Graduate Student Ambassadors create connections

A dynamic team of Graduate Student Ambassadors share their expertise, experience and wisdom.

Azaleas on the rice university campus

The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) is excited to announce the Graduate Student Ambassador program, and the Graduate Ambassadors for the 2020-2021 year.

“We’ve assembled a dynamic team of graduate students who bring a lot of heart and passion to building our Rice community,” said Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Seiichi Matsuda. “They introduce our prospective students to Rice culture and Rice values. They make our university feel like a future home to many applicants, while sharing their expertise, experience and wisdom with both prospective students and the Rice community as a whole.”

One component of the program is a student blog, which covers everything that prospective — and current — graduate students may have on their minds, from tackling the application process, applying for funding, and feeling at home at Rice when starting a new program.

“In addition to being a world-class research university, Rice is a friendly and welcoming place,” said Jennifer Hunter, Admissions and Visibility Strategy Manager in GPS, “and our ambassadors are working on expanding the reach of that welcome. We want prospective students to feel comfortable asking questions about life at Rice, and our ambassadors meet their needs.”

While GPS expects this program to evolve, the core tenets of service to prospective students and the Rice community will continue to be pillars of the program. As a team, the ambassadors will create a welcoming window into graduate study at Rice. The program will continue to expand through feedback from ambassadors, faculty and current students.

“What makes the Rice graduate experience uniquely positive is the level of mentoring our graduate students receive and the strength of the community they share during their time at Rice,” said Hunter. “This program serves to further that level of mentorship.”


Read more:

Graduate Student Blog

Graduate Student Ambassadors