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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Rice University's Wiess School of Natural Sciences |
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| 8 | 9 | | is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Established in 1975, the school was named in tribute |
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| 10 | 11 | | to Harry Carothers Wiess and Olga Keith Wiess, major supporters of |
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| 11 | 12 | | the university; Mr. Wiess, one of the founders of ExxonMobil, |
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| 12 | 13 | | became a trustee in 1944 and served as vice chair of the board of |
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| 13 | 14 | | governors from 1946 until his death two years later; Mrs. Wiess |
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| 14 | 15 | | assisted him in the creation of the university's science and |
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| 15 | 16 | | engineering fund and the Keith-Wiess Geological Laboratories; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Rice University president Norman Hackerman guided |
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| 17 | 18 | | the formation of the Wiess School from departments previously |
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| 18 | 19 | | grouped with engineering, including biology, biochemistry, |
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| 19 | 20 | | chemistry, geology, mathematical sciences, mathematics, physics, |
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| 20 | 21 | | and space physics and astronomy; today, the school offers 19 majors |
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| 21 | 22 | | and 7 minors; students participate in cutting-edge research across |
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| 22 | 23 | | core and interdisciplinary fields, among them environmental |
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| 23 | 24 | | science, and collaborate frequently with Texas Medical Center; the |
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| 24 | 25 | | school also offers a professional science master's degree program |
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| 25 | 26 | | that prepares scholars for prominent roles in bioscience, health |
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| 26 | 27 | | policy, environmental analysis, energy, and other sectors; and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, The Wiess School takes great pride in the myriad |
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| 28 | 29 | | accolades received by its faculty and staff from such eminent |
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| 29 | 30 | | organizations as the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. |
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| 30 | 31 | | National Science Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial |
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| 31 | 32 | | Foundation; professors Robert Curl and Richard Smalley established |
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| 32 | 33 | | Rice's reputation as a leader in nanoscience and materials research |
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| 33 | 34 | | by winning the 1985 Nobel Prize for their work on carbon-60; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Since its inception, the Wiess School has benefited |
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| 35 | 36 | | by the vision and dynamism of a number of able and energetic |
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| 36 | 37 | | leaders; dean William Gordon was the first, and since 2021, the |
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| 37 | 38 | | school has moved from strength to strength under dean Thomas |
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| 38 | 39 | | Killian; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, Over the course of a half century, the Wiess School |
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| 40 | 41 | | has played a significant role in fostering scientific advancement |
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| 41 | 42 | | while opening pathways of opportunity for the next generation of |
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| 42 | 43 | | innovators; now, therefore, be it |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 44 | 45 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Rice University's Wiess School of |
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| 45 | 46 | | Natural Sciences on its 50th anniversary and extend to all those |
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| 46 | 47 | | associated with the school sincere best wishes for continued |
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| 47 | 48 | | success; and, be it further |
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| 48 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 49 | 50 | | prepared for the school as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 50 | 51 | | House of Representatives. |
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