These awardees represent the best the team has to offer in five areas:
Lifetime Membership: Our highest award and is awarded to those who embody the spirit of the team in the areas of hard work, success, and team-orientation and who are known nationally as one of the faces of the Rice team. Usually, but not exclusively, this award is given only to those who have competed all four years for Rice and is not necessarily given each year. The unofficial criterion for this award is that “The team is simply unthinkable without the winner.”
Speaker of the Year: Awarded each year to the most successful and hardest working competitor in both individual events and debate.
Dan Henning Award: Given in memory of Dan Henning, this award goes to all first-year students who qualify for the AFA-NIET in Extemporaneous Speaking and also compete at the National Parliamentary Debate Association national championship tournament.
Team Player Award: Awarded to the competitor who has shown the most active concern and support for the team as a whole. Awarded each year.
Newcomer of the Year: Awarded to a competitor in her or his first year of competition with the team who makes the biggest impact on the team in terms of competitive success, hard work, and team-orientation.
Most Improved Debater: Awarded to the debater shows the most development and accomplishment over the course of the year.
2019-2020
Lifetime Membership: Summar McGee
Speaker of the Year: Debate: Maddy Scannell; Speech: Lauren Palladino
Newcomer of the Year: Jacob Tate
Most Improved Debater: Kia Witt
Team Player: Annie Chen
2018-2019
Lifetime Membership: Sonia Torres, Jason Barton; Isaiah Rodriguez
Speaker of the Year: Sonia Torres, Jason Barton
Team Player: Joel Abraham;
Newcomer of the Year: Tiffany Sloan
Most Improved Debater: Maddy Scannell
Most Improved Speech Competitor: Lauren Palladino
2017-2018
Lifetime Membership: Madison Blattel
Speaker of the Year: Jason Barton
Team Player Award: Sonia Torres
Newcomer of the Year: Lauren Palladino
Most Improved IE Competitor: Summar McGee
Dan Henning Award: Gennifer Geer
2016-2017
Lifetime Membership: Allison McKibban; Vera Ranneft; Matthew Proffitt; Michael Portal
Rice University Forensics Quintilian Award: Matthew Proffitt
Newcomer of the Year: Gennifer Geer
Team Player Award: Michael Portal
Most Improved Debater: Jason Barton
Most Improved IE Competitor: Summar McGee
2015-2016
Lifetime Membership: Sylvia Omozee; Jacob Mansfield; Ryan Sun
2014-2015
Lifetime Membership: Jyra Bickham
2013-2014
Lifetime Membership: Kristian Edosomwan, Brittney Xu
Speaker of the Year: Kristian Edosomwan
Dan Henning Award: Matthew Proffitt, Vera Ranneft
Team Player: Jacob Mansfield
Newcomer of the Year: Allison McKibban
Most Improved Debater: Vera Ranneft
2012-2013
Lifetime Membership: Jarvis Sam
Speaker of the Year: Jarvis Sam
Dan Henning Award: Jacob Mansfield
Team Player: Kristrian Edosomwan
Newcomer of the Year: Sylvia Omozee
Most Improved Debater: Ryan Sun
2011-2012
Lifetime Membership: Katie Donovan
Speaker of the Year: Katie Donovan
Team Player: Jarvis Sam
Newcomer of the Year:
2010-2011
Speaker of the Year: Katherine Donovan
Team Player: Jarvis Sam
Newcomer of the Year: Helene Dick
2009-2010
Lifetime Membership: Aparna Bhaduri
Speaker of the Year: Katherine Donovan
Dan Henning Award: Katharyn Jia, Jarvis Sam
Team Player: Julie Duong
Newcomer of the Year: Eric Li
2008-2009
Speaker of the Year: Aparna Bhaduri
Dan Henning Award: Kern Vijayvargiya
Team Player: Katherine Donovan
Newcomer of the Year: Daniel LaSalle
2007-2008
Lifetime Membership: Jeremy Grace, Hrishikesh Hari, Edward Torous, Kirti Datla
Speaker of the Year: Hrishiksh Hari
Team Player: Everette Kreider
Newcomer of the Year: Daniel Shanaberger
2006-2007
Lifetime Membership: Priscilla Parrett
Speaker of the Year: Priscilla Parrett
Team Player: Edward Torous
Newcomer of the Year: Everette Kreider
2005-2006
Speaker of the Year: Hrishikesh Hari
Dan Henning Award: Aparna Bhaduri
Team Player: Aparna Bhaduri
Newcomer of the Year: Aparna Bhaduri
2004-2005
Lifetime Membership: Gregory Miller
Speaker of the Year: Gregory Miller
Team Player: Nathan Smith
Newcomer of the Year: Priscilla Parrett
2003-2004
Speaker of the Year: Gregory Miller
Dan Henning Award: James Rapore
Team Player: Felipe Valdez
Newcomer of the Year: Kimberly Swanson
2002-2003
Dan Henning Award: Benjamin Smiley
2000-2001
Dan Henning Award: Benjamin Norris
1991
Lifetime Membership: John F. Heard