS SUPER LAWYER.
LATINA VOICES IS ABOUT UNIVERSAL TOPICS FROM A LATINA PERSPECTIVE.
LET'S ENGAGE, EDUCATE, AND EMPOWER WITH SOME SMART TALK IN INDEED SMART BOOKS.
D'S CHOICE IS THE PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S PROFILE AND COURAGE.
AS THE BOOK COMMENCES COURAGE, ONE OF THE MOST ADMIRABLE OF HUMAN VIRTUES, AND HE QUOTES HEMINGWAY, IS GRACE.
MINE IS DR. RUTH SIMMONS, UP HOME, ONE GIRL'S JOURNEY, BORN THE 12TH CHILD OF HAIR, OF SHARECROPPERS.
SHE BECAME THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT OF AN IVY LEAGUE UNIVERSITY.
INDEED, SHE'S A PRESIDENT'S FELLOW AT RICE UNIVERSITY.
SHE EPITOMIZES WISE JUDGMENT, PATHBREAKING, LEADERSHIP, AND COURAGE.
WELCOME PRESIDENT DEROCHE TO LATINO VOICES, WHY PROFILES AND COURAGE.
COGNIZANT, OF COURSE, OF THE FAMOUS SPEECH HE GAVE AT THE RICE STADIUM, AND PLEASE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR COLLEAGUE AND MENTOR, DR. SIMMONS.
AND SO SOPHIA, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON THE SHOW.
UH, I OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE QUALITIES THAT IT TAKES TO BE A GOOD LEADER, AND, AND THERE ARE MANY OF THEM.
AND I OFTEN SAY THAT COURAGE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, UH, OF THOSE QUALITIES, WHETHER IT'S COURAGE, UH, COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS, COURAGE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS, COURAGE TO STAND BY WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS RIGHT, AND JUST, AND, UH, AND, AND I THINK THIS BOOK SPEAKS TO THAT, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS.
AND THAT'S WHY I I REALLY TALK A LOT ABOUT COURAGE WHEN I SPEAK ABOUT, UM, THE AMBITIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY AND HOW WE HAVE TO BE COURAGEOUS.
AND TELL US, TALK ABOUT SOMEONE THAT'S CUR, THAT IMP EPITOMIZES COURAGE, DR. SIMMONS A LITTLE BIT, UH, ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HER, AND OF COURSE SHE WAS IN YOUR INAUGURATION.
YES, SHE'S, UH, AN AMAZING PERSON, A SPECIAL PERSON TO ME.
SHE'S JUST BEEN A GREAT FRIEND AND MENTOR.
I MET HER WHEN I FIRST GOT TO RICE WHEN SHE WAS ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, AND WE'VE HAD THIS INCREDIBLE RELATIONSHIP EVER SINCE THEN.
I WOULD OFTEN CALL ON HER FOR ADVICE AND SHE WOULD NOT HESITATE.
SHE IS SO GIVING HER HER TIME AND HER TALENTS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATED.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I MOST REMEMBER IN MY, UH, CON MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH HER IS WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THAT PRESIDENTIAL PROCESS YES.
AND I GOT TOWARDS THE LATTER STAGES, AND I WAS ASKING HER ADVICE ON WHAT SHOULD I DO, UH, TO REALLY PREPARE FOR SORT OF WHAT WOULD BE THE FINAL INTERVIEW.
AND SHE SAID, REGINALD, JUST TELL THEM YOUR STORY.
THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO IS TELL YOUR STORY AND WHO YOU ARE.
AND, UH, IT HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT I HAD FOUND LATER ON, ON, ON THE COMMITTEE IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF ME JUST SPEAKING ABOUT WHY I DO WHAT I DO, WHAT DRIVES ME.
AND IT WAS REALLY RUTH THAT ENCOURAGED ME TO TAKE TIME AND TELL THEM YOUR STORY SO WELL.
AND I GIVE US ONE MINUTE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH I WANT TO EVEN SAY, INCLUDING HER REFERENCE TO, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET A PASS AS PRESIDENT.
YOU, AND, AND YOU'VE GOT THIS WITH COURAGE AND EXCELLENCE.
WE'RE BACK WITH MORE IN A MOMENT.
YOU HAVE STATED THAT ALTHOUGH YOUR APPOINTMENT AT RICE HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED IN THE MEDIA AS HISTORIC AND THAT YOU ARE THE FIRST BLACK INDIVIDUAL, THE FIRST IMMIGRANT, AND THE FIRST ENGINEER TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF RICE.
THESE ARE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS, ALBEIT NOT DEFINING.
TELL US ABOUT THE VALUES THAT DEFINE YOU.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT'S EXCELLENCE.
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AND I SPEAK ABOUT EXCELLENCE SO MUCH IN, IN MY CONVERSATIONS, IN MY SPEECHES AND IN IN THE INAUGURATION.UM, WE HAVE TO BE EXCELLENT AT EVERYTHING WE DO.
AND GROWING UP, OUR PARENTS WOULD TALK ABOUT ALWAYS DO THE, THE BEST JOB.
YOU CAN BE EXCELLENT AT EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
AND THE OTHER IS HARD WORK AND, AND RESILIENCE AND, AND BEING ABLE TO BOUNCE BACK.
I LEARNED THAT FROM MY PARENTS WHO, YOU KNOW, WORKED TWO JOBS, TWO SHIFTS TO PUT US THROUGH COLLEGE AND THE SACRIFICES THAT THEY MADE ALL, YOU KNOW, THEIR ENTIRE LIFE, JUST FOR US TO HAVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO CERTAINLY EXCELLENCE, HARD WORK, RESILIENCE AND HUMILITY.
UH, THAT'S ONE THING I LEARNED FROM, FROM MY PARENTS.
THEY WERE EXTREMELY HUMBLE AND GRATEFUL ALWAYS FOR EVERYTHING THAT, THAT WE HAD.
AND I OFTEN REMEMBER THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING, UH, OF BEING HUMBLE.
WELL, IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING WHEN YOU SAID, UH, HUMBLE AND THEN GRATEFUL.
THEN I THOUGHT BACK ON THE GRACIOUS COMMENT THAT WE STARTED WITH AND THE COURAGE.
I THINK THERE'S A COMMONALITY I SAID MOMENTS AGO TO YOU OFF THE RECORD, BUT I'LL SAY IT NOW, THE IMAGE OF YOU, YOU'VE GOT ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH YOU'VE DONE AND YOU'VE GOT THE GRAVITAS TO WALK IN, YOU KNOW, WITH EVEN, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE BEHIND YOU TO GETTING READY TO TAKE NOTES IS WHATEVER YOU'RE GONNA SAY.
BUT I WAS SO TAKEN, AND I SUSPECT MANY GRAD GRADUATES, UH, WERE, WHEN THE, ONE OF THE FIRST PICTURES OF YOU WALKING IN, YOU'RE BEAMING INTO YOUR OFFICE WITH YOUR BACKPACK, THAT TOLD ME EVERYTHING THAT I NEEDED TO KNOW, THAT I HAD SOMEONE THAT WAS HUMBLE, THAT WAS SERIOUS AND THE WORK ETHIC, AND TOOK HIMSELF SERIOUSLY ENOUGH KNOWING HE COULD LEAD, BUT NOT ALWAYS NECESSARILY THINKING HE'S THE SMARTEST GUY IN THE ROOM.
I DON'T KNOW WHY EXTRAPOLATED FOR SO MUCH.
SO THAT WAS MY, AND MY TAKEAWAY, AND I NEED TO GET BACK TO FOCUS ON PRESIDENT DE ROCHE.
MAYOR TURNER THANKED YOU AND RICE AND RICE UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATE PAULA GILMER DEROCHE YOUR BRIDE FOR ACCEPTING RICE'S CALL.
I WAS REALLY TAKEN BY THAT BECAUSE IT WAS A MOMENTOUS MOMENT, ABSOLUTELY HISTORIC.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SYNERGISTIC OPPORTUNITIES WITH OUR PROPHETIC CITY, AND LET'S GIVE HOMAGE TO DR.
KLEINBERG AT THE CUSP OF A CHANGING AMERICA.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT THIS IS A PROPHETIC UNIVERSITY.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHETHER IT'S NASA, THE ION KINDER INSTITUTE, AND AMONG THE TIES THAT BIND US AND, AND GIVE US OPPORTUNITIES.
I OFTEN SAY THAT WE CANNOT BE A, A, A GREAT UNIVERSITY WITHOUT COMPLETELY ENGAGING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I THINK IT, IT'S REVERSED.
I THINK THAT FOR HOUSTON TO MAXIMIZE ITS POTENTIAL, IT NEEDS TO LEVERAGES LEVERAGE THE GREAT UNIVERSITIES IN, IN THE CITY WITH RIGHTS BEING ONE OF THEM.
AND SO I SEE THAT WE ARE TIED UP TO HIP AND, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS INCREDIBLE CITY, THE MOST DIVERSE CITY, UH, IN, IN THE COUNTRY AND ALL THE, THE RICH ART, UH, THE, THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, THE, THE INDUSTRIES THAT ARE HERE, UM, IT, IT IS, I THINK FOR ME, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GOALS OF MINE IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN EMPOWER THE CITY, HOW WE CAN WORK WITH THE CITY AND ENGAGE THE CITY, UH, AND, AND HELP MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL OF THIS INCREDIBLE CITY.
AND DO, AND, AND JUST FOR THE AUDIENCE, THEY MAY NOT KNOW EXACTLY, SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ION, AND THEN I AM JUST SO CURIOUS AND SO PROUD OF THE NASA RICE CORRELATION BEYOND THE 60TH AND PRESIDENT KENNEDY AND WHERE HE GAVE HIS HISTORIC SPEECH ION FIRST.
SO THE ION DISTRICT AND THE ION BUILDING IS THE FIRST PART OF THAT DISTRICT AROUND A 14 ACRE, UH, SECTION IN MIDTOWN, UH, HOUSTON HERE.
AND THE GOAL OF THE ION IS TO REALLY CREATE AN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, WE HAVE GREAT UNIVERSITIES, AND FOR US TO BE A GREAT CITY, WE HAVE TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND DISCOVERIES AND TAKE THOSE DISCOVERIES FROM THE, THE RESEARCH LABS TO, UH, COMMERCIALIZATION.
AND SO THE ION, IT SERVES THAT ROLE TO REALLY HELP DRIVE THIS INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AROUND CLEAN ENERGY AND HEALTHCARE AND OTHER AREAS WHERE WE KNOW THE CITY HAS SIGNIFICANT STRENGTH.
NO, AND IT'S, IT'S FASCINATING AND YOU FEEL, UH, A SENSE OF, OF INNOVATION COUPLED WITH INTELLECT WHEN YOU WALK IN THERE, AND THERE'S SOME GREAT CULINARY EXPERIENCES THERE TOO.
TELL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NASA CORRELATION IN RICE.
YEAH, SO WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH NASA.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE, THAT KENNEDY MADE HIS SPEECH FROM HERE.
UH, LITTLE KNOWN FACT THAT THE, THE LAND THAT JOHNSON SPACE CENTER IS ON WAS, WAS OWNED BY RICE AT ONE POINT.
UH, AND WE HAVE A STRONG RESEARCH RELATIONSHIP.
WE DO A LOT OF WORK THAT HELPS, UH, HELPS JOHNSON SPACE CENTER IN NASA, WHETHER IT'S AROUND ROBOTICS OR THE HEALTH OF, OF, UH, PEOPLE THAT GO OUT INTO SPACE.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT WE DO, AND WE HAD ONE OF THE FIRST SPACE PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY, AND WE'RE STILL VERY STRONG IN THE SPACE SCIENCES AREA.
AND SO WE, WE ARE VERY, AGAIN, ANOTHER, ANOTHER THING THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF, OF HOUSTON THAT REALLY ALLOWS US TO, TO LEVERAGE IT VERY STRONGLY AND NO, ABSOLUTELY.
AND TALK ABOUT THE GREAT FACULTY.
AS I SAID AT THE OUTSET, THE INTRODUCTION, THERE'S EITHER 16 OR 17 THAT HAVE HAD A CORRELATION WITH RICE.
I MEAN, THAT'S ALSO, THAT IS ALSO UNBELIEVABLE.
I, I, AS YOU WERE SAYING THIS, I WAS, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE EDUCATION EXCELLENCE, BUT ALSO EDUCATION.
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AND I'M REMINDED ALSO OF A PRESIDENT MANDELA QUOTE THAT YOU HAVE DISCUSSED.WHY DON'T YOU GIVE THAT, DISCUSS THAT WITH US JUST FOR A MOMENT AND JUST, I, I STARTED CONTEMPLATING OF ALL OF THIS THAT YOU'RE ACCOMPLISHING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, AND I, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID, I'VE SAID THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE CAN DO IS TO, TO EDUCATE THE FUTURE GENERATION.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I SPEAK MY PARENTS ALWAYS, I ALWAYS REMEMBER MY PARENTS STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION TO US AND HOW IMPORTANT IT'S GONNA BE TO TRANSFORM OUR LIVES.
AND THAT'S REALLY FRONT AND CENTER IN TERMS OF, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE GOALS OF THE UNIVERSITY, ULTIMATELY IT'S ABOUT THE YOUNG MINDS THAT WE WILL SHAPE, UH, TO BE THE NEXT LEADERS.
AND I, I, I FULLY FOCUS ON, ON MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO OFTEN ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THAT MISSION OF PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS.
NO, AND IT'S, IT'S, AND OFTEN IS DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES? AND OBVIOUSLY FOR SUMMIT, IT'S COMMUNITY COLLEGES FOR SUMMIT, IT'S A FOUR YEAR INSTITUTION, BUT JUST THE CONTINUED EFFORT OF EDUCATION AND LEARNING.
THERE'S, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT TALKING ABOUT THE LEARNING.
WE'RE LIVING IN TRANSFORMATIVE TIMES.
THERE'S THE WHOLE DISCUSSION ABOUT AI, AND I KNOW IN A MINUTE THEY'RE GONNA MAKE US BREAK AND BE BACK, BUT I'M TAKEN WITH THE AI AGE WE LIVE IN AND THE NUMBER OF THINGS, AS PREVIOUSLY SAID, I RECENTLY SAID BY AI EXPERT, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE AND THAT THESE MACHINES ARE IN THE MACHINE, THE COMPUTER CAN DO.
THAT SAID, THE CURIOSITY AND CREATIVITY.
AND I WANTED TO LINK THAT BACK BECAUSE YOU SPEAK OFTEN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CURIOSITY.
GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR SENSE, COGNIZANT THAT WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO BE THE AI EXPERT, BUT GIVE A SENSE OF, AT THE LEADER, AT THE HELM AT RICE, HOW DO YOU SEE THIS POTENTIAL WITH AI, BUT SALVAGING GRACE THAT THERE'S A CURIOSITY THAT ONLY HUMANS CAN DO? YEAH, THERE'S NO DOUBT AI WILL TRANSFORM NEARLY ALL FIELDS.
IT'S ALREADY TRANSFORMING MEDICINE.
IT'S TRANSFORMING THE FIELD OF, OF ENERGY.
IT'S TRANSFORMING, UH, HOW WE THINK ABOUT FINANCES.
AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, AND IT WILL BE ACCELERATED.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW IS, IS THAT WE ARE, I'M HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EDUCATE STUDENTS TO NOT ONLY UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE AI, BUT TO UNDERSTAND ITS LIMITATIONS AND ITS FLAWS.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS AI CANNOT DO.
UH, AI CANNOT HAVE EMPATHY AS AN EXAMPLE.
UH, YOU MENTIONED AI AND CURIOSITY.
SO THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT AI CAN'T DO, AND WE'RE HERE TO MAKE SURE WE PREPARE OUR STUDENTS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
NO, AND THAT WILL BE IN AND OF ITSELF, UM, IT'S OUTCOME DETERMINATIVE, AND IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S NO DOUBT IT'S AN ORDINATE COMPLICATED.
WE'LL RETURN WITH, UH, MORE LATINA VOICES.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AI AND I WILL SAY ONE ASPECT, OF COURSE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CURIOSITY, THE CREATIVITY.
IT'S ALSO JUST THE HUMAN FACTOR.
AND THAT REALLY LEADS ME INTO A CONVERSATION THAT I WANNA HAVE ABOUT SOME OF RICE'S CORE VALUES.
BEFORE WE THEN TALK ABOUT WHAT DO YOU SEE OF WHAT YOU WANNA DO WITH RICE AS THE EIGHTH PRESIDENT? AND BY THE WAY, I'VE HAD THE LUXURY, I ACTUALLY KNEW THREE OR FOUR OF THE PRESIDENTS INCLUDING PRESIDENT HACKERMAN.
WE'LL RETURN TO THAT ONE IN A MOMENT.
PRESIDENT, LET'S FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON DIVERSITY.
YOU HAVE NOTED THAT WHILE YOU'RE PROUD TO HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT'S REFLECTIVE OF THE DIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, OUR NATION'S MOST DIVERSITY, YOU ARE ALSO EQUALLY PROUD OF RICE'S OWN ENVIRONMENT OF INCLUSION.
TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF THE CORE VALUES AND, UH, THE CULTURE OF CARE AND UNDERSTANDING AND REALLY KIND OF THE EMPATHY FACTOR WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT WITHIN AI.
SO RICE'S AMONGST THE MOST DIVERSE, UH, UH, SCHOOLS AMONGST JUST PEER PRIVATE SCHOOLS WITH ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR STUDENTS, UH, AS CLASSIFIED AS UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES.
I THINK WHAT MAKES THE RICE EDUCATION SPECIAL, IT'S NOT THAT WE GET REALLY SMART STUDENTS, AND WE DO, IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE GREAT FACULTY AND WE DO, IT'S THAT WE PUT THIS IN INCREDIBLY DIVERSE GROUP OF STUDENTS TOGETHER IN CLASSES, IN, IN DINING HALLS, AND IN, UM, THE COFFEE SHOP.
AND THEY HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND THEY LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.
AND IN SOME CASES, IT, THEY REAFFIRM THEIR OWN IDEAS OR THEY LEARN FROM OTHERS, AND IT CHALLENGES THEIR BELIEFS.
AND IT JUST CREATES THIS INCREDIBLE DYNAMIC THAT BUILDS EMPATHY, THAT BUILDS UNDERSTANDING, UH, BETWEEN COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT'S, TO ME, THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO BUILD THESE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AT RICE.
AND I'M SMILING BECAUSE OF A COUPLE THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, I DO THINK, QUITE FRANKLY, IT IS THIS INTENTIONAL INCLUSIVITY.
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SOME MAY NOT KNOW, BUT WE DON'T HAVE FRATERNITIES OR SORORITIES OR ANY OF THE SORT.WE HAVE A COLLEGE SYSTEM, WHICH IS INORDINATELY RANDOM, AND YOU JUST SHOW UP AND THEN YOU THEN IDENTIFY WITH A COLLEGE.
AND THE, THE EXPERIENCE BEGINS.
WE BOTH HAVE KIDS THAT HAVE GRADUATED FROM RICE, AND I'VE GOT A SON RIGHT NOW THAT'S WORKING AT THE COFFEE HOUSE, MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN, HE HAD FOUR PAPERS.
HE WAS WORKING THE NIGHT SHIFT LAST NIGHT.
BUT THE REALITY IS, IT IS THAT COMMUNITY THERE, AND IT'S, IT'S ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND IMPORTANT.
AS I REFERENCED, I HAVE KNOWN, IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING YOU REFERENCED IN ONE OF YOUR SPEECHES THAT YOU GREW UP AT A TIME IN WHICH ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE OR ONE OF EVERY FOUR.
I HEARD THAT IN MY INAUGURATION SPEECH THAT I HEARD WAS ONE OUT OF EVERY FOUR WILL NOT BE HERE.
YOU HEARD EITHER ONE OUT OF THREE OR ONE OUT OF FOUR.
GIVE A SENSE A LITTLE BIT OF THE RISE OF THE NOT SO DISTANCE FUTURE.
I MEAN, COGNIZANT OF ALL THESE CHANGES WITH AI AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON? WELL, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WITH RESPECT TO THAT ONE IN THREE OR ONE IN FOUR, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY AT RICE.
IF WE ACCEPT YOU AT RICE, WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP YOU SUCCEED.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT, UH, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF, OF, UH, OF OUR GOALS MOVING FORWARD, THAT EVERYBODY WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AT RICE AND GRADUATE AND, AND GO ON AND DO GREAT THINGS.
UM, SO THE GOAL IS OBVIOUSLY TO, TO HAVE MORE IMPACT, UH, GREATER VISIBILITY AND GREATER IMPACT.
WE ARE GROWING THE UNIVERSITY, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE GOING FROM 4,000 TO 4,800.
VERY FEW UNIVERSITIES LIKE RICE ARE, ARE HAVING THAT AGGRESSIVE OF A GROWTH, UH, AS WE ARE.
AND IT'S, IT'S AN ISSUE OF ACCESS, RIGHT? THERE'S SO MANY STUDENTS THAT APPLY TO RICE, AND WE FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GROW AND, AND TO HAVE A GREATER IMPACT.
UM, WE WANT TO GROW OUR RESEARCH ENTERPRISE.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY DRIVE INNOVATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON BY PARTNERING WITH THE CITY IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, AND, AND BUILDING THAT ECOSYSTEM THAT, THAT HELPS DRIVE THE ECONOMY HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE NEED TO HAVE A GLOBAL, A GLOBAL PRESENCE.
WE NEED TO BE KNOWN ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
UH, WHEN YOU SAY RICE, I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW WHERE RICE IS AND WHAT RICE DOES AND WHAT RICE IS KNOWN FOR.
AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE AN UNPARALLELED UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION.
EVEN THOUGH WE WILL BE BIGGER, UH, WE WANT TO HAVE THAT CULTURE OF CARE, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT ESSENCE, THAT PEOPLE FEEL SPECIAL AT RICE, UH, WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MUCH BIGGER, UH, UH, AND BOLDER, UH, VISION AROUND HOW WE GROW THE UNIVERSITY.
YOU KNOW, AND I'M SMILING BECAUSE I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HEAR, HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE RICE? WELL, THE HARVARD OF THE SOUTH.
WELL, I WANT ONE DAY NOT TO EVEN HAVE TO HAVE THAT DESCRIPTOR AND REFERENCE OR HARVARD OR PRINCETON OR ALL THESE OTHER AMAZING INSTITUTIONS.
AND, AND OF COURSE IT ENDS WITH EXCELLENCE, BUT THERE'S ALSO COMMUNITY, IF YOU WANNA WALK US THROUGH THE RICE.
SO IT'S RESPONSIBILITY, INTEGRITY, COMMUNITY AND EXCELLENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY, MEANING YOU WILL WATCH OUT FOR, FOR EVERYBODY.
NOT JUST, YOU'LL HAVE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP OTHERS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PART OF THE CULTURE OF CARE AT RICE INTEGRITY AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
MAKING SURE YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT, RIGHT THING.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE AN AMAZING COMMUNITY AT RICE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT PROBABLY CHARACTERIZES RICE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, IS THIS SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE ARE, ARE ONE FAMILY AND WATCHING OUT FOR EACH OTHER, WHETHER IT'S IN THE COLLEGE SYSTEM OR AT THE UNIVERSITY AS A WHOLE OR IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY AND EVERYTHING WE DO HAS TO BE EXCELLENCE.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE WORD I USE THE MOST IN MY SPEECH, IS EXCELLENCE.
WELL, AND I COMPLETELY CONCUR WITH THAT BECAUSE I WANNA PIVOT JUST FOR A MOMENT BACK TO THE DIVERSITY CONVERSATION.
UM, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WE ALL APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, THE DIFFERENT, WE'RE BOTH IMMIGRANTS.
WE BOTH HAVE DIFFERENT BUT NOT SO DIFFERENT LIFE EXPERIENCES.
I SURMISE STARTING OUT, BUT THE COMMONALITY WE ALSO HAVE IS THE WORK ETHIC AND THE EXCELLENCE.
BUT WHAT'S ALSO TO ME INTERESTING ABOUT RICE IS, YOU KNOW, I SAID IT AT THE OUTSET, THE LESS KNOWN FACT AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CROSS SECTION OF, OF, UH, UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES AND, AND REALLY WHO WE ARE.
AND, AND IT'S REALLY AN AMALGAMATION OF CULTURES.
WHAT'S INTERESTING THOUGH IS THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST STARTED YESTERDAY, ET CETERA.
I'M, I'M, I HAVE TO BE FRANK, I'M JUST GONNA FOR A MOMENT DIVULGE, UH, YOU KNOW, DIVULGE THAT I INORDINATELY PROUD.
THIS IS
AND WHAT THIS WAS, WAS, THIS WAS FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SOLA, AND ITS ESSENCE WAS DR. RICHARD TAPIA HAD THE FORESIGHT TO GATHER HISPANICS AS AFRICAN AMERICANS.
OTHERS WERE GATHERED AND COMMENCE SOMETHING 50 YEARS AGO, OF WHICH NOW THERE IS FROM THESE S THESE ROOTS RAMAS, THESE BRANCHES, FIVE OR SIX AMAZING INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING THE RICE MARIACHI.
BUT WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THAT STORY IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE STORY OF WE ARE NOW WANTING TO ENSURE WE'RE DIVERSE.
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COMMUNITY, THIS HAS BEEN A CAMPUS THAT'S BEEN INCLUSIVE BEFORE EVEN THE NOMENCLATURE WAS VOGUE DOES THAT.AND I JUST THINK THAT TO ME SHOWS THE, THE, THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE SINCERITY OF IT.
IT IS, AND I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THINK ABOUT DIVERSITY AND YES, DIVERSITY IS, IS IMPORTANT, BUT MORE, WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IS THE INCLUSIVE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE YES.
IN, IN ORGANIZATIONS LIKE HASA AND OTHERS.
AND SO OUR REALLY HELP CREATE THAT INCLUSIVE CULTURE THAT, THAT IT'S SO IMPORTANT, UH, TO OUR STUDENTS, TO OUR ALUMNI, TO OUR ENTIRE CAMPUS.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT MAKES RICE SPECIAL.
AND IT'S, AND AND IT'S NOT JUST, OF COURSE, THE HISPANIC ORGANIZATIONS, THE AFRICAN AMERICANS, RIGHT, THE ASIANS, AND IT'S, IT, IT'S QUITE TELLING.
AS YOU'RE REFLECTING, YOU'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS.
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? I'M LOOKING AT THIS MAGAZINE, AND I DO LOVE THAT PICTURE AS YOU WALK THROUGH, AS, UH, AS YOU GOT THE REQUEST, THE INVITATION WITH PAULA RIGHT THERE CHEERING YOU ON SAYING NO ONE IS MORE PREPARED, MORE READY, HAVEN'T EARNED IT MORE.
WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS? I MEAN, THIS IS PRETTY, UH, THERE'S SOME GRAVITAS TO THIS PICTURE AND, AND, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY.
YEAH, NO, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.
AND OFTENTIMES WHEN WE WERE, WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS GOING, WHETHER THE INAUGURATION OR EVENTS AFTER THE INAUGURATION, UM, I THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT MY PARENTS BECAUSE I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE SACRIFICES THEY MADE, AND THEN MORE BROADLY THE OTHERS THAT MADE SACRIFICES FOR ME TO BE HERE, UH, IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT, THE EARLY BLACK STUDENTS AT RICE AND WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH, UH, TO ENABLE THE NEXT GENERATIONS AND FOR ME TO BE HERE.
SO I OFTEN, I OFTEN THINK ABOUT THAT, UH, THE SACRIFICES THAT OTHERS HAVE MADE FOR ME TO BE HERE.
IT'S, IT'S, SO, IT'S THIS PICTURE IS SOBERING.
AND IT'S A REMINDER OF, OF AMAZING THINGS TO COME MORE IN LATINA VOICES.
WHEN WE RETURN, WE ARE BACK WITH MORE IN A SEGMENT WE CALL SMART TIMES, AN EXPANDED CONVERSATION WITH RICE UNIVERSITY'S, CEO, DR.
REGGIE DEROCHE, BY THE WAY, WE DIDN'T DISCUSS IT.
THE, THE DRONES IN THE END WHERE IT ALSO HAD REGGIE, WHAT THE HECK, ALL THESE AMAZING IMAGES, INCLUDING REGGIE AND DRONES.
IN YOUR INAUGURATION, YOU SPOKE OF THE COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IN ALL THAT'S ENDEAVORED AT RICE AND THAT STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE.
I LIKE THIS TAKES DILIGENCE AND INTENTIONALITY.
LET'S, WE HAVE RICE GRADUATES, OTHERS THAT DIDN'T GRADUATE FROM RICE.
GIVE A SENSE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OUR KIDS, TO THE STUDENTS ABOUT THIS INTENTIONALITY? ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY? YEAH, SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE UNIVERSITY TO TALK ABOUT WHERE WE WANT TO BE IN FIVE AND 10 YEARS.
AND THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE ABOUT INTENTIONALITY.
WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO? HOW DO WE WANT TO HAVE AN IMPACT? HOW DO WE MEASURE IT? BEING VERY INTENTIONAL AND FOCUSED ABOUT HOW WE CAN TAKE THIS UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS AN AMAZING UNIVERSITY AND TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
AND IT TAKES THAT DILIGENCE, IT TAKES THAT INTENTIONALITY, IT TAKES THAT FOCUS.
UH, IT TAKES BEING DISCIPLINED.
IT IS EASY TO SAY, WELL, WE WANNA DO THIS ALSO AND DO THAT ALSO.
BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO PUSH PEOPLE TO, TO THINK ABOUT IS WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT ARE THE HANDFUL OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT WE CAN BE THE VERY BEST IN THE WORLD AND HAVE A HUGE IMPACT? AND THAT TAKES INTENTIONALITY.
AND I WOULD SAY BEING A BIT MORE GRANULAR, JUST LOOKING BACK AT YOUR STORY, YOU DIDN'T JUST WAKE UP AND BECOME PRESIDENT OF A UNIVERSITY.
YOU WERE DEAN OF ENGINEERING AT RICE, AND I MEAN, I WAS A MERE HUMANITIES, BUT TO BE A DEAN OF ENGINEERING AT RICE IS A BIG DEAL.
IT'S, IT'S THESE INTENTIONAL STEPS.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE DIALOGUE THAT WE HAVE TO, THAT WE HAVE WITH OURSELVES.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE WITH OTHERS.
YOU ALSO QUOTED PRESIDENT KENNEDY, THIS IS INAUGURATION.
YOU QUOTED PRESIDENT KENNEDY ADVOCATING, WE MOVE FORWARD WITH STRENGTH AND COURAGE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO END THE SHOW WHERE WE BEGAN.
INTERESTINGLY, IN, IN HIS BOOK, HIS PULITZER PRIZE WINNING BOOK, HE NOTES THAT TO BE COURAGEOUS, I LIKE THIS.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME READ PORTIONS OF THE BOOK.
I HAVE TO CONFESS, I DIDN'T GET THE LUXURY OF READING THE WHOLE THING.
IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT SOONER OR LATER IS PRESENTED TO ALL OF US, WHETHER WE WANT IT OR NOT.
SO, FINAL THOUGHTS, YOUR PROFILING COURAGE.
SO WHAT IS, WHAT IS REGGIE'S DR.
DEROCHE, PRESIDENT DEROCHE IS CEO ROCHE'S PROFILE OF COURAGE.
YOU KNOW, FOR ME IT'S ALWAYS MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO DO, STAY
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THE COURSE AND WILLING TO DO THE MAKE, MAKE THE TOUGH DECISIONS, DO THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE POPULAR, BUT YOU KNOW, ARE RIGHT FOR THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND FOR RIGHTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.AND THAT TAKES COURAGE AND THAT TAKES STAYING THE COURSE.
AND THAT TAKES REALLY BEING RESILIENT AND, AND, AND, AND COURAGEOUS.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT COURAGEOUS IS ABOUT.
AND I REALLY TRY TO, I TRY TO REMEMBER THAT EVERY TIME.
AND I MAKE A LOT OF TOUGH DECISIONS EVERY TIME I MAKE A TOUGH DECISION THAT I KNOW WON'T BE POPULAR.
BUT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I HAVE TO CONFESS, AS YOU STARTED SAYING THIS, IT MADE ME THINK OF, OF, OF THE PRESIDENT AT THE RICE STADIUM ABOUT WHY WE PLAY TEXAS.
THEY'RE COURAGEOUS THINGS THAT WE DO, BUT WE'VE BEAT TEXAS IN OUR LIFETIME.
AND I WOULD SAY I HAVE RIGHT HERE, WE'VE GOT THE COURAGE BOOK, DR. SIMMONS ON THE HOME, ONE GIRL'S JOURNEY.
SO SHE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO READ AN IVY LEAGUE INSTITUTION.
FOR ALL INTENTS PURPOSES, RICE IS AN IVY LEAGUE INSTITUTION IN THE SOUTH.
QUESTION IS, AS WE SUM IT UP, WE'VE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE WHAT, NOT EVERYONE, THERE'S AMAZING INSTITUTIONS, AS YOU SAID BEFORE, ALL OVER HOUSTON.
WHETHER YOU GO TO TSU, WHETHER YOU GO TO U OF H, WHETHER YOU GO TO RICE, WHAT'S THE TAKEAWAY IN TERMS OF WHETHER IT'S THE PARENT, WHETHER IT'S THE STUDENT, WHAT'S THE TAKEAWAY OF YOUR JOURNEY THAT YOU WANNA LEAVE PEOPLE WITH OF LATINO VOICES? YEAH.
CLEARLY THERE'S AN INSTITUTION OUT THERE FOR ALL CHILDREN, RIGHT? LIKE YOU MENTIONED, MANY OF THEM.
THERE'S, THERE'S ONE THERE FOR YOU.
AND NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO, WHETHER IT'S RICE OR TSU OR ANY OF THE OTHER GREAT INSTITUTIONS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, YOU CAN DO IT.
STAY THE COURSE, BE BE RESILIENT.
YOU CAN DO IT NO MATTER WHERE YOU'RE FROM.
WE'LL BE BACK NEXT TIME WITH LATINA VOICES.
WE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON LATINA VOICES.
WE'LL BE BACK NEXT TIME WITH MORE INTERESTING TOPICS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN BE THAT MATTER TO ALL OF US.