Gifts from Moody Foundation and Brown
Foundation create new facility to empower student success
HOUSTON, March 5,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rice
University will break ground on the new Moody Center Complex
for Student Life (MCCSL) later this spring, marking a
transformative moment for the university's commitment to student
engagement, development and success. The groundbreaking ceremony is
scheduled for May 8 and will signal
the start of an exciting chapter in the university's
student-focused growth, university leaders said.
"Rice is dedicated to empowering our
students to become leaders who make meaningful impacts around the
world."
Made possible by generous gifts from the Moody Foundation and
the Brown Foundation, a new 75,000-square-foot facility will be
constructed to serve as a dynamic hub for student activities,
supporting connection and interaction among Rice students and the
broader community. To be located on the south side of the Central
Quadrangle, the new facility will complement the Rice Memorial
Center (RMC) and Ley Student Center, which will undergo renovations
after the completion of the new building, creating a cohesive
student center complex called the Moody Center Complex for Student
Life. Rice students will have the opportunity to provide input on
the redesign of the existing student center, ensuring their voices
are integral to shaping their campus experience.
"Rice University is dedicated to
empowering our students to become leaders who make meaningful
impacts around the world," President Reginald DesRoches said. "The Moody Center
Complex for Student Life will be a centerpiece for community,
creativity and collaboration, providing our students with the
resources and spaces they need to thrive. We are sincerely grateful
to the Moody Foundation and Brown Foundation for their incredible
vision and support."
The new facility will feature a large programming pavilion that
opens to the Central Quad, offering opportunities for both indoor
and outdoor events, including performances, lectures and
multicultural celebrations. The building will also house a variety
of spaces, such as a café, coffeehouse, meeting rooms, study areas
and student services offices, designed to meet the needs of
Rice's diverse and growing student
body. Over the past decade, the university's enrollment has
expanded by 34%, with nearly 9,000 undergraduate and graduate
students now calling Rice
home.
The project is supported by the historic $100 million commitment from the Moody
Foundation, announced in 2021, which remains the largest
single donation in Rice's history.
The gift not only supports the construction of the MCCSL but also
funds 12 endowments focused on advancing student opportunity and
success – collectively called The Moody Experience. The Brown
Foundation provided an additional $15
million to support the project.
Designed by award-winning architecture firm Olson Kundig with
Page as the executive architect, the new building is scheduled for
completion in fall 2027.
"This new state-of-the-art facility will be much more than just
a building; it is an investment in the future of every student,
supporting them in pursuit of their passions," said Elle Moody '14, a trustee of both the Moody
Foundation and Rice. "My hope is
that it will provide opportunities for our students to form
meaningful connections, not only with one another, but also with a
vast network of scholars and leaders from local to global
communities."
Established in 1942, the Moody Foundation has awarded more than
$2 billion in the areas of the
humanities, arts, religion, education, health, science, community
and social events in the state of Texas. Since 1964, the foundation has
contributed over $125 million to
Rice.
"The Moody Center Complex for Student Life is set to become a
vibrant cornerstone of student activity at Rice — an open, inclusive and outward-looking
space that amplifies the university's mission to support students
in their academic, personal and professional journeys," said
Kelly Fox, executive vice president
for operations, finance and support.
The Brown Foundation has given over $112
million to Rice throughout
its rich history. The foundation's namesake, George R. Brown, served on Rice's Board of Trustees from 1943 and as
chairman from 1950-1965, the first alumnus to receive this honor.
Known for his personal interest in students, he often met with them
directly. The Brown family's legacy at Rice is evident throughout the campus, with
several buildings and programs bearing their name, including the
George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, Brown College, Alice Pratt
Brown Hall and Herman Brown
Hall.
About Rice
University
Located on a 300-acre forested campus
in Houston, Texas, Rice University is consistently ranked among the
nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report.
Rice has highly respected schools
of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering and
computing, humanities, music, natural sciences and social
sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public
Policy. Internationally, the university maintains the Rice
Global Paris Center, a hub for innovative collaboration, research
and inspired teaching located in the heart of Paris. With
4,776 undergraduates and 4,104 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio
is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds
close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason
why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots
of race/class interaction and No. 7 for best-run colleges by the
Princeton Review.
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SOURCE Rice University
