An interview with Sue Rivera, PhD, MSW '91

How has your political outlook changed since Brown?

I don’t think my political orientation has changed much at all. I was, as a college student, and still am today, deeply concerned about issues of justice, especially with regard to economic and social inequality. Becoming a parent has strengthened my belief in the importance of fairness and also in our moral obligation to serve and protect the vulnerable.

My view of the political process has changed, however. Having spent three years as a federal employee and 14 years in large state universities, I have a more realistic view of how bureaucracies are necessary in society but also how they can subvert democratic principles unintentionally. I have come to appreciate that change takes time and consensus building is critical for the success of change initiatives. I guess the more succinct way of saying this is that I have grown up a bit since my days of protest on the college green; I now have a better (but still evolving) sense of when to bring something to committee and when to throw my fist in the air.

What have been the most motivating forces in being involved in politics through work or volunteerism?

The fact that I have stayed in the public sector for my entire career is evidence that I am motivated by forces other than money. [Laughs] Seriously, I derive meaning from work that is about helping. I see my current role as someone who facilitates the scientific enterprise in a way that is ethical and humane. I’m gratified by the idea that the experiments done at the university bring new therapies to the market for humans and animals. That’s a tangible contribution to society I can feel good about.

I also have volunteered for political campaigns both in California and here in Texas. As you might imagine, being a Democrat in the SF Bay Area was a completely different experience than it is in Dallas! My political activism is motivated by the same impulses that have shaped my professional career: a bleeding heart and an abiding belief that we can be better than we already are. One of the highlights of my political volunteerism was when I served as delegate for Barack Obama at my senatorial precinct convention following the “Texas Two-Step” primary election.

What advice would you give to current Brown graduates going into politics, law and/or public policy?

The advice I would give to current Brown graduates going into any field is to use your powers for good, not evil. This country does not need one more crooked politician, mercenary lawyer, or clock-punching bureaucrat. However, we desperately need sincere elected officials, dedicated DAs and public defenders, and enthusiastic government workers. We also need committed teachers, social workers, physicians, legal advocates and community organizers. (Yes! Community organizers have actual responsibilities—helping people!) And we need people who, regardless of the nature of their paid work, will volunteer as coaches, troop leaders, fundraisers, PTA officers, and shelter workers. The point I’m trying to make is that you don’t have to be a politician, lawyer or policy wonk to improve society. It is possible to contribute to the social good even if it’s not strictly in your job description. A Brown education is a privilege — do something meaningful with it!

Suzanne (Sue) Rivera, Ph.D. is Associate Vice President for Research Services and Assistant Professor of Ethics and Health Policy at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. Her responsibilities include oversight of the medical center’s four Institutional Review Boards and its Animal Care and Use Committee. These groups review and monitor the use of humans and animals in research experiments to assure that human participants’ rights and welfare are protected, and that laboratory animals are treated humanely.

Following her graduation from Brown, Sue went directly to UC Berkeley for a Master of Social Welfare degree. She then served a two-year Presidential Management Internship (PMI) with the US Department of Health and Human Services in the San Francisco Regional Office. After completing the PMI, she became a Program Specialist with the Administration for Children and Families, where she monitored the effectiveness of Head Start programs.

Before arriving in Dallas, Sue worked for seven years at the University of California’s Irvine campus, where she was Director of Research Protections. As in her current job, she oversaw the university’s human and animal research compliance programs.

Just last May, Sue completed a Ph.D. in Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Dallas. Her dissertation was titled, “Social Inequality in Biomedical Research.” In addition to her role as an administrator, Sue teaches ethics and public health policy to medical students and physicians.

Sue is married to her college sweetheart, Michael Householder ’89; MAT ’90, and they have two children, Tony (13) and Elena (8).