Charles Ping-Hsu Chen

Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business

Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan

Fun Fact About Yourself: Competitive swimmer and rower, currently doing more “land” sports and joined the golf club.

Undergraduate School and Major: New York University: Communications and Mathematics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Uber – Sales Program Manager

What has been your favorite part of Houston so far? Why? The city itself has a lot to discover, especially the food options! With access to the restaurant week, I got to explore different options and have a pocket list to bring friends and families over when they visit.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of the Rice Jones MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Aside from the direct flight between Houston and Taipei, I had the opportunity to talk to several other Taiwanese students who go to Rice and its MBA program. The vast alumni network and potential opportunities across Texas prompted my decision to come to Rice MBA.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Rice Jones? Undoubtedly the Partio the school has been hosting. My girlfriend and I both relocated to Houston. I came for school, and she came for work. Partio is such a great way for our significant others to be included. The slogan, You Belong Here, really resonated with us.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I took advantage of Rice’s deferred enrollment program’s flexibility to work and ultimately got the opportunity to lead a team as a Sales Program Manager, where I gained invaluable experiences to share during lectures and discussions.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Winning the Deloitte Case Competition. I gained experience working with a diverse group of students with various backgrounds (tech, energy, legal, consulting and finance) and implementing the lessons we’ve learned from the curriculum to the actual case.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? Started an un-official tennis club at Rice Business. We invite our friends and families over to play together and mingle. The first meet-up was during August in 110 degrees – biggest mistake ever – but yet the best memory I had!

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Rice Jones MBA program? Be truthful, but (more importantly) ambitious with your application! Rice MBA continuously looks for like-minded individuals who aim to grow. Think carefully about how each decision you make would contribute to your short-term and long-term goals – and what impact you can make along the way either through community services or self-started entrepreneurial projects.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE RICE JONES MBA CLASS OF 2025