Building Rice's Future: What lies ahead for the university over the next decade

ABOUT REGINALD DESROCHES

Reginald DesRoches is Rice University’s eighth president. He also serves as
professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and professor of
Mechanical Engineering. As president, DesRoches serves as the chief
executive officer of the university and its more than 8,200 students, 900 plus
faculty, eight academic schools and many interdisciplinary institutes and
centers. He previously served as Rice’s Howard Hughes Provost and William
and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering.

DesRoches’ primary research interests are in the design of resilient
infrastructure systems under extreme loads and the application of smart
materials. He has published approximately 300 articles and delivered more
than 100 presentations in over 30 different countries. He also has mentored
more than 30 doctoral students, many of whom hold faculty positions at top
universities around the world.

A member of the National Academy of Engineering, DesRoches’ distinctive
research record has been recognized for its impact and innovation. He is a
fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Structural
Engineering Institute. He received the Distinguished Arnold Kerr Lecturer
Award in 2019, the John A. Blume Distinguished Lecturer Award in 2018, and
the 2018 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Distinguished Lecturer
Award, one of the highest honors in the field of earthquake engineering.
DesRoches is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Alumni in Civil
Engineering at Berkeley and an honorary alumnus of Georgia Tech.