>> Houston life. One club
poured by H e B.
It was a couple of weeks ago on
this program. We talked with
the outgoing and incoming
president of Rice University
historic and the diversity of
that choice.
>> On the program. President
David leebron talk about
changes coming also at the
kinder Institute for urban
research. The organization that
focuses on ways to build better
lives for those living in
our communities. And that
change is also historic to lead
that organization. Doctor Ruth
Lopez Turley will assume the
role of director this summer
moving from her role as
associate director. Good
morning to you, doctor. Lopez
Turley and congratulations on
this new responsibility
of yours. I know that you tell
people it’s a historic as well
because the first time a woman
and Latina. We’ll hold this
position. I know that that’s
not why you’re chosen, but I’m sure it’s not lost on you about
sure it’s not lost on you about
the uniqueness of you being in
this kind of
leadership, correct.
>> Absolutely. It’s something
that I’m very proud of. I’m
very proud to be a 99. The position
like this. But at the same
time, I’m really looking
forward to the day when this
is seen as normal. And for that, the 9 to be a professor
that, the 9 to be a professor
and for that the unit to be a
professor of
leadership position.
Unfortunately for now, this is still
highly unusual. We know that,
for example, nationwide not
being as make up less than one
percent of full professors. So we have a long way to go.
So we have a long way to go.
And especially and that the,
you know, professors in
leadership positions like
business is highly unusual.
Unfortunately, my goodness.
That is some efforts being done
here on the part of rice and on you, you work to get to this
you, you work to get to this
point is not something that
somebody just gave to. You.
>> But those who may not know.
Tell our viewers a little bit about what the kinder Institute
about what the kinder Institute
does.
>> So the mission of the candor
Institute. Who is to build
better cities and improve people’s lives specifically
people’s lives specifically
through. Dana research
engagement and action and that
is a mission that I really
believe in as a researcher myself, I specialize in
myself, I specialize in
education research and I’ve
been doing this for several
decades and really, really love
to do research for the purpose
of improving people’s lives. And
people’s lives. And
unfortunately, that’s the part
is actually a bit challenging
among researchers because
sometimes or maybe even most of the time. Research doesn’t
of the time. Research doesn’t
really have an impact. He
doesn’t get So what we have
been focusing on and what we
would like to focus on even
more is to make sure that there’s a direct link, a direct
there’s a direct link, a direct
connection between the research
that we produce and the users
of that research always aiming
to improve people’s lives.
And I would I matter. Imagine I work with people that got
work with people that got
projects that I’m working with
some nonprofit
as well.
>> And one of the frustrations
is all the work gets done on
all the stuff all the research
because it goes into a report and it sits on a shelf that get
and it sits on a shelf that get
you so now you know, you in the
city
of Houston. Yeah. This city
continues to be one of the
fastest growing cities in the
country and along that talk about some of
along that talk about some of
the kinds of projects that the
can Institute has been focusing
on as it relates to Houston
and how some of the solutions
reached in Houston. Not only are used in the city of
are used in the city of
Houston. But also can be used
in other cities across the
country, which then makes your
research and the results even much more. I’m responsible for
much more. I’m responsible for
helping the country. In fact,
it as Ryan. So I’m in my own
case since I’m a specialist in
education research.
>> Something and I’ve been directing her. The Houston
directing her. The Houston
education research consortium
which is a part of the kinder
Institute in the work that we’ve been doing there has had
we’ve been doing there has had
an impact on our partners.
So we partner directly with
houston-area school districts,
11 of them are original partner was hisd and we’ve now expanded
was hisd and we’ve now expanded
to 10 additional houston-area
school districts.
>> And the kinds of projects that we’ve been working have
that we’ve been working have
focused on things like full-day
pre K school and in addition
to specific interventions like that. We’ve also looked that
that. We’ve also looked that
macro level relationship.
So for example, hisd a couple
of years ago ask us to do what we’re calling an equity project
we’re calling an equity project
that looks into all the
different areas of the
school district, everything
from facilities to curriculum. To the human capital how
To the human capital how
teachers and administrators
are distributed across the
district to see if that is
happening in an equitable
manner. Meaning that those who
need more get to try to to try
to level the playing field for
our students in some we’ve been
working with them closely with
the school for quite a while
now to really try to make sure
that everything that they’re doing is actually done it.
doing is actually done it.
And I in an equitable manner.
So with the new leadership
sometimes comes goals. Talk
about what goes you might have
in mind for.
>> This organization which is
already been it since its
inception. But what kinds of
things you have in mind as you
step in and take over from MR Fulton.
MR Fulton.
>> Yes. So there is a lot, but
already done. As you that has
been really great for our community. But there’s a lot
community. But there’s a lot
more that we can and should
do so. For there was one type
of research that doesn’t get
done nearly as much least in the in the
as much least in the in the
academy. And that is solutions
focused research. Researchers
are very, very good at identifying problems and that’s
identifying problems and that’s
new school. But that’s just a
starting So we want to do a lot
more solutions focused research
as a type of research that is
actually testing solutions testing
their effectiveness. And really
seeing what is what are the specific things that we can
specific things that we can
to improve things you know,
have reduce homelessness or to
improve the or to reduce the education gaps among our
education gaps among our
students and to improve the
to grow the economy things like
that. So we really want to do
more solutions
focused research as well as more partnership research and
more partnership research and
that is something that we’ve
been really developing through
I’m like I said, working
directly with our school district partners. But we want
district partners. But we want
to expand that all across the
institute so that all the
research that we do is directly
tied to the users of that research that we jointly
research that we jointly
develop the research agenda
and that before any research
project begins we focus on, you
know, how will this research be used. What are the polls that
used. What are the polls that
we who needs to be at the
table. Right. And what is the
impact that we’re there.
We’re shooting for. So those
are the things that we’re going
to focus on. And so I want to talk more about that. Some of
talk more about that. Some of
the partnership stuff will do
that in our news makers
actually. Okay. Because we have
I know people are interested in
this. I hope so. Anyway, hope
you’ll do that.
>> Congratulations on the new opportunity for leadership.