Rice’s New Business Building will be named Asha and Farid Virani Hall

Gift from Virani family creates additional unified home for undergraduate and graduate business education

Rice University announced today that the new building under construction for Rice Business will be named Asha and Farid Virani Hall in recognition of a gift from community and business leaders Asha Virani ’89 and Farid Virani. Today’s announcement builds on the Viranis’ landmark 2024 gift, which established the Virani Undergraduate School of Business. Rice will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Virani Hall Sept. 10.

Located next to McNair Hall, Virani Hall enhances the home of Rice Business. Together, the two buildings create an integrated campus hub for students in the Virani Undergraduate School of Business and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, while supporting teaching, research and engagement with industry and the broader community.

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“We hope Virani Hall becomes more than a place to learn,” said Asha Virani. “We hope it becomes a place to belong, where friendships are formed, curiosity is sparked, ideas are challenged and memories are made.”

“Virani Hall is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to Rice students of today and beyond,” said Farid Virani. “We cannot wait to see the leaders, innovators and changemakers who will call Virani Hall home throughout their time at Rice.”

“The undergraduate experience at Rice has always been defined by close community, academic rigor and the freedom to explore. Virani Hall carries that tradition forward, offering a space as ambitious as the students it serves,” said Faraz Virani ’21.

The 112,000-square-foot building features flexible, technology-enabled classrooms, breakout rooms for team-based learning, faculty offices, doctoral research space and event spaces that bring together students, alumni and business leaders. New dining and gathering spaces — including a café, which will serve students, staff and faculty breakfast, lunch and dinner options, an enclosed atrium and open common areas — will welcome not only the Rice Business community but students from across the university, making Virani Hall a destination for collaboration and connection across disciplines.

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“Asha and Farid Virani have demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to Rice and to the future of business education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels,” said Rice President Reginald DesRoches. “Their vision extends well beyond bricks and mortar. They are investing in people, ideas and opportunities that will benefit generations of Rice students. Virani Hall will stand as a lasting symbol of their generosity and vision — a place where future leaders will learn, collaborate and work together to solve meaningful challenges.”

Virani Hall arrives at a defining moment for Rice Business. Over the past decade, the school has experienced remarkable growth, launching the Virani Undergraduate School of Business, doubling MBA enrollment, expanding its graduate programs, growing its faculty and staff, and welcoming a rapidly increasing community of students and alumni. As Rice Business has evolved in both size and stature, the need for additional space to teach, collaborate and build community has grown alongside it.

“Through their extraordinary generosity and deep commitment to Rice, Asha and Farid Virani are helping shape the university’s future in a truly lasting way,” said Robert T. Ladd, chairman of the Rice Board of Trustees. “Virani Hall will strengthen Rice Business, enrich the experience of students across campus and deepen Rice’s connections to Houston’s dynamic business community. The Board of Trustees is profoundly grateful for their leadership and for a gift that advances Rice’s ambitions for generations to come.”

Together, Virani Hall and McNair Hall will provide the capacity to support that momentum while creating a more connected home for undergraduate and graduate business education. The expanded campus reflects Rice Business' commitment to preparing leaders through innovative teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration and meaningful engagement with the business community.

“Virani Hall represents far more than a new building,” said interim dean Jeff Fleming. “It is the shared home for our entire community. Undergraduate and graduate students will learn alongside exceptional faculty, collaborate across student cohorts and engage directly with industry in ways that prepare them for leadership. We are deeply grateful to Farid and Asha Virani for helping create a place that reflects who we are today and the future we are building together.”