OUR SPEAKER

Edwin L. “Ned” Thomas
William and Stephanie Sick Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering

He holds joint appointments in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and collaborates with scientists and engineers in the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice. Dean Ned Thomas came to Rice after 22 years at M.I.T. where he was chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He will reflect on his first six months at Rice and discuss his vision for the future of Rice Engineering. Please come to welcome Ned and his wife Dee.

All men and women with an interest in Rice University are welcome to attend ROMEO. There are no dues and the only cost is for lunch. The meal is excellent and the program outstanding. Please join us!

• Click here for meeting time and place and to make a reservation.

Maria Oden has more than 15 years of combined academic, research, clinical experience in biomedical engineering with an emphasis in orthopaedic bioemechanics and computational modeling. This work is also supported by three years of experience in computational modeling working with engineering consultants at Sage-Crisp Engineering in Houston, TX.

Since joining the Department of Bioengineering as a lecturer and laboratory coordinator in 2004, Oden has collaborated with Rice faculty members to develop capstone engineering design programs for undergraduate students in both the bioengineering and  Beyond Traditional Borders (BTB) programs. She has also developed several core undergraduate laboratory courses where she emphasizes open-ended problem solving as part of the laboratory exercises.

As director of Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, an appointment received in 2008, Oden orchestrates engineering education initiatives in the school of engineering that provide students from multiple departments in the George R. Brown School of Engineering, Wiess School of Natural Sciences, and the School of Humanities with unique hands-on design experience and opportunities to test and carry ideas to their intended point of application.

The Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) provides a space for undergraduate students majoring in bioengineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computational and applied mathematics, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering and material science, and statistics to design, prototype and deploy solutions to real-world engineering challenges. To create the full circle of real-world experience that has societal impact, the George R. Brown School of Engineering plans to extend the opportunity to study design to students in humanities, social sciences, architecture and business.

By working in close proximity to engineers in all disciplines, our students develop multiple perspectives on how to pursue a project. The OEDK is a 12,000-square-foot space, which includes not only the central work area but also conference rooms, a classroom, a wet lab, a machine shop and a welding shop . The presence of large engineering firms, such as National Instruments and Texas Instruments allows engineers to become experienced with the products they will be using once they enter the workforce.

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Anthony Potoczniak, Executive Director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, will describe their work to understand and address issues affecting our nation’s cities. Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research conducts scientific research, sponsors educational programs, and engages in public outreach that advances understanding of pressing urban issues and fosters the development of more humane and sustainable cities.

All men and women with an interest in Rice University are welcome to attend ROMEO. There are no dues and the only cost is for lunch. The meal is excellent and the program outstanding. Please join us!

• Click here for meeting time and place and to make a reservation.

All men and women with an interest in Rice University are welcome to attend ROMEO. There are no dues and the only cost is for lunch.

The meal is excellent and the program outstanding. Please join us!

• Click here for meeting time and place and to make a reservation.

• Click here for meeting time and place and to make a reservation.

• Click here for meeting time and place and to make a reservation.

Our speaker will be Robert M Stein Ph.D., Lena Gohlman Fox Professor, Department of Political Science, Rice University. Bob Stein is a favorite Romeo speaker and an expert on urban politics and public policy who will offer his insight just before the November elections.

• Click here for meeting time and place and to make a reservation.

We are honored to have as guest speaker Rick Greenspan, who was named Rice University’s 15th Director of Athletics on March 12, 2010. He comes to Rice from recent similar posts at Indiana University and West Point. He will present his vision of Rice athletics for the future.

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We are honored to have as guest speaker Dr. Roberta Diddel, Rice Instructor in Psychology and founder and CEO of Disability 101

TOPIC: “Growing Old Isn’t for Sissies:  How to Thrive in spite of the Challenges of Aging”

Roberta M. Diddel, Ph.D. has 30 years of experience as a practicing psychologist.  She is the She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Disability 101, a non-profit organization providing educational programs for people living with chronic disease and their families.  She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Boston University and is a Lecturer in the Psychology Department at Rice University, where she teaches courses in clinical psychology, abnormal psychology, family systems and psychological interventions in medicine.  She has published and presented papers on living with chronic pain and disability and is an accredited Trainer in the American Psychological Association’s HIV Office of Psychology Education.  She also serves on the Clinical Advisory Committee of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Lone Star Chapter.  Dr. Diddel has lectured both locally and across the nation and has also taught courses in the Continuing Studies Department at Rice University and at The Women’s Institute on The Psychology of Health and Illness and The Psychology of Loss and Uncertainty.  She has a relaxed style, employing humor, using personal stories and case examples, and encouraging participants to consider how they might apply the material to they own life and circumstances.

New Look for ROMEO

Note that this meeting is the kickoff our new look, RICE OWL MENTORS EATING OUT. Wives, sisters, etc. are invited to be your guest for lunch at this special program for a $15 charge for this meeting only. When you make a reservation, please include your guest’s first and last names and phone/email/address if different from yours for their name tag. If your guest is an alumnae of Rice include her class and degrees.

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We are honored to have as guest speaker Dr. Daniel Cohan, Rice Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

His topic will be “State of the Air: Air Quality and Climate Change in Texas and Beyond”.

Daniel Cohan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University.  His research specializes in the development of photochemical models and their application to air quality management, uncertainty analysis, energy policy, and health impact studies. Before joining Rice, Dr. Cohan worked for the Air Protection Branch of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. He received a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University, a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Chemistry from Georgia Tech, and served as a Fulbright Scholar to Australia at the Cooperative Research Centre for Southern Hemisphere Meteorology.  Dr. Cohan is principal investigator of a U.S. EPA STAR grant that is developing methods for systematically considering uncertainty in air pollution control strategy development, and a recent recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER young investigator award.

• See Daniel S. Cohan’s website

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We are honored to have as guest speaker Texas State Representative Scott Hochberg, Rice BA 75, MSEE 76

Representative Scott Hochberg

The topic will be described in an update to this article.