Get to Know Alicia

Executive Biography

Alicia Burns-Wright earned her bachelor’s degree from Rice University in 2008 and her law degree from Harvard Law School in 2011. Since November 2023, she has served as competition policy counsel at TikTok. Prior to that, she was part of the competition legal team at Meta, investigated mergers and acquisitions at the Federal Trade Commission, and defended mergers and acquisitions on behalf of her clients at Vinson & Elkins. Burns-Wright lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Thomas Willis (Brown University, Class of 2006), and their dog, Rufus.

What part of serving on the ARA Board are you most excited about?

Learning from our incoming 2026-2027 Board members. I can't wait to work with them and learn about their alumni experiences!

What is your favorite “Only at Rice” memory or story?

Only at Rice can a student build relationships within their major, residential college, work study programs, intramural sports and more. Rice allows long-lasting relationships to build in so many different directions, which is not necessarily the case at other universities.

If you could give one piece of advice to Rice students, what would it be?

Follow your passions wherever they go — the Rice network is there to support you before and after you graduate!