People, papers and presentations

Rice University earned two awards at the CASE District IV conference in Dallas in April. Public Affairs’ Multicultural Community Relations (MCR) won a Gold Medal in the 2016 Accolades CASE competition in the category of “diversity programs.” In October, MCR organized a very successful journalism conference, Newsgathering: Diversity in the Digital Age, which was attended by more that 250 journalists. Development and Alumni Relations earned a Bronze Medal in the “fundraising/development” category for its Rice University 24-Hour Challenge, a one-day challenge Feb. 29 during which a record-setting number of donors raised $1.5 million for the university. CASE — the Council for Advancement and Support of Education — is a professional association serving educational institutions and the advancement of professionals who work on their behalf in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas.

Gisela Heffes, associate professor of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, presented “Trash Matters: Residual Culture in Latin America” at the “Environmental|Art|Humanities: Narrating Nature” symposium, a Humanities Futures event organized through the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Nicholas School of Environment at Duke University, held March 31 and April 1.