College 12 selects part of staff leadership
Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced the magisters and one resident associate Jan. 4. for the upcoming College 12, set to open fall 2026. In the email, Gorman also announced the establishment of a college 12 website and founding committee.
Luis Duno-Gottberg, one of the magisters for College 12, previously served as the founding magister of Duncan College when it opened in 2009.
He described the experience as highly rewarding and a highlight of his personal and professional life.
“In that role, I saw myself as a facilitator, someone who helped create the conditions for people to come together, share their ideas and collectively imagine what a new community could look like,” Duno-Gottberg wrote in an email to the Thresher. “It was an extraordinary opportunity to help build something meaningful from the ground up.”
Duno-Gottberg said that he decided to become a magister for College 12 to provide a space for fostering students’ personal and intellectual growth.
“I am thrilled to be part of the process of collectively imagining a new community,” Duno-Gottberg wrote. “The opportunity to contribute to the well-being and intellectual growth of students is both a privilege and a profound responsibility. In a world where young people are constantly navigating complex pressures and demands, colleges can serve as places-spaces where they are supported in developing resilience, creativity, solidarity and a lifelong love of learning.”
While Duno-Gottberg said he views the magister’s role as a facilitator of dialogue and collaboration, he said he does not want his vision to dominate College 12’s principles.
“As a member of this academic community, I am particularly committed to fostering democratic practices, empathy and solidarity as foundational elements of our work,” Duno-Gottberg wrote. “These principles are not just ideals; they are tools for creating an inclusive and supportive environment where students can thrive and learn to engage thoughtfully with one another.”
Gorman said that the founding committee will contain mostly students.
“Our hope is that student voices and opinions and the experience they bring from their home colleges will influence the creation and establishment of a unique College 12,” Gorman wrote in an email to the Thresher. “While we are excited to have the magisters and an RA in place to support this endeavor, the work of the founding committee will largely be done by students.”
College 12’s first RA, Tamara Jones, will be moving from her position as an RA for McMurtry College. She said her time at McMurtry was a transformative experience.
“In my time at McMurtry, I helped students launch the McMurtry Black Caucus, the first and strongest residential college-based affinity group, and I helped establish McMurtry’s presence on social media through our first official Instagram account,” Jones wrote in an email to the Thresher.
“I have seen new traditions start and fizzle out or take hold and become a pillar of college culture … I also have working relationships with all of the core teams across campus due to my various roles and have heard a lot of their experiences,” Jones wrote. “Being able to think about culture, tradition, and community in a new and fresh way is such a unique opportunity and I’m so excited for this next adventure.”
Jones said College 12 will be established at a unique time in Rice’s history, but also hopes that its location will help it mesh with other South Colleges.
“College 12 has the benefit of learning from old and new colleges, and will have the distinct history of being the first college built after the peak of a global pandemic,” Jones wrote. “I often say that living on the North side of campus is like living in the quiet countryside, and the South is like the city. I’m sure there will be ample opportunities to explore, socialize and connect between the other South Colleges.”
Kef Nkosi said that while he is sad to see Jones leave her position as a McMurtry RA, he appreciates what she’s done for the community.
“She’s definitely made me feel welcomed and included because she’s kind of like a mom away from home. She doesn’t scold me about certain things, like maybe my actual mom would, and she’s just supportive and finds a lot of my antics comical,” Nkosi, a McMurtry sophomore, said. “Honestly, I’ll miss her, even though she’ll just be some buildings away.”
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