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March 24, 2006 > News > Engineering professor Houchens selected to be new Wiess RA

Engineering professor Houchens selected to be new Wiess RA

By Ted Wieber | Thresher staff

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Professor Brent Houchens will become Wiess College’s newest resident associate. Houchens, who is currently a faculty associate at Wiess, will take the place of Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Bill Wilson, who will retire at the end of the academic year after 28 years as an RA.

Search Committee Chair Sarah Wulf, a Wiess sophomore, said Houchens was selected from seven applicants. Wulf said the committee chose Houchens for his energy and his involvement with Wiess.

“He was very engaging with the students during the interview process — coming to meals, Wiess Cabinet and associates’ barbecues,” Wulf said. “He also understands students well and will be a really solid guy to go to for advice.”

Houchens said he decided to accept the RA position in part because he enjoyed interacting with students at Wiess.

“I was really impressed with the amount of time the students on the search committee put in to make their college be what they want it to be,” Houchens said. “And both the new and old masters are really phenomenal people. When you meet nothing but good people, it gives you a really good feeling.”

Michael Gustin, a biochemistry professor, and his wife Denise Klein will take over for Katherine Donato, a sociology professor, and Dan Kalb as Wiess masters this summer.

Wiess College freshman Bo Qiu, who was also on the search committee, said he hopes Houchens will increase intra-college interaction.

“The way Wiess is set up, it’s hard to get a lot of people together at the same time,” Qiu said. “We feel that Brent will be able to bring the college together more.”

Houchens said that as an RA, he plans to promote off-campus activities.

“Houston is a very under-utilized city — it’s so easy to do stuff here,” Houchens said. “Coming from outside of Chicago where it’s very difficult to do anything without six months of planning, I hope to encourage students to go to Rockets [basketball] games, the symphony and restaurants in Rice Village.”

Houchens said he is excited about being a bigger part of the students’ lives.

“I am really looking forward to spending time with such a diverse group of people who are at the age when anything is possible,” Houchens said.

Houchens said he will move to Wiess in late July or early August.

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