The B-Team
Our Magisters
BJ and Shirley Fregly
Bio coming soon!
OUR RAs
Hossam Elsherbiny
Hey, Brown College! I’m Hossam, and I’m thrilled to be one of your RAs and part of this incredible community at Rice! You’ll find me living in the Tower, where the vibes are high, the Nutella supply is (suspiciously) low, and the conversation is always flowing.
By day, I’m a linguist who obsesses over how languages shape the way we learn, think, and navigate the world around us. I earned my Ph.D. in Linguistics through a joint program between Ain Shams University in Egypt and the University of Bologna in Italy—which means I can overanalyze both Egyptian Arabic and Italian pasta menus with equal precision. My work at Rice focuses on second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, and Arabic political discourse, and I’ve published more papers on language than I’ve had proper nights of sleep during conference season.
Outside of academia, life looks a little different. I’m a gym rat who treats indoor cycling like a personal Tour de France, and I willingly pay to do yoga in rooms that feel like the surface of the sun. I was vegan for about seven years until I made the very controversial decision to start eating chicken (no regrets). I’ve even eaten insects in remote Thai villages, so suffice it to say—I have range.
My best friend was a toothless dog named Fabio, who lives on in memory—and also on my socks. If you spot me wearing dog socks to a faculty meeting, no you didn’t.
More than anything, I care deeply about people. As your RA, I’m here to make sure Brown feels like a space where you can thrive—intellectually, socially, emotionally, and occasionally nutritionally. Whether you’re navigating college, wrestling with big questions, or just need someone to split a cookie with, I’m around.
So come by! Bring a story, a question, or a spoon (for the Nutella).
— Hossam (he/him)
Jess and Houston Steptoe
Hey Brown!
Welcome to the BEST and SWEETEST College at Rice University! My name is Jessica “Jess” Steptoe, and my son and I live in the first-floor apartment of the Quads as a part of the B-Team!
I grew up in the Houston area (Pearland – Go Oilers!), and after many years away from Texas, it has been so nice to be back home and at Rice, where the weather is warmer, the tea is sweeter, and everything is bigger.
I have spent my entire career in higher education. I graduated from Baylor University with a BS in Education. (Sic Em Bears) After undergrad, I lived in Bangkok, Thailand, and taught 1st grade at the Royal Palace School. I’ve spent the first 10 years of my career in Enrollment Management, most recently leading the MBA admissions team at Rice Business, and before that, I supported MBA Admissions at Cornell University and undergraduate admissions at Baylor University. I’m now the Senior Director of Staff Administration at Rice Business, where I work in more of an HR capacity.
This is my fourth year with Brown College, and I love calling this community home! My study breaks for you will always be centered around what I love – Cookies. I am a FIRM believer that cookies make life better. I also just LOVE celebrating in general, so whether we are decorating pumpkins for Halloween, playing Loteria during Latinae Heritage Month, cheering the Texans on during Sunday Night Football, Line Dancing during Black History Month, or celebrating the end of the academic year, please know that I will always have cookies.
Speaking of things I love…my baby boy, Houston! Houston is my miracle baby; the doctors thought we would never have children, and his dad and I are so blessed to call him ours! Houston is 5 years old and LOVES being at Brown! He looks up to all the students, literally and figuratively. He loves construction toys, monster trucks, Ninja Turtles, Hot Wheels, the rodeo, dinosaurs, Marvel movies, hanging out in the quad with students, Christmas, and Beer Bike! You will hear him before you see him because little homie is LOUD, just like his mama. He legit believes he is in college with y’all. Fair warning: if you aren’t stoked about kiddos, that is totally fine – please just let me know, and I will make sure to keep him at a distance.
Being at Brown has blessed our lives so much, and Houston and I are thrilled to get to know each of you as you embark on this incredible journey!
BSWB – Jess and Houston
OUR College Coordinator
Christy Cousins
My name is Christy Cousins and I am the Brown college coordinator. You can call me Christy or cc (Christy Cousins, college coordinator, cc, you get it). I am a Rice grad with degrees in Materials Science & Engineering and French Studies who grew up moving all over the world and ended up settling in Texas, yeehaw!
My husband, Craig, is also a Rice grad and we first met in the Wiess Acabowl. He is a Senior Business Value Manager with Okta and I like to say his job is kinda like the one Chandler has on "Friends" because none of us really knows what he does. He can fix anything in our house, likes playing video games, and shopping at Costco. Emily, my oldest daughter, lives in New Haven, CT with her partner, Matthew, a world class professional tenor. She is a journalist for a law news publication and sings professionally for a church every Sunday. She embroiders (some of her work is in my office), knits, and plays all the electronic versions of Pokemon. Charlotte is a junior studying Business Analytics at Miami U in Ohio with a love for fashion, Twilight, Zelda, and baking (especially macarons). Sam is a sophomore in high school He's joining the football team this year and performs with his tenor sax in band and jazz band. He plays Madden and NBA 2K like they are his job.
We have three cats: Zelda, Binx, and Sushi who enjoy playing with bugs, sleeping, and scratching anything other than their scratching posts. We also have a dog, Timmy, who tries to bother the cats - one ignores him, one hides, and the smallest one whacks him across the nose.
I LOVE to travel and explore new places while photographing the journey. I spend my spare time reading, love to cook and bake, sing in church choir, and enjoy excellent costuming, especially in movies. We have a family tradition of making our own Halloween costumes every year.
Come on by and say hi when you pick up your packages and get your mail, have some candy or homemade cookies, and ask any questions you may have. I can't wait to meet you all and be part of your incredible Rice experience.