The Communication Factor
Newsletter of the Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication at Rice University Spring - 2004

Carolyn Jackson Celebrates Birthday, Cain Project with Friends

Carolyn Jackson

Carolyn Jackson, class of ’49, and friends from her years at Rice joined Cain Project faculty and advisory committee members at a luncheon in the Farnsworth Pavilion to celebrate her 75th birthday. The chocolate mousse and fresh raspberry birthday cake was loaded with the traditional candles, but the honoree directed her gifts toward the Cain Project. Carolyn presented
director Linda Driskill with a check for $10,000; classmate Ellis Rudy contributed an additional thousand dollars, and several friends who could not attend sent checks, too. Several have volunteered to participate as mentors for students in the spring.

As the photos on the insert tell, everyone had a glorious time. Carolyn’s favorite flower, the daylily, was featured in the table arrangements and in a floral spray presented to her for her birthday.

XHerb and Beverly Stone with XCarolyn

Among the guests were students who have received Golden Scholarships, which are made possible when classes present the University with special large gifts at their 50th anniversary homecoming. Many of the guests were on Carolyn Jackson’s committee that raised the funds for the Class of ‘49’s gift. Herb and Beverly Stone, Woods and Patsy Martin, Lee Kobayashi, Don Williams, Don Kehn, and many others enjoyed meeting Daniel Huffaker and Xiaoming Lin, two of the Class of ‘49’s scholarship students.

Aubrey Farb, class of ’42, who taught accounting at Rice for several years, his wife Sylvia, and friend Coralie Kelly were seated at the table with Rassul Zarinfar, a class of 1942 scholarship recipient. Rassul also talked with Camille and Ray Simpson, Bob and Donna Wilkins, and Ellis Rudy about his experiences at Rice. Abigail Watrous, who holds a class of 1951 scholarship, expressed her appreciation to Betty Wood, Edgar Sharp, and John and Virginia Durrett.

During dessert, student presentation coaches Sam Jones and Gina Upperman described their experiences with the Cain Project and their views of how their work fits into the curriculum in sciences and engineering. Both find coaching other students to be one of the highlights of their week.

Bob Cunningham and Woods Martin

Carolyn, whose devotion to Rice students is remarkable, backs the Cain Project partly because her husband John and other engineering and science classmates so often picked out communication as the most valuable addition Rice could make to its fine engineering and sciences curriculum. Classmate Bob Cunningham, ‘49, who now leads several student design teams as a faculty member in Mechanical Engineering 407/408, helps achieve that goal working with the Cain Project and requiring practices in oral presentations and design reports.

Rice University alumni are outstanding in their support of students through the major donations made each year as classes reach their 50th anniversary of graduation. Now the Cain Project is involving alums in another form of support for students: as alumni communication mentors. This spring Assistant Director Tracy Volz will hold sessions to train alumni to coach student presenters before conference talks, poster presentations, and design reviews.

Carolyn Jackson and Golden Anniversary Scholarship winner Abigail Watrous

Many alums have experience from community organizations and business that will enable them to ask the kinds of questions students will encounter on the job or at these special events. The alumni mentors will help students make the crucial transition from academic presentations to industry and public settings.

The Cain Project is grateful to Carolyn Jackson for her
active support of Rice students and its activities.

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