Rice University
Tier2-1: Student Group

Rice Environmental Club meets weekly to work on a variety of sustainability projects, ranging from awareness campaigns to environmental film screenings. Enviclub also holds an annual environmental conference, helps promote Recyclemania and energy competitions, organizes the Greene Prize Competition (which awards the best environmental-themed papers), and conducts bi-yearly beach clean-ups. The EcoReps promote environmental awareness in the residential colleges and encourage students to live more sustainably. They also manage Green Funds, which are funds designated for improving sustainability infrastructure at the colleges. Rice Student Green Building Initiative: RSGBI initiated a LEED Accreditation training course, which helps students prepare for the LEED Accreditation NC-2.2 exam. RSGBI subsidizes half the cost of taking and passing the exam. RSGBI also organizes site visits to campus buildings and local businesses with LEED certification to give students an inside view of sustainable design. Student Association, Environmental Committee: The Student Association has an Environmental Committee that works on issues such as academic building and outdoor event recycling, water conservation in sprinkler usage, reducing energy waste in classrooms, introducing more sustainable foods to serveries, and increasing general awareness about sustainability issues. The SA Environmental Committee recently headed up a campaign to pass RESET (Rice Endowment for Sustainable Energy Technology), a sustainable energy fund that would facilitate energy conservation and renewable energy projects. The motion passed in early 2010. Rice Student Volunteer Program, Environmental Committee: RSVP is Rice’s largest community service organization, providing opportunities for students to volunteer in five areas: health, education, children, environment, and hunger & homelessness. RSVP’s Environmental Committee organizes a number of volunteer outings, often partnering with Houston’s Herman Park Conservancy. The committee also hosts an Environmental Awareness Week each year, which typically includes a variety of film screenings, speakers, events, and games. Rice Solar Decathlon: Rice competed in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Students researched, developed, and built a net zero energy house. Rice's Zerow House,inspired from Houston's traditional row-house design uses current technology and low-cost, off-the-shelf products to demonstrate that solar power can be an affordable and viable option. Rice placed 2nd in both market viability and architecture, and 8th overall. The house was afterward donated to Project Row Houses, an organization devoted to providing housing for lower income families and preserving the cultural and historical character of Houston's Third Ward. Engineers Without Borders: EWB collaborates with communities in the developing world to provide sustainable and culturally appropriate engineering solutions that improve quality of life without harming society or environment. Through these projects, students form strong intercultural relationships and understanding, and become socially and environmentally conscious engineers with outstanding leadership skills and practical, hands-on, international engineering experience. Rice currently has four EWB projects spread throughout El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras. RESET (Rice Endowment for Sustainable Energy Technology): RESET is a new program that uses funds from a student blanket tax to fund projects supporting renewable energy and campus sustainability. Veggie Club: The Rice Veggie Club hosts vegetarian dinners open to all students on various Saturdays throughout the academic school year.