Jerlyn Leigh Mardis ’71 ’83, an alumna and longtime Rice University lecturer, passed away recently at the age of 74.
Her association with the university started in the late 1960s when she enrolled as an undergraduate. She was elected as the Rice Student Association president, and her presence became a lightning rod of activity during a time of civil unrest.
During her time as a student, she was instrumental in bringing activists to campus to speak, including Abbie “Flower Power” Hoffman and the feminist Kate Millett.
Once at the university, she never fully left. She worked more than 36 years as a lecturer with the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, the Program in Writing and Communication, the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and the Jones Graduate School of Business.
“Jerlyn’s boundless curiosity about ways to improve her teaching was energizing for her colleagues and made all of us better educators,” said Jennifer Wilson, director of the Program in Writing and Communication and senior lecturer. “She was always thinking, questioning, tinkering in ways that were both thoughtful and exciting. Her generosity of spirit was remarkable; I always looked forward to spending time with her, and I never failed to come away from our interactions with new ideas and plans.”
Mardis spent her career serving universities. She developed coursework for the University of Houston and the Texas A&M University School of Law. In addition, she was the owner of Mardis & Associates, a consulting firm she led for over 40 years, where she combined her expertise in communication and education to mentor and inspire countless professionals.
Her passion for helping others was infectious.
“Jerlyn’s presence enriched every room she entered,” said C. Fred Higgs III, vice provost for academic affairs, director of the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership and the John and Ann Doerr Professor of Mechanical Engineering. “She will be remembered for her dedication to excellence, her kind and supportive nature and her commitment to empowering others.”
Mardis was preceded in death by her parents Gerald and Elizabeth McLaren Mardis. She is survived by her husband David S. Merritt, stepsister Elaine Duffy, brother and sister-in-law Jamie and Tanya Mardis, aunt Peggy Thigpen and several nieces and nephews.
Details for a memorial of life service for Mardis are pending.
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