Office of Belonging and Engagement
The Office of Belonging and Engagement
We seek to foster positive, productive collaboration among all members of our Rice Business community—students, faculty, staff, alumni and other stakeholders. By ensuring that every member of the community feels welcomed, valued and respected, our efforts will create and sustain a community well-versed and equipped with competencies and resources necessary to succeed in a world that recognizes and embraces our individual and collective uniqueness.
We intentionally create a tight-knit, collaborative culture at Rice Business where we respect and value our differences, leveraging them as sources of strength and innovation — on campus — and in the business world.
Women's Preview Weekend
This recruiting event is a great way to meet current students, faculty, staff and alumni and to learn more about what Rice Business has to offer.
Sparking Success Conference
Held every October, the Sparking Success Conference is designed to provide a forum for awareness, dialogue and skill-building around issues of belonging as it relates to the business world.
About Our Culture
We’re a collaborative, selective business school with a unique learning culture. Our tight-knit community means you’ll know your classmates and professors by name, all while being in the same building.
Student Associations
Several student clubs and organizations exist to help the Rice Business community to share, explore career opportunities and support long-term relationships.
In the military, you learn how to handle high-pressure situations and make decisions quickly. (...) In business, leadership is about influence, not authority. I’ve also found that my ability to handle pressure has been a huge asset.
Cory Bryant
Full-Time MBA, Class of 2026 and US Air Force veteran
RICE BUSINESS PODCAST: OWL HAVE YOU KNOW
During their time at Rice Business, Mike Tatz ’14 and Corban Bates ’15 saw an opportunity to connect veterans with capital and the network needed to start a business. As veterans themselves, they understood how important it is to have the right connections and platform to pitch an idea. With that, the Veterans Business Battle was born.
Mike and Corban join co-host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about how their time at West Point shaped them, what brought them to Rice Business and the impact the Veterans Business Battle has had over the past decade.
The Rice Business Student Experience
Resources
These learning and discovery resources are meant to spark thought, reflection and self-education.
Houston Impact Series:
The Houston Impact Series highlights influential leaders who are positively influencing the Houston Community. Previous speakers include:
- Fall 2025 - Arianne Dowdell, vice president, chief culture & engagement officer, Houston Methodist, Prashant Kale
Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Rice Business - Spring 2025 - Norma Torres Mendoza, Senior Director, EY-Parthenon, Danika Brown, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Center for Civic Leadership, Rice University
Fireside Chat Series:
Exemplary Stories of corporate initiatives. Held in fall and spring semesters. Previous speakers include:
- Fall 2024 - Richa Bansal, founder and executive career coach at Pinkcareers, Jessica Campbell, executive director of the Career Development Office at Rice Business
- Spring 2024 - Janis Burke, chief executive officer for the Harris County - Houston Sports Authority, Dr. Anthea Zhang, Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Chair Professor of Strategy at Rice Business
- Fall 2023 - Julian Duncan, chief marketing officer for the Houston Rockets, Dr. Connie Porter, senior associate dean and associate clinical professor of marketing
- Spring 2023 - Jerry Guerrero, director, diversity, equity and inclusion, Roku, Brad Burke, managing director, Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
- Fall 2022 - David Enrique Ruiz, senior vice president, community relations manager, Bank of America, Dean Peter Rodriguez, Rice Business Dean and Professor of Strategic Management
- Spring 2022 - Janet Pope, vice president, corporate social responsibility, North America, CapGemini Dr. Doug Schuler, associate professor of business and public policy, Jones Graduate School of Business
Annual Conference
Sparking Success: A forum for awareness, dialogue and skill-building around issues of culture, belonging and engagement in the business world. Learn more
Beyond BUSI
Beyond BUSI is a series of quarterly programs for undergraduate students centered around three core values: community building, resource sharing and development. The events foster opportunities for connection, provide undergraduates with exposure and access to Rice Business resources, and create opportunities for personal growth and professional development.
Scholar Talk
The Rice Business Office of Belonging and Engagement hosts Scholar Talk, programming for doctoral students, to help foster interdisciplinary collaboration and connections among students as they navigate their doctoral journey. The programs change throughout the year, covering topics like positionality and community building.
Continuing the Conversation Workshop
Rice Business is dedicated to making academic experiences inclusive and forward thinking. We’re proud to support staff through learning opportunities. Previous topics include:
- Disability & Accessibility
- Gender
- Race, Allyship, and Inclusion
- Learnings and Looking Ahead
EmpowerHer
EmpowerHer is an annual community building event for women at Rice Business. The event invites undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff to connect, engage in thoughtful table topic conversation, share their experiences and resources, and grow in community with one another.
- Fall 2025 - Arianne Dowdell, vice president, chief culture & engagement officer, Houston Methodist, Prashant Kale
Premier Teaching
- The Virani Undergraduate School of Business
- Faculty Research
- Global Programs and Experiential Learning
Build Thriving Urban Communities
Generate Sustainable Futures
- Rice Business Energy Case Competition
- Rice Energy Finance Summit
- How Rice MBAs Are Leading the Energy Transition
- Decision Making in Energy Markets
Lead Innovations in Health
Responsible Artificial Intelligence
Campus Resources
- Access @ Rice
- Baker Institute for Public Policy
- Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality
- Disability Resource Center
- Fondren Library- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Titles
- Kinder Institute for Urban Research
- Military MBA
- Office of International Students and Scholars
- Office of Multicultural Affairs
- Student Health Services
- The SAFE Office
- Wellbeing and Counseling Center
- Women at Rice Business
Intergenerational Considerations
- How to Manage a Multi Generational Team
Harvard Business Review - What is an Intergenerational Workplace?
Inclusive Employers - Gen Z: The Workers Who Want It All
BBC - How to Manage Millennials in the Workplace
Business News Daily
Culture
- What Rubi's Quinceañera Can Teach The U.S. About Latinos
Rice Business Wisdom - The Impact of Culture In the Workplace
Forbes
Disability
- Digital Accessibility: Accessible Documents
Rice University - Accessibility & Inclusion For All (3 min video)
World Economics Forum - Accessible design means better design
McKinsey & Co
First Generation Professionals
- How Does Your Company Support ‘First-Generation Professionals”?
Harvard Business Review - Understanding the Needs of First-Generation Professionals
National Career Development Association
Gender and LGBTQ+
- Houston is a top city for women in tech. Gender equity will make it better.
Kinder Institute for Urban Research - About 5% of young adults in the U.S. say their gender is different from their sex assigned at birth
Pew Research Center. - How to make workplace more equitable for trans people
NPR - Should Women Apply for the MBA Differently Than Men?
Poets & Quants - Women and Business School 2022 (Infographic)
Graduate Management Admission Council
Global Perspectives
- Do Your Global Teams See DEI as an American Issue?
Harvard Business Review - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in International Business: Dimensions and Challenges
Academy of International Business
Military and Veterans
- How to Manage a Multi Generational Team
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