Amy Byers Dittmar

Thanks to Rice Provost @adittmar for joining us for our Commencement ceremony prior to the opener with Tulane. #RiceGuys x #GoOwls 👐

It’s a great time to be an Owl. 👐Congratulations!

Rice baseball players received their undergraduate degrees at Reckling Park. They missed commencement while on the road competing, so we hosted a special ceremony for them. Proud to celebrate this milestone with our players on their home turf and excited for their futures! ⚾🎓

Rice and San Jacinto College have renewed our partnership to expand access to four-year degrees. Together, we’re breaking barriers for first-generation, low-income and historically excluded students. Proud of our progress and excited for what’s ahead.

Provost Amy Dittmar and I enjoyed our conversation this afternoon with @RiceUniversity commencement speaker @JohnGreen, an internationally renowned author and educator. Our residential college presidents had lunch with John and a group of undergraduates majoring in creative writing had an intimate conversation about his writing process. I’m looking forward to what will undoubtedly be an inspiring speech this evening at our 113th Undergraduate Commencement and am appreciative of the attention and care John has given us during his visit to our beautiful campus. #RiceGrads2026

Rice’s MBA graduates were inspired today by keynote speaker Robert Gaudette, president and CEO of @nrgenergy at their commencement ceremony in Tudor Fieldhouse. Speaking to a packed audience, he challenged our graduates to use their knowledge, leadership and perspective to drive meaningful impact and serve the greater good. Thank you, Rob, for joining us to celebrate this milestone and for inspiring the Class of 2026. #RiceGrads2026 #RiceBusiness

Business: Mastered🎓 As Dean Rodriguez said in his commencement address, “May we forever be connected to the memories made thus far and the many, many more to come.” Congratulations to our Rice MBA Class of 2026! We're so proud to welcome you to our alumni family. #RiceGrad2026

📈 Rice is expanding its faculty, growing student enrollment and investing in research and innovation — scaling its impact while staying true to the personalized education that defines the university. More on our growth: bit.ly/4tWPATN

Congratulations to Rice Speech and Debate for another successful season. The team finished with a National Champion Speaker, second in the Nation in debate, 40 awards, and a hard-won seventh place in the nation in speech. #RiceUniversity #SpeechandDebate

Senior Spotlight 🎓 Meet Alex Cantin, a graduating senior from Rice’s Virani Undergraduate School of Business who is heading to McKinsey & Co. as a consultant. From discovering his passion for entrepreneurship to preparing for a career in advising companies and other organizations, he made the most of the opportunities around him — connecting with alumni, collaborating with peers and learning directly from world-class faculty. Congratulations, Alex — we’re proud of you and excited for what’s ahead. #RiceGrad2026

One of my favorite events of the year, and a true gem of the campus’ innovative spirit, is the Huff OEDK Engineering Design Showcase. Year after the year, the event keeps getting bigger, bringing together nearly 400 students across 75 teams to share bold, creative solutions — from lifesaving medical devices to sustainable energy systems and robotics. This is what hands-on learning looks like at our university and where ideas become impact. #RiceEngineering #OEDK #StudentInnovation

We celebrated David Tenney’s remarkable career at Rice last week by remembering his more than 21 years as registrar and the way he has helped shape our academic programs, supported generations of students and strengthened the our university. We are grateful for his service.

Rice is exploring the future of space in a new way. Our Space Humanities Initiative brings together scholars to examine the ethics, language and responsibility shaping human life beyond Earth — building on our legacy, including John F. Kennedy’s 1962 moon speech on campus.

At Rice’s first Digital Learning Symposium, we focused on a critical idea: Human-Centered Intelligence. Not AI for the sake of technology, but AI in service of learning, discovery and human potential. I’m inspired by the creativity and commitment of our faculty and staff.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: During their time as an undergraduate at Rice, Hazel Landers forged a unique trail along an interdisciplinary path spurred by her professors and peers. Through research projects bridging German studies and music history, Hazel has examined how music reflects and shapes human relationships with the natural world – a fascinating topic. Learn more about Hazel here: bit.ly/4t5QY54🦉

For more than four decades, the @RiceKinderInst has tracked how life is changing across the region. This year’s findings highlight shifting perspectives on economic opportunity, growing concerns about extreme weather and the importance of social connection bit.ly/3QuST5L

It’s an honor to be part of such important and impactful work.

Congratulations - #GoOwls

🌎🚀 Rice research, real-world impact: helping bring astronauts safely back to Earth and powering Orion’s successful return. #RiceResearchFriday bit.ly/4vBxR5e

Senior Spotlight 🦉 Pankti Mehta is combining computer science and medicine to tackle real clinical challenges — including developing tools to better assess tremors in patients with Parkinson's disease. This is Rice in action. Learn more about Pankti: bit.ly/4siKpf1 #RiceUniversity #SeniorSpotlight