Alumni

UPDATE: Wednesday, Sept. 15, 3:09 pm CDT:

Message from Dean Peter Rodriguez:

I hope you’ve made it safely through the worst of the storm and its aftermath and have begun to feel the return towards normalcy. Over the last few weeks we have seen the best of our students, faculty, staff and alumni. I feel a swell of gratitude and comfort knowing that we were able to help each other during those first days by removing drywall, flooring, carpets and belongings that were damaged. Know just how much a difference you made for others simply by bringing them a meal, doing laundry and sharing a dry place to stay. Your compassion is boundless. Thank you!

Now the hard work begins. The next phase of recovery is assessing the long term. We need to listen and engage to learn what we still can and should do for our community. What do you need next to recover? How do we help?

I want to reassure you that we’re addressing continuing needs, finding solutions and, as we do this, the Dean's ARK Fund grows. Your generosity towards the Rice Business family impresses and humbles me. In the coming months, as we begin to understand the acute needs, especially of those who have been displaced, we will let you know how you can help.

Until then, we need to keep each other informed. Please continue to connect with us. Together we’ll get through this and look ahead to better, brighter days for all.

Dean Peter Rodriguez

 

UPDATE: Monday, Sept. 4, 12:01 pm CDT:

Message from Dean Peter Rodriguez:

Today is Labor Day, in case you have lost track of the days during this crisis. I hope you are in good spirits and spending the day with family and friends. We look forward to beginning the return to normalcy.
 
We still have a great deal of recovering to do, but our community has shown remarkable resilience and support for those most affected.
 
You have heard me talk many times about the three core principles by which I lead our school: being attentive, responsive and kind in all we do.

Appropriately enough, the first letters of these three words form the word "ARK." So when we established a fund to help the Rice Business community, it seemed fitting to call it the Dean's ARK Fund.
 
One-hundred percent of the fund proceeds will be used to support Rice Business employees, faculty, students and alumni who have been negatively impacted by Hurricane Harvey. If you are moved to do so, please donate online to this fund.
 
Thank you again for showing the strength and compassion emblematic of the Rice Business family during this challenging time.
 
See you all tomorrow,
 
Dean Peter Rodriguez

Friday, Sept. 1, 6:32 pm CDT:

Message from Dean Peter Rodriguez:

It’s been a privilege to hear from so many of you over the last few days. Your stories are uplifting, your efforts noble. As Labor Day approaches, the hard work continues and the recovery is ongoing.

When I arrived here at Rice Business just over a year ago, I outlined three basic principles: being attentive, responsive and kind in all we do, because with those goals in mind, good things always follow. See our video (below) about the core principles of Rice Business, filmed last fall.

Those tenets, and the acronym they form (appropriately enough for a flood: ARK), have inspired us to create the Dean's ARK Fund to help our community deal with the enormity of the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

One-hundred percent of the fund proceeds will be used to support Rice Business employees, faculty, students and alumni who have been negatively impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

Your donation can make a difference. Thank you.

https://business.rice.edu/rice-business-hurricane-relief-fund

UPDATE: Thursday, Aug. 31, 4:12 pm CDT: 

Message from Dean Peter Rodriguez:

The clearer skies over Houston bring a welcome shift toward recovery and the Rice Business family is out in full force. We know that recovery takes hard work and that a return to normalcy is a slow process, especially for those hardest hit.

Know, too, that we are here to help — and will be for as long as it takes. I cannot fully express how inspired I am to see so many engage in selfless acts of support for strangers, neighbors and everyone in the Rice Business community. You are making all the difference for those in need and everyone in Houston.

Please email the Rice Business team at marcom@rice.edu with anything you need or can offer. Also, if you haven’t reported your status, please fill out the brief survey from Rice University at https://emergency.rice.edu/needs-assessment.

Stay strong and stay connected,

Dean Peter Rodriguez

UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug. 30, 4:27 pm CDT:

Message from Dean Peter Rodriquez:

With the weather clearing today, recovery begins. We are grateful to those who are staying in touch, volunteering to help others and keeping us informed about the needs of their fellow alumni.

We are working with those affected and stand ready for offers of assistance. Please email marcom@rice.edu with anything you need or can offer. Our community is rising to the challenge of helping in this difficult time. Thank you for making a difference.  
 
Stay strong and stay connected,
 
Dean Peter Rodriguez

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 4:43 pm CDT:

Message from Dean Peter Rodriguez:

As the storm heads out of Houston, we begin the next phase of support. Your safety, and the safety of our students, faculty and staff, remains our primary concern, and we want to help. Rice University and Rice Business will remain closed through Monday, Sept. 4, and we will be able to focus on the needs of our community.

If you have flooding or are in need of assistance, please email marcom@rice.edu so that we can help. If you can offer assistance, please also email marcom@rice.edu. We are developing a plan to match those in need with those who can help. This includes students, faculty, staff and alumni.
 
As we gather more data, we are determining how our community can come together to help each other. We will recover together over the coming days, weeks and months and will have more updates about volunteer efforts soon.
 
Stay strong.
 
Dean Peter Rodriguez

Monday, Aug. 28, 11:45 am CDT:

Message from Dean Peter Rodriguez:

As the storm devastation continues, we want to reach out and make sure that you and your family are safe. Working together to stay connected and offer assistance is the best way we can support our community and recover from the storm.

Please send us updates to marcom@rice.edu to let us know how you are. You’re not alone.
Best, — Peter

What will you remember from your MBA experience? The response from Dean Peter Rodriguez may surprise you. (This video is an ad for prospective students).

As a graduate of the business school at Rice, you are automatically a member of the Jones Graduate School Alumni Association (JGSAA). The JGSAA works in collaboration with the business school's Alumni Office to offer a full lineup of year-round programming, including volunteer and educational opportunities, philanthropic engagement and more. The JGSAA is managed by an 18-member alumni board of directors, whose mission and direction centers around four pillars of alumni engagement: community; philanthropy; volunteering; and life-long learning.

We encourage you to stay connected with the Jones Graduate School of Business. Through your involvement with the JGSAA, take advantage of:

• Personal and professional development opportunities through volunteering, life-long learning and engaging with the Rice community
• Social media networks exclusively for Jones School alumni (Facebook or LinkedIn)
• Regional alumni chapters for those outside of Houston

Keep us updated on where you are and what you're doing!

• If you haven't already, don't forget to register as an alum of the business school at Rice.
• If you've moved or changed jobs, update your information - or, better yet, reach out and tell us your story!

Looking to tap into the school’s Career Development Office?

Interested in an Executive Education course?

For additional information, and to learn more about the power of the Rice MBA alumni network, contact Alaina Schuster, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, at 713-348-3710.