Howdy, New Fellow Duncaroos!

We are delighted to welcome you to the supportive and inclusive community here at Duncan! This is our first year as Duncan Magisters, and we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this
wonderful journey alongside all of you!

As Magisters, we serve as the official representatives of the College at the university level, but our primary mission is to foster a welcoming and supportive environment. We are here to serve as your sounding boards, mentors, and friends, and to support you, celebrate you, and motivate and inspire you on your journey. Feel free to share your challenges, thoughts, and feelings with us; we will listen attentively, provide support, and connect you with the extensive resources available for you at Rice.

Brian is a professor and the current chair of the Department of Religion. Originally from
Northern California, he is a devoted 49ers fan (of the 80s and 90s… hasn’t followed in a while), a passionate Jiu Jitsu practitioner, and an amateur guitar player. He spent a year in Japan as part of his undergraduate studies, where he learned how to introduce himself in Japanese and developed a refined palate for recognizing quality sushi and ramen! He later spent thirteen years in Jerusalem, where he earned his PhD, honed a sophisticated taste for spotting top-notch hummus, and met Sharon.

Sharon is a positive psychology coach focused on helping individuals grow and thrive by fostering self-awareness, leveraging strengths, enhancing social emotional skills, and connecting with values and purpose. Originally from Jerusalem, Sharon started her professional journey in the hospitality sector and this experience ignited her passion for hosting and creating an atmosphere where people feel welcomed and cared for. She is also a backgammon wizard and an urban walking guru (yep, that's totally a thing!).

Danielle, our rising seventh grader, is passionate about all things related to animals (especially dogs and horseback riding), as well as performance and plastic arts, and she is excited to meet
fellow Duncaroos who share similar interests! Finally, Pico, our ten-year-old Pitbull, and Chickpea, our three-month-old mutt, are cuddly companions who adore snuggles and belly rubs!

As a family, we enjoy watching movies, reading, listening to music, singing karaoke, hosting
gatherings, attending plays and performances, visiting parks, watching movies, and
participating in workshops at museums. We are excited to share our interests with you and to learn about yours! We also love traveling and immersing ourselves in different cultures.

Houston and Rice have been our home since 2012, but we've also lived in the art-filled streets of Florence, Italy; the buzzing chaos of New York City; the historic charm of Cambridge-Boston, and the vibrant vibes of Hamburg, Germany. These adventures have only fueled our curiosity, so please share your culture and traditions with us!

We will be here for the next five years, eager to get to know you better, help you acclimate, support you, and share countless moments of joy, laughter, and connection with you. We are here for you! You can expect to see us regularly in the Commons, at Forum, in the Quad, and at various events, so please come by and say hi!

DuncLove,
The Ogrens

Hi Duncaroos!

We are Mack and Jamil Joyner, your Resident Faculty Associates. We are excited to begin our 6th year as your first floor RAs at Duncan. Our love story started freshman year at Rice. Mack was at Sid and Jamil was at Jones. Our first dance together was at Lovett and our first kiss (ewww) was at Brown. After dating for 6 years, we got married (finally!) in 2004.

Mack is originally from Kansas City, KS. He received his BS, MS, and PhD in Computer Science from Rice. He teaches in the Computer Science department. He has a borderline unhealthy obsession with Boba tea and loves to host Boba study breaks. He is learning to be less competitive when playing games like basketball and Monopoly. He is a proud fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and he insists that KC has the best BBQ. Jamil is a native Houstonian. She received her BA in Sociology from Rice, an MD from Baylor College of Medicine, and an MBA from Rice. She works as a Pediatrician at one of Texas Children’s Hospital’s outpatient clinics. She also enjoys real estate on the side. She loves learning which has proven to be an expensive hobby. She also likes to garden and can not wait for you to enjoy the new Duncan garden. We hope you enjoy our study breaks.

We also have 3 boys. Kaleab is 12. He likes soccer, basketball, and building random weapons using empty cereal boxes, duct tape, and rubber bands. Kaleab is also an expert at changing the topic to something that he is interested in. You have been warned. Liam is 7. He is super strong for his age. He loves dance time, drawing, and eating Cheetos while playing board games at The Teahouse. Elijah is 6. However, we still call him “baby”. He likes to give his mom a hug, turn towards Mack, and give him a smirk that says, “I’m the favorite now”. The whole Joyner family is super excited about O-Week and getting a chance to meet you.

DuncLove,
Mack & Jamil

Welcome to the wonderful world of Rice! We are Josh & Maddie, your 2nd floor RAs. Just like you, we are a couple of Joeys in this Mob of Duncaroos and our goal is to support you through your journey at both Duncan and Rice. We have already fallen in love with the best college and we know you will too. Some of you will find this transition seamless, others might find it a bit rocky. No matter what, you will always find a friend in us!

After earning my degree in Integrative Physiology from CU Boulder, I spent some time working in a Sleep and Chronobiology lab, only to realize my heart wasn’t exactly in it. While I wasn’t sure what was next, I did know two things: I love connecting with people and I love working in higher ed. Luckily, I stumbled into an amazing role as a Program Coordinator at the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Rice, which somehow led me to the absolute best gig yet, being an RA for the greatest college on campus! A little about me: I love jamming to music, being outdoors (preferably when Texas isn’t melting), sipping coffee and tea, practicing my photography, and chatting about pretty much anything. I’ll never say no to something athletic, but fair warning, I can be a littlecompetitive. Thrifting is my creative outlet, and my clothes are an expression of who I am. I’m always up for trying new things and hearing about what you’re into. And of course, hanging out with the goodest boy ever, Boba!

I know everyone’s really here so you can see pictures of our dog, but I figured I should probably give you a brief introduction about myself too. I’m Josh, your other second floor RA (duh), and I have far too many interests to list in one paragraph, but I’ll give it a go. I work off campus for a renewable energy company downtown, in GIS and data management. I have a deep love for travel, after being raised by two British travel addicts who decided the best place to start a family was Singapore, Malaysia, and Beijing, China. After moving all over, my family eventually settled here in Houston in 2012, and after going to college in Boulder, Colorado, I realized I wanted to move back to Houston. I adore pretty much any sport you've heard of (and a few you haven’t, it’s a problem), and can be found playing pickup basketball or golf at any moment of free time I have. I also have recently gotten into a few different book genres, you’ll see me walking around campus with Boba often, I DJ (poorly), and love to have a conversation with anyone and everyone. Maddie and I are both incredibly excited to meet all of yall, and can’t wait to have our 500+ neighbors move in!

Finally, Boba! Boba is our 3 year old Black Lab - Catahoula Leopard Dog mix. We don’t want to call him an accident, so we’ll just say he was the best impulsive decision we’ve ever made. If you see us around with him on campus or in the quad please don’t hesitate to say hi! He is a little shy sometimes but a real sweetheart. Welcome to the Duncan Family!

Hello!

I’m Jorge (you can call me Gomez if that’s easier), your third floor RA! I’ve been part of the Duncan community for three years now as an associate, and will be entering my second year as an RA this year (yay!). I was initially approached by a Duncaroo many semesters ago to join as an Associate – I had no idea what an Associate was, but was excited about the prospective to engage with students. Since then, I’ve learned so much about what makes Duncan the place to be.

I was born in Brownsville, TX (#puro956), where I spent the majority of my life. I usually am the first to proclaim there isn’t much to do in Brownsville, but I encourage anyone that is looking for the most authentic Mexican food, amazing seafood, or would like to feel extreme levels of heat and humidity year-round, to visit my lovely hometown. As a high school senior, I decided to move to the other tip of the U.S. to begin my undergrad studies at Bowdoin in Brunswick, Maine. Aside from culture shock, I got my bachelor’s in Chemistry and Japanese, and my desire to teach after I graduated. I moved back to Texas to teach high school Chemistry for three years, before I decided to shift gears.

I began my Rice journey two years ago with the Rice Emerging Scholars Program (RESP). I am the current associate director of the program. Through RESP, I get to meet and spend my summer with a group of 50 students interested in STEM (some of which are future Duncaroos!). Most of my summer, as well as my regular semester schedule involves me speaking with students, so, I am always down for a chat. You’ll quickly realize that I. LOVE. TO. TALK.

Aside from myself, my 5-month-old Dachshund puppy, Lucy, will be joining me this year at Duncan. This is my first dog ever, so it’s been interesting managing to be a dog dad (any tips are welcome). My three life passions are food, movies, and music, so, I will most likely always involve one of these elements in any events I host at Duncan. I can’t wait to meet you all and begin our first years at Duncan together <3

Dunclove,
Jorge Gomez Fernandez

Hello Duncaroos!
Welcome to one of the best colleges at Rice! My name is Wendy Olivares, and I’m your College Coordinator. I’ve been at Rice since October 2024, so this will be my very first O-Week, and I couldn’t be more excited to meet you all, the first class I get to welcome on day one, and eventually cheer on as you walk across the stage!

I was born and raised right here in Houston, and it feels so good to be back home. I graduated from Connecticut College in 2024 with a degree in Human Development, Education, and Psychology. I also earned a certificate in Community Action and Public Policy, I’m a certified Community Health Worker, and most recently, a Texas Notary, so if you ever need notary services for free, I’ve got you covered! This is my first full-time role after college, but I’ve previously interned in research, healthcare, and higher ed spaces. Now, I’m here to support you however I can, whether you have questions, need help navigating college life, or just want to chat.

At Duncan, I help keep things running behind the scenes, like coordinating events, supporting students, managing housing questions, handling budgets, and working with the Magisters, RAs, and university offices to make sure you have everything you need to succeed here. Whether it’s
O-Week, a housing issue, or just a random question about Rice life, I’m your go-to person. My door is always open, so don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m typically around Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Can’t wait to meet you all soon!

DuncLove,
Wendy Y. Olivares