As Rice University prepares to celebrate the Class of 2025 at commencement May 9-10, Rice News is spotlighting a series of soon-to-be graduates:
Tia Gray, a doctoral candidate in materials science and nanoengineering from Columbus, Georgia, found her way to Rice through the QuestBridge program. Arriving on campus as a first-generation undergraduate freshman in 2017 for the Rice Emerging Scholars Program, Gray began her journey in electrical and computer engineering before discovering a passion for research and transitioning into materials science. In the Pulickel Ajayan laboratory, Gray spent the past several years studying diamond and wideband gap materials for electronic applications — work she will continue during a postdoctoral fellowship at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C. Along the way, Gray embraced every opportunity Rice offered in and outside the lab, from growing diamonds to joining the Owls’ cheer team.
Video by Brandon Martin.