A-Team

About

The A-Team (aka Core Team) comprises the College Magister, the Old Dorm and New Dorm resident associates (RAs), and the college coordinator. The magister represents the college to the administration and lives on campus adjacent to the college (in a very nice, very large house), while the RAs live embedded with the students, one in Old Dorm and one in New. The College Coordinator has an office conveniently located next to the College Commons. Together, we work with students, especially the student government, to promote the academic success and well-being of all Will Rice College community members. We help students negotiate their college experience on multiple levels, not just academics. This can include advice on what courses to take, when to take them, potential majors, career counseling, study abroad, etc., but we also help with health issues, rooming concerns, disability accommodations, access to support resources, and many other daily needs. Students should feel free to get to know the A-Team, either to talk and socialize or if a particular question or need arises. If we don't know the answers, there is a good chance we know someone who does.


College Magister

Ken Whitmire

whitmir@rice.edu

Ken is a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia. He obtained his B.S. in Chemistry from Roanoke College before doing his doctoral work at Northwestern University. After finishing a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship at Cambridge University (UK), he joined the Rice faculty in the Department of Chemistry. His research has involved inorganic, organometallic and materials chemistry. Later, he received an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship that allowed him to do research (as well as learn some German and experience German cuisine) at the Universität of Göttingen (Germany) and was in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell (not to mention the last two times that Germany won the Soccer World Cup). He had a long collaboration with researchers at the Université de Rennes (Brittany, France) and spent a summer teaching at Korea University (Seoul, South Korea). Additionally, he is an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences. During his time at Rice he has taught both semesters of General Chemistry and Honors General Chemistry, the Chemistry of Art (in collaboration with the MFAH) Transition Metal Chemistry, Introductory Inorganic Chemistry and Instrumental Methods in Inorganic Chemistry, as well as special topics in organometallic chemistry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Ken is a first-generation collegian, having grown up in a family with a strong sense of family and a do-it-yourself mentality. His mother was into genealogy, and he can trace some of his ancestry to Germany (back to the early 1600s), England, and Scotland. His childhood was spent learning gardening, woodworking, sewing, cooking, baking, and canning. His mother set him up in business baking and decorating cakes for her colleagues. He learned quilting from a friend's mother when she organized a friendship quilt for her daughter, one of Ken's high school friends. He is still an avid quilter and owns two computerized quilting machines. He enjoys cooking and baking, finding inspiration in his international travels. In addition to quilting, he enjoys oil painting, playing piano, baking, and attempting not to kill his growing collection of orchids. He has three children, all of whom have attended Rice: Rachel (Jones, 2006), Anna (Hanszen, 2008), and Kenton-David (McMurtry, 2018). Fun fact: he has a grandson named Phoenix. He lives with two adorable puppies, Lady and Stella. Stella is a border collie- golden retriever mix who has assumed the position of the matriarch of the family in her old age. She is mostly annoyed by her younger sister, Lady, an affectionate, exuberant, and hyperactive Australian shepherd. Lady is technically now a senior dog, too but shows no signs of slowing down. Both feed on attention and expect unconditional love and adoration. Students interested in having play visits with the dogs, taking them for walks, or doing some dog sitting should let Ken know of their interest.

Picture of Magister

College Coordinator

@coordinator

wrc@rice.edu

Hi, Will Ricers! I’m thrilled to be part of the vibrant Will Rice College crew! My name is Tiffany King, and I’m no stranger to Rice University’s warm and welcoming vibe, having previously served as the Welcome Center Manager from January 2023 to January 2024. I’m beyond excited to be back, soaking up the spirited energy of this amazing community!

Originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming, I grew up as a military kid, which gave me the incredible opportunity to live in Kaiserslautern, Germany, from second grade through the start of my sophomore year. Those years sparked my love for exploring different cultures, languages, and traditions—I’m all about connecting with people and celebrating what makes us unique yet united.

When I’m not cheering on our students, you’ll likely find me smashing a tennis ball (inspired by my high school junior, who’s the varsity tennis captain!), taking my dog, Cooper, for romps at the dog park, or rooting for my beloved LA Dodgers. I’m also a fantasy football enthusiast, so hit me up if you want to trade game-day strategies or chat about sports! Traveling is another passion of mine, and I’m always up for swapping stories about adventures near and far.

I hold a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies, a Master’s in Human Resource Management, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. My career has spanned college admissions, and I even run my own consulting firm to help students navigate undergraduate and graduate school applications. If you’re prepping for grad school, I’d love to lend a hand with essays or applications—just say the word!

At Will Rice, I’m excited to dive into the college’s one-of-a-kind traditions and support you in your academic, personal, and social journeys. Let’s make some unforgettable memories together!

Here’s a quote that keeps me inspired: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar

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Old Dorm RA

Hae Hun Matos

hm21@rice.edu

Hi, Will Ricers! I am delighted to be part of the A-team at Will Rice College. I have been working at Rice University’s beautiful campus since 2015, and I love it here because of the friendly and caring culture of the Rice community. Originally from Seoul, Korea, I have lived in Germany, Japan, the U.S. west coast, and the Rocky Mountains. In my experience interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds, I have seen firsthand that people are more alike than different. We have many things to offer each other, including cultural values & traditions, art, food, and music. This is one of several reasons I am excited to reside amongst students. I want to get to know and learn from you all while supporting your academic, personal, and social endeavors at this great university!

Some of my interests and hobbies include spending time in nature, traveling, reading memoirs, practicing American & Korean Sign Language, watching the World Cup, listening to Korean music, attending Moth events, and more. I earned my BS degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) and an AAS degree in Sign Language Interpreting at Houston Community College. I am the Program Administrator of the Chao Center for Asian Studies and the Department of Transnational Asian Studies. In this position, I provide administrative & financial support, organize outreach activities for Asian Studies majors/minors, and handle event planning. The best part of my job is working with faculty, staff, students, and visitors. My past work experience includes teaching English in South Korea, serving in the U.S. Army, and managing office operations at UHD’s Academic Advising Center.

I am a big fan of quotes. Here are a couple I’d like to share: “Never let the fear of striking out stop you from playing the game.” – Babe Ruth

“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” – Brené Brown

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New Dorm RAs

Sandy and Will

Sandra.V.Parsons@rice.edu

Sandy is on the faculty in the Department of Psychological Sciences and has been hanging around Will Rice as an associate for about 12 years. Sandy loves being an RA because she can spend even more time with the students over meals, musical performances, athletic events, and whatever else they want to do. Sandy has monthly study breaks called “StOp and GrOw” where we all hang out and take some time to reflect on what we are doing and why. Will is a pediatric oncologist at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor where he is the Deputy Director of Cancer and Hematology.

Sandy and Will love poke bowls, bubble tea, chocolate chip cookies, and their French Bulldog. They can almost always be found walking the dog in the quad after dinner and will talk endlessly about their dog if you are ever at a loss about how to start a conversation with them.

Picture of Sandy and Will