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The Rice Thresher
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by EMILY MEYER THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
Steven Cox, a professor of computational and applied mathematics, and his wife Laura, a preschool teacher, will replace John and Penny Bennett. The search committee's decision has been approved by Vice President for Student Affairs Zenaido Camacho and by the Masters' Search Committee, chaired by Brown College Master Kathrin Brunner and Wiess College Master Paula Hutchinson. Camacho said that Gillis' approval is still required to make the appointment formal, but that the president is out of the country this week. "I've already sent [the recommendation] to the president," Camacho said. "If he were here, I'm sure he would already have acted on it. We're now in communication with him to see if we can get the approval." He said the approval should be received sometime next week at the latest. Cox said that both he and his family were excited when they learned of the committee's decision. "I am in search of some sense of community ... for my family," Cox said. "I think that this is a fantastic environment for my kids and for me." The Coxes' sons, Colin and Simon, are 15 and 13. "The students take [the decision process] very seriously," Cox said. "I was very impressed. I know it wasn't a whimsical decision." Sid's search committee, composed of 11 students, College Coordinator Sharon McDonough, and Resident Associates Brian and Alana Gibson, began working early this semester. According to Irot, the Coxes and history professor Joel Wolfe and his wife Traci were identified as candidates at a reception for interested faculty members. Irot said both sets of candidates were interviewed twice before the committee made its decision Sunday after a meeting that lasted over three hours. "It was a very hard decision to make because both candidates were exceptional," Irot said. Vice-chair of the search committee and Sid President Laura Rees said the decision was "a question of style for Sid." She said the Wolfes were also qualified, but that "the Coxes fit Sid better right now." Committee member Tim Crippen said the committee worked well together. "Though it was an incredibly difficult decision, everyone stayed friendly, and everyone was satisfied with the final result." Camacho said the search committee did a wonderful job. "I commend them because they were able to do it in a short time frame," he said. "[The new masters] are going to do a great job." Rees said the Coxes would be invited to attend Beer-Bike. "It'll be a good way for them to meet Sid informally," she said. They will also be invited to an upcoming college council meeting for the same purpose, she said. "We'll spend as much time as possible to orient the new masters and prepare them for their transition," Penny Bennett said. The Bennetts decided to leave Rice this summer after serving four years of the traditional five-year term as masters when the University of Colorado at Boulder's computer science department offered John Bennett a faculty position last November. - back - |
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