In the latest episode of Quad Talk, Rice University graduate students Osinachi “Osi” Okafor and Natalie Kokroko share what it means to find belonging, purpose and growth thousands of miles from home.
Okafor, a third-year Ph.D. student in art history from Nigeria, described her path from painter to scholar as a mission to elevate women artists in West Africa. “I realized I didn’t just want to paint. I wanted to understand the history behind the art,” she said. Her research grew from organizing female art exhibitions in her hometown into a larger study of representation and equality in the arts.
Kokroko, a Ph.D. student in computer science from Ghana, brings a different lens to creativity through computational biology and bioinformatics. “I always wanted to help improve healthcare without being in a hospital,” she said. “At Rice, I found a way to do that through data and code.”
Both students reflected on their transition to life in Houston, praising Rice’s welcoming culture and the city’s diversity. “Houston has everything; the food, the people, the culture,” Kokroko said. “It’s easy to feel at home here.”
For Okafor, that sense of support has been key to her success. “At Rice, professors truly care,” she said. “When I arrived, my department helped me adjust every step of the way. It’s a community that lifts you up.”
Together, their stories reflect the global spirit of Rice graduate education. Where art meets science, and where students from around the world find home, inspiration and purpose.
📺 Watch the full episode of Quad Talk on YouTube.com/@RiceGradSchool.