Students in the News

Impact Awards Honor Students Who Made a Mark at Rice

From left to right, front row: Linda Lee, Venmathy Rajarathinam, Stephanie Lin; middle row: Amit Mistry, Elizabeth McDonald, Tamar Losleben, Jessica Kaminsky, Amy Askins, Cheryl Matherly; back row: Jurek Rokicki, Patrick Frantz

Rice students have a history of giving of themselves for the betterment of the university community, and since 1997, the Women’s Resource Center has recognized such people with the Impact Awards.

The awards are given annually to men and women who demonstrate service to the campus and community, show involvement and participation in student life and activities at Rice and beyond, work to make a positive impact by raising awareness of women’s issues, and serve as role models in the empowerment of women.

Graduate student recipients were Alison Henning, Eden King, and Tammy Smithers. Undergraduate recipients were Gaia Muallem, Monica Vela, Mary Slater, and Laura Nally.

Henning is a member of a group of women scientists who meet to discuss the issues of young women in the sciences. A young mother and a successful scientist, she also is involved in numerous educational and earth science outreach activities, such as acting as a coordinator of the Girl Scout Science Day hosted annually at Rice.

King has conducted research on women’s issues such as female leadership in organizations and work–family balance programs in the workplace. She shares her knowledge of these issues by serving as a mentor to younger female undergraduate students who also are studying these fields.

Smithers organized a conference on women in leadership, which was attended by more than 200 people and also raised enough money to generate endowed scholarships for future women leaders.

A website—www.ruf.rice.edu/~lrsex/index.html—that covers all areas of sexuality was spearheaded by Muallem and a group of students who participated in Leadership Rice. The site serves all students, regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, or level of sexual activity.

Vela has been involved in a mentoring program at Wharton Elementary for four years. She has guided girls at the school through developmental milestones and has shown countless other Rice students how to combine the roles of friend, protector, and teacher.

Slater has served as a role model for young women, and in doing so she has demonstrated intelligence, levelheadedness, grace, and charm. Nally is a dedicated member of Students Organized Against Rape and is an active volunteer at the Houston Women’s Center.

— Reported by Jennifer Evans and Loren Wilkerson