Michael Panozzo

Professionals - Evening
Current Industry/Job: Petrochemicals - Project Economics Analyst
From: Houston, TX

Favorite quote and why:

“Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be.” – John Wooden. I like this quote because it applies to almost all aspects of life. Failure is instrumental in learning and failing to change leads to stagnation in most instances. If something is not working, have the courage to change knowing you may fail but can adapt and change as you learn from those possible failures.

If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor and why?

I think it would be interesting to have had Ben Franklin as a mentor. He was a scientist, philosopher, politician and writer. Through his works, he seemed like someone who was always thinking differently and would be able to provide interesting insights or ideas to go explore.

Best memory from your first year in the MBA program:

My best memory so far has been the annual meeting in NYC for the Adam Smith Society. We had a great turnout from Rice (had a blast exploring in our free time) and the speaker panels were very relevant to today's issues and were very interesting. It was also a great chance to meet students from other MBA programs and compare experiences.

What story does your family always tell about you?

There are many, but usually it involves how I would wander off on my own when I was younger. Once in Rome while they slept off jet lag.

What advice would you like to provide incoming students?

Work on your schedule over the summer to get used to either reading or doing work from 6-9:30 if you are doing the evening program. This will help shorten the adjustment period of how to best balance your time and commitments.

Any additional unique facts you would like to share:

I have never lived in a city for more than five consecutive years until now (moving, college). I have been in Houston five years now and counting!