Above are two photos of missing student Matthew Wilson. He had a full beard when he was last seen by his roommate.

"We want to emphasize that we have no evidence to suggest a crime has been committed," said Rice police chief Bill Taylor. "But to allow for that possibility, Crime Stoppers is offering the reward because the information can be provided anonymously."

Rice police have been following up on leads offered by callers, but so far none have provided useful clues.

The 20-year-old Hanszen College junior was last seen by his roommate the evening of Dec. 14 at their off-campus apartment. Wilson, a computer science major, did not turn in take-home exams for his classes by the Dec. 19 deadline. 

"Matthew is a good student, so this behavior was atypical," Taylor said. "Matthew's roommate had alerted us Tuesday that Matthew had not been back to the apartment since the evening of Dec. 14, so these two factors together caused concern."

Also missing is Wilson's car, a silver 2004 four-door Dodge Neon with Oklahoma license plate 863 MCZ, and his backpack.

Rice police said Wilson's mother, who lives in Oklahoma, and his sisters have not heard from him since early December.

Rice's Crisis Management Team implemented the Emergency Notification System Dec. 19 to alert students, faculty and staff about the missing student and posted a notice on rice.edu in hope that someone might provide clues. The local news media were also contacted to alert the general public and encourage anyone who has seen or corresponded with Wilson recently to contact Rice police. Flyers have been posted in nearby shopping areas and distributed door to door in the neighborhood where Wilson lives.

In response to the notice sent via the Emergency Notification System, a Rice student mentioned that Wilson had agreed to take her to the airport Dec. 15 but did not show up.

"This suggests that Matthew either did not or was not able to follow through on plans he had made," Taylor said.

Wilson, a Caucasian, is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighs 135 pounds, has red hair and green eyes, and wears glasses.  He had a full beard when his roommate last saw him.

Anyone who has information about Wilson's whereabouts should call the Rice University Police Department at 713-348-6000. To respond to the Crime Stoppers offer, call 713-222-TIPS (8477).