Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the diverse tapestry of Hispanic and Latino/a/x/e cultures and their contributions to our society. This month is an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue around the complexity of Latinidad and elevate voices within the community.

We are proud to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, a vibrant period dedicated to celebrating the rich cultural contributions of the Hispanic community. Through a variety of events, we aim to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the diverse backgrounds by sharing the stories and perspectives of three remarkable MBA students from Rice Business, each with a unique background and set of experiences that embody the spirit of this month

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Sonia Yuri Miyazono Ushijima: Proudly Mexican with a global perspective

Sonia, a Full-Time MBA student, originally comes from Aguascalientes, Mexico. She embarked on her MBA journey in the United States just last year, and this experience has deepened her connection to her Mexican identity and roots.

“Being out of my country has made me prouder of my identity as a Mexican,” Sonia says, “and Hispanic Heritage Month holds a special place in my heart. This month celebrates all facets of ‘Latinidad,’ uniting everyone. I have Japanese ancestry, was born and raised in Mexico, identify as Mexican, and feel part of the broader Latine community. The diversity within Latinidad is incredible.”

Another aspect of her experience at Rice Business is Houston’s status as the most ethnically diverse city in America. Houston’s diversity fosters adaptability and flexibility, making it possible to attract talented professionals in every industry.

For Sonia, the Rice MBA has broadened her intellectual and professional horizons. She advises prospective students, “Embrace the opportunities and resources available to you, and keep an open mind.”

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Nikki Suarez: Celebrating dual heritage and fostering unity

Nikki, a Professional MBA student hailing from La Paz, Bolivia, brings a rich blend of cultures to Rice Business. Her dual heritage as a Bolivian and Mexican Latina are a source of pride and inspiration during Hispanic Heritage Month.

According to Nikki, “Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to reflect on my unique heritage as someone with multiple cultural identities. It's an honor to celebrate the contributions of people of Hispanic descent, including my own relatives. This month brings into focus the distinct flavors, music and histories of Latinos, and I'm thrilled to share my heritage with others.”

Nikki serves as a testament to the power of the Latin Business Student Association (LBSA). She highlights the importance of LBSA in promoting camaraderie among members and fostering unity within the broader student body. Through social events, workshops, networking opportunities and the Amigue Program — a mentorship program for first-year MBAs at Rice Business — LBSA creates a sense of belonging.

To prospective students, Nikki advises, “Embrace this extraordinary experience. Lean into what makes you unique. And build a support network. Show up as your authentic self, and you'll find the confidence and strength to succeed.”

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Nicole Conforti: Championing Latin American culture and resilience

Nicole brings a unique blend of experiences to her MBA journey at Rice Business. Born in Michigan and raised in Argentina, the Full-Time MBA student represents both countries with pride and is deeply passionate about inspiring fellow Latines to achieve their goals.

Nicole’s extensive international exposure, combined with her marketing background, makes her appreciate Houston's diversity as a tremendous asset to the business landscape. Diversity encourages innovation and adaptability, and it helps position the city as a dynamic and inclusive business hub.

For Nicole, the Rice MBA program has been instrumental in advancing her professional objectives. The support of faculty and staff, combined with enriching courses and a supportive community, has been pivotal in her career growth.

To prospective students, Nicole offers valuable advice: “Approach the MBA journey with an emphasis on passion, people and purpose. Foster a strong sense of ‘familia’ within the MBA community, where you feel at home and actively care for others.”

Belonging at Rice Business

Rice Business offers a wide array of activities and educational opportunities during Hispanic Heritage Month. These events serve not only to celebrate but also to educate and inspire our students and faculty from all walks of life. We encourage you to come visit us on campus or online to learn more why you belong here.

Leonardo Hinojosa is an assistant director of recruiting and admissions.

Explore Our Tight-Knit Culture

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The first year in any new job is getting to know the people, the culture and the place — and I have spent the last few months doing just that. I’ve sipped Audrey’s coffee with staff to learn more about the services and opportunities we offer students. I’ve talked with faculty members to learn more about their research. And I’ve had great conversations with alumni about their career paths and story ideas.

When work is all said and done at the office, I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know the very cool city of Houston — its neighborhoods, like the Heights and Montrose; its outdoor walking spots, including Hermann Park and the new land bridge in Memorial Park; and its food, from the obvious Tex-Mex and barbecue delights to the extensive global cuisine that Houston offers, including any African, French, Mexican, Indian or Asian dish you’re after.

But our location gives us so much more than delicious meals and trendy neighborhoods. We sit at the center of one of the largest, most diverse cities in the U.S. with more Fortune 500 companies than any other city except New York City. This allows us to do what great educational institutions do best: give our students and faculty the resources and connections they need to solve global problems for the betterment of all.

One of those global issues is the coming energy transition. Our location in the energy capital of the world puts Rice in an ideal spot to study one the largest issues of our time. The decades-long transition to cleaner energy will be daunting as businesses try to grapple with the right decisions to move forward. To prepare, Professor Nicola Secomandi recently took on a new role at Rice Business: senior advisor to the dean on energy transition. Secomandi will be the first to tell you that he doesn’t have definitive answers. But he does know Houston is a great spot to find them, to have these conversations, to conduct this research and to collaborate with partners in the city. — Maureen

Our location allows us to do what great educational institutions do best: give our students and faculty the resources and connections they need to solve global problems for the betterment of all.

Email: maureen.harmon@rice.edu

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When Tyler Clason walked through La Dalia, Nicaragua, during a mission trip in 2015, rain water slid down the street from a recent storm. It was during that walk that Clason watched a young mother bend down near a rain gutter to catch the runoff in a baby bottle. Then she took that water, added formula, and gave it to her child. Clason knew then that he had to do something about water access in the area, as well as education around water cleanliness and health.

Though Clason loved La Dalia and the coffee and sugar cane farming families that made up the village, the actual living conditions in Nicaragua were tough, so the mother’s water collection technique really wasn’t surprising. “Living conditions are extremely humble in Nicaragua,” says Clason, who had lived and worked in the country for two years. “Most people never had a fridge, never had air conditioning, never had an automobile, never had a bicycle. Homes were made of plastic tarps or bamboo paneling or cinder blocks — but even cinder block was considered a luxury in some areas.”

When it came to running water, things didn’t look much better. Some homes had running water. Others did not. Clason’s hut was part of the 25% of Nicaraguan homes that were hooked up to the municipal system, so he was lucky in the fact that water came out of the pipes, but when he went to drink his first glass in his new home, he saw that it was teeming with mosquito larvae. “In some situations,” says Clason, “the municipal water system is less healthy than a natural water system.”

When Clason returned to Brigham Young University, where he was pursuing his bachelor’s degree, he got to work creating what would eventually be called OneWater — a nonprofit aimed at education around and accessibility to clean water in Nicaragua. Creating a nonprofit can be difficult — finding funding and volunteers can be a struggle — but the journey is compounded when the nonprofit is in a foreign country. Clason learned two things early on. One, he would need the locals’ help in order to make OneWater work, especially in a country that harbored distrust for Americans. Two, he would need a career that would allow him to support OneWater with his time, as well as financially. OneWater would never be a source of income. Clason wrote into the bylaws of OneWater that only local Nicaraguan labor would receive compensation/salary.

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To achieve the former, OneWater’s board created the role of local agents, often called village Water Captains, who are trained in filtration systems and OneWater’s educational materials. Local agents act as liaisons between OneWater and the homes in their villages, helping to troubleshoot filtration system problems and identifying villagers who need the filtration systems the most.

To achieve goal number two, Clason left his role with Ernst & Young to pursue his MBA full time with the aim of continuing a career that would allow him both financial flexibility and work-life balance to continue to make OneWater a success. “Rice was a no-brainer,” says Clason. “This is a school that prides itself, rightfully so, on having global impact and accepting students from all over the world.” That global business strategy was a must-have for Clason, who ultimately joined Dow Chemical in a Global Corporate Strategy role. Joining Dow after his MBA aligned with this goal as well. “A career with Dow post-MBA allows me to further develop my global business acumen.” He admits that right now, it’s difficult for him to step aside from the day-to-day of OneWater and focus on his post-MBA early-career development. “I want to be involved, but that’s selfish because it’s not about me. It’s about the people in Nicaragua,” he says.

“I just love it. I love being down there in person. I love doing the work. I love talking to the people. I love solving the problems.”

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He relies heavily — and is grateful for — an expert operations team in country. “I am able to hone skills learned at Rice in sustainability, global business and strategic problem-solving in my career at Dow that will help develop me to be a better leader and ultimately drive more value with OneWater.”

Clason also relies heavily on the State Department to protect himself and his employees and volunteers. The anti-America sentiments in Nicaragua are so strong that Clason has had rocks thrown at his head and was robbed several times at knifepoint and once, with a machete. “It became an unfortunate pattern,” says Clason, “but you know what? I was never jaded by it. It never impacted how I feel about the Nicaraguan people.” In response, OneWater has built tight processes and controls for the team, and they’re careful to make sure that Nicaraguans are leading the effort. “It’s always a Nicaraguan leading the conversation in the work we’re doing down there.”

The model seems to be working. To date, OneWater estimates that they have helped filter more than 1 million gallons of water for Nicaraguan families and saved those families $40 a month and 900 hours of time that is normally spent carrying or cleaning water, or attending to family members’ health issues caused by contaminated water and systems.

Though he loves the travel, the place, the work, the people and the problem-solving, Clason wants to ensure that OneWater can operate without him. “A bunch of Americans can go down and do the work, but the greatest part is that when we leave, it’s a continual operation, whether we’re there or not,” he says. “And that, ultimately, is what we want OneWater to be.”

Learn more about OneWater at one-water.org

Renowned accounting professor Stephen Zeff recently celebrated his 90th birthday, but he isn’t slowing down. Earlier this year, he gave two major international lectures in Finland and England. His youthful energy comes from teaching, he says. “If you stop moving, learning and growing, your students are going to leave you behind.”

Zeff’s office is a tight but magical space, especially if you love books and enjoy talking about history and travel. His walls are lined with texts, awards and personal effects, and his space includes not just one – but two – overflow areas in McNair Hall that house his one-of-a-kind collection of accounting materials dating to the early 1900s.

We recently spoke with Zeff about some of the objects in his office that mean the most to him:

1. A custom-made bobblehead doll resembles the professor. His department colleagues gifted it to him in 2011 during a dinner in Denver to commemorate his 50th year as an academic. The dinner was attended by more than 50 accounting faculty colleagues from around the world, at the time of the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association.
2. A crystal clock sits on the shelf where he keeps the books he’s written or edited — a total of 32 during his storied career — from biographies of pioneer accountants to histories of accounting as a discipline.
3. Zeff’s three honorary doctorates line the wall behind his desk — from universities in Canada, Finland and Spain. An avid internationalist, Zeff has given countless lectures (including in Spanish!) and held numerous visiting appointments around the world.
4. A small black-and-white photo of his family was taken in the 1940s. The photograph signifies the things that matter most to Zeff: family, history, travel and connecting with people.

Among fellow accounting historians, Zeff has a reputation as someone who treasures old books. It’s a reputation he enjoys. His two overflow spaces are tucked away in the Business Information Center (BIC), and his archive is likely the only of its kind. Many of the books and journals here have not been digitized and constitute the only remaining copies. Zeff’s textual rescues have proven essential to dozens of researchers in the field.

Here’s to many more years!

As a new school year begins,

current students — one from each of our nine degree programs, including the first cohort from our Hybrid MBA — answer questions about their time at Rice Business, what they hope for after graduation and their favorite books.

PMBA-W Chido Osueke ’24

Plans post-graduation?

I will continue to work with industry leaders focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the utility industry through carbon capture technologies, renewable power generation and the reduction of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). I plan to execute business and engineering solutions that deliver tangible benefits to the global community throughout the value chain.

MBA@Rice Elizabeth Garrett ’24

What do you hope to take away from your time at Rice Business?

My time at Rice has already given me the ability to see business challenges through perspectives I just didn’t have access to before. Additionally, I’ve made strong connections with some incredibly bright and interesting people. They open my mind and give me energy that I know will continue to fuel me as I carry on with my journey.

Undergrad Business Major Daniel Ling ’24

Plans post-graduation?

I’ll be joining Bain full time as an associate consultant in the Houston office! But before that, I plan to take some time off and travel — China, Argentina and Europe top of list — as well as work on scaling my e-commerce business.

PMBA-E Nikki Suarez ’24

What do you hope to take away from your time at Rice Business?

As a Hispanic woman, I view my experience here as a pivotal step to breaking through the glass ceiling and leveraging my unique perspective and skills honed during this MBA program to earn a seat at decision-making tables.

FTMBA Isha Vaishampayan ’24

Plans post-graduation?

I would love to secure and build my career in the technology industry. Also, I want to travel the world to explore, immerse myself in new experiences and gain new perspectives. And finally, I would love to volunteer to serve my community and engage in meaningful work for underrepresented communities.

Hybrid MBA Alexis Smith ’25

Plans post-graduation?

My goal is to advance within my current company, Next Level Medical. I’d like to attain a C-suite leadership position, through which I can continue positively impacting team members’ lives while furthering our mission of delivering high-quality, affordable healthcare.

MAcc Ethan Powell ’24

Favorite book?

“The Giving Tree ” by Shel Silverstein. My parents read this book to me all the time when I was growing up, and then gave me a copy as a high school graduation gift so I would always remember to serve others and to never take people for granted when they make sacrifices for me.

Ph.D. Baifu Chen

Favorite book?

“The Three-Body Problem” by Cixin Liu. I like to quote George R. R. Martin’s comments on this book as “a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation, politics and history, conspiracy theory and cosmology.”

EMBA IJ Onianwa ’24

Favorite book?

“Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown. Her take on leadership resonates with me. To me, it is more than just a leadership book. The insights in her book can be applied to any relationship situation.

Governments and businesses will make crucial decisions about the energy transition in the coming decades — and many of those decisions will hinge on research and current best practices. In July, Nicola Secomandi assumed a new role at Rice Business: senior advisor to the dean on energy transition.  

In this role, Secomandi will conduct new research on the energy transition process and will teach rigorous, practical and relevant topics related to the transition. He will also join others at Rice Business, including Linda Capuano, professor in the practice of energy management and advisor to the dean on energy initiatives, in participating in — and adding to — the global conversation and thought leadership on the energy transition.

Here, Secomandi, who came to Rice Business from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business a year ago, discusses his new role, how he hopes to make an impact at Rice Business and beyond, and the complicated challenges ahead.

Since Rice Business is located in the energy capital of the world, do you agree that we are in a unique position to examine and influence the ways companies are making decisions around the transition?  

Indeed, energy and Houston go hand in hand. Organizations and companies in the Houston area are actively engaged in the energy transition. Oil and gas firms have long been key constituencies in our state. They are currently engaged in investigating low carbon solutions — for instance, supplementing their operations with carbon capture, use and storage. As another example, local stakeholders have identified the Houston area as an ideal candidate for a global clean hydrogen hub.  

I am fortunate to be involved with our MBA program’s energy and operations curricula, for which I’ve developed and delivered an elective course on managing energy assets. Because several of our MBA students work in, or will join, energy companies, this course is a two-way dialogue. I can learn from students about pressing business challenges that energy companies face. Students can learn how to address, in a structured way, both ongoing and future business issues. There is always a useful tension between addressing current challenges and preparing to solve future problems. My course is designed to help facilitate that kind of critical thinking.

In addition, events this year will focus on the energy transition. The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship organizes the Energy Tech Venture Forum, which brings together energy venture capitalists, investors and entrepreneurs. This year its attention will be on technologies and initiatives central to the energy transition. The Rice Energy Finance Summit will also showcase the energy transition. Rice Cleantech Innovation Competition, a student contest, will as well. Participating in these events is a useful way to learn about the latest innovations that are taking place — or will take place — in industry.

Talk to us about your work at Carnegie Mellon. How will that work in energy influence your work at Rice Business?

Most of my energy-related work so far has been on energy storage — mainly natural gas in underground caverns, but also liquefied natural gas at regasification terminals and electricity in batteries, both stand-alone and in conjunction with wind energy generation. Further, I have worked on natural gas production and transportation, including technology adoption and deployment, and more recently on biorefineries.

Carnegie Mellon has a culture of engaging in research focused on important real-world problems; that is, the school takes a problem-solving approach. For example, my energy work is grounded on the operations of merchant energy trading companies, a business that I learned by working directly in the field after my Ph.D. The same problem-solving approach will continue to shape my work at Rice Business.

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Everyone discusses the energy transition, but the issues are complex and ever evolving. Most people don’t know a whole lot about the best ways to move forward. Where do we start?

The end goal is clear: To decarbonize our society on a global scale. What is unclear are the specific paths different companies and governments will take to get there. The obvious starting point for me is learning what organizations are doing currently. The transition to a world in which energy will be predominantly clean will take decades, so it’s important that we engage in this process now.

During the pandemic, you spent a great deal of time learning all you could about the ways companies and organizations are approaching the energy transition. In fact, you’ve written a paper on what you found. What can you tell us about the current practices out there?  

Yes,  I spent a substantial amount of time reading reports by consulting companies and government agencies. I also read about projects that firms are carrying out or are thinking about starting. This activity has given me a broad view on the status quo.

Consulting firms and government agencies are actively engaged in formulating global decarbonization strategies. These strategies are developed with particular assumptions about climate change goals. For instance, they analyze how the balance between fossil fuels and renewable energy sources must shift over time to align with a target rise in temperature. These projections offer companies concrete examples of what needs to happen to achieve these goals.

The challenge for energy and other companies is to decide what to do going forward in terms of actual projects for specific assets. In energy production, there is substantial interest and substantial activity related to carbon capture, use and storage; sustainable fuels; wind and solar; flexible power-generation assets; batteries; long-duration energy storage; and hydrogen.  

Bringing all these projects to fruition will require managing massive investments, adopting known and emerging technologies, as well as developing new ones. Two key aspects of the clean energy transition are: one, integrating assets that use current and novel technologies; and two, adapting existing assets to incorporate new technologies. The change from old to new energy systems cannot happen instantaneously. Thus, the world cannot go from 80% fossil fuels to 80%-plus clean energy in a single year. So, existing and new assets or technologies will coexist for some time. Further, reusing old facilities when adopting new technologies can be useful (e.g., repurposing oil refineries into biorefineries).

From your research, are there companies that seem to be at the forefront of the thinking behind the transition? What are they doing that puts them ahead?

Energy and other companies are actively driving the transition. It is common for businesses to rely on valuable insights and expertise offered by consulting companies, but some benefit from collaborations with academics. Every company is grappling with the future of energy. But those who lead are operating with a more sophisticated level of decision making based on data and structured analysis, possibly based on collaborations with academics.

La Poste, the French postal operator, is an early example of practice and academic collaboration driving energy transition business decisions. In 2010, this company conducted a study to decide the mix of diesel and electric trucks in its future fleet. At a high level, this approach entailed determining and comparing the projected total cost of ownership (TCO) of using each of two types of technologies: the then-current non-environmentally friendly technology — diesel trucks — and the then-emerging environmentally friendly one — electric trucks. The analysis showed that the TCO for the non-environmentally friendly technology was initially lower than the TCO for the clean one, but it was forecast to increase, whereas the other one was forecast to decrease. The company should have abandoned the old technology and adopted the new one when the two TCOs were projected to cross. In this application, there was very little uncertainty about when this crossing was expected to occur. Research helped the company determine in 2010 that it should have started replacing expiring leases for diesel trucks with new leases for electric trucks in early 2015, which is what La Poste did.

An analogous approach has relevance to making various energy transition decisions. Specifically, some assets that employ non-environmentally friendly technologies may currently be cheaper to operate than assets that are configured to use clean or cleaner technologies. However, the cost of running the former assets will increase due to their negative environmental impact, whereas the cost of running the latter ones will decrease because of both efficiency gains associated with learning curves and their lack of, or reduced, environmental impact. From a business perspective, the best time to embrace the new technology is when these costs are expected to cross. Many factors can affect this time, including government interventions, access to capital, and technical risk. Structured analysis based on data can support this type of decision making.

As a researcher, your work will influence other scholars, as well as students. What is the process of bringing new knowledge into the academic environment and the classroom?

Bringing new knowledge into the academic environment requires innovative ideas and dedication. Taking this knowledge into the classroom entails selecting relevant concepts and communicating them to students in an engaging way. Business research and teaching are connected via practice because known research results can be taught to students, who can then apply them to address current or future business issues. For example, the La Poste approach and its application is a key topic of my MBA course on managing energy assets. New challenges in the field and discussions with students in the classroom — or after they have taken a course — provide ideas for new research, which eventually makes its way into teaching. My MBA course on managing energy assets shares these features. Discussions with students in the classroom — or after they have taken a course — can also spearhead new research. Sometimes teaching activities themselves can lead to new research.

I’m eager to work on new research on the energy transition and bring it into my managing energy assets course to complement existing content. Becoming more involved with industrial projects would help me sharpen my research by refining my thinking in the context of specific settings or giving me access to data. Vincent Kaminski, professor in the practice of energy at Rice Business, and I have been discussing with the editors of a leading operations management journal the possibility of having an energy consulting company give a seminar on the energy transition to connect researchers and practitioners. The idea is to raise awareness among scholars, especially those in the early stages of their careers, about the real-world challenges associated with this topic. The goal is to inspire them to engage in research that has practical relevance. In addition, during the current academic year, we’ll be admitting the inaugural class of the newly created Ph.D. in operations management. It would be great to be able to attract students interested in the energy transition and do joint research with them in this area. ◆