Rice University welcomed its newest class of 295 doctoral students on Wednesday with a ceremonial walk through the Sallyport, a rite of passage now extended beyond undergraduates as part of a new graduate tradition.
The Doctoral Matriculation Ceremony, held on campus before the start of orientation, brought together faculty, staff and student leaders to mark the formal beginning of doctoral studies.
“We are starting a new doctoral tradition this morning,” said Seiichi Matsuda, dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies, as students processed through the iconic archway at Lovett Hall. “This is your formal entrance into the doctoral program and you will do great things here. We’re so happy that you’re here. So welcome, and let’s sally forth.”
The ceremony featured remarks from faculty, including Flávio Cunha, chair of the Department of Economics, and Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Malcolm Gillis University Professor. Both urged students to embrace the challenges of graduate education while drawing on community and resilience.
“Rice has chosen you. But better for us, you’ve chosen Rice,” Cunha told the incoming class. “Together, you’re going to start something that is going to change the course of your life. Now, if you let it, it’s also going to change the world.”
Richards-Kortum reflected on her graduate journey and acknowledged the challenges ahead. She asked her current graduate student for advice, and one said, “Campus life can be intense, but your PhD should not be a cage for your dreams — a beacon that lights the path of your life.”
In one of the day’s most symbolic gestures, students lined up to sign the university’s Doctoral Matriculation Book. The new tradition formally records their entrance into the university’s scholarly community.
For many students, the day was both celebratory and reflective. Chihtong “Lily” Lee ’25, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering, graduated from Rice last spring with her bachelor’s degree. Returning to campus as a graduate student, she said the tradition carried deep personal meaning. “It was incredible. Rice to me really holds a special place. I feel like I’ve been raised by this community and by my faculty and my peers.”
Others noted the significance of the new tradition. “This orientation in particular was really good for us to understand what resources we have,” said Krutik Pandya, a first-year doctoral student. “I love the resources. I love the lab infrastructure that we have here. So excited for how things will be.”
The event, hosted by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, marks the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year for doctoral students, who now share in a symbolic passage long held by Rice undergraduates.
Vanessa Espinoza, program administrator and a Rice doctoral graduate in 2022, organized the ceremony. “Doctoral programs take a lot of grit and perseverance and that’s not something most students can do alone,” Espinoza said. “We were excited to bring back the in-person doctoral orientation to allow students to connect and find their peers they’ll not only collaborate with but have community with as they pursue their scholarly work.”
For Grace Fox, a new doctoral student in English and Creative Writing, the experience underscored the strength of Rice’s graduate culture. “Rice has a really strong graduate student community,” she said. “It makes you feel a lot less isolated to have that community already.”
A photo gallery of the day’s activities is available here.