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Family

The Reiff/Hill clan is an "all Rice" family with 8 Rice degrees among the crew (Tom has 3, Pat has 2 and the kids each have one). (Photo from the Adam/Hunter graduation 2009)

Her better (or at least less disorganized) half is emeritus Professor Prof. Thomas W. Hill (BA '67, MS '71, PhD '73).

Our three children, Andrea (Palermo), Adam Hill, and Hunter Amelia Rook, are all Rice alumni. Andrea (Psychology, 2008) began working at ePlanetarium and is teaching middle school at HISD. Her husband Zaniel Palermo is an IT professional. They have two children ("no disposable diapers, no formula, and no processed baby food"), with daughter Zia born November 2014 and son Zen born April, 2018.

Hunter (BA 2009, summa cum laude), the artist, has his own "rowdyferret" freelance art and web design company, having previously taught art and web design at Chavez High School (Houston) and has written and illustrated a book on Gender "the Gender book" which received an "IPPY" award for his web design. \

Adam, who graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree in 2009, worked as in Engineer for the State of Florida, having previously taught math and science at YES Prep school Houston. He is married to Kate McGrath Hill, who earned her PhD in Marine biology at Florida Tech in 2020 and is now teaching biology at Chapman University. Adam earned his MBA at Florida Tech and is now working at an IT communications company in Irvine. They have a son Avery born in July, 2020 and a son Taylor born January 2023.

Patricia's father William Henry Reiff was a prominent MD in Oklahoma City. She has posted his biography here. Patricia's mother Maxine earned her MD degree in 1942 (!) and lectured on breastfeeding, writing a book on it.