Speeches

You arrived at Rice during the end of the COVID pandemic, witnessed global conflicts, and lived through uncertainty in higher education and employment. Yet here you stand, strong as ever. I remain inspired by your resilience, your courage, your accomplishments, and your capacity to lead with both heart and purpose. And wherever life takes you, remember — you are part of this community for life. You now join more than 68,000 Rice alumni around the world who share your curiosity, your ambition, and your commitment to making a difference. We cannot wait to see what you do next. To the one-and-only incredible Class of 2026 — Congratulations!

President DesRoches celebrated the extraordinary accomplishments of Rice’s faculty and staff during his annual State of the University address. For the first time, both groups were invited to attend the event together — resulting in a robust turnout, with nearly 1,200 people joining the presentation. His remarks highlighted the ambitious achievements of 2025 and outlined bold goals for 2026.

Members of the Class of 2029, welcome to Rice! On behalf of the deans, faculty, staff, alumni, and the entire university community, I am delighted to have you here.

As you leave Rice for your next chapters, remember this: uncertainty is not the enemy. Uncertainty leads to opportunity. It’s the space where growth happens. It’s where leadership begins — for yourself and others. It is where character is developed. Keep doing the things that are hard. Take risks. Stay grounded in your values, but open to new ideas. And never lose your belief in the difference one person — one Owl — can make.
 

I will forever have a special connection to this class, the Class of 2024. While you were starting as freshmen at Rice, I was starting as your new provost and chief academic officer. You started pursuing your Rice degree during a pandemic that shook the way we and the world operated; you undoubtedly were robbed of precious moments to engage in person with others on campus. You also have been at Rice during an unbelievable time of transition and you were in college during what many consider the most complicated time in modern history. Yet, here you are today, more resilient and adaptive than ever and ready to face life with the firsthand knowledge that change and challenges are not meant to be feared but to be hurdled and overcome.

President Reginald DesRoches outlined his 2024 goals to faculty in his annual State of the University address. The address has been formalized in the Faculty Senate constitution and happens annually. Its purpose is to give faculty an idea of where Rice is as a university and where it is headed in the years to come. 

Members of the Class of 2027 — On behalf of the deans, magisters, faculty, administrative leadership, staff, alumni and all members of the university community, WELCOME TO RICE! And, to our new students who are transfer students, we extend an especially warm welcome. I’m Reginald DesRoches, president of Rice University. I’m grateful to be here with you this evening and to welcome you to Rice.

Welcome to Rice University’s 110th Commencement. I am Reginald DesRoches, President of Rice University. Many of you in cap and gown know me as Reggie. When we made the decision to combine the commencement and graduation ceremonies into one this year, a consequence was shortening the president’s remarks, which, I know, makes you very disappointed. So, let me get started.

President Reginald DesRoches outlined his 2023 goals to faculty in his first State of the University address. The address has been formalized in the Faculty Senate constitution and happens annually. Its purpose is to give faculty an idea of where Rice is as a university and where it is headed in the years to come. 

Distinguished and welcome guests, a heartfelt thank you for being here. I am truly honored. And I am humbled. For as I look around, what I see is excellence. I see excellence in what surrounds us — the magnificence of these grounds, the elevated architecture, and our many donors who have given so generously to Rice over the years to make this possible. 

Let us remember that throughout almost all of human history, people looked into the night sky and beheld the moon as a distant wonder, something eternally out of reach. Flying to the moon was a metaphor for the impossible.

Members of the Class of 2026 — On behalf of the deans, magisters, faculty, administrative leadership, staff and all members of the university community, welcome to Rice! And to our new students who are transfer students, we extend an especially warm welcome.