From left: Girl Scouts San Jacinto Council Board Chairwoman Mary Ryder and CEO Mary Vitek present an award to Y. Ping Sun, Rice University representative. [May Zhou / China Daily]

Rice University Representative Y. Ping Sun was honored at the annual Significance to Success luncheon of the Girl Scouts San Jacinto Council on Thursday for her contributions to a variety of organizations across Houston.

"Sun has used her personal and professional success to help the community and others, and she is truly an inspiration to our girls, volunteers and supporters," said GSSJC CEO Mary Vitek.

A parent to a Girl Scout, a community leader, a lawyer and the first lady of Rice University (married to university President David Leebron), Sun was recognized for her active involvement in the community.

Besides her official role at Rice, Sun is also a member of the Shepherd School of Music and the Kinder Institute for Urban Research advisory boards and is honorary co-chairwoman of the Baker Institute Roundtable.

Sun also severs as a trustee for Texas Children's Hospital; as a board member of the Asia Society Texas Center and the United Way of Greater Houston; an advisory board member of the Asian Chamber of Commerce, Chinese Community Center and Houston Arts Alliance; and the chairwoman of the Mayor's International Trade and Development Council for Asia/Australia.

A Shanghai native, Sun attended Tianjin Foreign Languages School and Beijing Languages and Culture University. According to the rice.edu website, she received a scholarship to Princeton University, where she graduated cum laude with an AB degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She earned a law degree from Columbia University School of Law, where she served as an editor of the Journal of Transnational Law. Sun later practiced law in the New York offices of White & Case LLP and Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, focused on corporate and cross-border issues. She is now with the law firm of Yetter Coleman LLP in Houston.

Sun is also a longtime supporter of the Girl Scouts.

"My daughter became a Girl Scout in second grade, and I have been volunteering there since," said Sun. "I just feel that it's my duty to give back to the community, and I am grateful to be recognized for my work in various organizations. This encourages me to do more for our community."

At the luncheon, Houston City Councilwoman Ellen Cohen presented a proclamation declaring April 23, 2015, "Y. Ping Sun Day" by the City of Houston.

Sun was recently named among the 2015 Most Powerful and Influential Women in Texas at the 11th Texas Diversity and Leadership Council Conference. She is one of 11 Texas women with the honor.

The luncheon raised $260,000 for the Girl Scouts. Jessica Buchanan and her husband, Erik Landemalm, presented the keynote speech. In 2011, Buchanan, an American aid worker, was kidnapped by Somali pirates and survived a 93-day ordeal before being rescued by the Navy's SEAL Team Six.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com