Prairie View A&M University president Dr. Ruth Simmons is set to join Rice University

In March 2022, Dr. Ruth Simmons announced that she was stepping down as president of Prairie View A&M and was previously expected to continue fulfilling her role through June 2023. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as expected when she announced last week that she would leave her role by the end of February instead, marking a four-month premature departure date. However, on Tuesday, Rice University announced in a statement that Simmons will be joining them as President’s Distinguished Fellow. Simmons will work with a variety of programs across campus and advise the president’s office on various matters. According to Rice, Simmons will begin her role as President’s Distinguished Fellow beginning on Apr. 1.