Honors College Alumna Returns as Honors Residential College Program Director

The Baylor Honors College is pleased to announce the appointment of Lizzy Rice, B.A. ’23, as program director for the Honors Residential College (HRC), beginning June 1.

“We are thrilled to have Lizzy returning to the HRC,” senior lecturer in the Honors Program and HRC Faculty Steward Jason Whitt, Ph.D., said. “As a former resident of the HRC, she is familiar with what makes this community special. She is well prepared to step into this role and lead with diligence and vision, and to build upon the foundation laid through Courtney DePalma’s great efforts. I am excited for the enthusiasm and joy Lizzy will bring to working with our amazing HRC students and staff.”

Rice, an alumna of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and the Honors Program, earned a bachelor’s degree in English and corporate communication from Baylor and recently completed a master’s in higher education administration at Texas A&M University. She follows Courtney DePalma, who served the HRC for 15 years and now works as associate director of student leadership and engagement for the Honors College.

“This is my dream job,” Rice said. “I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to step into this role and give back to a community that profoundly shaped me.”

As an undergraduate, Rice lived in the HRC for four years and served on both the social and public relations committees. She returns with a vision to strengthen student engagement, preserve long-standing traditions, and implement assessment practices to meet evolving student needs.

“Our students are changing, and our space has changed thanks to the renovation,” Rice said. “I want to be intentional in asking what is working, what might need to evolve, and how we can better tell the story of why the HRC matters.”

She also hopes to deepen faculty-student connections and enhance academic mentorship within the residential community.

“Our faculty are extraordinary, and I want to make it easier for students to connect with them, not only in the classroom, but as mentors and community members,” she said. “I look forward to partnering with them to make the HRC a place where our faculty and students can continue conversations.”

As she steps into this role, Rice brings a clear understanding of the HRC’s culture and a deep commitment to its mission.

“The HRC quickly became home to me as a student,” she said. “It is an incredible privilege to return to this place not just as an alumna, but as someone entrusted with helping shape its future.”