The A-Team

The A-Team is made up of our wonderful Magisters and RAs, adult members of our college that support us in making this a great community!

The Magisters

Leonardo & Cassy

Welcome to Baker! We (Leonardo and Cassy) look forward to getting to know you and helping you achieve your goals!

Leonardo was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. He was destined to be a nerd from an early age and never really left college since he went straight from undergrad to grad schools to teaching and research. He started at Rice as a Professor of Civil Engineering in 2006. In his free time, Leonardo reads fiction with his book club, and science- and math-based nonfiction with his colleagues. He aspires to run more half-marathons and hopes that some Bakerites will join him! 

As Leonardo will tell anyone within hearing, he met Cassy during a French language class many years ago. Cassy was born and raised in Georgia. She went to law school in Texas and spent several years as a corporate transactional attorney. Cassy is a committed bookworm and aspires to write creatively more often. She can be shy at first, but she wants to hear from you! 

We have three young daughters. They thoroughly enjoy living on campus, especially eating at the servery, filling water ballons during Beer Bike Week, and feeling super cool when a college student says “hi” to them.

We also have two pets. Our dog, Ruby, enjoys barking at the squirrels and cuddling with students on the couch. On the other hand, our elderly cat, Muisca, is a weirdo and rarely spotted. 

We encourage you to visit our home and share conversations about college and life in general. We host many study breaks, such as ice cream socials, monthly book club meetings, wine tastings and more. Let’s make memories together!

The RAs (Residential Associates)

Sophie & Patrick

Hello, Bakerites - We’re Sophie and Patrick and it is an honor to be joining the community as RAs.

We have been roaming campus for the better part of the past six years, first as students now as staff/faculty and Baker RAs! We met in 2018 (on Tinder like good millennials do) and had our first date in Rice Village. We got married in summer 2022. We have called Houston home for almost 6 years and are looking forward to many more! If you want suggestions for good food or live music inside the loop, we are happy to make suggestions.

Patrick grew up in Odessa, TX and Austin, TX. He graduated in 2012 from the University of Texas Permian Basin with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and spent the next six years of his career working exclusively for small businesses and startups in both West Texas and San Francisco Bay Area, California. He completed his MBA at Rice in 2020, concentrating in Entrepreneurship and Real Estate and spent the next few years working as an independent consultant for startups in a variety of industries. Patrick has been working at LILIE (Rice’s entrepreneurship initiative) since summer 2022 as a Program Manager. He spends his time mentoring student founders and building the programs and processes that help LILIE better serve students interested in entrepreneurship. Patrick is also a professional musician, a Valhalla bartender, and a cat whisperer. He is looking forward to servery meals and conversations, jam sessions, and meeting more Bakerites!

Sophie grew up in western Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard in 2016 with a degree in African American studies. She spent the next few years working at a startup in San Francisco, and moved to Houston to join their office here. She also got her MBA at Rice and graduated in 2022. In her time at Rice, Sophie founded her own startup, Green Room, participated in Techstars, and raised a pre-seed round for the business. Sophie ran Green Room for three years before making the hard decision to wind things down. Now, she is rejoining Rice as a Clinical Faculty for the Entrepreneurship Department and Summer Program Manager at LILIE. In her free time Sophie enjoys reading, playing soccer, tending to her house plants, cooking and eating. Sophie is looking forward to a hilariously short commute, kicking ass in intramural sports, and meeting all of you!

We are looking forward to getting to know you all, hosting events, and figuring this thing we call life out together. 

Hell Yeah!

Danielle & Branden

Hi Bakerites! We (Danielle and Branden) are thrilled to join the incredible Baker community as new RAs (cause Baker comes first!) and look forward to lots of learning, exploration, and growth as we get to know you and serve as trusted mentors.

Our story began in Atlanta, Georgia in 2010, where we first met during undergrad (Danielle while at Spelman College, Branden at Morehouse College). Though our introduction during undergrad was brief, we kept “in touch” via Instagram until 2019 when we had our first date. We tied the knot on New Year’s Day 2025 here in Houston and together, we share a deep love for our families, our 2 dogs King and Lily, and goofy moments filled with laughter. As RAs, some of our top priorities will be ensuring student wellbeing, helping to build safe and supportive communities, and being available to offer guidance to all Bakerites.

Danielle was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and began her Rice career in 2018. She is an associate professor of Organizational Psychology and the associate dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Her research and teaching focuses on promoting motivation, leadership, resilience, thriving, and belonging and she finds great fulfillment in helping others realize their potential. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Michigan State University.

Outside of work, Danielle loves tending to her house plants, socializing with friends, trying new workouts, and painting. She looks forward to hosting stress-relief study breaks, sharing meals in the servery, and introducing everyone to her pups for pet therapy and fun together.

The College Coordinator

Kristen Luu

Hey Baker! I’m Kristen Luu, your College Coordinator! As I start my first full-year as Baker’s College Coordinator, I am so excited to have you here. Let’s make our first year at Baker a great one!

I was born and raised in Texas, spending most of my life in Houston. I attended The University of Texas at Austin and received my bachelor's in Biology (hook ‘em). There, I was a Resident Assistant in a 1,800-student residence hall, so I’m (hopefully) well-versed in student affairs and housing matters. With that experience, I hope to make Baker feel a little bit like home!

Student-affairs knowledge was not the only thing I gained as an RA at UT—I met my now-husband, Matthew, who was also an RA in the same residence hall! He just graduated from The University of Texas School of Law this last May. Like Cassy, he, too, will be a corporate lawyer! You may see him from time to time at some Baker events, so don’t hesitate to come up and say hi! He’s an honorary Bakerite.

When I’m not on campus, you’ll most likely find me shopping or trying new foods and desserts throughout Houston. Matthew and I always say our favorite thing to do is eat good food with a good view.

My office is in the newly-renovated Baker mailroom, so come by if you have any questions or just want to chat! Congratulations on making it to the very best college!