Meet The Rice Jones MBA Class Of 2024

Another unique feature of the Rice entrepreneurial experience is the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, popularly known as The Lilie Lab. Think of it as a space for trial-and-error, to test ideas and stretch possibilities. The lab offers coursework and competitions, along with serving as a place for MBAs to connect with mentors and subject matter experts who can connect them to the larger Houston startup ecosystem. The same can be said for the OwlSpark Accelerator Program. Modeled off Tech Stars, OwlSpark enables MBAs to build their startups over the summer. In Houston proper, Rice has just opened The Ion, a 266,000 square foot startup hub inspired by Chicago’s legendary 1871 innovation space. Such assets are designed to get students into the game quickly and explore their interests, whether that is starting a venture or investing in one.

“We’re not just about the theory of entrepreneurship, but it’s entrepreneurship applied in real-time,” says Kyle Judah, the executive director of the Liu Lab, in a 2022 interview with P&Q. Entrepreneurship is a contact sport. You can’t learn about it just by viewing it from the sidelines. You’ve got to get your hands dirty and learn by doing.”

VALUE BEYOND STARTING A BUSINESS

Adrienne Miller hopes to transition into tech venture capital. For her, the Rice MBA’s entrepreneurship programming gives her real-world experience while exposing her to the best of both worlds: innovative thinking and business operations.

“This summer, I have an internship in operations for a winery where I plan to focus in innovation,” Miller tells P&Q. “Rice gives me the opportunities to explore my interests through strong VC ties; the Ignite Trek, courses such as New Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Strategy; programming through the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; and the networks of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. By joining clubs such as Entrepreneurship Association and Private Equity & Venture Capital Club, I also learn, grow and recruit with my peers. I appreciate learning about startup culture, having opportunities to get funding for an entrepreneurial endeavor and learning about new ventures!”

After launching his own medical practice, Ryan Flick quickly learned that he had much to learn about running the business portion. “Rice Business is highly-ranked in entrepreneurial studies for a reason – every class is designed with unique insights into how information is best harnessed to draw conclusions and make successful operating and strategic decisions. And Rice Business doesn’t wait to get started either – there is a strategy class embedded in the Launch Program curriculum that frames your progress through the start of the semester and gives you direct insight into implementing a proper business strategy.”

A SEAT AT THE TABLE

Another popular way the Class of 2024 has gained experience is through the Rice Board Fellows program. Lasting a year, the program pairs MBAs with a local Houston nonprofit board. Not only do students apply what they learn early in the program, but they can also make an impact in the community. While Amy Tanguay has remained a non-voting board member, she relishes pursuing a mission with “fantastic” people around her.

“My board is Plant It Forward, an urban farming that assists refugees in starting up their own farming business. Getting involved with a totally different kind of nonprofit than I’ve worked with before is great. Obviously, I’m a business school to build a new career in HR. But, getting access to new ways to serve my community is so valuable to me. The wide-ranging ways to put your talents and skills to work for other people is a big part of why I’m glad I chose Rice.”

A CLASS PROFILE

By the numbers, the Rice MBA experienced a 13.3% increase in applications during the 2021-2022 cycle. Overall, the Class of 2024 features 160 students. They bring a 702 average GMAT to Houston, with scores ranging from 683-740 in the 50th percentile. At the same time, 38% of the class submitted GRE scores, where the average hit 160.3 (Quant) and 156.3 (Verbal). On average, the class undergraduate GPA was 3.43. Women make up 39% of the class, with international students comprising 42%. As a whole, there are 21 countries represented in the class.

Academically, Jones historically accepts a larger share of STEM majors than other business schools. This year, 53% of the class hold degrees in hard sciences, engineering, and math-related fields, down two points from the previous class. Business and Economics majors hold a 40% share of the class, with the remainder (7%) rounded out by the Liberal Arts. In terms of experience, there are five professions with a double-digit share: Healthcare and Biotech (13%), Financial Services (11%), Technology (11%), Consulting (10%), and Energy (10%). As a whole, the class averages 5.4 years of work experience.

Bigger picture, Rice Jones also brings serious advantages to prospective applicants. The larger university ranks among the 15-best in the United States according to U.S. News. Even more, Rice’s new online MBA program reached 12th in P&Q’s most recent ranking (with a new hybrid program starting this summer). Rankings-wise, the program has been surging in recent years. In the Financial Times Global Ranking, the Rice MBA climbed from 47th to 29th, a number made all the more impressive when you consider it ranked 57th just three years ago. In addition, it also sneaked up from 27th to 24th in this year’s U.S. News Business School Ranking. When it comes to student and alumni satisfaction, the school ranked in the Top 10 for Classroom Experience, Administration, and Resources for Minorities according to The Princeton Review’s 2023 survey. That doesn’t count placing in the Top 5 for Finance and Consulting programming in the same satisfaction survey.

A Q&A WITH RICE MBA LEADERS

This spring, P&Q also reached out to Rice MBA leadership to learn about the latest developments and other popular facets of the program. Here are some thoughts from Adam Herman, Executive Director, Office of Academic Programs and Student Experience, and Jess Krom, Associate Director, Recruiting and Admissions.

P&Q: What are the two most exciting developments at your program in the past year and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

Herman: “One “new” instance of something from pre-pandemic days was the much-celebrated return to global travel. In 2021-22, Rice MBA students completed their immersive trips to Panama, Costa Rica, Spain, Chile, Portugal, and Spain in person as part of the required Global Field Experience and elective global offsite courses.

Aside from that, Rice joined a partnership with Columbia University’s law school, which give Rice MBA students the chance to spend a semester “abroad” in New York City. We have one student involved this year, and he’s the only MBA of all the students from different graduate schools. They take a seminar on structural change and engage with organizations about law, technology and business. Students also have a hands-on lab course in diversity, equity and inclusion.”

P&Q: If you were giving a campus tour, what is the first place you’d take an MBA applicant? Why is that so important to the MBA experience?

Krom: “We always meet in McNair Hall first, the home of the business school. And then we take them to the AFC (Anderson Family Commons), where students have meals and meetings, and Woodson Courtyard, where we host Partios. These are the anchoring points, in my mind, of the You Belong Here experience. So much engagement happens in these areas and that really creates the strong sense of community that our program is known for.”

P&Q: What is the most innovative thing you have introduced into the MBA program in recent years? How has it been a game-changer for your program?

Krom: “The entrepreneurship culture is a central element of our identity. A lot of applicants tell us they first learned about Rice because of our No. 1 ranking in entrepreneurship. As we grow this ecosystem at the school and university level, so does Houston. At Rice, we have the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which has courses for MBAs like New Enterprises and Financing the Startup Venture. But they also have programming and mentoring for all Rice students, alums and even faculty. We also have the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, which hosts the largest and richest graduate business plan competition. The university recently appointed VP of Innovation, which shows how we value the entrepreneurial mindset.”

P&Q: What have MBAs told you is the most memorable, signature experience they’ve had in your program? Why did it resonate so much with them?

Herman: “The weekly Partio (“party on the patio”) is our signature experience, without question. It’s got a community-building through-line that spans the entire two years of Rice’s MBA program. Partios may have a cultural theme (Diwali, for example) or just celebrate the season (Fall Fest). They happen on Thursday nights, and everyone is invited to wind down, meet someone new, see your teammates, or catch up with your favorite professor and the dean. Partio resonates with students because it’s simple – good food, beverages and community. Students, staff, faculty, alumni, recruiters … everyone is invited to mark the end of another week of MBA life and to be grateful for this Rice Business family.”

P&Q: Where are some of your students’ favorite hangouts? What do they do and why do they gravitate there?

Herman: “Audrey’s is the popular coffee house hangout in McNair Hall. It’s modern, bright and busy and has the best coffees — and chocolate croissants — on campus. It’s open to anyone from Rice or the neighborhood, and there’s indoor and outdoor space to spread out, put in your AirPods to work, or catch up with friends. We see a lot of professors, alumni and even recruiters in there too.

Night time grad student mingling happens at Valhalla, the on-campus pub. You get to meet classmates and also engineers, musicians, architects, mathematicians and social scientists. It’s staffed by graduate students and alumni. And if you’re thinking of wearing a tie? Beware, it might get cut off!

Also, we’re blocks away from restaurants, bars and cafes in Rice Village. Sixty Vines for a glass of wine, Hamsa for hummus or salatim, Cyclone Anaya’s for fajitas or tamales, or Badolina for epic baked goods and a cup of coffee. Many students live in “the village” and walk to these nearby spots.”

P&Q: How does the MBA program leverage the resources of the large university? How does that create more opportunities for your students?

Herman: “For a small business school on a small campus in a big city, Rice MBAs have so much to immerse themselves in. Along with Division I sports that are free with a student ID, you have the rec center right across the street to work out, play pickup basketball, or take yoga classes. The list is long from there: Shepherd School of Music, Moody Center for the Arts, Baker Institute, the #1 think tank has lectures and events. Students also take advantage of the Ion, which is an entrepreneurial hub owned by Rice in a converted Sears Building in the innovation district in Midtown. It has a Common Desk, Chevron Technology Ventures and Microsoft offices, and many other organizations all under one roof. We also have partnerships with the Texas Medical Center, just across the street, where students can participate in hands-on business courses and collaborations with Houston Methodist Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center.

P&Q: What is your MBA program’s ‘secret weapon’ – the aspect of your programming that differentiates you from other business schools?

Herman: “Our school is big enough to have over 30 student organizations and clubs, and small enough for events and initiatives to make a big difference in the lives of our students. The ‘secret weapon’ is that students lead much of that programming: Adam Smith Society’s case competition, wine tasting, flag football, volunteer days and student conferences. Rice is home to three student-led, well attended, impactful events each year: The Rice Energy Finance Summit in November, the Women in Leadership Conference in February, and the Veterans Business Battle in April.

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Zach Creamer	Houston, TX	Texas A&M University	Deloitte Consulting
Ryan Flick	Freeport, PA	Gannon University	Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital
Jahnavi Gudi	Troy, MI	Oakland University	Ernst & Young
Jocelyn Gutiérrez	Sacramento, CA	University of California, Santa Barbara	California Department of Health Care Services
Tareck Haykal	Houston, TX	Rice University	Underbelly
Sanober Hussain	Hyderabad, India	Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University	Interior Design Consultant
Adrienne Miller	Houston, TX	Davidson College	ALSAC/ St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Kalyn Speck	Houston, TX	Texas A&M University	Rice University
Amy Tanguay	Sugar Land, TX	Southwestern University	BMC Software
Isha Vaishampayan	Lake in the Hills, IL	Northern Illinois University	Health-Pro Heritage
Aquib S. Yacoob	Queens, NY	Colby College	Women’s March

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