Lovett Associates

Lovett College has a tremendous group of Associates, all of whom are dedicated to becoming a part of Lovett and spending time with students.

Associates play a vital role at Lovett College, from assisting with academic advising to providing students with a broad perspective of opportunities available in the Rice and Houston communities. During Orientation Week, associates are encouraged to work together to host a small group of new students for an evening meal off-campus.  During the year we encourage our associates to stay in touch with these new students by coming to lunch at Lovett, hosting an occasional study break and attending on-campus functions.

There are several categories of Associates:

Resident Associates (RAs) and Head Resident Fellows

Lovett is home to our Resident Associates: Angel Marti (Instructor in Mathematics), who lives on the first floor; Molly Slattery (Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English), who lives on the second floor; and Laura Sponaugle (Lovett Affiliate), who also lives on the second floor. The RAs are crucial to the college system, as they assist the Masters in supporting social, cultural, and intellectual activities within the college.  Living among the students, they are in unique positions to serve as role models and resources for college members.  The RAs, therefore, must be visible participants in college life, accessible to students, and willing to stand in for the Masters when needed.

Faculty Associates

Faculties from various academic departments are chosen to serve as associates of each college.  These associates typically eat meals with students several times a week in the college, are involved in academic advising, participate in extracurricular activities, and attend college events.  Consequently, they are often available to address questions or problems that students might have.

All faculty associates are expected to assist with academic advising; some faculty associates serve as divisional advisors, responsible for advising Lovett freshmen and sophomores in their academic division.

University Associates

These are Rice University staff members who become involved in college activities and informal advising.  They introduce Lovett students to non-academic and administrative aspects of Rice life. These associates also eat meals with students several times a week in the college, participate in extracurricular activities, and attend college events.

Community Associates

Community associates are non-university affiliates of Lovett, often Lovett alumni, who provide a valuable link between Lovett students and the Houston community.  They often organize fun events for Lovetteers to encourage students to explore a new culture, have an adventure outside the hedges in Houston, or learn to cook a new type of cuisine. The associates offer excellent advice on planning for your future and making connections outside of Rice. Community associates are invited to participate in various college functions including Orientation Week.

Outstanding Faculty Associate

In late March of each year the student representatives of Lovett distinguish one faculty associate for outstanding contributions over the year. This associate receives a cash award and recognition from President Leebron at the final faculty meeting in April.  The outstanding faculty associate for 2009-2010 Outstanding Associate was Daniel Cohen.  Daniel has since left Lovett Associates program to become an RA at McMurtry College.