Member Profile
Eric Macfarlaneis the First Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Department of Design and Construction, a department with which he has worked since it was founded in 1996. MacFarlane is originally from Cap-Haïtien, though his last name may lead you to believe otherwise. His father’s family is originally Jamaican and came to Haiti during the first American occupation of Haiti in early twentieth century. MacFarlane’s father settled in Haiti, became a naturalized citizen and married into a Haitian family. The family moved to New York City in the 1960’s where MacFarlane completed high school. It was there, in an English class, that he met his wife Marie-Josée, whose family had also immigrated during the same period of time to the United States.
Reginald DesRoches is Rice University’s eighth president. He also serves as a professor of civil and environmental engineering, and professor of mechanical engineering. As president, DesRoches is the chief executive officer of the university and its 8,200 plus students, eight schools and more than 900 faculty. He previously served as Rice’s Howard Hughes Provost and William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering.