Dear colleagues,
As we recognize Earth Month, I would like to take a moment to reflect on how our collective commitment to sustainability is shaping our campus. This work does not happen in isolation—it is the result of strong partnership across our division and the broader university.
At the center of these efforts is the Office of Sustainability. Their leadership continues to bring teams together, serving as a catalyst to align our operational expertise with Rice’s Momentous vision. Their work reinforces an important truth: meaningful progress in sustainability—like any area—requires collaboration.
One of the most exciting examples of this is how our campus continues to evolve as a Living Lab—where operations, research, and education intersect. By opening our infrastructure to academic inquiry, we are not only improving how we operate but also supporting innovation and discovery.
We see this collaborative approach in action across several areas:
- Sustainable Transit: The integration of electric shuttle buses reflects strong coordination between transportation and sustainability teams in support of our clean energy goals.
- Water Management: Advanced wat
er metering is helping reduce campus water usage and costs, demonstrating the impact of data-informed decision-making.
- Limiting Waste: 1.87 million pounds of food waste and 33,500 pounds of clothing and household goods have been diverted from landfills through their composting program and their annual move-out program, “Give a Hoot! Donate Your Loot!”
- Resource-Efficient Facilities: Since 2022, Rice has committed to certifying all new buildings at LEED Gold or better. Currently, 19 buildings on Rice’s main campus are LEED certified, with five more pending.
I encourage you to take advantage of the sustainability-related events happening throughout the month (The 2026 Give a Hoot! Donate Your Loot! runs April 24 – May 11 and is also open to staff). Beyond the scheduled activities, I hope you find a moment to step outside and enjoy the beauty of our arboreal campus.
Reminders & Updates
To close, I have a few reminders and updates:
- Open Enrollment – Closes on Friday, April 17. Open enrollment is your one opportunity each year to change or modify your benefits, outside of a qualifying life event.
- Rice Way Training - Due by April 17. This training includes five short video modules and one resource module and takes approximately one hour to complete. Managers of non-desk-bound employees should work with their teams to coordinate times to complete the training.
- April Admin Forum – Will be held at 9am on April 22. The agenda includes a keynote from Sandee Cheynet on the HR Transformation as well as an overview of campus construction projects from the Facilities, Planning & Capital Construction and Rice Real Estate teams.
- Staff Appreciation - Celebrate staff accomplishments with President DesRoches at 9 a.m., Thursday, April 23 at Tudor Field House. Light breakfast will be provided starting at 8am.
Thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Kelly Fox,
Executive Vice President, Operations, Finance & Support