Meet Victoria Granja. Granja is a fifth year Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Rice University. Granja is from Ecuador 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.
Granja chose Rice as a graduate school because of her career goal of being a professor. Their research focuses on tribology. When they are not conducting research, they are serving in various leadership roles within the Rice community. She is a part of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and Fulbright@Rice on campus.
Granja advises prospective students to make sure the school and program they are applying for align with their overall desires and to not select a school solely on the school’s prestige status.
“Try to find a place where you think you would be able to balance your life and work,” said Granja. “You need a good fit for both.”
Granja advises current students to use the resources available to them to better shape their graduate school experience, whether it is social, professional, or solely academic resources.
“Get involved in as many activities as you can,” said Granja.
Outside of academics, Granja enjoys the piece of the Berlin Wall that’s on Rice’s campus and the live oak trees. She likes eating at Tarka and Aga’s.
Fun fact about Granja, she learned how to change a tire at the age of five years old.
Graduate ambassadors can be contacted via email at gradambassadors@rice.edu. Victoria Granja can be contacted directly by email at victoria.granja@rice.edu.