Distinction in Research and Creative Work

Distinction in Research and Creative Work is a university award for select undergraduates, granted at commencement, which appears on the transcript and diploma. Students must apply within their department or program to be considered for the award, and a letter from a faculty member must support the application.

Eligibility for the award extends widely to include a variety of research, design, and other creative projects, as well as persistent dedication to research. Projects completed in part or entirely at other institutions or with community partners will be eligible for consideration.

Applicants must be in good academic standing and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 in courses completed at Rice.

Also, of further note: The award will be granted only to projects that produce a concrete outcome – e.g. an essay, invention, design, art exhibition, project or performance, or musical composition – and demonstrate commitment and/or achievement above and beyond the norm. Students who complete senior theses, senior design projects, or other required senior capstone projects shall not qualify automatically for consideration for this university distinction.

For the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts, the application for Distinction in Research and Creative Work must include:

1. application form, including portfolio;

2. overall GPA of 3.30;

3. a written artist statement;

4. letter of support from a Visual and Dramatic Arts faculty member;

5. public exhibition, screening, publication, or performance that includes a lecture or artist talk component by applicant;

6. two-page description of how the project meets the requirements of Distinction.

The department requires exceptional evidence of success, as defined by completion of a project (body of artwork, film, theatrical design work, etc.). Support through the application process is available through the department – e.g. workshops, seminars and individual meetings with faculty mentors.

Contact the department or look online for deadline dates. No electronic submissions accepted. Please note that your project does not have to be already completed to apply for Distinction (all final materials will be due in Spring 2018). The department selects a very limited number of students for this university academic honor.

The department enjoys an ongoing close relationship with local theatres, museums, and galleries. The department offers opportunities for students to work and study with local art venues and alternative art spaces by way collaborative events and programs. The collections and exhibitions of local museums are often the subject of course lectures.

Lectures, symposia, and talks are sponsored by the department and are designed to bring local, national, and international scholars, actors, directors, critics, and studio artists to campus to speak on a broad range of topics and current interests.

During the academic year, Rice Cinema screens films from around the world—foreign features, shorts, documentaries, and animation—as part of our ongoing partnership with the diverse cultural communities of the City of Houston. Film at Rice reaches beyond the university’s hedges to create, engage, and encourage scholarly thought and dialog on the many issues that impact our world. Internationally known filmmakers who have appeared on our campus over the years include Werner Herzog, Rakhshan Banietemad, Atom Egoyan, Shirin Neshat, Martin Scorsese, Andy Warhol, George Lucas, and Dennis Hopper.

There are two main-stage productions (one fall and one spring) and the possibility of two student showcases offered each year in Hamman Hall, a 450-seat proscenium theatre facility. The department invites distinguished guest artists each semester to direct and produce the two main-stage productions. Participation in productions is open to all students.

Theatre Program faculty are actively involved in professional theatre and film locally, nationally, and internationally and actively pursue opportunities to involve advanced students in that work. In addition, advanced students are encouraged to apply for internship positions whenever possible. Rice students have been accepted in competitive internships at theatres such as The Alley Theatre, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. In addition, students are encouraged to study theatre abroad and transfer course credit back to Rice. Approval for transfer credit must be sought prior to enrollment in a study-abroad program by contacting the director of the Theatre Program.

In even numbered years, the Theatre Program, sponsored by the Alan and Shirley Grob Endowment for Shakespeare in Performance, hosts the Actors From the London Stage, one of the oldest established touring Shakespeare theatre companies in the world for a week-long residency of workshops, performances, and lectures. Each tour presents a full-length play by Shakespeare performed by five classically trained actors who come from such prestigious companies as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

The National Theater Institute offers an extensive conservatory-based training program for the dedicated student. Distinguished master teaching artists guide the classes in courses in acting, directing, design, playwriting, stage combat, voice, and movement. The Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts will accept academic work completed at the National Theater Institute as transfer credit to fulfill major requirements (following university transfer credit guidelines).

See https://humanities.rice.edu/student-life for tables of fellowships, prizes, and internships/practica that may be relevant to this major.