President’s Message
The owl featured on this website serves as a fitting symbol for our aspirations at Rice University. Confident and intensely determined, it reflects the conviction and passion at the core of the Centennial Campaign, our $1 billion fundraising strategy to launch Rice into its second century.
How will we ensure that the next 100 years will honor the spirit and surpass the achievements of our first century?
This question, addressed to the extended Rice community as part of Rice’s Call to Conversation, generated a rich springboard of ideas and opinions that served as a starting point for Rice’s Vision for the Second Century, a strategic plan comprised of 10 measurable objectives that identify Rice’s greatest opportunities to excel in an increasingly competitive educational landscape.
The Centennial Campaign serves as our most powerful means of accomplishing the objectives of the V2C. Rooted in a founding vision that acknowledges no upper limit and propelled by a strategy that has been shaped and influenced by the entire Rice community, the Centennial Campaign seeks to build upon the accomplishments of our first century and pave the way for another 100 years of success.
Our aspiration to raise $1 billion by the end of our centennial year is impressive by any university’s standards, and it underscores the important role of our alumni and community leaders in this effort. Indeed, our alumni and friends already have made incredible contributions and have provided significant momentum as we approach our centennial. Now I invite you to join us as we continue our journey toward a new century of unparalleled achievement.
David W. Leebron
President, Rice University
