Reed Stiles

Hometown: Fort Smith, Arkansas

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Tulsa, B.S. in Petroleum Engineering

Employer and Job Titles: ConocoPhillips, Senior Reservoir Engineer

What led you to pursue an MBA? Since beginning work at ConocoPhillips, I watched several reservoir engineers work through and accelerate their careers using Rice’s MBAP program. Hearing about their experience with the program made it an easy decision.

Why did you choose Rice for your professional MBA? My big deciding factors: Houston, exclusive campus, most prestigious name in Houston and small but tight-knit alumni community similar to my undergrad experience at Tulsa.

What has been a highlight of the program? Three seem the most prominent: 1. Having an interviewer openly praise how impressed she was that I was doing both full-time work and the part-time MBA program. 2. Using lessons I’ve learned from coursework at my full-time job. 3. PCF and other networking events among my classmates, on and off campus.

What has surprised you about the journey so far? That I am staying afloat! I have become a pro at treading water and juggling lots of tasks both personally and professionally.

What advice do you have for prospective students? 1. Try not to plan any out of town trips during the first semester. 2. Building a friendship/professional relationship with your teachers and classmates is as important as the coursework. 3. If you are a professional student, get involved with a club and the CMC as soon as possible.

What's something your classmates don't know about you? I rarely watch TV, BUT I am a huge fan of the Bachelor/Bachelorette series. I watch every episode and started a podcast with my best friend in 2016 where we recap and react to the episodes.