From the REA President, Ted Adams

Dear REA Members,

Serving as president of the Rice Engineering Alumni Association (REA) is an honor. I still cannot believe the school that was the setting of my most frequently occurring nightmare—you know, the one where you are back on campus and not prepared for an exam that is starting in an hour—placed its faith in my leadership abilities.
With life experience in my back pocket, I’ve led one of the most celebrated alumni associations at one of the most esteemed universities in the world. I am both honored and humbled.

Serving on the REA Board and the Association of Rice Alumni (ARA) Board has allowed me to connect with some of the brightest and most talented people I could ever hope to know. For my fellow alumni who struggle with impostor syndrome, I can assure you that you have much to offer, and your Rice peers share the struggles you faced while you were a student. You are worthy.

I have seen firsthand how my connection to our alumni community has profoundly improved my life. I know I can reach out to a number of folks who can immediately identify with many of the challenges I face and offer valuable insights on how we can tackle each opportunity, all with the same enthusiasm and sense of esprit de corps, zeal, and optimism that we had as students. That feeling of empowerment can be overwhelming, but it is certainly appreciated.

Over the past year, we have continued building on the success of the Summer Engineering Experience (SEE), offering financial resources to the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, strengthening collaborations with the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL), and providing grants and awards to both undergrad and graduate students. Looking ahead, we aim to enhance our outreach efforts by engaging our alumni community through nationwide events and celebrating their achievements across industries.

I would like to thank my immediate predecessors, Marylauren Ilagan and Jim Pyke, for their exceptional leadership and for nurturing a culture that lives up to our mission of supporting, honoring, and connecting Rice engineers before and after graduation.

Excelsior!

Theodore A. Adams III ‘86

Formed in 1938, the Rice Engineering Alumni (REA) is the oldest alumni affinity group at Rice and provides support to our current and future members by working closely with the George R. Brown School of Engineering. Our mission is to support, honor and connect Rice engineers before and after graduation. Membership in the REA is granted automatically upon graduation. All members are welcome at any REA event. The REA has been working hard to continue building the engineering alumni’s legacy at Rice and to make all of us proud of our alma mater. The simplest way to describe REA is that we are paying it forward. The education that we received from Rice Engineering and the previous generations of engineering alumni have helped us reach our professional goals. By establishing a pattern of alumni supporting the school, we guarantee the continuous improvement of the student and alumni experiences.