It was supposed to be a celebration. Buoyed by his quick recovery from heart surgery at age 45, Mark Barvin felt well enough to enjoy a dinner at his favorite restaurant with his young sons, Daniel and Josh. Their meal began smoothly — but as they ate, Mark became nauseated and physically ill. The brothers feared postsurgical complications, but the argument with their father afterward was what really stunned them. In a baffling turn, their dad became fixated on the food — and refused to leave until his sons had packed up every last bit to bring home.

At the time, Daniel Barvin was just a middle schooler. And the dad he knew was a towering figure — 6-foot-6-inches, about 250 pounds — and a gregarious, outgoing man who lit up any conversation. His behavior at the restaurant was uncharacteristic for their father and confusing and scary for the boys. 

That night marked the beginning of a profound transformation — the start of what would be a 15-year decline. Although Mark’s heart had been repaired, his mind was beginning to fail. Over the years that followed, Barvin watched as his dad’s mental faculties diminished — along with his social awareness, inhibition and the ability to plan and process. And eventually, he came to understand these changes offered a glimpse of his own possible future.

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Given Barvin’s family history — losing his father, grandfather, an aunt and an uncle to neurodegenerative diseases — he decided to confront the unknown. Seeking answers, he signed up for a longitudinal research study in Boston in 2018. The deaths in his family pointed to a likely culprit: the C9orf72 gene expansion, a genetic variant that puts carriers at high risk of developing frontotemporal dementia (FTD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or possibly both. If Barvin carried that mutation, he certainly wanted to know, and he wanted to ensure his father’s fate wouldn’t repeat as his own. His goal was to use scientific breakthroughs in genetic testing to take power over his future. 

On his third visit to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, his wife, Kaori Matsui (Rice B.Mus. ’14, M.Mus.’16, Shepherd School of Music) came along to get the results. “The genetic counselor said, ‘I’m so sorry to tell you this, but you are a genetic carrier,’” recalls Barvin. He was 29 at the time. His family members had started to show symptoms of decline in their mid-40s. 

Matsui was devastated. They had gotten married just six months prior — and there had already been talk of children. A genetic diagnosis meant that her husband’s future might be cut short, like his father’s. It also meant he had a 50% chance of passing the mutation on to their future children. 

Barvin, on the other hand, seemed to take the news a little easier. “I’d watched my father’s generation be decimated by these diseases, and I felt powerless,” says Barvin. Now, though, he had some answers and with answers came empowerment. 

Then came the big question: What now? With no path for an asymptomatic carrier, caught in a limbo between health and an inevitable decline, Barvin found himself adrift. When he tried to receive clinical care, he was turned away. “They said, ‘You don’t have ALS. Come back when you do.’” 

Worse, his proactive search for medical guidance had unintended consequences. A later attempt to secure private health insurance was denied — his genetic status was now a red flag in the system. 

Although the Ice Bucket Challenge had generated buzz about ALS just four years earlier, the genetic ALS and FTD communities had few to no resources. “No one was speaking out,” says Barvin. But he soon learned he was far from alone. “We’ve learned that there are hundreds of thousands of people who either carry or are at risk of carrying one of these mutations.” 

For years, he had lived under the shadow of his family's illness, dreading an uncertain fate. But now, he saw an opportunity: He could stop the mutation’s journey through his family line. And he could ensure that others didn’t have to navigate this journey alone. 

“I had felt alone for so long,” he says. “But finally, I didn’t have to be afraid of the unknown. I could be empowered by the path before me.”

Dr. Stanley Appel, a neurologist at Houston Methodist, has spent a career in medicine working to discover insights to treat several neurodegenerative disorders by focusing on Tregs, or regulatory T-cells, cells responsible for immune responses in the body. What he saw in his studies holds great promise for those suffering from neurodegenerative, autoimmune and metabolic diseases.

As Appel was researching and refining his theory around Treg modalities, Barvin was rethinking his career. He had spent years in the oil and gas industry, then moved to wealth management. He’d found success, but not fulfillment. His family’s battle with neurodegenerative disease, his Rice MBA and his genetic diagnosis all led him toward a new mission. He founded Genetic ALS & FTD: End the Legacy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, research participation and patient advocacy. Together with other patient advocates, he connected families to studies, pushed for systemic change and amplified the voices of those carrying a genetic fate they didn’t choose. 

But advocacy didn’t pay the bills. And now, with a growing family — conceived through IVF to ensure Barvin and Matsui’s children wouldn’t inherit C9orf72 — he needed a career that aligned with his purpose. 

That’s when the call came. 

Howard Berman, who had attended Rice Business and earned his Ph.D. from Cornell, had been watching Barvin’s work. He had just licensed Appel’s Treg therapy and needed someone to help bring it to market. “He said, ‘Daniel, will you help me commercialize Dr. Appel’s Treg therapy for ALS?’” 

The answer was easy. 

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In 2021, Coya Therapeutics was born, and the race to bring progress to patients and families had begun. Barvin was Coya’s first employee. His title: vice president of operations and patient advocacy. 

At its core, neurodegenerative disease is a wildfire of inflammation. In a healthy body, inflammation is a natural response — a defense mechanism against injury or illness. But in diseases like ALS and Alzheimer’s, the fire never stops. It rages through motor neurons unchecked, destroying everything in its path. 

For decades, treatments focused on slowing neuron death. Appel, however, had a different goal: to restore balance. Coya’s therapy combines two approaches — one to boost Treg function and another to reduce inflammation — rekindling the body’s ability to regulate itself.

The science is promising. The stakes are enormous. 

Coya Therapeutics continues to make strides in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases. The company plans to advance its investigational ALS therapeutic in 2025, with a phase two study set to begin this year and topline results expected in 2026. Coya is also anticipating data for its FTD program and exploring partnership opportunities for its Alzheimer’s disease program. 

“Neurodegenerative diseases are unique from other devastating cases,” says Coya CEO Arun Swaminathan. 

“It’s not just the emotional toll of a diagnosis; families face very real sacrifices, like sacrificing jobs or personal interests to provide care."

"You watch the patient change — they don’t recognize you, and you hardly recognize them. I’ve worked on oncology, cardiovascular and rheumatoid arthritis products, but neuroscience attracted me because there are so few options available. It’s an area in which, as an industry, we’ve hardly made a dent.” 

While many view a cure as the ultimate hope, Swaminathan understands that progress lies in stabilizing disease progression and enhancing patient well-being. “A cure remains an aspirational goal,” he explains, “but our current efforts are about chipping away at the barriers these conditions impose — making them manageable and ensuring people can live empowered, meaningful lives. There’s still much work to be done, and every improvement is a victory.” 

Indeed, for Barvin, every advancement is personal. He has undergone seven spinal taps to contribute data to the Dominant Inherited ALS Study (DIALS), which tracks gene carriers like him to identify early biomarkers of disease. Each procedure inches researchers closer to a breakthrough. In the meantime, Barvin’s nonprofit, End the Legacy, has opened the first clinical care center dedicated to asymptomatic patients at risk for — or patients already suffering from — FTD and ALS, in partnership with ALS Hope Foundation and Temple University’s neurology department. 

Barvin doesn’t know how much time he has before symptoms appear. But he does know this: The future is not yet written. And he refuses to let fear dictate his story. In fact, he’s sharing his story everywhere he can so that others know there’s hope. Barvin and his family recently filmed a documentary, “Come Back When You’re Sick,” which will be out this year. 

“Every step we take brings us closer to a brighter future for people with neurodegenerative diseases,” he says. “I may not be able to change my genetics. But I can shape what happens next.” 

Get to Know Daniel Barvin

Barvin opens up about his personal and professional journeys on the Owl Have You Know podcast. You can watch the video recording of his podcast episode below or listen to the podcast episode wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 

Business, engineering and computing schools ranked in top 30; English program surges 15 spots

Rice University continues to stand out for its academic excellence with several graduate programs earning high marks in the latest edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” rankings.

The George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing maintains its strong position at No. 26 in the nation with several engineering disciplines ranked in the top 30. Among them, two programs are ranked in the top 10: biomedical/bioengineering (No. 10), environmental engineering (No. 10), computer engineering (No. 21), civil engineering (No. 23), chemical engineering (No. 25), computer science (No. 25, climbing two spots from last year, while its specialty in programming languages ranked No. 21), electrical engineering (No. 27), materials engineering (No. 21, a rise of five spots from last year) and mechanical engineering (No. 30).

The Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business also earned recognition, ranked No. 29 nationally. Its entrepreneurship program is ranked No. 9, and the professional MBA program, ranked in the part-time MBA category, has risen two spots to No. 13.

Other Rice programs in the social sciences and humanities also saw impressive rankings, including English (No. 26, a rise of 15 spots), sociology (No. 28, up six spots), political science (No. 33), history (No. 34), economics (No. 46) and psychology (No. 62). U.S. News did not review any natural sciences disciplines this year.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are one of the most closely watched annual surveys of graduate and professional programs, compiling data from expert opinion surveys about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of faculty, research, students and their postgraduate outcomes. This year’s rankings reflect data from surveys conducted in fall 2024 and early 2025.

“We are proud to see Rice’s graduate programs consistently recognized among the best in the nation,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches said. “These rankings reflect the dedication and talent of our faculty, staff and graduate students who are committed to advancing knowledge and solving real-world challenges. I’m excited to watch our programs continue to innovate and inspire as they build on their exceptional momentum.”

Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, credits the hard work and collaboration of Rice’s faculty, deans and academic leaders, including Seiichi Matsuda and his team in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

“Rice provides a personalized and collaborative learning environment for graduate students, where academic excellence thrives,” Dittmar said. “We nurture individual success and champion interdisciplinary research, and these latest rankings serve as a testament to the impactful work happening here every day.”

Matsuda, dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies, noted, “Our graduate programs excel because of the caliber of our students and their capacity to engage in pathbreaking research and scholarship. As we continue to grow and enhance our offerings, we remain dedicated to providing new opportunities for students to make a global impact and drive positive change.”

Learn more about the U.S. News rankings here.

Based on research by Alessandro Piazza (Rice Business), Patrick Bergemann (UC–Irvine) and Wesley Helms (Brock).

Key takeaways:

• Breaking the rules can be a winning strategy. If they play their cards right, companies that challenge regulations, like Uber, can turn legal battles into market dominance.
• Negotiation beats confrontation. Firms that engage with regulators instead of fighting outright have a better shot at shaping the rules to their advantage.
• Regulation can legitimize rule-breaking. When companies have enough influence, what starts as deviance can end up becoming the new industry standard.

As anyone who has followed the rise of ride-sharing apps or the booming industry of combat sports knows, some businesses thrive not by playing by the rules, but by rewriting them.

New research co-authored by Rice Business professor Alessandro Piazza takes a hard look at corporate rule-breaking, exploring why some organizations get away with flouting norms and laws, while others are swiftly shut down. 

“Markets do not just evolve on their own — companies force them to,” says Piazza. “But market disruption isn’t just about breaking rules — it’s also about strategically engaging with those who enforce them. Some companies master this dynamic; others get crushed by it.” 

For businesses that break the rules, the stakes are high. On one side, organizations that deviate risk regulatory crackdowns, legal battles and public backlash. But on the other, the potential rewards are enormous — setting new market standards and securing competitive advantages that would have been impossible had they played it safe. 

Think Uber, which often flooded cities with drivers before regulations could catch up — offering $500 cash incentives to new drivers in New York, for instance, in 2018, ahead of a cap on ride-sharing. At the same time, the company has invested heavily in lobbying lawmakers, ultimately convincing dozens of states to enact laws favorable to ride-sharing companies. 

When breaking the rules works

At the heart of Piazza’s research, published in the Academy of Management Review, is a simple yet powerful question: Why do some organizations succeed in pushing boundaries, while others are crushed under regulatory pressure? 

According to the paper, the answer comes down to social control — the ways in which regulators, competitors and the public respond to corporate deviance. The researchers break this down into two key factors: cooperativeness and formality. 

Cooperativeness refers to whether regulators and rule-breakers work together to find a solution or engage in outright conflict. Formality, meanwhile, distinguishes between backroom deals and informal negotiations versus full-scale legal action and policy changes.

As Piazza explains: “Social control is not just about stopping deviance — it can actually legitimize it. The same forces that try to curb a disruptive company can end up enshrining it in the system.”

His study finds that when businesses and regulators engage cooperatively, organizations like Uber often succeed in securing a place in the market. This is because negotiations allow them to shape the rules to their advantage, rather than being subjected to rigid enforcement.

“Markets do not just evolve on their own — companies force them to,” says Piazza. “But market disruption isn’t just about breaking rules — it’s also about strategically engaging with those who enforce them.” 

Case study: UFC vs. Napster

Consider how mixed martial arts (MMA) went from outlawed bloodsport to mainstream entertainment by playing the long game. Once branded as a brutal, no-holds-barred spectacle, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) introduced weight classes and mandatory gloves, and they banned dangerous moves to align with state athletic commissions. 

These reforms, along with extensive lobbying, paved the way for regulation and legalization, culminating in New York lifting its ban in 2016, marking the 50th state to do so. Today, the UFC is a billion-dollar industry with mainstream legitimacy and prime-time TV deals.

By contrast, when companies face uncompromising opposition, their survival is far less certain. Established in 1999, the infamous peer-to-peer file-sharing application Napster blew up the music industry overnight, letting millions swap songs for free and sending record labels into a panic. However, lawsuits for mass copyright infringement piled up, the courts cracked down and without a legal way forward, Napster was forced to close down in 2001. 

According to Piazza, the stakes couldn’t be higher: “For some companies, breaking the rules is a strategy, not a mistake. But it’s a high-risk, high-reward game. If they win, they redefine the market. If they lose, they might not survive.”

Rule-breaking as a business strategy

A key takeaway from the research is that organizational deviance is not inherently bad or good — it is a strategic gamble. For organizations willing to challenge existing norms, success depends on understanding and navigating the mechanisms of social control. 

Organizations that work strategically with regulators, form alliances, and present their actions as socially beneficial often gain a competitive advantage. But those that miscalculate their bargaining power or underestimate the pushback from stakeholders risk losing everything.

Ultimately, Piazza’s research reminds us that while conformity may offer safety, calculated deviance can be a powerful tool for innovation and growth. The trick is knowing when to push, when to negotiate, and when to walk away. 

Or, as he puts it: “It’s not just about getting away with it. It’s about making sure, in the end, you don’t have to.”

Written by Seb Murray

Piazza, Bergemann, and Helms (2024). “Getting Away with It (Or Not): The Social Control of Organizational Deviance,” Academy of Management Review.  

Wagner Kamakura, the Jesse H. Jones Professor Emeritus of Marketing at Rice University, passed away peacefully March 11 surrounded by his family.

A distinguished scholar and educator, Wagner made a lasting impact on the field of marketing and on generations of students and colleagues. His research, spanning consumer analytics, market segmentation and quantitative modeling, shaped the discipline in profound ways. As a faculty member at Rice Business, he was known not only for his intellectual rigor but also for his deep passion for teaching and mentoring.

“Wagner lived a full life, and we feel so lucky for the impact he’s had on our school and campus communities,” Dean Peter Rodriguez wrote in an announcement to the school. “Joining Rice Business in 2013, he brought a unique global perspective and an exemplary record of teaching and research from universities including Duke, Iowa, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. He was grateful for the opportunity to spend his career doing what he loved. His wife, Nomaiaci, shared that he especially cherished his time at Rice.”

Kamakura was a prolific researcher and author with hundreds of peer-reviewed papers, thousands of citations and three books, including “Market Segmentation: Conceptual and Methodological Foundations.”

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Wagner,” said Jing Zhou, deputy dean of academic affairs at Rice Business. “He was a brilliant scholar, a dedicated teacher and above all a deeply engaged member of our academic community. His pioneering work shaped the marketing research field in lasting ways, but what truly set him apart was his relentless curiosity and love for learning. Even after retirement, he remained a fixture at seminars and research camps, always eager to exchange ideas and challenge conventional thinking. He was a mentor, a colleague and a friend to many of us. We will miss his intellect, passion and dedication to research and learning. Our hearts are with his family during this difficult time.”

In accordance with Kamakura’s wishes, there will not be a formal service. He is survived by his wife, Nomaiaci, and their son, Daniel.

Beyond delivering a top-tier graduate accounting education, the one-year Rice MAcc program has a structured approach to equip its students to succeed on the job market. 

Preparing to interview for jobs

For Rice MAcc students, preparations for job recruiting start early! Before classes have even begun in the fall, incoming MAcc students complete an online job hunt primer course that Rice’s Center for Career Development office developed. This summertime, self-paced course lays the groundwork for the job recruitment process, including best practices for writing professional emails, how to deliver effective “elevator pitches,” and techniques for effectively answering interview questions. The course also guides students on how to craft a strong resume.

After they’ve completed the course, incoming MAcc students submit their polished resumes to the program. The Rice MAcc assembles them into a resume book and shares that resume book with recruiters from the public accounting firms that recruit most heavily from Rice, including the “Big Four” firms.

MAcc students arrive on campus to start their classes in mid-August. Soon after, the Rice MAcc hosts an interactive workshop to build on what students learned in their summer online course. It covers what the interview experience will be like and proper interview attire. The workshop also helps students identify their interviewing strengths and weakness so they can further hone their skills.

Additionally, since prospective employers often hold recruiting events at restaurants, the Rice MAcc hosts a dining etiquette workshop in early September so students will be polished and confident for recruiting events that involve a meal. In this workshop, a Rice career services staff member leads the MAcc students through an actual three-course meal. As students eat, the instructor gives them tips and tricks for dining in a professional setting.

Deciding on types of jobs to pursue

The versatility of job options – straight out of graduate school and throughout one’s career – is a true advantage of having an accounting-based profession.

MAcc students often find starting their career in public accounting to be attractive, due to the opportunities for rapid advancement, on-the-job learning and the ability to specialize in industry groups, great network building, and the professional prestige of having work experience with a well-known public accounting firm. It’s not surprising, then, that about three quarters of MAcc students decide to take a first job in public accounting.

The MAcc program arranges for public accounting firms, including the “Big Four” firms, to hold information sessions for the MAcc students. These info sessions occur from late-August through mid-September, and they allow students to learn about each firm and its culture. Students apply for positions at firms of their choosing, submitting their applications as early as mid-September. Firms then select the candidates they would like to interview, and most interviewing occurs in October.

While public accounting is popular, it’s certainly not the only type of job available to Rice MAcc students. There are also opportunities in consulting, corporate accounting, banking, and government and not-for-profits. Throughout the recruiting process, the Rice MAcc program director is available to work with students on a one-on-one basis.

Accepting the job offer

Students who receive public accounting job offers typically get their offers soon after their interviews. That means that most students know which firms they have offers from by early November. By mid-November, many MAcc students will have made their decision and accepted a job offer. Students pursuing a non-public accounting job will also often receive job offers during their fall semester, though sometimes the non-public accounting job search extends into the spring semester. Regardless, by graduation, over 95% of MAcc students have typically accepted a job offer.

Once a student has accepted a job offer, the student will decline any other outstanding job offers they have. Then the recruitment process is all wrapped up!

Learn more about the Rice MAcc program to see if this is the right fit for you!

Does an accounting-based career sound like it’s for you? Contact us at ricemacc@rice.edu! We would love to share more information with you about the benefits of pursuing a graduate accounting degree at Rice.

By Anastasiya Zavyalova (Rice Business) and Christopher A. Hartwell (ZHAW School of Management and Law)