Kirbyjon Caldwell: "Preparing for a Lifetime of Leadership"

On Tuesday, April 22nd, dozens of students, faculty, and community members gathered in Sewall Hall to hear Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell give his unique perspective on leadership and life in Houston. Mr. Caldwell is a Wharton-educated former investment banker who transformed Windsor Village United Methodist Church from a sleepy 25 member congregation to a 14,000 member megachurch. A bestselling author, Caldwell is also a prominent advocate of Houston's inner city poor and a board member of numerous companies, including Continental Airlines and Reliant Energy.

Pastor Caldwell opened his talk by relating his personal leadership journey from humble beginnings to his relationships with President Bush and presidential hopeful Barack Obama. He then transitioned into a frank discussion of leadership essentials, citing three "quotients" that encompass a person's emotional intelligence, spiritual health and ability to deal with adversity. Caldwell also emphasized the importance of integrity and of surrounding oneself with intelligent people who challenge and inspire. Connecting these ideas with personal anecdotes made for a memorable speech.

We are thrilled that Pastor Caldwell has committed to return to Rice in the fall. Join the LeadRice listserv now to stay informed about this and other exciting events.

Congratulations to the following confirmed 2008 SME participants!

Houston Non-Profit
    Ann Candee, Houston Endowment
    Kyle Clark, Center for Houston's Future
    Maria Condacse, Women's Resource of Houston
    Jennie Wilburn, AMIGOS de las Americas

Houston Government
    Marisa Young, EEOC
    Joyce Yao, Mayor's Office: Press
    Arthi Satyanarayan, Mayor's Office: Health

Houston Medical
    Christopher Lam, St. Lukes Hospital: Oncology
    Kelsey Lau, St. Lukes Hospital: Oncology
    Mary Ford, St. Lukes Episcopal Health Charities
    Megan Land, Baylor Teen Clinic
    Liang Liu, Alzheimer's Association

Houston Corporate
    Ben Carson, In-Line Plastics
    Dylan Guyer, Horizon Wind Energy
    Bryant Chan, Horizon Wind Energy
    Charlie McKean, Cameron International
    Cathy Yang, Blackburn & Carter
    Emily Henderson, Vollmer Public Relations
    Natalie Kirchhoff, The Redstone Companies

Washington, D.C.
    Susan Wu, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public
    Larissa Charnsangavej, Department of Education
    Christopher Hensely, National Science Foundation
    Lauren Bahorich, American Enterprise Institute
    Chelsea Smith, National Alliance to End Homlessness
    Parry VanLandingham, Center for the Study of Presidency

New York City
    Katherine Gomer, ABC 20/20
    Ted Wieber, Fox News
    Megan Scarborough, Harry Abrams Publishing
    Betsy Ohrn, Aspen Institute

Pune, India
    Paul Tucker, Virgo Engineers
    John Land, Virgo Engineers
    Brendan Hayes, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital
    Neil Parikh, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital

News and Events

Secure your spot in a Fall 2008 Leadership Rice course. Click here for more information.

The Rice Toastmaster's Club has been officially chartered! The club holds hour-long meetings every other Wednesday at 6pm in the Meyer Conference Room in the RMC, including the Wednesday immediately after Spring Break. Click here for more information.

Congratulations to Andrew Bowen for setting a record in voter turnout as SA Election Chair and to the following Leadership Rice students who were voted into campus leadership positions:

Matt Youn, Student Association President

Paul Tucker, University Council Representative

Ben Carson, University Court Senior Class Representative

Katherine Gomer, University Court Senior Class Representative

Ted Wieber, Honor Council Senior Representative

Michelle Kerkstra, Rice Program Council President

Tommy Fu, RSVP Vice Chair

Recent Honors

Leadership Rice students are among the most accomplished on campus. Congratulations to the following students on their most recent accomplishments:

Igor Gorlach was accepted into Harvard Law School for the class of 2011.

Katherine Gomer was recently awarded an Emerson Fellowship for Israel advocacy. Thirty-eight other students from around North America were selected this year to act as representatives for the Israeli cause.

Tyler Dillard was recently named a 2008-2009 George J. Mitchell Scholar! The prestigious Mitchell Scholarships are awarded annually to twelve Americans to pursue a year of post-graduate study in Ireland.

To stay updated on the latest at Leadership Rice, join our Listserv, [LeadRice]