Rice University’s Alumni Weekend welcomed alumni, students, faculty, staff and the community for a weekend of festivities, fellowship and football Nov. 6-9. Blending the spirit of homecoming and a reunion, Owls reconnected and contemplated the past, present and future of the beloved institution.
The weekend also provided an opportunity for class reunions, starting with the Class of 1975 and continuing in five-year increments through the Class of 2020, amassing more than $45 million over a five-year span to bolster the ongoing work of the university and to support students.
In total, more than 2,000 alumni and friends returned to campus to participate in the newly expanded four-day celebration, allowing for more programming and longer opportunities to connect.
“Homecoming and reunion are Rice’s premier, signature events for alumni to connect with one another and with the university’s future — celebrating Rice’s history while building its legacy for tomorrow,” said April Cole, senior director of alumni programs. “It is an incredibly uplifting time because it brings together multiple generations united by their deep passion for the Rice experience, their inquisitiveness, their curiosity and their spirit of unconventional inquiry.”
Cole noted that alumni are the single largest constituent of the university community with a membership totaling more than 65,000.
“Alumni Weekend is always one of the best weekends of the year,” said James Hurley, associate vice president of alumni relations. “The excitement, the energy and the love for Rice the alumni display supports our work and the university. It’s always exciting to welcome them back to campus. Getting to see their Rice experience relived is always exciting. While Rice changes and evolves, it is always energizing to be able to share and show alumni that the core foundation of their Rice experience remains unchanged.”
Many alumni recanted their experiences as students on campus.
“I’m excited to walk around and see all the new changes,” said Simon Birenbaum ’05. “I came out of Rice with a close-knit group of friends, and we still hang out together. Now, our kids know each other, and it’s nice to have that group that is good friends with you no matter where you go.”
James Bookhout ’10 said, “My favorite Rice memory is matriculation. Rice does an amazing job of welcoming [students] into the university. I remember walking through the Sallyport and into the university with fireworks going off and people cheering and thinking ‘Wow, this is a place you can belong.’ That’s what I found for the next four years, and it’s certainly what I found when I walked through the Sallyport when I graduated.”
Jackie King ’70 said, “My experience at Rice taught me that I can take on a challenge and succeed with the support of people around me who cared and with hard work. It was hard here, but it was a lot of fun.”
The four days were filled with plenty of activities and chances to explore the updated campus while still embracing the familiar culture the university embodies.
The festivities started with a partnership with Traveling Owls, a program that serves as a catalyst for lifelong learning and strengthens bonds between alumni and friends. The event featured faculty who have served as Traveling Owls trip hosts during an opening day lecture. Panelists included Lisa Balabanlilar, the Joseph and Joanna Nazro Mullen Professor in the Humanities, transnational Asian studies chair and Chao Center for Asian studies director; Arthur Gottschalk, professor of music theory and composition; Julia Morgan, professor and chair of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences; Scott Solomon, teaching professor of biosciences; and Sayuri Guthrie Shimizu, the Dunlevie Family Chair and professor of history.
The weekend continued with two additional faculty lectures that demonstrated the university’s current work. The first lecture featured Molly Morgan, an assistant teaching professor, director of undergraduate studies and co-director of the program in museum and cultural heritage. The second lecture was a panel focused on artificial intelligence, featuring Christopher Jermaine, chair and the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Computer Science; Kirsten Ostherr, the Gladys Louise Fox Professor of English and director of the Medical Humanities Program and the Medical Humanities Research Institute; Lydia E. Kavraki, University Professor, the Kenneth and Audrey Kennedy Professor of Computing and director of the Ken Kennedy Institute; and Anastasios Kyrillidis, the Noah Harding Associate Professor of Computer Science.
The panel discussed the evolution and applications of AI; the use of AI in health care; AI’s role in various fields, including urban resilience and materials; and the importance of responsible AI.
Since alumni tend to stay close to campus, Rice faculty and staff were welcomed to a luncheon for employees who are also alumni. This inaugural event was met with a heaping serving of gratitude and memory sharing between people who hold the dual distinction.
The spotlight remained focused on alumni as Association of Rice Alumni (ARA) past president David Mansouri ’07 hosted a live recording of the “Beyond the Hedges” podcast. He was joined by graduate alumni Alec Ajnsztajn ’23, Jeremy Daum ’25 and Dana Vazquez ’24 — co-founders of Coflux Purification. Together, they shared how their entrepreneurial journey took shape during their time at Rice and how it continues to evolve.
The President’s Town Hall brought together alumni for a presentation of the university’s recent successes and trajectory for future growth. ARA board president David Leal ’03 moderated the gathering, which included highlights from President Reginald DesRoches as well as recognition for two Builders Award recipients: Rushi Bhalani ’19 and Will Eldridge ’16 ’17. The Builders Award was established by the ARA in 2005 to honor recent alumni who have made outstanding contributions to Rice since graduation.
The Alumni Run, only in its second year, brought out many Owls from many generations — older alumni, recent alumni and even future Owls who were riding comfortably in strollers.
The run hosts reflected both generational impact and Rice impact as they were led by Tyler Strothman ’25, founder of Houston-based running shoe company Veloci, and Jon Warren ’88, head coach of men’s track and field and 2025 Rice Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. The Veloci truck was stationed on campus for people to try on shoes, highlighting Rice’s ability to create entrepreneurs.
Another display of entrepreneurial spirit was “Building Blocks and Community,” where alumni and children built their own handheld-sized owl with brick kit designer Tim Howell ’92, ’94, a former Lego Masters contestant.
The alumni community market, now in its third year, featured 24 alumni-owned businesses, which was followed by a tailgate and family fest where Owls enjoyed pregame festivities outside Rice Stadium.
The participants then rooted for their alma mater as the football team challenged the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Blazers on the gridiron for a 24-17 win.
To learn more about and get involved with Rice Alumni, visit alumni.rice.edu.