Meet Astrid Campos. Campos is a third year Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering (MSNE) at Rice University. Campos is from Mexico and is a Rice Graduate Ambassador. Ambassadors are students who represent the university and help prospective students gain knowledge of student life as a graduate student at Rice.
Campos chose Rice as a graduate school because of her career plans in academia and the opportunity to present at GCURS. Her research focuses on energy conversion and storage, specifically electrocatalysts.
When she is not conducting research, she is serving in various leadership roles within the Rice community. She is a part of Latin American Graduate student Association (LAGSA), Materials Science and NanoEngineering Graduate Student Association (MSNE GSA), and the Graduate Student Association (GSA) on campus.
Campos advises prospective students to always keep their well-being their top priority during their graduate studies.
“Prioritize your mental health,” said Campos. “No matter what school or program, prioritize it.”
Campos advises current students to get involved not only to feel a sense of community but also to help formulate a sense of community.
“It’s not just about getting the Ph.D., but it is also about the journey to achieve the degree and the people you meet on this journey,” said Campos.
Outside of academics, Campos enjoys organizing events on campus and going to Coffeehouse and Valhalla. She also likes to use the hammocks near Fondren Library and view the James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace on campus.
Graduate ambassadors can be contacted via email at gradambassadors@rice.edu. Astrid Campos can be contacted directly by email at xac1@rice.edu