Meet The Rice Business MBA Class Of 2027

New York City. Chicago. Los Angeles.

The Big Apple. The City of Broad Shoulders. Tinseltown.

Each represents a popular image of America. NY symbolizes immigrant hustle and master of the universe command. Chicago is associated with blue collar grit: the muscle that powers the national engine. And Los Angeles is the glitz and glamor, the playground for creatives who shape tastes and trends.

These days, there is a fourth city elbowing into the conversation: Houston. And it comes with its own nicknames.

Space City: Houston is home to the Johnson Space Center, whose mission control, helped land the first man on the moon.

Energy Capital of the World: The region boasts 4,600 energy-related firms ranging from oil and wind to production and transmission.

Mutt City: A nod to the city’s immigrant character, Houston features over 350 nationalities who speak nearly 150 languages – not to mention consular offices from 87 nations.

The metro also headquarters 27 Fortune 500 companies, second only to New York City. Within an hour drive, you’ll find two of the country’s ten largest ports. And Houston’s population continues to explode, as the 10-county metro added 133,000 people from 2024-2025 – more than any other American metro.

PLENTY TO DO JUST MINUTES FROM CAMPUS

In the middle of all this is Rice University: the Southwest’s answer to Columbia University, the University of Chicago, and UCLA. Long known for its demanding academics, personalized attention, and generous financial aid, Rice University is also home to the Jones Graduate School of Business, one of the premier small school MBA experiences. Outside of McNair Hall, Rice MBAs are raving about Houston.

Just a mile from campus is Houston’s famed Museum District, 19 cultural institutions within a 9-square-mile jaunt. Among the highlights, there is the Houston Zoo, Museum of Fine Arts, and Museum of Natural Science. That doesn’t count underrated venues like the Cullen Sculpture Garden, Cockrell Butterfly Sanctuary, and Children’s Museum.

“Houston offers cultural and recreational spaces that help maintain balance,” writes Dyan Utami, a first-year MBA from Indonesia. “The Museum District and local cafes provide calm, inspiring places to reflect, recharge, and connect with friends — making it easy for MBA students, especially international students, to feel at home.”

Utami’s classmate, Emily Smith, points to the area’s “huge parks.” This includes nearby Hermann Park, replete with an outdoor theater, 18-hole golf course, lakeside paddle boating, botanical garden, and shady walking trails. And the cost of living is quite competitive too, Smith adds. On top of that, the city features two airports that provides students with great flexibility, says Kirsi Zhou, a Beijing native with degrees from Columbia University and New York University.

“Houston’s central location is a hidden gem for someone who loves to travel. You’re just a few hours from anywhere in the U.S. or incredible cities in Latin America.”

FOOD FOR EVERY TASTE

For the MBA Class of 2027, Houston’s biggest appeal comes down to two words: Food scene. There is brisket (of course). Tamales too. Let’s not forget the Cajun crawfish. However, it is the city’s “culinary diversity” – a reflection of its wide demographics – that makes all the difference.

“Houston feels like a true crossroads of people, backgrounds and perspectives, all paired with genuine Southern hospitality,” writes Alex Brown, a high school state archery champion.

Parikshit Ambhore, a product development engineer, jokes about returning to a West African spot repeatedly with classmates, but adding he has loved the Italian and Indian cuisine too. Even more, he appreciates how friendly everyone is, particularly to newbies who haven’t sampled the food before. And Chase Holland, an Austin native and civil engineer for the U.S. Government, is equally bullish on Houston’s food scene.

“Houston has the best food out of every place I’ve visited or lived. Any taste or flavor you desire, Houston has it.”

FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO THE PENTHOUSE

Like any diverse hub, Houston is more fusion than framework. You could say the same about Alex Brown, a U.S. Marine Corps Officer who headed up the branch’s Military Police Officer School. Along with holding that role, Brown also spent 18 months in the White House as a military social aide.

“I supported presidential events, state dinners, ceremonies, and diplomatic functions involving senior government officials and foreign dignitaries. The experience required absolute professionalism, discretion, and adaptability in high-visibility environments. It also reinforced the importance of trust, attention to detail, and relationship management under pressure — lessons that continue to shape how I lead today.”

Now, Brown is turning these skills into a potential career in banking, earning an internship in wealth management with JP Morgan Private Bank.

“The recruiting process was intense and required discipline, resilience and constant self-assessment. Coming from a non-traditional background, I am proud of the work it took to translate my military leadership experience into value for the private banking industry.”

NEVER QUIT ATTITUDE

Looking for an unconventional career path? Meet Dyan Utami.  She got her start…in seaweed. She joined a startup, Aquabloom, and rose to become its general manager – despite lacking a background in aquaculture. Let’s just say Utami’s journey, which started on a remote island in Indonesia, involved quite the steep learning curve.

“By my second day, I was on a small motorboat at dawn, checking the farms, guiding local farmers, and learning the craft through trial-and-error. Every morning brought new challenges — unpredictable tides, delicate crops, and the pressure of making every harvest count.”

After a year of “long days” and “hard lessons”, Utami adds, she racked up quite a string of successes too. “I had led a team of agronomists, partnered with 300 local farmers, and helped establish our first trading and operations teams — generating Aquabloom’s initial revenue. I also worked closely with the CEO on strategic decisions, from market entry to product development, learning to balance growth, quality and sustainability.”

Over the past year, Utami has brought that same spirit to the Class of 2027 through building a startup and managing a three-person team. “A former CEO once told me, “You’ll meet many people who are smarter or less smart than Dyan, but it’s rare to meet someone as determined as her.” When I say I’m tired, I can’t help but keep going anyway. In the first two months of my MBA, I pitched my business idea to 21 CEOs, 2 venture builders and interviewed 60 targeted customers and stakeholders. I just keep knocking on doors. I’m currently building my own venture, Brave Buddy, to help cancer patients access earlier, more seamless diagnosis.”

EXXON & CHEVRON REPRESENTED

Utami isn’t the only entrepreneurial-minded student in the class. Miles Moscariello, a Houston native and UH grad, purchased and managed a 26-unit multifamily property when he was just 21. In the process, he oversaw everything from leasing to budgeting. At the same time, Moscariello became a limited partner in several property deals.

“This exposure allowed me to learn from different ownership structures and strategies, while seeing how decisions impact investors at scale. Together, these experiences shaped my long-term commitment to real estate and value creation.”

True to form, the class also contains its share of energy professionals. At ExxonMobil, Emily Smith worked as a business planner, who chaired the company’s Women’s Interest Network and managed 150 volunteers as part of its Women’s Annual Volunteer Event. Ivan Tapia earned his undergraduate degree at Rice before moving on to Chevron as a competitive performance advisor.

“I helped redesign a cross-functional performance framework spanning more than 70 cost, time, and production efficiency initiatives. By translating complex operational data into clear financial models and confidence-based outlooks, I embedded over $700M in savings into five-year business plans. More importantly, the work changed decision-making behavior, giving leadership the clarity to continue operating assets that were previously assumed to be uneconomic.”

ADDING TO THE CASE COMPETITION TROPHY CASE

Some class members also staked their careers on giving back. At the Houston Food Bank, Kathryn Caudell applied data analytics techniques to measure food insecurity and health risks across various Houston neighborhoods. Along with teaching over 600 orphans at an NGO, Parikshit Ambhore helped a large health system reform its denials process.

“The real challenge was digging into the data and speaking with stakeholders to understand why systemic issues were happening. By identifying those root causes, I helped design a roadmap of improvements that projected $9.6 million in accelerated cash flow and a $3 million reduction in annual denials.”

Since arriving on campus, the Class of 2027 has made some impressive memories. Aya Rawashdeh, a Forbes 30-Under-30 Scholar who speaks four languages, claimed 1st place in the Rice Business Speech Competition, with her case team finishing 3rd in the Deloitte Case Competition. By the same token, Kathryn Caudell’s team won the Leadership ILE Competition, while Ivan Tapia’s teams reached the finals in several competitions.

“The process is always intense (often compressed into three-to-four days with minimal sleep), but incredibly rewarding,” Tapia tells P&Q. “Working alongside three teammates to process large amounts of data and come up with a cohesive strategy, deliver a polished slide deck, and present under pressure reinforced how much a small, aligned team can accomplish in a short time.”

REALIZING YOU BELONG

For others, it was in those quiet moments where classmates jelled. Alexis Allen, an Accenture tech consultant, reminisces about how camaraderie was built over “late-night whiteboard study sessions and handwriting finance and accounting equations we could’ve done in Excel.” That same dynamic happened for Kirsi Zhou over “3 a.m. study sessions in Fondren Library” and drinks at Valhalla, Rice’s graduate student bar.

“What makes these memories special isn’t just the fun moments, but the genuine support behind them,” Zhou continues. “I’ve found that Rice Business attracts people who show up authentically — not just as classmates, but as real friends. These aren’t just networking contacts or study group members; they’re people who will text you at midnight to review your case prep, who celebrate your wins like their own, and who remind you why you’re doing this.”

If anything, adds Dyan Utami, these early experiences instilled a confidence that the first-year class belonged in business school.

“In my first semester, I questioned myself constantly: “Is this the right time? Should I participate?”, Zhou admits. “One of the best pieces of advice I received from a second-year student was simple: Say yes first, and then decide. By showing up and exploring opportunities, even when unsure, I’ve discovered so many experiences I wouldn’t have otherwise. Saying YES has opened doors to growth, learning and connections I will always value.”

A CLASS PROFILE

In total, the Class of 2027 consists of 137 first-year MBAs. Breaking the class down further, 34% are women and 30% are underrepresented American minorities. Another 34% of the class hail from overseas, with 31 countries represented overall in the class.

In terms of testing, the median GMAT came in a 700. 31% of the class also submitted a GRE score, where the median was 161 (Quant) and 160 (Verbal). The school also reports the median undergraduate GPA to be 3.47.

Academically, 41% of the class majored in Business or Economics as undergraduates. Another 41% hold STEM-related degrees, with Liberal Arts (18%) rounding out the rest of the class. Professionally, the largest segment of the class – 19% – last worked in Financial Services. Energy and Sustainability (14%), Technology (12%), and Healthcare (11%) each cracked double-digits. Consultants account for 7% of class seats, with the class also including representatives from the following industries: Nonprofit and Government, Manufacturing, Entrepreneurship, Legal, Real Estate, Engineering, Construction, Architecture, Agriculture, Automotive, Aviation, Consumer Packaged Goods, Marketing and Advertising, Education, and Chemicals.

PERSONALIZED ATTENTION & GENEROUS AID  

Class size has certainly been a perk for the Class of 2027. According to the school, 95% of MBA students receive financial aid, with the average size being $40,000 – a generous proposition that would not be possible in a larger program. Even more, the school boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio, which ensures more personalized attention from faculty. These advantages were among the reasons that drew Ivan Tapia back to Owl country.

“During my undergraduate years, I experienced how accessible and invested Rice professors are, and I wanted that same level of engagement in my MBA. At Rice Business, that closeness fosters deeper classroom dialogue, personalized feedback, and meaningful mentorship that extends well beyond academics. For me, that environment was critical to continued professional growth and long-term leadership development.”

Kirsi Zhou echoes similar sentiments. “With only 130-150 students in each class, I knew I could quickly build meaningful relationships with everyone. Coming from a corporate environment where I often felt like a number, I wanted to be part of a tight-knit community where everyone would know my name, my story, and my ambitions. That close bond has been incredible — it creates an environment where we genuinely support each other’s success, whether that’s prepping for schoolwork, workshopping business ideas, or just being there during the intense recruiting season.”

Next Page: An interview with outgoing Dean Peter Rodriguez

Page 3: Profiles of 12 Members of the MBA Class of 2027

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