TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama Career Center will be hosting a dinner reception with Derica Rice, senior vice president and CFO of Eli Lilly and Co., on Wednesday, Feb.27 at 7 p.m. in the Alabama Museum of Natural History located in Smith Hall.

Rice, a native of Decatur, is the highest ranked African-American executive at Eli Lilly. He received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Kettering University in 1988 and a master's degree in business administration in 1990 from Indiana University.

Rice joined Eli Lilly in 1990 and held several positions including international treasury associate, global financial analyst, global planning manager and CFO for European operations before becoming CFO in 2006.

Dinner will be served. It is highly recommended that those who plan to attend and eat RSVP for dinner by e-mailing gradassist1@sa.ua.edu. Dinner will be first-come first-served for those who do not make a reservation.

The event is being held in conjunction with UA’s African-American Heritage Month celebration.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.