Dear colleagues,
The start of a new academic year always brings fresh energy to campus. Whether it’s students returning with new ambitions or our teams preparing for another cycle of work, this season naturally invites reflection: How do I want to grow this year?
Invest in Yourself
Growth can take many forms. For some, it may mean expanding professional skills through training and development opportunities. For others, it may be about nurturing well-being, making space to recharge, or strengthening the connections that sustain us. Our OF&S mission calls us to model operational excellence and foster a community of care—and both require that we continue to invest in ourselves and in one another.
This fall, I encourage you to:
- Prioritize your well-being. Filling your cup is essential. Whether through wellness resources, time outdoors, or simply creating breathing room in your schedule, small practices can help sustain balance. Consider joining the upcoming Wellness Wednesday walk with President DesRoches on September 24.
- Invest in professional development. Take advantage of the many resources available to you—whether it’s exploring a course on Coursera, attending a workshop at Fondren Library, enrolling in a class at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, or building leadership skills through Rice Business Executive Education.
- Stay curious. Innovation thrives when we bring fresh ideas forward, adapt to change, and encourage one another to keep learning.
VSIP Update
Many of you may also be curious about the results of the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP). I will provide a broad update for OF&S next month, once the numbers are finalized. In the meantime, HR is working closely with managers to prepare for transitions and support teams through the process.
OF&S Shoutouts
I also want to recognize recent milestones and celebrations within our teams.
- Real Estate & Facilities: Congratulations to our Real Estate & Facilities team on the “topping out” of the new Lovett and Chao residential colleges, which include a new servery designed in collaboration with Housing & Dining—a major milestone for Rice’s future growth (and don’t miss the fun timelapse video!).
- Transformational Technology & Innovation: I’m also proud to share that Raza Dawood, Associate Vice President of Transformational Technology & Innovation, was featured in the most recent edition of Rice Research Review for his work developing operational-specific AI models—an exciting example of how our division is helping shape innovation at Rice.
- Housing & Dining: And in anticipation of National Food Service Day on September 25, I want to give a special thank you to our Food Services team for the tremendous effort it takes to keep our community well-fed every day.
As we move into this new year together, I hope you’ll take time to reflect on what growth means for you. How do you want to stretch, recharge, or deepen your contributions? Collectively, those choices shape who we are as a division and how we serve our community.
Thank you for the energy and care you bring every day. I look forward to all that we will accomplish together this year.
Warm regards,
Kelly Fox,
Executive Vice President, Operations, Finance & Support