Cathryn Rodd Selman ’78

BA 1978, Rice University
MBA 1982, Harvard Graduate School of Business

Get to Know Cathryn

Executive Bio

Cathryn Rodd Selman ’78 earned her bachelor’s degree from Rice in economics and history and an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business. Rodd Selman’s professional career included sixteen years in domestic and international finance assignments with Exxon Corporation, including five years in Belgium and Hong Kong. She later assumed the position of treasurer, and then controller, of Houston-based Exxon Exploration Company. Her last Exxon role was as Treasurer of Exxon Ventures CIS, Inc., before assuming the position of executive director at Russell Reynolds Associates. She has been active in many alumni volunteer roles, including leading the 1978 class giving efforts over many reunions. She also served on the Friends of Fondren Library Board and the advisory boards of the Chao Center for Asian Studies and Rice Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. Currently, Rodd Selman is a member of the advisory board of the School of Social Sciences and of the Center for Career Development. She is a previous recipient of the Meritorious Service award.

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

I'm looking forward to learning much more about the current strategies and primary goals of the ARA Board at this particular time in Rice's history; I'm also excited about getting to know other alumni (much younger than I am!) who will be my colleagues on the ARA board.

What is your favorite "Only at Rice" story or memory?

It is hard to pick a favorite "Only at Rice" memory! Mine is actually rather broad, but it has to be what life in Jones College was like in the last years before we went co-ed (1980). The closeness among Jones women, who shared a communal bathroom on each floor, and saw each other in our bath robes and "whatever" at lazy breakfasts on the weekends was really remarkable. I will never forget the camaraderie, laughter, and absolute FUN that we shared together -- all made possible because of Rice's residential college system. Many of those same women remain warm friends today, over 40 years later.

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

This is for me an easy "answer" - my single most heartfelt piece of advice to Rice students would be: regardless of your major field/s of study, seek out some elective classes that are in totally different disciplines, and choose them based on the reputation of the Professor! If you're a humanities major, figure out who are the most admired teachers in Social Sciences, pick a class that sounds decent to you, and Take It. If you're an Engineering or Natural Sciences major, figure out which art class or history class other students are raving about, and Take It. You will miss out on one of the most terrific aspects of a Rice education if you confine your studies to your major and related topics. Put another way, you may never again have the opportunity to study _______ taught by a brilliant and exciting college professor - don't miss your chance!