Pillar 1

2025 marked the fifth annual Rice Business Staff Awards celebration. This event is anchored in appreciation and marks the incredible accomplishments and contributions made to this community by Rice Business staff members. Those who were selected as award winners were nominated by their peers, with over 100 nominations submitted this year. Dean Peter Rodriguez emceed the event and toasted the vast success of Rice Business, which is made possible by the commitment of our staff community. 

This year marked the first in which area leaders were encouraged to identify individuals within their departments who consistently go above and beyond to support the mission of Rice Business. These individuals were selected by their supervisors and recognized during the annual winter holiday party. Senior leaders united to pilot this initiative to ensure that top performers were recognized by the community in a meaningful way.

This year, Rice Business staff members paused their professional duties to come together to be of service to the city of Houston. Staff members served at the Houston Food Bank this year to support the hunger relief efforts within the Houston community. Over 100 volunteers were present on that specific day, and Rice Business was proud to be among many of the companies and organizations present. Connection and laughter were copious throughout the day as we wrapped up the tradition with a social gathering.
 

Every year, the Rice Business Staff Council comes together to lead the Annual Step Challenge. This year, Victoria Nguyen and Zhanar Imanbaeva were crowned as the winners with the most steps. The distances covered by walking and running were impressive. This initiative always takes place in the spring to encourage movement and connection within the community during a fast-paced season within the academic year. The competition always launches with a kickoff and wrap-up social gathering, which is a great way to celebrate those who have previously won and the new winners of the year. 

The MBA@Rice Residential is a cornerstone of the online MBA experience, designed to bring students together for a high-impact, in-person weekend that blends academic rigor with intentional community-building. All MBA@Rice students are required to participate in the Residential once during their program, and some return for an additional experience. The event is held twice a year, with each four-day session welcoming over 100 students from across the country to Rice’s Houston campus.

Over the past year, students participated in intensive, faculty-led courses during the Residential, including required core courses such as Negotiations and Organizational Change. Returning students had the option to enroll in elective courses focused on timely business topics, including artificial intelligence. These immersive learning experiences offered a unique opportunity to apply classroom concepts in collaborative, in-person settings, deepening both academic engagement and peer connection.

Outside the classroom, the Residential featured curated networking events and opportunities for meaningful interaction with Rice Business leadership and faculty. These moments, whether during receptions or casual gatherings like Partio, helped students feel part of the broader Rice Business community.

Over the past academic year, the MBA@Rice Residential continued to serve as a vital touchpoint in each student’s journey, fostering belonging, strengthening connections and reinforcing the culture and values of Rice Business from the very beginning of the student experience.

This spring, we launched the inaugural Business Major Spring Fling, a new annual celebration marking the moment students officially declare their business major. Designed to welcome and recognize the newest members of the Virani Undergraduate School of Business community, the event brought together 140 undergraduate students for an evening of food, fun and connection. Hosted on Jamail Plaza, the celebration featured a full BBQ dinner, yard games, boba tea, a photo booth and custom Rice Business swag. Students had the opportunity to engage with faculty, staff, current majors and members of the Virani family in a relaxed, festive atmosphere. The event not only celebrated a major academic milestone, but also reinforced a sense of belonging and excitement for the journey ahead at the Virani Undergraduate School of Business.

To honor the achievements of our 33 graduating MAcc students, we hosted a dedicated graduation reception immediately following the university’s convocation ceremony in the Anderson Family Commons at McNair Hall. This celebratory event provided graduates and their guests with a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the year’s accomplishments together. The reception included a curated selection of food and beverages, a photo slide show capturing highlights from the program, a parting gift for each graduate and heartfelt remarks from program leadership. The gathering created a warm and personal atmosphere that celebrated both academic success and the strong community students built throughout the program.

Our one hundred and five graduating business majors were recognized through two signature events. First, Dean Rodriguez hosted an intimate lunch with graduating students who received top honors: the Rice Business Outstanding Student Award and the Student Impact Award, which is peer-nominated. Later that week, the graduating class gathered inside the business school for a reception held on the Friday before commencement. The event featured a custom coffee bar, light bites, a group photo and remarks from Dean Rodriguez as well as the Student Impact Award recipient. Graduates also received customized Rice Business swag, intended to accompany them into their future workplaces as a reminder of their time at McNair Hall. The event struck a balance between celebration and reflection, helping students mark this important transition with pride and community.

To mark the culmination of the MBA@Rice experience, we hosted an on-campus celebration for our 60 graduating online students and their families. This was a rare and meaningful opportunity for students — many of whom had completed their coursework remotely — to gather in person and connect beyond the screen. During the event, students heard remarks from program leadership as well as faculty who taught them during their very first quadmester, creating a powerful moment of reflection on how far they had come. For many, it was also the first chance to meet the families of their classmates and to express gratitude for the support systems that made their journey possible. The celebration offered a strong sense of closure, connection and pride for our online graduates as they transitioned into the Rice Business alumni community.

Launch continues to serve as the foundation of the student experience at Rice Business, welcoming new MBA students into the community with an immersive introduction to academic expectations, leadership development and peer connection. Through thoughtfully designed programming, students engage with faculty, staff and one another, building relationships that carry into their time at Rice and beyond. The experience establishes a strong sense of belonging from the very beginning, underscoring the values of collaboration and inclusion that define the Rice Business culture.

Student leadership opportunities play a central role in shaping belonging and engagement across programs. In 2025, 267 students served in leadership roles across clubs, councils and affinity groups, developing essential skills while fostering community for their peers. The Office of Academic Programs and Student Experience (APSE) supported these leaders with four leadership workshops and 10 co-curricular experiences, equipping them with the tools to lead effectively.

Student leadership also thrived through the school’s marquee conferences and competitions, which serve as high-impact platforms for learning, networking and belonging. The Women in Leadership Conference (WILC) celebrated its 25th anniversary, while the Veterans Business Battle (VBB) achieved remarkable growth, increasing attendance by 68% year-over-year. 

Community engagement further reinforces Rice Business’s commitment to cultivating leaders who drive positive change beyond the classroom. Students across all MBA programs participated in two Days of Service, contributing their time and skills to nonprofit partners throughout Houston. These projects not only addressed pressing community needs but also deepened bonds among students and created shared purpose through service. In addition, 42 MBA students were placed on nonprofit boards through the Rice Business Board Fellows program, where they contribute their expertise to organizations while gaining hands-on experience in governance and leadership. These initiatives underscored how belonging at Rice Business extends beyond campus, connecting students to the larger Houston community and instilling a culture of service that endures long after graduation.

Arts Club attended a wide array of events over the 2024-2025 academic year. 

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• A Nice India Boy, Arts x Out & Allied x SABA, Spring 2025
  Arts Club attended a play put on by Shunya Theatre. A Nice Indian Boy is a modern queer rom-com highlighting complicated relationships in the Indian American diaspora. The play featured Rice Business alumni Taher Lokhandwala.
• Topdog/Underdog at 4th Wall Theatre Company, Spring 2025
  Arts Club members attended this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Suzan-Lori Parks, a tense, intimate performance about brotherhood, survival and the haunting legacies of family and identity.
• Adrienne Warren in Concert, Spring 2025
  Students saw Tony Award-winner Adrienne Warren perform in an intimate concert featuring Broadway hits, soul classics and personal stories from her career, hosted by the Hobby Center.
• Disney On Ice Presents Frozen & Encanto, Fall 2024
  A group of students relived their childhood with Disney On Ice, singing along to Frozen and Encanto as beloved characters skated to life with dazzling choreography and colorful storytelling.
• Fall Festival “Myths and Leyendas” – Bring your Kids!, Fall 2024
  Families gathered for a vibrant outdoor festival inspired by Latin American folklore, with storytelling, crafts and performances celebrating mythical creatures and cultural legends.
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – Arts x Out and Allied, Fall 2024
  In a collaboration between the Arts Club and Out and Allied, students saw Beetlejuice the Musical — a delightfully strange, queer-spirited romp through death, family dysfunction and dark humor.

Featured event hosted or attended by this organization:

• Lunar New Year Partio,  Spring 2025
  Co-hosted the Lunar New Year Partio with RBSA. Provided authentic food and decorations for the MBA community. 

Featured event hosted or attended by this organization:

• Iftar Feast at Parkerz, Spring 2025
  The Global Food Experience Club hosted a festive Iftar dinner at Parkerz Houston, where students gathered to break fast with a diverse buffet of traditional and modern dishes. Attendees waited until sunset to break the fast alongside fellow Muslim students with dates, experiencing a small but meaningful part of Ramadan traditions and fostering deeper cultural understanding.

In April 2025, students from the Rice Jewish Business Association launched their new organization, open to all Rice Business students. The club aims to build a vibrant community for Jewish students while connecting Rice Business with Israeli and Jewish entrepreneurs. The launch event featured keynote speaker Jay Steinfeld, founder of Blinds.com, which was acquired by Home Depot. Jay shared how a mindset of experimentation and relentless curiosity fueled his journey in building the world’s leading online blinds retailer.

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• Lunch & Learn event with Mark Ammerman
• Lunch with Dean George Andrews, Fall 2025

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• American Mariachi at the Alley Theater, Fall 2023 
  Hosted at the Alley Theatre, Latin Business Student Association (LBSA) students attended the live mariachi music-infused play “American Mariachi.” This event was co-hosted by Arts Club.
• Fiesta Latina, Fall 2023 
  The LBSA, Office of International Students & Scholars, Student Activities, Latin American Graduate Student Association (LAGSA) and other Latin graduate organizations celebrated Our Heritage Month (Rice University’s Hispanic Heritage Month) with a night of authentic cuisine, music and dance.
• Dia de los Muertos Festival, Fall 2024 
  LBSA and Jones Partners and Families joined together to promote MECA’s family-friendly Day of the Dead community festival.
• Exploring Diversity at Microsoft, Spring 2024 
  The Latin Business Student Association and the Black Business Student Association co-hosted a resume/LinkedIn review with Bryan Leon (cybersecurity program manager, Microsoft career coach) and a panel discussion with Microsoft ERGs (Employee Resource Group) employee members to learn how Microsoft promotes diversity.
• Authentic Self Workshop, Spring 2024 
  LBSA hosted this workshop with Alexandra Herrera, executive coach, who shared strategies for being authentic and thriving professionally.
• Karaoke Party, Spring 2024 
  LBSA and LAGSA co-hosted this event to build community across the Rice University campus. 

Featured event hosted or attended by this organization:

• Women in Leadership Conference (WILC) Volunteer Training 
  Men as Allies partnered with the Women in Leadership Conference planning team to host three volunteer training sessions. Topics ranged from learning about WILC and volunteer roles to conference operations and logistics.  

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• Recruiting at ROMBA – Alumni & 2nd Year Panel + Networking 
  Past and present Out & Allied (O&A) members shared tips on how to maximize time at the ROMBA Conference, a conference intended for members of the LGBTQ community and active allies.
• Black History Trivia Night, Spring 2024 
  In honor of Black History Month, BBSA and O&A joined forces to bring Rice Business Students a fun and engaging trivia game centered around Black history.
• Drag Queen Story Time: The Goal, Spring 2024 
  O&A and Operations & Supply Chain collaborated to present the premiere business fable The Goal. Houston drag queen Persephone regaled the audience with the tale of Alex Rogo and his manufacturing plant attempt to reckon with Bill Peach’s ego.
• Transparent, Spring 2024 
  O&A hosted an inspiring conversation on navigating careers for individuals of trans experience. Guest speaker Kelly Kline shared her involvement in advocacy surrounding HIV awareness and transgender wellness.
• Pride Partio, Spring 2024 
  O&A and the Rice Business Student Association co-hosted this event to celebrate Pride. The event featured drag performances and food from LGBTQ-owned business Mombasa Street Eats. In recognition of Ramadan, food options were halal. 

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• DEI Brunch in Honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Fall 2023 
  The Rice Business Student Association for Professionals (RBSAP) hosted this brunch at a Hispanic-owned restaurant, Maison Pucha Bistro. Attendees enjoyed great food and discussed how DEI and heritage play a role in creating and sustaining a business. The Pucha brothers, owners of Maison Pucha Bistro, shared their journey to entrepreneurship, how they came up with the creative idea to blend their Ecuadorian heritage with French cuisine and how celebrating DEI is prioritized in their businesses.
• RBSA X RBSAP: “Standing in Difference” Alumni Panel, Spring 2024 
  “Standing in Difference” was an inclusive event created and coordinated by RBSA and RBSAP. The intention was to provide valuable insights into different affinity communities navigating the corporate world. The event fostered a sense of community, support and empowerment while addressing the unique challenges faced by people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups in corporate settings. 
  The event consisted of a diverse panel of accomplished professionals and Rice alums from various industries who successfully carved out their careers. These panelists explored topics such as corporate culture, resource accessibility and the journey to breaking into specific industries.
• Iftar Dinner, Spring 2024 
  Ramadan is a time for blessings and peace to be spread. This year, RBSAP joined forces with RBSA to host its most popular DEI dinner. This annual dinner is meant to encourage students to engage in meaningful conversation about other cultures and religions with the purpose of fostering a deeper sense of belonging throughout Rice Business. The Maghrib prayer was student-led, with attendees encouraged to bring prayer mats. 

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• Salute to Service Football Game, Fall 2023 
  Rice University and Rice Athletics recognized Rice Veterans Business Association for their service to the country at the annual Salute to Service Rice football game. This special game honors the courageous men and women who have dedicated their lives to protecting our nation.
• Veterans Day Partio (sponsored by Phillips 66), Fall 2023  
  The Jones Graduate School of Business and the Rice Business Veterans Association invited the Rice Business community to recognize our military students, faculty, staff and executive partners for their patriotism and willingness to serve our country. Rice Business has veteran or active-duty students enrolled across all MBA programs at Rice Business representing the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines Corps and Navy. We honor their service and value their unique contributions to our school. This event was co-hosted by the Rice Business Student Association and Rice Business Veterans Association.
• Veterans Business Battle, Spring 2024 
  Veterans Business Battle is the largest veteran-focused business plan competition in the country and serves as a forum to connect veterans with investors, advisers and resources. The goal is to lead as many veteran-owned businesses to success as possible.  

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• Winning with Women: Finance, Fall 2023 
  RBWO and the Finance Association collaborated to connect current MBA students with Rice Business alumni in finance. This event gave students a chance to ask about the jobs that professionals are in, as well as challenges, roadblocks, favorite parts of their jobs and anything in between. 
  
  Featured alums: 
  Katie Cothern, MBA ’22 - ex-Credit Suisse and Main Street Capital (Private Equity) 
  Takeya Green, MBA ’22 - Citi Bank (IB) 
  Kelli Muhl, MBA ’22 - Morgan Stanley (IB) 
  Christina Tschirgi, MBA ’22 - Bank of America (IB) 
  Reena Kandarie, MBA ’21 - Chevron (Corporate Finance) 
  Jami Healing, MBA ’21 - Chevron (Corporate Finance)
• Women in Technology Consulting Lunch & Learn with Infosys, Fall 2023 
  Rice Business Women’s Organization and Rice Business Consulting Club, in partnership with Infosys Women Connect, invited women interested in careers in technology and consulting to hear from seasoned consulting professionals and Jones School alumni about their experiences.
• Women in Leadership Conference, Spring 2023  
  The 24th annual Women in Leadership Conference was held in person Friday, February 9. The conference has been a beacon of inspiration in the Houston community, empowering women to accomplish their career goals.    
  In panel discussions and interactive workshops, attendees heard from leaders across different industries, explored various approaches to leadership, and discussed future opportunities for success.   
• Women’s History Month Partio, Spring 2024 
  This event was hosted by the Rice Business Student Association and co-hosted with Rice Business Women’s Organization to celebrate powerful stories of women in business and the major role they play in history.  
• Women’s History Month Happy Hour, Spring 2024 
  The RBWO collaborated with the University of Houston’s Bauer Women’s Organization for a fun afternoon of socializing and building community.
• A Brand New You: Personal Branding Strategies for Career Success, Spring 2024 
  The RBWO hosted a lunchtime session with certified career coach Rayna Anderson-Crier, exploring high-impact strategies for personal branding. This workshop helped attendees identify unique values, celebrate authenticity and develop compelling storylines. 

Featured event hosted or attended by this organization:

• Diwali Partio, Fall 2023 
  Diwali is a festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and wisdom over ignorance. This is symbolized in the fact that it is celebrated on a new moon day by lighting earthen lamps, burning firecrackers and decorating homes with string lights. Students celebrated Diwali with a night filled with lights, great food and lots of fun. 

• Employee Appreciation Day is one of the most visible ways in which staff members are celebrated and recognized publicly.  
• Staff Awards Ceremony, recognizing organizational values and years-of-service recipients. Because Dean Peter Rodriguez hosts this event, there is a visible prioritization of elevated recognition of staff members. This event also reinforces the collaboration and responsibility staff members take on in their own nominations for the awards of their colleagues.  
• As we prepare to celebrate the school’s 50th anniversary, an appreciation survey has been shared to better meet the preferences of our staff members in times of recognition and celebration.  
• National Staff Appreciation Day took place March 1 and in collaboration with the events management team, donuts were had to celebrate the occasion.   

• Listening Tour: Led by Associate Dean Christian Rafidi to gain a better understanding of the staff experience at Rice Business.
• Rice Business Network professional development and social support.
• Rice Business Staff Council to garner feedback and encourage employee engagement. 
• Milestone celebrations: Cookies sent for one-year anniversaries and arrangements sent for graduation achievements of staff members.  
• Recovery, Bereavement/Condolences engagement: Cards were provided to teams to express sympathies, and flowers were sent when requested to those staff members who lost family members or were on short-term disability leave.  
• Leadership meetings were established with area leads to open channels of communication and ensure efficiencies across the organization. These meetings were proposed and are held quarterly by Associate Dean Christian Rafidi.  

• Individual coaching opportunities for staff  
• Training offered to supervisors focused on Agility and Leader as Coach 
• Collaborative offering of Executive Education opportunities for supervisors to take Management Incubator and Leadership Accelerator courses at no cost  
• OWL welcome program to introduce new employees to different departments 

• Flexible work schedules in low-volume seasons.  

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• Diversity Recruiting Information Session, Fall 2023 
  Rice Business Society (RBS) held an information session for students with racial, ethnic, gender and LGBTQ+ diverse identities interested in pursuing consulting, investment banking and private equity summer and full-time analyst programs. Programming highlighted respective industry timelines and firms, outlined interview components and engaged students in mock interview environments.   
• RBS Clothing Drive 
  RBS hosted a campus-wide clothing drive to collect donations for students needing clothing for interviews and business events. The clothing drive was open for students to request from and donate to year-round, and members of the RBS board facilitated donation pick-up and distribution. The clothing drive was an effort to increase accessibility at Rice for all groups and socioeconomic backgrounds, helping facilitate collaboration across Rice’s business community. 
• Girls Who Invest Panel, Fall 2023 
  Co-sponsored by Rice Business Society (RBS), Rice Women in Business (RWiB), and Women in Finance and Investing (Wi-Fi), the Girls Who Invest Panel featured students who have completed the online intensive and summer intensive programs from the nonprofit organization Girls Who Invest. Girls Who Invest is focused on increasing female access to investing and buy-side roles. Girls Who Invest connects women interested in alternative asset management with opportunities across the space and mentorship from Girls Who Invest network alumni/peers to increase the representation of women in the industry. They have programs for first- and second-year undergraduates. 

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• Consulting and Investment Banking Diversity Recruiting information session, Fall 2023 
  Rice Women in Business (RWiB) members learned from speakers who have gone through the Consulting and IB Diversity recruiting process. 
• Bain and Company CREW information session  
  Representatives from Bain and Company spoke with RWiB members about Bain Connected and Resourcing Empowered Women (CREW), a women’s leadership program.  
• Meet the Women at McKinsey information session, Fall 2023 
  Practitioners and Rice alumni Delaney Schultz ’23 and Catalina Santamaria ’21 discussed their experiences working at McKinsey with RWiB members. 

Featured events hosted or attended by this organization:

• Hines Fireside Chat, Fall 2023 
  This event with Manika Daruka ’19 allowed students to learn more about her role as an investment associate at Hines. During this event, she shared her recruiting experience, her role at Hines, and how she navigated different career opportunities during her time at Rice.  
• Introduction to Venture Capital Panel, Fall 2023 
  This event focused on introducing undergraduates to career opportunities in venture capital after Rice. We had two former Rice undergraduates as panelists, Nafisa Istami ’21, who joined Mercury Fund, and Juliette Richert ’20, who joined The Artemis Fund after graduation. They shared how they broke into venture capital from Rice, how they explored this career interest during their undergraduate careers, and general advice for learning more about the Texas venture capital space. 
• MBA Mentorship Program, Spring 2024 
  Throughout the spring semester, starting in February, Wi-Fi hosted an MBA mentorship program that paired undergraduate students with MBA students based on work experience, career goals and interests. This gave undergraduate women an opportunity to learn more about different careers and how to navigate career changes and seek new opportunities.