Dear fellow Owls,
As my term as president of the Association of Rice Alumni (ARA) comes to a close, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on what an honor it has been to serve this extraordinary community. Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with alumni across generations and around the globe. Every interaction has reinforced what makes Rice so special: a shared commitment to excellence, to one another and to making a meaningful impact in the world.
This year has been one of remarkable engagement. Thanks to the incredible work of the Office of Alumni Relations, more than 250 alumni events took place around the world, bringing Owls together in cities near and far. From regional gatherings and affinity group programming to lifelong learning opportunities and signature campus traditions, these moments of connection continue to strengthen and grow our global Rice network.
We also celebrated one of the university’s most meaningful traditions at the Laureates Awards this past May, recognizing alumni whose achievements and service embody the very best of Rice. It was inspiring to come together as a community to honor their accomplishments and to be reminded of the many ways Rice alumni are shaping industries, advancing knowledge and giving back. If you know an Owl whose achievements deserve to be recognized, I encourage you to submit a nomination for next year’s Laureates Awards by September 30. It’s a meaningful way to celebrate the impact of our community.
Another area of real momentum this year has been our support for students and recent graduates. I’m especially proud that externship opportunities increased significantly this spring, thanks to the generosity of alumni who shared their time and expertise. These experiences open doors, build confidence and help the next generation of Owls navigate their paths with greater clarity, offering an incredible example of our alumni community in action. I encourage you to learn more about hosting externships.
We also saw that spirit of connection during Alumni Weekend last fall, as thousands of Owls returned to campus to reconnect, learn and celebrate all that makes Rice unique. I hope you will mark your calendars now for the next Alumni Weekend, November 12-15, 2026, for another opportunity to come back to campus and be part of that energy.
None of this would be possible without the dedication of the ARA Board. I am deeply grateful to this talented and committed group of volunteers, whose leadership and insight helped expand opportunities for engagement and strengthen connections across our community.
Of course, the true strength of the Rice alumni network lies not just in programs or milestones, but in each of you. Whether you attended an event, mentored a student, hosted an extern or supported Rice in other meaningful ways, you have helped make this community stronger. Thank you.
As I pass the baton, I am thrilled to welcome Alicia Burns-Wright as the next president of the ARA. Alicia is a leader among our Washington, DC-area alumni, and I know she will bring tremendous energy and thoughtful insights to this role. I am excited to see all that she and the ARA Board will accomplish.
Serving as your ARA president has been one of the greatest honors of my Rice journey. While this chapter comes to a close, I look forward to staying engaged as a proud and active member of this community.
Go Owls,
David Leal ’03
Outgoing President, Association of Rice Alumni
To my fellow Owls,
I am extremely honored to serve as your Association of Rice Alumni (ARA) president this coming year. When I think back to how challenging my first semester on campus was, it’s humbling to be in this position more than 20 years later. There were times that I felt like a failure, but I was so fortunate to find support in many places: the Black Student Association, which gave me a community that felt like home; Bridget Gorman, my college associate at Jones College and now dean of undergraduates, with whom I continue to enjoy working; and my fellow work-study friends, some of whom no doubt had similar experiences during their first months on campus. I have thought about the support I received in those moments many times in the years since graduating.
If I could feel as lost as I did in my first year, I can only imagine how much steeper that climb is for students with even less of a financial cushion than I had, or for those without parents, guardians or close family members who attended college themselves. Such different experiences can lead to different perspectives as alumni, and a priority I will carry throughout this year is listening to and better serving our first-generation and/or low-income alumni, many of whom are recent graduates.
I envision this focus on alumni who were first-generation and/or low-income students going hand in hand with Rice’s efforts to support current first-generation and/or low-income students. In many ways, it is also a continuation of the impressive work of past ARA President David Leal ’03. David has long valued and fostered a diversity of perspectives as we strive to serve all Rice alumni. In particular, his work to better include our most recent alumni in the board’s efforts will complement this focus well.
I am also excited to welcome the newest members of our board: LaKeisha Batts ’02, Carlin Cherry ’19, Shar Caesar Douglas ’07, Travis Johnson ’03, Chloe Oani ’21, Kate Pagel ’05 and Jim Pyke ’97. They will be joined by alumni trustee Akilah Mance ’05. I look forward to seeing how their service on the board will help it better serve all alumni. I also look forward to working closely with my friend Andrew Lin ’02, who was recently selected as ARA president-elect.
Words cannot express how excited I am for the year ahead. I hope you will join me in continuing to make the ARA an organization where every alum feels the same sense of belonging that carried so many of us through our time at Rice.
Ever an Owl,
Alicia Burns-Wright ’08
Incoming President, Association of Rice Alumni
