112th Commencement occurs during ‘period of uncertainty’
The graduating class of 2025 passed under the Sallyport before convening in the football stadium for Rice’s 112th Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 10.
Bridget Gorman, dean of undergraduates called for a brief moment of silence prior to the ceremony for Ryan Dullea, a Jones College student who died in 2022 and was a member of the class of 2025.
Robert Ladd, chairman of Rice’s Board of Trustees, opened the ceremony by acknowledging faculty and staff.
“I'd also like to thank our staff, faculty, deans and our leadership team for another year of accomplishment as we strive for excellence at Rice University,” Ladd said. “We are thankful for their work that they are doing in what we would call a more stressful and abnormal time in Higher Education.”
Ladd also proffered three pieces of advice to graduating students.
“One, you’re well prepared. As I visit with many of our alumni, the one common thing I hear is how hard Rice was and how well prepared they were in their careers,” Ladd said. “Second, stay connected, find ways to stay engaged with the university… Third, remember those less fortunate than we at Rice.”
Next on stage was Brown College senior Kelsea Whiting, delivering the undergraduate student address. Whiting, a cheer captain and first-generation college student, touched upon themes of community and adaptability that she said stood out from her college experience. After graduating from Rice, Whiting will attend law school at Belmont University on a full ride scholarship.
“Embracing the unexpected is a lot easier when you’re surrounded by dynamic individuals who make you feel at home,” Whiting said. “Let’s go make the world a little brighter, a little kinder, and a lot more like Rice.”
President Reggie DesRoches spoke after Whiting, focusing on Rice’s resilience during challenges from Covid to the Trump administration.
“The world you're stepping into feels fast, moving and unpredictable, socially, politically, economically and technologically," DesRoches said to the graduating students. “But here’s what I want you to know. Rice graduates, you are more ready than you realize. The uncertainties you faced at Rice didn’t break you, they made you into more adaptable, more resilient and more responsible individuals.”
DesRoches also emphasized Rice’s mission to provide unparalleled education and research opportunities, which build their foundations upon diversity.
“Fulfilling that mission requires an unwavering commitment to academic freedom,” DesRoches said. “We also continue to uphold our values of excellence and diversity. Our programs seek individuals with a great variety of interests, talents, leadership, abilities and life experiences, which may arise from but are not limited to differences in race, gender ideology, politics, ability, geography and special talents.”
DesRoches concluded by asserting the strength of the graduating class.
“Despite the challenges and headwinds that you may hear about in higher education, I firmly believe that our universities, and in particular our university Rice, has never been stronger,” DesRoches said. “All of our graduates, you are better prepared than any before you to face uncertainty and the exciting opportunities ahead.”
The commencement speaker’s address was delivered by Huda Zoghbi, an internationally recognized neurogeneticist and trailblazer in the field of neurological disorders. In her speech, Zoghbi spoke about the lessons that higher education taught her.
“Each critical juncture in my life involved people who acted selflessly for a higher purpose,” Zoghbi continued. “Their only expectation was that I would eventually pay it forward. This is the beauty of academia. It is a gift economy, not a market economy.”
Concluding her speech, Zoghbi called on students to reflect upon those who supported them through their academic career, and to prioritize such relationships.
“Choose friends and loved ones who will help you become stronger in character, gentler in spirit, and truer to our best self,” Zoghbi said. “Step by step, hour by hour, we can each make the world a slightly better place. May your future be filled with joy and fulfillment.”
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