Sid RA Kuster to leave in May

By Dale Swartz     3/27/08 7:00pm

Last week, Sid Richardson College Resident Associate Katherine Kuster (Brown '99) announced that she will step down from her position in May. A search committee has been formed and is looking to appoint a new RA by late April.Kuster, an outreach coordinator at the Rice Gallery, is moving to Japan with her fiancé, who has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue research on pollution in the upper atmosphere.

"The [Fulbright] application process is long and time-consuming, but once awarded we have very little notice before leaving," she said.

This short time frame also affects those at Sid looking for her successor because they have less than five weeks to complete a process that usually takes months. Sid RA Search Committee Chair Kevin Hirshberg said the committee members have a good idea of what they are looking for in a RA.

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"More than anything, we want an RA who will get involved, get to know the students and have a positive impact," Hirshberg, a junior, said.

Even with a tight schedule, Hirshberg said the committee is casting a wide net for potential successors, including faculty, staff and graduate students.

"We don't want to exclude any possibilities and are open to what all candidates can bring to the table," he said.

The new RA will have large shoes to fill since Kuster is praised for her contributions to Sid, he said. One of her traditions includes an annual post-Night of Decadence breakfast, when she often stays up until 2:30 a.m. making chocolate chip pancakes for party-goers.

"We try our best to ensure that our students have a gentle landing after the NOD festivities, and I think they appreciate it," Kuster said. "They just repay us by putting a shirt on - most of the time."

Kuster majored in history and Asian Studies at Rice. As an undergraduate, she spent time abroad in Fukuoka, Japan. After obtaining a master's degree from the University of Washington and a two-year research fellowship at the University of Tokyo, she returned to Rice.

"I think that every undergraduate thinks it might be fun to be an RA," Kuster said. She said she wanted to become a RA to have better contact with Rice students.

Kuster said the position has evolved over time and when she was an undergraduate, many RAs were faculty members.

"Their presence gave the colleges a very intellectual air," Kuster said.

But recently their numbers are shrinking, replaced by more staff members. Graduate students were also recently allowed to hold the position. But she said it is not a bad thing - otherwise she would not have had the opportunity to become RA.

Kuster said the best person for the job would be someone who comes with energy and enthusiasm. She said the job was rewarding.

"I have an awesome room and great neighbors," Kuster said. "No complaints."

Applications for the open Sid RA position are due by April 6.

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