Rice University’s annual competition renamed Huff OEDK Engineering Design Showcase

The George R. Brown School of Engineering Design Showcase and Poster Competition, coordinated by Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK), kicked off April 13 with remarks from President Reginald DesRoches — in which he announced the event will now be known as the Huff OEDK Engineering Design Showcase.

The OEDK faculty and staff elected to rename the showcase in honor of Harrell Huff and his late wife, alumna Carolyn Huff, who have supported dozens of teams in the competition over the years.

Huff/OEDK showcase logo
The Huffs have created multiple endowments to benefit everything from student design teams to faculty and staff positions within the design kitchen. They have directly sponsored more than 59 competition teams since 2013 and have served as student mentors and advocates for the OEDK.

This year, Harrell Huff pledged a substantial gift through his estate to the OEDK for the purpose of endowing key faculty and staff positions as well as supporting any other high-priority needs the OEDK may have both now and in the future.

“I often refer to the OEDK as the best investment that has been made at Rice when you think about all the people that have been impacted and all the great discoveries that have started from student projects here,” DesRoches said.

As for this year’s showcase, DesRoches said that in the six years he’s been at Rice — he is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and of mechanical engineering and was the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering prior to his appointment as the Howard Hughes Provost and then president — this year’s competitors had the best projects yet.