Welch Institute:
Welch Institute names two to Scientific Advisory Board (RIce News)

Dr Horace Flatt (1930-2021):
On November 22, Dr Horace Flatt passed away.  A native Texan, he earned three degrees from Rice, a BA “with distinction” in Physics in 1951 and a MA in1953 and a PhD in 1957 both in Mathematics.  After military service, he spent most of his professional career in California where he headed a research and development laboratory.  Also, he was a “noted authority” on Peruvian coins and he was active in the community.  He is survived by, among others, his wife Jean Ann.  Click here for The Dallas Morning News obituary.  

Dr Charlie T Clasen III (1972-2021):
On November 19, Dr Charlie T Clasen III passed away.  Born in New Orleans, he earned a BA in Biology from Rice in 1994 and a MD from LSU School of Medicine in 2000.   He enjoyed a career as an Orthopedic Hand Surgery Specialist at the Hand Center of Louisiana in Metairie for the past sixteen years.  Also, he was an avid outdoorsman and he “delighted family and friends with his culinary skills, his knowledge of wine, and his musical talent as a guitarist”.  He is survived by, among others, his wife of nineteen years, Dr Stacey Clasen.  Click here for the Times-Picayune obituary.

CLEVER PLANETS:
Orbital harmony limits late arrival of water on TRAPPIST-1 planets (Rice News)

Best Value Colleges in Texas:
Houston has 2 of top 3 best value colleges in Texas (Houston Chronicle)

Aditya Atholi '09:
Aditya Atholi ’09, who interned for US Rep Louis Gohmert, plans to run for Congress.  Read more.

The Ion:
Cancer care firm ANKR wins IONS’s first startup showcase (Houston Chronicle)

Spring Big Questions Courses:
What makes a terrorist and what makes a classic? (Rice News)

Germaine Franco '84/'87:
Encanto Is the Best Disney Animated Film Since Frozen (Vulture)

Rice History Corner:
Click here for Melissa Kean’s latest blog entry entitled “ My personal debt to Rice University … is quite fundamental, 1963”.

Aditya Mohite:
Ultrathin solar cells get a boost (Rice News)

Double House:
Two Rice Architecture students win city honors (Rice News)

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering:
Jamie Padgett named CEE department chair, effective July 1 (Rice News)

Charles  Renfro '89:
Baytown native reveals architectural plans for new Sarofim Hall (Houston Chronicle)

Stephen Hahn '80:
House panel probing COVID response seeks to question former FDA chief (Politico)

Newton J Burkett Jr:
On November 3, Newton J Burkett Jr passed away at the age of 83.  Raised in McKinney TX, he earned a BA in Philosophy from Rice in 1961.  He lived in Houston and Elizabeth NJ.  He enjoyed a career in consulting and finance.  Also, he was very active in supporting community empowerment and in taking a stand against injustice.  And, in retirement, he “taught courses in inquiry and research at Kean University” where he had earned a MA in 1992.  Finally, he was a distance runner, an avid bird-watcher and possessed a lifelong love of learning.  He is survived by, among others, his wife Barbara.  Click here for The Star-Journal Ledger obituary.

Engineering and Science Building:
Two Deans, One Shared Vision (Rice News)

Everyday Infrastructures:
An Interview with Tei Carpenter (RDA)

David Varner (1960-2021):
On November 13, Dave Varner unexpectedly passed away.  A native Houstonian, he earned his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from Rice in 1982.  He married Marjorie Foelker ’83 in 1986.  He enjoyed a career as an accomplished architect in Washington DC, before joining SmithGroup where he retired as Office Director in December 2020.  Also, he was an exceptional athlete and he and Marjorie loved to travel.  A year ago, they moved to Bellingham WA.

Today, there will be service in Washington State and there will be another service in the DC area on Saturday, December 11, with details to follow.  Click here for the obituary. 

Rice History Corner:
Click here for Melissa Kean’s latest blog entry entitled “Friday Follies: Mechanical Malfunction”.

Brian Armstrong '05/'06 (Thanks, Tammy Taura '84):
Coinbase: Brian Armstrong – How I Built This with Guy Raz (Apple Podcast)

Vivas Kumar '14:
This week, Mitra Future Technologies (“Mitra Chem”) completed a $20 million Series A funding round led by billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya’s Social Capital Holdings. The startup aims to boost the North American battery supply chain industry that is currently dominated by China, by producing an iron-based cathode for non-Chinese applications.  Read more.

The CEO and Co-Founder of Mitra Chem is Vivas Kumar ’14.  In 2020, he was featured in Rice Magazine as a “Twenty in their Twenties” young alumni here. 

Shepherd School:
A Day in the Life (YouTube)