Rice University conferred 270 doctoral degrees during its 113th commencement May 9 at Tudor Fieldhouse. Doctoral candidates along with friends, family and loved ones gathered for the ceremony, which included the awarding of doctoral regalia and dissertation titles, congratulatory remarks, cheers and a few moments to reflect on this milestone.
This celebratory occasion marks the more than 3,000 students who earned a degree from Rice during the 2025-26 school year — the most in the university’s history. This year’s tally denotes a growing university both in terms of the student body as well as faculty, reinforcing a commitment to world-class research, transformative teaching and global impact.
In his address to the newly minted doctors, President Reginald DesRoches congratulated the class on their achievements and challenged them to continue the pursuit of new knowledge and the laudable task of what comes next in their lives.
“Doctoral degrees demand more than intellectual rigor — they require resilience, creativity and grit,” DesRoches said. “In earning yours, you’ve also strengthened your ability to think critically, communicate clearly and lead thoughtfully. These are skills that will serve you wherever your path leads — in academia, industry or beyond. This may be your final degree — or perhaps not. Either way, I encourage you to keep learning, keep questioning and keep challenging yourself.”
Similar sentiments were shared by Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
“I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to today’s graduates, who have worked diligently to balance numerous responsibilities with their academic and research pursuits,” Dittmar said. “Their success has required discipline, focus and endurance beyond what most of us can imagine. Written on the degree that they will receive today are a few key phrases that communicate our vision and values as scholars and as a university: in freedom for research, to sober fearless pursuit of truth, beauty and righteousness and to all high emprise consecrated.”
As those words rang true, the doctoral students expressed their own thoughts about their achievements and how Rice has set the stage for what comes next in their life’s pursuits.
“It’s not just the end of my doctorate but also the end of my entire school career, so it really feels like a special moment,” said Chelsea de Souza, a graduate in musical arts. “[The experience has] been really warm and intimate. The faculty and administration care so much about the students, and I felt like I was held in a warm hug the entire time I was here. It feels great to be graduating from Rice.”
Gabriella Gagliano, who studied applied physics, spoke about her path from a dream deferred due to COVID-19 to the current day where she could celebrate with her closest family and friends.
“This is a culmination of the longest journey that I’ve ever completed in my life and seen to come to fruition,” Gagliano said. “I’m really excited to be able to have the moment to walk across the stage and have commencement because I didn’t have an undergrad graduation [due to] COVID. It was 2020. No commencement. Now, after six years of Ph.D. studies, I can finally walk across the stage and have my graduation for real with my family and my friends.”
She continued narrating the “why” that motivated her and how she has evolved since arriving on campus.
“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,” Gagliano said. “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.”
Earning a doctorate degree is one thing; having the president of the university bestow the hood is a level above the rest, as Camille Little described. She studied electrical and computer engineering, making her a triple Owl in the process.
“Today means absolutely everything to me,” Little said. “I attended Rice for my undergrad, masters and my Ph.D., and so to get the terminal degree from the university that I love and has given me so much is incredibly special. What makes it all the more special is having a close mentor and someone who I really consider family do the honors of hooding me. It just means everything to both me and my entire family.”
Visit the 2026 commencement photo gallery here, and use #RiceGrad26 to tag your photos and posts.