Six recognized for meritorious service to Rice

BY JENNY WEST ROZELLE AND TRACEY RHOADES

Six supporters of Rice University have earned the Association of Rice Alumni’s Meritorious Service Award, which recognizes their significant, sustained and voluntary contributions of energy, time and creativity toward the advancement of the university.

Albert and Anne Chao ’05, ’09

Devoted supporters of Rice University, Albert and Anne Chao have been instrumental in forging ties between the university and the people of Houston, specifically with the Asian and Asian-American community.

	ALBERT AND ANNE CHAO

The Chao family made the initial gift to fund the Chao Center for Asian Studies, which has been a central element in Rice’s growing engagement in Asia. They have also worked behind the scenes to increase collaboration between Rice and dozens of universities in Asia and helped transform the way Rice connects to that region.

”They have a sterling reputation for generosity, integrity and wisdom in the community, and allowing Rice to become associated with their good name has greatly helped us go ‘beyond the hedges,”’ said Steven Lewis, professor in the practice, associate director of the Chao Center and research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.

The Chaos played an important role in bringing President David Leebron and University Representative Y. Ping Sun to Rice in 2004. Anne’s interest in education also led her to complete her master’s and Ph.D. in history at Rice in 2005 and 2009, respectively, although her involvement with the university began well before her schooling. She has since become a dedicated lecturer in history at Rice. Albert is a former member of the Rice Board of Trustees, where he used his business acumen to play a strong role in the governance of the university.

Gilbert Cuthbertson

Gilbert Cuthbertson, affectionately known as ”Doc C,” symbolizes many of the best aspects of Rice for thousands of current and former students. One of the first political scientists at Rice, he was a founder of the Department of Political Science and has been a distinguished member of the department for 47 years and a devoted resident associate at Will Rice College for 46 of those years.

GILBERT CUTHBERTSON

His other roles at the university have included chairman of the honors program from 1969 until 1989 and chairman of the Departmental Undergraduate Committee from 1975 until 1991. He has served on numerous university committees and has been a faculty adviser to many student organizations.

Cuthbertson was conferred the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching five times and the George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching twice and was subsequently given the George R. Brown Certificate of Highest Merit, the highest award a Rice professor can receive. He also received the Student Association Mentor Recognition Award. Outside of the classroom, Cuthbertson has gone to great lengths for his students, quite literally, by taking many of them on educational group trips, both locally and abroad.

Will Rice master Michael Wolf summed up Cuthbertson’s legacy best: ”The students feel his influence for the rest of their lives, an unexpected but often crucial legacy of their time at Rice.”

Charles Szalkowski ’70, ’71

	CHARLES SZALKOWSKI

Charles Szalkowski’s contributions to Rice are extensive. He was the Association of Rice Alumni (ARA) president in 2007