Beneath string lights and a skyline of sugar frosting, Rice University’s graduate community gathered in the Graduate Commons to celebrate achievement the sweetest way possible, with cake.
Hosted by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the annual Take the Cake celebration honors students who have received major external fellowships, national or international awards worth $5,000 or more, and transforms individual success into a shared campus tradition.
“This event is about more than recognition,” said Seiichi Matsuda, Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. “It’s about turning an individual win into a community win. When one of us has a great thing happen, we’re all happy for them, and part of the celebration is that it strengthens the whole community.”
Since 2016, Take the Cake has grown into a signature Rice tradition. This year’s celebration featured more than 120 cakes, representing millions in fellowship funding across disciplines. The numbers may be impressive, but Matsuda joked that he’s calculated something even more staggering — “about four million calories worth of cake.”
Randi McInerney, director of graduate fellowships, said the event highlights Rice’s culture of mentorship and shared success. “Our students are brilliant, but they don’t get here alone,” McInerney said. “Each cake represents not just a fellowship, but the mentors, peers and family who helped make it possible. It’s a metaphor made real.”
First-year bioengineering Ph.D. student Esha Ramanan, a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, said the evening felt both inspiring and grounding. “It’s so important to stop and reflect on how far you’ve come,” she said. “Graduate school is intense, but moments like this remind you that you’re surrounded by people who are cheering you on.”
That sentiment was echoed by Alex Bradley, a third-year doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology and a repeat attendee. “Last year I shared a cake with classmates who won,” Bradley said. “This year, I got my own, and it feels amazing to celebrate with the same friends who motivated me to apply.”
For international students like Arantxa Galván Domínguez, who came to Rice through the Opportunity Funds scholarship, Take the Cake offers more than a sweet reward. “This isn’t just a cake,” she said. “It’s recognition of everything it took to get here, and the chance to share it with new friends who feel like family.”
As laughter echoed across the Graduate Commons and frosting-laden plates filled the tables, the event’s message was clear: at Rice, excellence is meant to be shared.
“Graduate school is a long journey,” Matsuda said. “You have to celebrate the little and medium successes along the way. That’s how you build not only great scholars, but a great community.”
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