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"The Gateway Study of Leadership (GSL), the Summer Fellowship, and the International Ambassadorship were critical in my development at Rice. Especially my time with GSL was eye-opening and supremely informative, while the latter two fellowships funded summer opportunities away from Houston that were instrumental to broadening my perspective on the kinds of career paths and interests that I wanted to pursue."

Bo Kim ’16 - Economics and Art History
(2018 status: Student at Harvard Law School)

"Many of the Gateway programs were instrumental to my professional development, and I know personally of countless other Rice students for whom that's the case, too. I just finished my medical school capstone project, an interview-based study of how patients with chronic disease use technologies to manage their health conditions. Without a doubt, it was only possible because of the interviewing skills I picked up from Gateway Study of Leadership (GSL) and the prior research I did with Gateway's Health-Humanism Scholars program—two small examples (out of many, I'm certain) of the way you've connected years of Rice Social Sciences grads to opportunities and skills for professional growth."

Amol Utrankar ’14 - Economics and Sociology
(2018 status: Resident Physician at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital)

"In my twenty-five years of teaching, Gateway Global Urban Lab program is the most powerful learning tool I have encountered. From the immersion experience into a new culture, to the comparative aspect of the research, to the focused, real world impact of the course, to the team building that occurs among students around learning, Urban Lab provides a deeply impactful means to learn."

Dr. Michael Emerson - Allyn & Gladys Cline Professor, Sociology and Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Co-Director
(2018 status: Provost at North Park University)

 

"Words fail me to describe the Global Urban Lab Istanbul experience. It was remarkable on so many dimensions, beginning with the other people in the program. Everyone had intriguing research ideas and we all bonded around getting the most we could out of our week in Istanbul. Exploring the history of Istanbul filled me with awe upon our arrival, but I also found myself looking forward to the rest of the week, knowing that as interesting as the Istanbul of the past was, we were there to study the Istanbul of today.

My research topic was comparing emergency medical transport in Houston and Istanbul with regard to the means of transport used and the care provided en route. I conducted interviews that developed the answers to my research questions. Through an emergency medicine physician from Baylor, I connected with the head of the disaster branch of Istanbul’s department of health, and made an early morning appointment. I woke up early that morning to catch a taxi to the primary 112 call center (similar to a U.S. 911 dispatch center). My expectations were for a brief meeting, perhaps an hour or two. It ended up being a full day affair, however, as I ended up speaking with multiple emergency medicine physicians, touring the call center and an ambulance, and shadowing a resident around an emergency department as he treated patients. I walked away with 20 pages of notes, template patient care forms, and no small amount of fatigue. Catching the taxi back to the hotel in the busy Istanbul rush hour traffic, I felt both overwhelmed and immensely satisfied by all that my day had encompassed. On a grander scale, that feeling could just begin to describe my time in Istanbul."

Matthew Stampfl ’15 - Policy Studies and Chemistry
(2018 Status: Student at Baylor College of Medicine)

"The social sciences have many dimensions, each of which tap into different talents. The Gateway programs are designed to represent each of them to allow students to discover and develop their passions. Whether they are participating in field activities locally or abroad, conducting interviews, gathering and analyzing data, leading research teams or designing their own solutions to social problems, Gateway participants learn about their own personalities in ways rarely accomplished by coursework alone. By having a variety of experiences, complementing each other as well as their formal courses, the Gateway programs not only facilitate building a broad range of skills but also help students clarify and expand their professional goals. This allows them to better understand how to seize the opportunities presented by the Rice experience and reach their potential after graduation. What all of our students have in common is an interest in better understanding society. Our goal is to help turn that interest into action."

Dr. Royce Carroll - Associate Professor, Political Science
(2018 status: Reader in Comparative Politics and Co-Director Essex Summer School in Data Analysis at University of Essex, UK)

"Reflecting back about Gateway, what strikes me is the extremely strong quality of each of its offerings. Additionally, students' ability to participate in more than one program allows for an even greater enhancement of their undergraduate experience at Rice. For example, I was able to participate in the international ambassador program (London), the local internship for course credit program (Merrill Lynch, Houston), and the international internship program (Yapi Kredi, Istanbul). The experiences I had at all three of these programs benefited me greatly. I think the consistent strength and quality of Gateway's programs along with the fact that students are not restricted to participating in just one of its programs distinguishes Gateway from all other Rice offerings to undergraduates.

Gateway has a strong track record in not only giving students who participate in its programs valuable life experiences but also allowing them and equipping them with the necessary skills to get the jobs they want after graduating and helping them succeed in a professional setting.

My undergraduate experience would not have been the same without the Gateway program. I would have found it more difficult to obtain internships and valuable networking opportunities, both of which Gateway gave me access to. Gateway's programs helped me decide to pursue a career in finance knowing firsthand the industry would be a great fit for me. In addition, as an international ambassador I was able to network with alumni in London. My interactions with them taught me that the Rice family is not confined to Rice's campus but instead extends all across the globe. Finally, by participating in Gateway's programs, which were not required for me to graduate, I felt like I got more out of my social sciences major and had a more fulfilling undergraduate experience. Had I not participated in Gateway, my path after college could have been significantly different. I hope to be able to give back to the Gateway program so that social sciences students in years to come can benefit from the Gateway program the same way I did."

Murat Konuk ’11 - Mathematical Economic Analysis
(2018 status: Senior Associate, Private Equity, Blackstone)

"I am by nature rather shy, so I prefer to know people very well before I ask for a big favor such as interviewing them about their entire lives. Fortunately, Ms. Martinez introduced me to two of my interviewees before I left, so that broke the ice early on. And the two people she pointed me to, were very open to speaking with me, and perfectly happy to share their life stories with me when I asked. It made it much easier for me to keep asking questions when I saw how ready they were to talk to me.

With all the work at my internship, the interviews and exploration I got to do as a Summer Gateway Fellow, and all the exploring and adventures Washington, D.C. afforded me, I think I can safely say that I’ve never had a more enjoyable summer in my life. There was always something to do in the city, as there are so many historic sites all over the place. People there were very nice, and I was fortunate to make a lot of new friends. People I interviewed for both my work and the Fellowship were always helpful and accommodating, and I am hoping to be able to keep in touch with them over the years. I am particularly grateful for all the help and opportunities the Gateway Fellowship afforded me while I was there; I am convinced that this summer would not have been possible without the help of the School of Social Sciences. I have learned a lot from my experience in the capital, and I am excited to see where it will take me in the years to come."

Michelle Phillips ’12 - Anthropology, English, Asian Studies
(2018 status: PhD Student at UC Berkeley)

"I am so grateful for having the opportunity to explore, experience, and enjoy the myriad nuances of society in Shanghai and China. Through my internship at the World Expo, I gained work experience unlike any other, and with the interviews of different successful leaders, I was able to probe into the stories and lessons of others who ended in the same place. Every story is a unique one, and each person has an individual set of ideals, beliefs, and advice. Ultimately, it is key to understand that the world as we know it is shrinking, and the global future is bound together. On the flight back from Shanghai to Houston, after almost four months abroad, I knew I was a changed person. I felt older, having seen a lot more things, and more importantly I had something to tell. China is a land of booming success but riddled with problems; furthermore, with the personal stories and lessons from Pfleger, Wang and Villarreal, as well as the host of other locals and visitors I talked to, I returned to the United States with the hopes of sharing my experiences, the seeds of creating my own future, and eventually changing the world."

Chris Chan ’13 - Civil Engineering and Asian Studies
(2018 status: Structural Engineer at Walter P Moore)