TheGatewayProgramisoneofthe12 endowmentsprovidedbytheMoody Foundationfund Thisfundallows programmingtoexpand,withtheoverall goalofensuringthateveryRicestudent hasaccesstoadeeplyenriching extracurricularexperience theMoody Experience forgenerationstocome.We lookforwardtoservingmoreoftheSocial Sciencesundergraduatecommunity!
Students majoring in the social sciences often have the question, “What am I going to do with my degree?” Rice University students have an answer to this question in the form of the Gateway Program offered by the School of Social Sciences.
Mission:
The Gateway Program provides experiential and co-curricular opportunities for Social Sciences undergraduates to apply what they learn in the classroom to real life. Our internships and practica, research, international programs, and events are designed to lead our majors to a thoughtful path to career development and selfdiscovery. Thus, prior to graduation, social sciences students have an idea what it takes to build networks and become leaders in academia and the workforce.
Values:
Experiential Education leading to student self-discovery and thoughtful career development.
Networking and relationship building that begins with Social Sciences faculty, alumni and staff and grows into the greater Rice and global community.
Gaining new knowledge and skills that address critical thinking and problem solving; increasing teamwork and leadership capacity; and growing appreciation for global communities. Building a community that leads to increased community engagement, student success, and a robust social sciences alumni network.
Programming for the Gateway Program falls within three main buckets that allow students to gain diverse experiences and explore various options for post graduation.
Consulting Practicum
In a team-based consulting role, students interact with businesses or non-profit organizations seeking creative solutions to challenges they face.
Provides students with real-world, onsite experience at Houstonarea internships in finance & banking, while enrolled in a semester-long course.
Students engage in an semester-long opportunity with an elected member of the Texas legislature, where they can see up close and in depth how policy is made in Texas
Provides stipends for selected students who identify unique, uncompensated summer internships in the U.S. or abroad to gain first-hand experience working full-time
On a rolling basis, students can apply for $1500 in funding to present a paper or poster at an academic conference.
Provides an immersive and enriching opportunity for students to explore diverse cultures and conduct fieldwork in international settings.
Monthly panels introduce students to experienced perspectives on diverse career paths and on marketing their degree in various industries
Provides a rich opportunity for social sciences students to hear from renowned alumni who have paved their way to success
Social Sciences students have various opportunities throughout the year to engage with career exploration and development
2022-2023
4
3
Students funded through the Research Travel Grant to attend conferences in Puerto Rico and South Carolina.
Ben Rhodes '00
Distinguished keynote for the Gateway Speaker Series. In addition to being a SoSS alum, he is a distinguished political commentator, author, and presidential speech writer to former President Barack Obama.
November: Careers in Medicine
February: Coffee and Consulting
March: Social Sciences in Tech
April: Journey to Entrepreneurship
75% Increase in students who traveled to New York City for the Finance & Banking Externship, compared to Spring 2022.
19 STUDENTS
Traveled to Bangkok, Thailand to conduct research related to their individual research projects over Spring Break - through the International Research Experience.
50% Increase in Finance Practicum student participants, compared to 2021-2022. This academic year also marked a move from a year-long experience to offering the program both individual semesters.
Wednesday Day that the weekly Social Sciences
Gateway Newsletter is sent out. Students acedottally shared that the newsletter exposed them to wide bredth of opportunities, not only within the school, but also at Rice and in the community.
11.8%
Increaseoftotalstudent participantsfrom2021-2022.
$62,950
Totalamount awardedtostudents 51
Totalalumniandcommunity partnersengaged
Consulting Practicum
Alan Steinberg - West Houston Association
Bryant Black - Greater Houston Partnership
Erin Kilbride '20 - Simon Kucher (B.A Economics & Chemistry)
Glenn Mujica - Lambda International
Jeff Russell - Rice Jones School of Business
Lin Giralt '82 - Lambda International (M A Architecture)
Nicole Minor - The Pangea Network
Seth Garff, Expressworks International LLC
Sophia Anderson, Expressworks International LLC
William Mouton, Expressworks International LLC
Finance & Banking Practicum
Alec Lapin, Braun Enterprises
Alex Kumar '15, Clovis Point Capital (B.A Economics)
Constantine Triantafyllides, Clean Energy Services CES LLC
Julio Cacho, Quantor Capital
Louis Yu, BroadVail Capital
Micah Johnson, The Partnership
Finance & Banking New York Externship
Andrew Webber '04 - JP Morgan Chase (B A Political Science & Psychology)
Courtney Kelso - American Express (B A Political Science & Policy Studies)
E-Fei Wang '14- Apollo Global Management (B A Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering)
John Barber - Cohesive Capital
Kern Vijayvargiya '12 - Behrman Capital (B.A Mathematical Economic Analysis & Managerial Studies)
Kevin Bailey '04 - JP Morgan Chase (B A Economics & Political Science)
Patrick Steed '08 - Citi (B.S Chemical Engineering)
Shruthi Velidi '18 - Responsible AI Lead, Visa (B A Cognitive Sciences)
Steve Pattyn '05 - Yaupon Capital (B.A History & Managerial Studies)
Travis Roberts '14 - Moelis (B A Economics & Sport Management)
Win Soon '18 - Blackstone (B.A Mathematical Economic Analysis & Managerial Studies)
OwlConnect
Adam Griffin '15 - Psychiatry Resident, BCM (B A Psychology & Sports Medicine)
Adan Aguinaga, Apex Fintech Solutions
Brock Wagner '87 - Owner, Saint Arnold Brewing Company (B A Economics and Managerial Studies)
Cindy Dafashy '12 - Physician/Owner, Archway Family Medicine (B A Cognitive Sciences)
Farrell Johnson '92 - Medical Director, Aetna (B A Anthropology)
Miriha Meghani - Medical Student, SHSU COM
Paul Cruz '10 - Deputy Manager, NASA (PH.D I/O Psychology)
Sangeeth Jeevan '22 - UX Researcher, UserZoom (M A Human Factors & HCI)
Shruthi Velidi '18 - Visa
Sylvia Hysong '00 - Professor, BCM (Ph D I/O Psychology)
Tim Harrison '20 - Founder/CEO, EPOG Academy (B.A. Psychology)
Winston Liaw - Chair, UH (Magister, Duncan College)
Texas Legislative Internship
Brandon Creighton, Texas State Senator
Diego Bernal, Texas State Representative
The annual conference of the American Psychosomatic Society was so much more than a business trip or line on my CV. I made new friends, strengthened relationships with people in my lab, and learned so many things I could never have learned in the classroom. Even though I went to the conference in panic, I left with so many incredible experiences.
Daniel Argueta '23, Research Travel GrantPsychologyAs a first-generation low-income student, the program allowed me not only to leave the United States for the first time but also to gain invaluable experience conducting fieldwork. I spent the semester working closely with my professors to prepare my research plan and was able to execute it because of the work put in before we ever got on the plane. Because of this, I left the class with a research presentation and proposal I am proud of. The most valuable part of my experience, though, pertains to all that I was exposed to in Thailand. Experiences like those this program offered felt like a thing of dreams and imagination, but getting the opportunity to live them is something I will be forever grateful for.
Taylor Gilliam '23, International Research Experience - Political SciencePersonally, I gained a lot of confidence and clarity about my career and personal goals. Before this trip, I had very little tangible knowledge of everything that exists in the industry or the pathways you can take to get there. Of course you can find this stuff on the internet, but it is hard to piece it all together on your own Having the opportunity to meet with so many industry professionals, in their offices and in a restaurant setting, gave me an incredible opportunity to truly see what these professions look like.
Grace Eichenour '24, Finance ExternshipMathematical Economic Analysis"Although I selected anthropology as my major, I had very little conception about what it would look like to do research in the field The notion of STEM-centric wet lab research was all I knew. Through this class, I learned how to conceive, refine and carry out anthropological research, as well as navigate cultural differences and time constraints in a qualitative study. This experience helped me understand how, moving forward, research can be an important part of my life. This summer I'm continuing to do qualitative research, but never would have applied for the position without the experience I gained through Gateway.
Annika Bhananker '25, International Research ExperienceAnthropology"I’ve always been interested [in policy] but I've never known the ins and outs of the actual bills that were passed and how they directly affected how agencies performed or how organizations were given funding. I have gained insights into the role of stakeholders in drafting policy, the role of staffers in preparing members for committee hearings and floor votes, and to the role of lobbyists in state politics."
C.J. Pfanstiel ‘24, Texas Legislative Internship - Political ScienceThe career possibilities with a degree within the School of Sciences are vast. Help students think about potential career paths and how to leverage their degree by sharing your story!
Time Commitment: One hour
The Finance and Banking Practicum pairs students with host organizations and businesses around Houston to allow them to gather first-hand knowledge while taking a class with a lecturer in the field. If you are working in the finance/banking industry, consider hosting a student for a semester. In addition, we will be adding a Health Practicum and a Public Service Practicum within 1-2 years – we are actively gathering hosts before we go live!
Time Commitment: minimum 10 hours/week for a semester (Fall/Spring)
Each spring, students in the Finance Practicum are invited to New York City for a two day externship. The group meets with various alumni in the industry across the city. If you live in NYC, this is a great opportunity to speak with students about your experiences and career journey.
Time Commitment: 1 5 hours
a look at the opportunitiesbelow!
Each month, Gateway hosts OwlConnect panels that touch on a variety of career fields in order to provide current students with experienced perspectives on career paths, job progression, and other tips on how to market their degree in social sciences to a particular industry. We’d love to have you share your experience with students!
Time Commitment: 1.5 hours
The Consulting Practicum offers experiential learning on all project phases from investigation and analysis, through presentation of recommendations designed to meet real-world needs Students work on a semester- long project, collaborating with diverse organizations to investigate projects as consultants. Consider being a project sponsor and allow students to work with you on a real-life problem that your company faces. Projects can be from any industry and can touch on a variety of types of consulting. We are always looking for diverse projects!
Time Commitment: 5-10 hours/semester
Students in the consulting practicum are also paired with a consultant mentor. If you are in the consulting field, consider mentoring one of the project groups for a semester.
Time Commitment: minimum 3 hours/semester
As an alumni or friend of the School of Social Sciences, there are many opportunities for you to volunteer your time and engage with students in various ways.Take
We extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation to all the donors who have generously supported the Gateway Program. Your commitment to our mission and vision has made a profound impact on our students and their future success.
The Moody Foundation
Pittman Leadership Fund
Perlioni Family Fund
Des Jarlais Summer Opportunity Fund
E.J. Duncan Undergraduate Research Fund
Douglas S. Harlan
Steve Pattyn
We thank you for your continued support in providing diverse experiential learning opportunities for Rice social sciences students to better leverage their degrees after graduation! To volunteer or learn more about programming:
mecia.lockwood@rice.edu
713-348-2181
