Have you ever watched a movie set on a college campus where a character mentions the “dean” of something? Sometimes movies get things wrong, but dean is an actual title. At Rice, these leadership positions supervise different areas of campus, but one of the notable positions is overseeing each of the academic schools. This year, five of the eight academic schools have new deans, and to welcome them to Rice we came up with an unconventional icebreaker: a Proust questionnaire that ponders some of life’s most intriguing questions.
What is a Proust Questionnaire? From Vanity Fair: “The Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized (though not devised) by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature.”
From their treasured possessions to who would play them in the film of their life to revealing their superpowers and admitting the phrases they most overuse, learn more about our five new academic deans.
Thomas Killian
Dean, Wiess School of Natural Sciences
Where is your favorite place to spend time with family and/or friends?
After my house flooded in 2015, my wife and I chose to knock down and rebuild. I remember the incredible support from the Rice community during this time. We designed our new house for comfortable living and entertaining friends. Every time I come home, I still have a little bit of the feeling I had when it was just finished, and we could say we were finally home.
Who would you like to play you in the film of your life?
Benedict Cumberbatch (“Doctor Strange”).
What advice do you have for students that is always applicable?
Use your time in college to explore broadly and find interests that will sustain you for a lifetime.
What food or recipe are you most likely to cook for a special occasion?
I don’t need a special occasion to cook the food I love. When I was in college, I was given the book “What Your Mother Never Taught You the Pizza Gourmet Will!” Ever since then, making homemade pizza for family and friends has been a signature thing for me. It’s a staple when the family gathers to watch a movie and for make-your-own-pizza nights with O-Week groups. My favorite recipe is for potato pizza — dough, Havarti, thinly sliced red potatoes, topped with mozzarella, and no sauce.
Rachel Kimbro
Dean, School of Social Sciences
What movie have you watched many times and/or always recommend?
I love any Jane Austen adaptation — my favorite is the 1995 BBC miniseries of “Pride and Prejudice.”
Which living person would you most like to have dinner with?
George R.R. Martin. I have questions for him.
Who would you like to play you in the film of your life?
Probably Rachel Weisz or Claire Foy.
What is your most treasured possession?
My great-grandmother Rachel’s Underwood typewriter — it reminds me of all the women who came before me but didn’t have the same opportunities I have had. And, yes, I am named after her.
What advice do you have for students that is always applicable?
It’s never too late to try something new.
Igor Marjanović
William Ward Watkin Dean, School of Architecture
Which word would you use to describe your first impression of Rice?
Shadows. I am in awe of the meandering shadows of Houston’s live oak trees, and I try to have as many meetings as possible under their magnificent canopies.
What food or recipe are you most likely to cook for a special occasion?
Pasta. Red ragu sauce. Period.
Of all the places you’ve traveled to, which do you reminisce about the most?
Elba Island in the Mediterranean, a place where cultures and seas overlap.
What is your most treasured possession?
Books. They are both artifacts and a record of civilization, just like buildings.
What advice do you have for students that is always applicable?
Be yourself, be proud of who you are and where you came from.
Luay Nakhleh
William and Stephanie Sick Dean, George R. Brown School of Engineering
What is your most treasured possession?
A photo album of my grandparents. My grandfather led a very exciting life that included, among other things, serving in the British army and serving as a member of the Israeli parliament. The photo album documents his and my grandmother’s life together, with photos from the 1940s onward.
What is your go-to special occasion food?
A good, thick, juicy steak. If I’m making it, then rib-eye; if someone else is making it, then filet mignon (since I don’t know how to grill a filet mignon without either burning it or basically serving it raw).
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
With my wife, raising two kids (15 and 12) who, at a very young age, care about social justice and about the underprivileged. My daughter keeps telling me that college students are paying way too much in tuition and fees and that I’m overpaid; about the latter, I’m glad she doesn’t advise the provost.
What movie have you watched many times and/or always recommend?
“Despicable Me,” as I relate very much to Gru, not only in terms of looks but also attitude.
Matthew Loden
Dean, Shepherd School of Music
What is your most treasured possession?
My “modern” 1911 Ambrogio Sironi violin; it fits like an old friend and makes me sound better than I really am.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
Researching, designing and building a Japanese teahouse in my backyard. Bringing various sketches to life and creating a balanced space with my nascent carpentry skills felt amazing.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
In interviews, I always manage to say “absolutely” in response to just about any question; from “Letterkenny,” I can riff on “to be fair” for days; and, of course, “Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.”
What advice do you have for students that is always applicable?
“The greatest teacher, failure is.” — Yoda
— Kendall Hebert
To see all of the questions the deans answered, head over to Rice Magazine to read the full article.
