Nearly 700 prospective graduate students, current scholars, faculty and staff gathered at the Houston Museum of Natural Science for Rice University’s annual Night at the Museum, a signature recruitment event hosted by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
In one of the largest turnouts in the event’s history, 260 were prospective students visiting campus for the recruiting weekend.
Held each spring, Night at the Museum transforms the museum’s exhibit halls into a vibrant networking space where future Owls can experience Rice’s graduate culture beyond formal interviews and lab visits. Surrounded by dinosaur fossils and gem collections, prospective students connected with faculty members, met potential advisers and engaged with current graduate students from across disciplines.
“Graduate school is about discovery,” said Seiichi Matsuda, dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies. “What better place to begin that journey than surrounded by science, history and curiosity? Night at the Museum is where we show prospective students not just our programs but our people.”
The evening’s scale and energy were intentional, said Cam Zapater, program administrator in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the event’s lead organizer.
“Night at the Museum gives prospective students a true taste of Houston,” Zapater said. “From the local catering to spending several days on campus meeting faculty and current graduate students, we want them to experience both the academic excellence of Rice and the vibrant city they would call home.”
Faculty members emphasized that the event offers something distinct from traditional recruiting visits. Michael King, who joined Rice in 2024 as the E.D. Butcher Professor of Bioengineering and Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Scholar, described the gathering as unmatched in his experience.
“I don’t know of any place that does graduate recruiting quite like Rice,” King said. “It’s a whole other level. Students get a real sense for the culture and how much our current students and faculty enjoy being part of the Rice community.”
That sense of belonging resonated with prospective students throughout the evening. Many noted the friendliness and accessibility of both faculty and current scholars as well as the opportunity to engage in relaxed, informal conversations outside of interview settings.
Rebecca Brossoit, assistant professor of psychological sciences, said the event provides a meaningful close to an intensive recruiting weekend.
“It gives students a chance to unwind and start to see how they could fit into the Rice community — to meet future cohort members and future friends,” Brossoit said.
For longtime faculty member and A.J. Hartsook Professor Matteo Pasquali, who has attended nearly every Night at the Museum since its inception, the event mirrors the university’s interdisciplinary ethos.
“Although we have departments and degree programs, the university is very open to collaboration,” Pasquali said. “This is very representative and reflective of our spirit.”
The spirit of continuity and mentorship was on display in one particularly memorable moment of the evening.
James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, shared that a prospective student attending the event, Sara Franco-Duque, first visited his office as a child when her aunt completed a doctorate under his mentorship nearly two decades ago.
“She came to my office when she was 4 years old,” Tour said, recalling the early visit. “I started recruiting her when she was 4. I’m still working on it.”
Now considering Rice for graduate study in chemistry, Franco-Duque described the experience as deeply personal.
“I’m loving it here. Rice — it’s been a dream of mine,” she said.
The story, equal parts humorous and heartfelt, captured the essence of Night at the Museum: a celebration not only of academic excellence but of relationships that span generations.
“When you come to Rice, you’re not just joining a program,” Matsuda said. “You’re joining a broad and deeply interconnected intellectual community.”
To view the photo gallery from Night at the Museum, please visit here.