Rice University conferred more than 250 doctoral degrees during its 112th commencement May 10 at Tudor Fieldhouse. Doctoral candidates along with friends, family and loved ones gathered for the ceremony, which included the awarding of doctoral regalia, congratulatory remarks, cheers and a few moments to reflect on this milestone.
“A doctoral degree is one of the most demanding and rewarding journeys a person can undertake,” President Reginald DesRoches said. “It’s not about publishing papers or completing fieldwork. It’s about creating new knowledge. It’s about pursuing questions no one else is asking and answering them in ways that move humanity forward.”
DesRoches emphasized that doctoral degrees demand the highest intellectual rigor, and they require curiosity, creativity, grit and resilience. Similar sentiments were shared by Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
“In your doctoral studies, you have benefited from personalized, holistic education while engaging in real world experiences and groundbreaking research,” Dittmar said. “These amazing opportunities, and you’ll have many more over your career, come with a responsibility to use what you’ve gained to benefit others. You have what it takes to improve human health; steward environmental resources; invent new technologies; create beautiful music, art, literature; teach others and transform education while you build inclusive workplaces, shape public policy and so much more.”
The excitement to reach this finish line was palpable throughout the day. Andrew Torma, whose degree is in applied physics, summed up his thoughts on this momentous occasion.
“This is crazy, because I never thought I would do this,” Torma said. “After I finished my undergrad at William and Mary in physics chemistry, I needed a break from research, but then I had a mentor in my hometown who convinced me. He said, ‘If you want to have the impact you want to have, STEM is your place. You need to go do more.’ The 5 1/2 years here at Rice were amazing. The applied physics program, being the interdisciplinary program it was, supported me academically and also psychologically throughout it all. It was just phenomenal.”
Chaney Hill, whose degree is in literature, reflected on her journey into the doctoral degree. Like many students, her plans and mission evolved over time as she progressed through her studies, which led her to a different outcome than she originally anticipated. It also taught her about resilience during times of change.
“When I first came here, I had a very specific idea of what I wanted to do, the kind of research that I wanted to engage in and the kind of scholar I wanted to be,” Hill said. “And since then, that’s changed a lot. I think the decision to change courses was a difficult one in the moment, but ultimately, it helped me become the scholar I am today. I’m very grateful for that. It gave me the courage and the reinforcement to be able to make that decision.”
The loudest cheers of the ceremony came when Dasom Kim, who studied applied physics, took the stage holding his 2-year-old daughter. With child in hand as he earned his hood, his daughter had a special shirt made for the event with its own hood.
“I feel very special having a child during my thesis, and having her here today, I hope my child feels something special too,” Kim said. “I hope this inspires her to follow her own dreams as an adult.”
To view images from the ceremony, visit rice.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000bpNW1770DeA/Commencement-25. Share photos and posts using the hashtag #RiceGrad2025.