Rice Alumni affinity networks are formed around shared identities, interests or professional paths. These volunteer-led groups offer opportunities for meaningful engagement, networking and celebration with the Rice community through events and programs. For a list of established affinity networks, please visit the alumni website. Complete the volunteer application, and a Rice staff member will connect you with a network leader.

The Alumni Recognition Committee helps foster a culture of appreciation across the Rice community by sending thoughtful, hand-written notes that acknowledge professional and personal accomplishments and milestones. Through these personal messages, volunteers help ensure that alumni, faculty, staff and current students of the university feel seen, valued, and connected. This opportunity offers a simple yet impactful way to strengthen relationships, celebrate the people who make Rice exceptional, and support a welcoming and engaged community.

Volunteers in this role work alongside fellow Owls in their regional network to foster a strong sense of community that extends beyond their time at Rice. They help plan and support a variety of events, ranging from philanthropic service opportunities to festive holiday parties, creating meaningful opportunities for alumni to connect, build relationships, give back, and stay engaged with Rice in their region.

Rice Fund Volunteers are ambassadors for the university, making important connections and encouraging classmates and peers to participate in the university’s tradition of giving back.

Volunteer positions within the Rice Fund provide several great ways to stay in touch with your classmates and peers while making a positive impact on the current student experience at Rice. 

The Association of Rice Alumni (ARA) is governed by a 28-member board that advises Alumni Relations staff on operations and programs, representing alumni to the university and the ARA to its alumni constituents. All Rice alumni are eligible to apply. Members serve three-year terms and commit to attending three in-person board meetings annually, serving on working group committees, contributing to the Rice Fund, and supporting ARA programs and activities throughout the year.

Rice Athletics is always looking for volunteers to help serve in a variety of ways.

The Center for Career Development offers many ways you can get involved from mentoring students to hosting a summer internship.

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. Panelists get to connect with Rice students eager to learn from real career journeys, and your story could help a student see a path they hadn’t considered. We’d love to have you share your experience with students!

Gateway Practica put Rice social sciences students in real-world learning: a semester with a Houston host organization plus a class taught by a field lecturer. Options: Finance & Banking, Consulting, Community Health, and Public Service. We always need more hosts! Want a student intern? Host one (10+ hrs/week), sponsor a consulting project, or mentor a team. Reach out to us and put Rice talent to work!

The Center for Career Development offers the summer internship program as a way for students to gain important experience and develop professional skills. Please fill out the volunteer application form below to be sign up or learn more.

Rice Business provides several opportunities to support our alumni community. These include but are not limited to: calling prospective students who have been admitted to Rice Business, supporting Career Development Office events and initiatives, representing Rice Business to regional communities outside Houston, being a part of Reunion Committee to encourage classmates to register for Alumni Reunion Weekend, and more. More details and signup are available on our website: https://business.rice.edu/alumni/volunteer.

Moody volunteers have the opportunity to participate in the life of a vibrant new arts organization and to contribute valuable visitor services to Rice University.

Qualified candidates should possess a love and appreciation of the arts, a flexible attitude for dealing effectively with the public, and an understanding that reliability is critical.

To volunteer at the Moody, candidates must make a one-year commitment and be available for two to four shifts each month.

Rice Parents and Alumni have the opportunity to support Owl Days, the Office of Admissions accepted student visit days hosted in April. These visits are intended to help accepted students and their families make their final decision for college. Volunteers support this initiative by serving as greeters at informational sessions, sharing their experience over a meal with incoming families, and serving on informational panels.

Owl Edge Externships are an essential experience for all students at Rice, made possible by alumni volunteers and friends of the university. These externship opportunities connect classroom learning to real-world problems and prepare students for their future careers. They also expand interactions between students and professionals, offering early career insights and mentorship.

RAVA members play a pivotal role in encouraging the best and brightest students from across the globe to join our Rice community. Connecting with volunteers like you during the admission process can significantly influence a prospective student's decision to choose Rice.

Whether you live in the U.S. or abroad, you can contribute meaningfully by conducting virtual admission interviews or reaching out to congratulate newly accepted students.