Meet Ellie Chen. Chen is a first year Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. Chen is from New York 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.
Chen chose Rice as a graduate school because of her desire to be in a collaborative instead of a competitive academic environment. Chen also chose Rice as a graduate school due to Rice’s proximity and collaboration with the Texas Medical Center. Her research focuses on developing implantable devices. When she is not conducting research, she serves in various leadership roles within the Rice community. She is a Graduate Fellowship Coach for the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) and plays intramural volleyball on campus.
Chen advises prospective students who are not in the application process to reach out to faculty and try to connect with them to learn more about research opportunities.
“Working in different lab environments with professors of varying mentorship styles helps you find what works best for you, which is extremely important when it comes to choosing your school or lab,” said Chen.
Outside of academics, Chen enjoys exploring the Museum District, specifically, The Museum of Fine Arts. Chen enjoys the various food options in Houston, such as Bamboo House, Aga’s, and Traveler’s Table. Chen used to perform contemporary dance and ballet before coming to college.
Chen also advises prospective students in the application process to reach out to graduate students who attend that school and/or program.
“They are the ones who will give you the most unfiltered and honest pieces of information,” said Chen. “If you’re a student thinking about Rice, my program, and or medical devices and are looking for advice or information, reach out to me!!”
Graduate ambassadors can be contacted via email at gradambassadors@rice.edu. Ellie Chen can be contacted directly by email at ecc11@rice.edu.