Sharon Bush

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Sharon Bush
In memory of Sharon Bush

Sharon served in several roles since coming to Rice University in 1993. Her first role was as the project administrator for the Rice University School Mathematics Program (RUSMP). In 1997, she moved to her field of training when Rice President, Malcolm Gillis, announced her appointment as a staff recruiter in the Office of Affirmative Action/EEO and the Employment Division of Human Resources. In 2001, she was appointed diversity outreach administrator in the Office of the Associate Provost, where she helped to develop a K-12 Outreach web directory and survey of Rice’s growing outreach initiatives. She served as Rice’s liaison/campus coordinator for the Project GRAD Advanced Mathematics Program from 2003 to 2009. In addition, Sharon served as the project coordinator for a grant (2004-2008) from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute to assist high school teachers to develop space science curricula and expose students to science research. In 2006, she was promoted to Associate Director of Diversity Outreach.

Sharon served in several volunteer roles at Rice including co-secretary of the Rice University Staff Advisory Committee, a university associate at Martel Residential College, musical director/advisor for the Melodious Voices of Praise (MVP) Gospel Choir and advisor to the Black Student Association. She also served as one of the advisors to ALMA (African-Americans and Latinos Merging for Action). She rallied Rice’s African American staff and faculty to active support freshmen as mentors. In 1994, she received Rice’s Distinguished Employee Award.

Sharon was active in Houston, serving as musical or choir director for various churches, tutoring and mentoring young students. She was an active member of the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education (TABPHE), serving on its board, chairing its scholarship committee and most recently as the president of the Houston Chapter of TABPHE. Nationally, she was a Charter Member of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE), serving a key role in the 2008 joint conference of AABHE and TABPHE in Houston.

Before coming to Rice, Sharon worked in at Pennzoil Company as a Human Resources Assistant. A lifelong resident of Houston, she received her B.S. in Personnel Technology at the University of Houston.

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