Dear MEECON, MGA, and MSPE Alumni, Students, and Friends, 

Another academic year is in full swing for our professional master’s programs, and we have an exciting year ahead. Our new MEECON, MSPE, and MGA students are bringing palpable, fresh energy to their programs, and our returning Master of Global Affairs (MGA) cohort hasn’t skipped a beat; the faculty continue to produce excellent teaching and research that will undoubtedly impact society for the better; and from the staff side, we are busy with fall 2026 recruitment efforts.

As you are all aware, we are committed to providing our master’s students with immersive, real-world experiences outside of the classroom. Last year, we kicked off the MGA Diplomatic Immersion, Policy Learning, and Observation (D.I.P.L.O.) Program in partnership with the Consulate General of France in Houston. From high-level meetings to diplomatic simulations and policy writing, D.I.P.L.O. offers first-year MGA students a rare, two-day, hands-on experience at the heart of international relations. Another example of an applied, collaborative experience was the 2025 MSPE cohort’s final capstone presentations last month, which they completed in conjunction with the Kinder Institute and the United Way of Greater Houston.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to return to campus, I encourage you to look no further than Rice’s Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies (CES) Future Leaders series. Many of you will remember the Young Professional Roundtable from previous years. CES’ Future Leaders series is offering another round of opportunities for young professionals to engage with local industry leaders. Please continue reading our Faculty Feature below for more information and how to get involved.

Last, but not least, I am pleased to announce the Department of Economics is launching the inaugural cohort for the new Master of Computational Economics (MCECON), to begin in fall 2026. The two-year program has been thoughtfully designed to equip students with advanced computational and analytical training that will prepare them for a variety of careers in the public and private sectors, as well as a pathway to a Ph.D. If you know anyone who may be interested in this program, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

I invite you to read on for career insights from Mecia and the latest news about our students, faculty, and alumni. As always, we invite you to stay connected on social media and share your exciting experiences and updates with us.

Sincerely, 

Abbey Godley 
Assistant Dean for Student Programs, Rice University School of Social Sciences

We recently welcomed a new group of professional master’s students, and one of the highlights of orientation was our alumni panel. As always, the alumni did an incredible job of reflecting on their journeys and sharing their stories in ways that connected with the students. Many students commented afterward that hearing from people with such diverse backgrounds made them feel both inspired and reassured - there was someone they could see themselves in.

It was a reminder that telling your career story is powerful. Not just for those listening, but for you as well. Taking the time to reflect on your journey helps you:

If you haven’t revisited your career story in a while, here are a few reflection questions to get started:

Your career story doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be authentic. And we would love for you to share it. Alumni voices are some of the most impactful parts of our students’ experience, and there are always opportunities to return to campus as a panelist, speaker, or mentor.

Mecia Emale
Assistant Director for Employer Relations and Professional Development, Rice University School of Social Sciences
memale@rice.edu

Montemayor shares his road to the MGA program

“I applied to Rice University on a whim. I’m like, there’s no way I’m going to get in. I got a notification after I did my interviews that said, “Congratulations…You got in,” and I was just overwhelmed. I couldn’t believe it…Something that I just never saw possible in my life. I didn’t even think I’d be going to school, much less a graduate program and prestigious university such as Rice.” - Geovanny Montemayor

MEECON students recognized at conference

Natalia Castaño Morales and Muhannad Ashy were recognized for their research poster at the Port of the Future Conference. Their project assessed the cost and benefits of implementing shore power in the Bayport container terminal, finding that it would reduce annual emissions by 23,500 tons and provide an annual $7.2 million net benefit over 10 years, breaking even at 3.5 years.

MGA's Ngo selected to prestigious program

“I aim to combine the skillset and leadership perspectives developed throughout my career, along with foundations built from the MGA program and the TF-LKYSPP Southeast Asia Next-Gen Leaders Programme with smart policies to help positively influence global policymaking. This opportunity is about strengthening cross-regional ties at a time when the world is watching.” - Jessica Phuong Ngo

Hartley and Medlock discuss MEECON partnership and Future Leaders Program

“The Center for Energy Studies in the Baker Institute has incredibly deep roots in economics. Everything we do is linked to fundamental analysis, connecting that with data. It's one thing to understand theory, but application of theory really matters, particularly in understanding where the commercial intersections across the energy landscape are in the policy realm. There's a long historical tie.” - Kenneth Medlock

Potter interviewed about the Houston area survey

Daniel Potter, MSPE faculty and director of the Kinder Institute's Houston Population Research Center, Surveys, was interviewed by Hello Houston about results of the annual Houston area survey. He discussed everything from affordability to mass transit to diversity, discussing why the population is rapidly expanding and why some people choose to leave.

Q&A with MSPE alum Brianna Martin '22

"If you have or are pursuing a job in research and/or evaluation or public policy, this program will provide you with skills in quantitative analysis, R, public policy analysis, and economics across the different topic areas. More importantly, the program will teach you how to critically think about research and policy and the importance of evaluation in our society today." - Brianna Martin

Q&A with MEECON alum Nicolas Svoboda '20

"If I ever went back in time, and I was making the same decisions I would not doubt a second about the MEECON program. This program will give you the best tools available to understand the Energy sector in depth and with a global perspective. The program itself is not for your average student, it requires true commitment and passion for the economics behind the Energy Sector." - Nicolas Svoboda

🎉 Hawani Manaye Adugna '23 (MGA) started a position as Assessment Analyst at Data Recognition Corporation.
🎉 Santiago Ariza '22 (MEECON) started a position as Energy Specialist at GALQUI S.A.S.
🎉 Natalia Castaño Morales '25 (MEECON) had a summer internship with Chord Energy.
🎉 Luis Adrian Chipana Yucra '25 (MEECON) started a position as Energy Market Analyst at Energy Exemplar.
🙏 Thank you to Evan Foston, '23 (MSPE), for his ongoing support of the MSPE program.
🎉 Brandon Gustavo García Pérez '25 (MEECON) started a position as Research Analyst for State and Local Governance Initiative at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
🎉 Alexander Hernández Romanowski '22 (MGA) started a position as District Manager - Consultant Total Source at ADP.
🎉 Deri Marret '25 (MGA) started a position as Directorate of European Affairs 1 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
🎉 Brianna Martin '22 (MSPE) was promoted to Research and Policy Officer at the Episcopal Health Foundation.
🙏 Thank you to MGA orientation panelists Diana Morales '20, Jessica Ngo '26, Nathaniel Uy '26, Janae Winfield '22, and Beau Holder '18.
🎉 MGA students Charlie Rojas '26, Alycia Lidwell '26, Caitlyn Andrews '26, and Kimberly Minda '26 make up one of three U.S. semifinalist teams in the North America/Oceania category for the 2025 Geneva Challenge.

Let us share in your successes!

Our alumni network is growing, and we want to keep in touch and hear from you!  Whether you just graduated last year or graduated in our first cohorts, please self-nominate or nominate a classmate to be featured in an upcoming alumni newsletter or other type of communications. There are plenty of ways to acknowledge the many ways our alumni are impacting the world around us.