▁United ▁States . ▁R ice ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin – Mad ison ▁and ▁began ▁working ▁with ▁the ▁US ▁government ▁soon ▁after , ▁but ▁left ▁the ▁work force ▁to ▁begin ▁raising ▁a ▁child . ▁Just ▁over ▁a ▁de cade ▁later , ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁government ▁work ▁with ▁a ▁position ▁at ▁the ▁Social ▁Security ▁Administration , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁scient ists ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁economic ▁cost ▁of ▁ill ness ▁and ▁exposed ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁health ▁ins urance ▁among ▁the ▁elder ly . ▁ ▁R ice ▁was ▁later ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Center ▁for ▁Health ▁Statistics ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁where ▁she ▁helped ▁create ▁the ▁National ▁Death ▁Index . ▁She ▁finished ▁her ▁career ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁Reg ents ' ▁lect urer ▁and ▁professor ▁emer it us . ▁During ▁her ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁university , ▁she ▁co - author ed ▁a ▁paper ▁on ▁the ▁costs ▁of ▁sm oking , ▁which ▁impact ed ▁on going ▁legal ▁neg ations ▁between ▁the ▁US ▁government ▁and ▁the ▁US ▁to b acco ▁industry ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁Tob acco ▁Master ▁S ett lement ▁Ag re ement . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁R ice ▁was ▁born ▁Dor othy ▁Pe ch man ▁in ▁the ▁Brook lyn ▁bor ough ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 2 2 . ▁Her ▁father , ▁G ers hon , ▁was ▁a ▁text ile ▁labor er , ▁and