Rice President and Grit: Tuesday’s Show (March 17, 2015)

David Leebron has been President of Rice University, since 2004. (He’s just the seventh person to hold the post). Under his watch, Rice has seen significant increases in undergraduate enrollment, the launch of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, new residential colleges, new buildings on campus, and visits from important figures ranging from former President Bill Clinton to the Dalai Lama.

On this edition of Houston Matters, we welcome back President Leebron to discuss challenges and opportunities facing Rice University, and other colleges and universities throughout Greater Houston in 2015. We welcome any questions you may have, as well.

Also this hour: What makes a survivor? Grit is a buzzword tossed around by social scientists these days, who seek to define what makes successful people — or even cities — thrive. Why do some succeed when others don't? Can such resilience be taught? Paige Phelps talks with some truly gritty Houstonians to learn where that drive to succeed comes from. She also talks with officials at Pearland ISD about the basics of grit, which they teach to 10,000 students each year.

Plus: Michael Hagerty talks with Kathryn Casey, author of Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields.