The Rice University women’s track and field program received a $500,000 donation from alumna Dr. Riva Rahl, according to a March 28 announcement. The funds will be used for renovations to the sports performance room and to establish a new endowed scholarship for the program.
The gift is divided into two parts: $350,000 will go toward an endowed scholarship named after head coach Jim Bevan, while $150,000 is allocated for upgrades and equipment in the newly named Jim Bevan Sports Performance Room. This donation marks the largest single contribution in the history of Rice’s women’s track and field program.
Vice President and Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland said, “We are grateful for Riva’s commitment to ensuring that we continue to have sustained success with our women’s track and field program. With Riva’s generosity, not only our current student-athletes, but our future student-athletes will all benefit tremendously here at Rice. Riva embodies everything that being a student-athlete at Rice represents, and we are grateful for her support.”
Head coach Jim Bevan also acknowledged the significance of this support: “I am grateful for the tremendous gift Riva has given our program to ensure that we continue to achieve at a high level. Her generosity and commitment to the program will allow us to bring the best student-athletes in the world to Rice for years to come. Riva is a true inspiration as an athlete, teammate, contributor, and even more now in her real-world achievements. I am honored that Riva has chosen to dedicate the facility and the endowed scholarship in my name, but none of this would be possible without her generosity.”
Renovations include new exercise equipment such as full and half racks, squat racks, rowing machines, stationary bikes, reverse hyper machines, treadmills, machine weights as well as graphic art and signage throughout the building.
The university invites others interested in supporting women’s track scholarships or facilities improvements through contributions designated for these purposes.
