ALUMNI GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Founding Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Director of the Mind Body Spirit Institute at the Jung Center of Houston
Alejandro Chaoul is the Huffington Foundation Endowed Director of the Mind Body Spirit Institute at the Jung Center of Houston, which brings a new approach for helping healthcare professionals flourish by reducing stress and burnout, improving health and resilience and nourishing the human spirit.
Chaoul has a Ph.D. in Tibetan religions from Rice University and has studied in the Tibetan tradition since 1989, including training in Triten Norbutse monastery in Nepal and Menri monastery in India. He has been teaching meditation classes and Tibetan Yoga (Tsa Lung & Trul Khor) workshops nationally and internationally under the auspices of Ligmincha International.
In 1999, he began teaching at the Integrative Medicine Program of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he holds an adjunct faculty position. For the last 20 years, Chaoul has researched the effect of these practices on people with cancer and their caregivers. A fellow at the Mind & Life Institute, Chaoul also serves as an adjunct faculty member at The University of Texas McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics, where he teaches medical students in the areas of spirituality, complementary and integrative medicine, and end-of-life care. Previously, he has taught at Rice University, the University of Houston and the University of Maryland in Baltimore. In addition, he has collaborated in the area of interfaith and contemplative practices at The Rothko Chapel and the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University.
His research and publications focus on mind-body practices in integrative care, examining how these practices can reduce chronic stress, anxiety and sleep disorders and improve quality of life. He is the author of "Chod Practice in the Bon Tradition" (SnowLion, 2009) and "Tibetan Yoga for Health and Wellbeing" (Hay House, 2018), and has also published in the area of religion and medicine, medical anthropology and the interface of spirituality and healing.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Principal
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner for Athenian Group
Carlos Linares-Garcia is the head of Baker McKenzie's North America and Latin America Transfer Pricing & Economics practices. He is knowledgeable in the fields of transfer pricing, financial valuation and international taxation. His professional experience includes over 25 years in consulting and three years in the public sector.
From 1993 to 1995, Linares was a deputy director with the International Tax Department of the Mexican Ministry of Finance in Mexico City. From 1996 to 1999, he was an associate economist at Houston-based Baker & Associates Energy Consultants and from 2000 and 2004, he was a senior manager and a partner in the transfer pricing and energy economics practice at a big-four firm in Houston and Monterrey.
Linares received his degree in Economics summa cum laude from Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in 1993 and his master's and Ph.D. degrees in Economics from Rice University in 2000, specializing in public finance and tax policy. In 2021, he became a certified lawyer with a law degree from Universidad Tecmilenio. Also, he obtained a Diploma in International Taxation from Harvard University and a Diploma in Energy Law from Universidad de Monterrey. He is an active member in the International Fiscal Association (Transfer Pricing Committee), the Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, the Asociación Nacional de Especialistas Fiscales and Vice-President of the Colegio de Economistas de Nuevo Leon.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of the State Collaborative
David Mansouri is President and CEO of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE). SCORE's mission is to drive for changes that transform education - from kindergarten through postsecondary - so Tennessee students develop the knowledge and skills to succeed in school, college, career and life.
In addition to his work at SCORE, Mansouri serves on the board of directors of the Policy Innovators in Education (PIE) Network and the Memphis Education Fund and is a member of the Practitioner Council of the Hoover Education Success Initiative at Stanford University. He is an alumnus of the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship and Leadership Tennessee and is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Mansouri graduated with a BA in political science and music from Rice University in 2007 and holds an MBA with honors from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. While at Rice, he was a student of the late Sergiu Luca at the Shepherd School and was an active member of Will Rice College. Mansouri's engagement with Rice has included service as an ARA board member from 2017-21, co-chair of the class of 2007 15th reunion giving committee and Tennessee captain for the Rice Alumni Volunteers for Admissions (RAVA) since 2008. He has also served as a member of the committee that has selected recipients for the Sallyport and Builders Awards, recognizing excellence in the Rice alumni community.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Partner in Norton Rose Fulbright 's Houston
Jamila Mensah is a partner in Norton Rose Fulbright's Houston office. Her practice covers all areas of employment law, including extensive experience in discrimination, retaliation and wage and hour issues.
Mensah represents clients in federal and state court and before administrative bodies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Mensah also counsels and trains employers on a wide range of employment issues, including hiring, termination, wage and hour compliance, disability accommodation, employment discrimination and drafting of employee handbooks and personnel policies. Additionally, Mensah conducts internal investigations for clients on sensitive employment-related issues.
Mensah is admitted to practice before the US District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern Districts of Texas, and the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Wealth Advisor
Joe Savery is a Private Wealth Advisor at Americana Partners. Prior to joining Americana, he was an Associate Client Advisor at Avalon Investment & Advisory.
Savery was a Major League Baseball Pitcher for the Oakland Athletics from 2013 to 2014 and the Philadelphia Phillies from 2011 to 2013. He was a Major League Baseball first-round draft pick in 2007.
Savery has a BA in Sport Management from Rice University, where he is currently Chairman of the Rice University Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Board, and a board member of the Rice Baseball Insiders (RBI). Joe has his FINRA Series 7 and 66.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
Meg Brigman is the director of portfolio success at ATX Venture Partners, where she focuses on enabling the growth of high-impact startups. Previously, she served as a fund principal for a food and AgTech investment firm. Brigman founded and led her firm's internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and is committed to increasing representation of underrepresented founders in venture capital.
As an alum of the Venture for America (VFA) fellowship, Brigman also serves on the VFA Alumni Board as the Affinity Group Coordinator. Venture for America enables the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders and equips them with the skills, resources and network to create economic opportunities in cities.
Brigman earned a BA from Rice in economics with minors in global health technologies and sociology. She has served as the Social Committee Chair for the Society of Rice University Women, an interviewer with Rice Alumni Volunteers for Admission and as the Owlmanac Recorder for the Class of 2018. Brigman served as a panelist and informational interviewer through Gateway OwlConnect and the Rice 360° Institute to help current students learn more about the numerous career possibilities post Rice. While at Rice, Brigman served in a variety of positions, from Sid Richardson College's Beer Bike coordinator to president of the Rice Wesley Foundation fellowship. She was also a founding member of the Students Transforming Rice Into a Violence-Free Environment (STRIVE) Coalition and played on the water polo and rugby club teams.
On July 5, 2006, the Office of Alumni Relations moved from its location in the Rice Memorial Center to the Ralph S. O'Connor House. In summer 2009, O'Connor House was renamed the Peter and Nancy Huff House and underwent a renovation and expansion in 2009-10.
Previously home to five Rice presidents since 1949, Huff House now includes Alumni Relations and the Center for Career Development and is a home on campus for alumni.
Rice University, the Association of Rice Alumni and the Office of Alumni Relations are grateful to Anne Baillio '62 and Karen Rogers '68 for co-chairing the campaign for the original renovation of O'Connor House, and to Peter '59 and Nancy Huff for making the current expansion possible.
Huff House is south of Jones College, near campus entrance 1. See the campus map for more information. Visitor parking is available in the Founder's Court Visitor Lot on weekdays and in the Founder's Court and Lovett Lots on weeknights and weekends.
Job Titles:
- Senior Strategist at Indeed
Rushi Bhalani is a Senior Strategist at Indeed, not only helping people get jobs but also helping commercialize the products that enable this and bringing them to market. He also has previous experience in a real estate investing startup and as a strategy consultant for Accenture Strategy.
Bhalani graduated from Rice University in 2019 with a BA in Computer Science and a Certificate in Engineering Leadership. He has served on the Rice Engineering Alumni (REA) Board of Directors since 2020, as a Baker College Community Associate, an ARA Young Alumni Ambassador, an admissions interviewer for Rice Alumni Volunteers for Admissions (RAVA) and a volunteer for the Rice Annual Fund (RAF). While at Rice, Bhalani served in a variety of leadership roles in the Student Association and at Baker College.
Having grown up in the sunny suburbs of Los Angeles, Bhalani enjoys warm weather (so much so that he does not mind the notoriously humid Houston summers) and going to the beach. He takes particular joy in traveling to new places, savoring the top-notch Houston food scene, learning more about personal finance, winning (or trying to, at least) at Settlers of Catan, rooting on the Lakers and following key trends in fields ranging from higher education to social psychology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Sarika Tyagi is a serial entrepreneur and an experienced professional who is a self-starter and is passionate about solving real-life problems. She currently works at Amazon as a product leader building technology for Alexa and runs her side-gig; ScarletFreshShoe, an e-commerce company with instant shoe repair and foot pain relief solutions for on-the-go women. She also co-founded a second startup My22BMI; a digital healthcare company which offered custom meal plans for individuals with lifestyle conditions.
She is honored to have hosted Rice externs for the last few years and has been involved in multiple mentoring opportunities, including the peer mentoring with the Rice Roundtables and her collaboration with Rice business school. She has been an active speaker at conferences and expert panels, including Women In Product, Young Entrepreneur group, and Women groups at Amazon and CapitalOne.
She has over 17 years of experience working at leading technology companies such as Amazon, CapitalOne, EMC Corporation, Cisco Systems and Cameron Intl in various technology and product roles. She holds an MBA from Jones Business School (Rice), a Master's degree in Engineering Management from Northeastern University and a B.S. in Engineering. Outside of work, you can find her being an involved soccer mom to her two little girls.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Tania Min is a registered Architect licensed in New York and is LEED BD+C accredited, as well as an experienced curtain wall consultant. She has worked on projects ranging from super tall buildings in Asia to apartment renovations in New York City for firms both in the US and South Korea, and independently.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder of the Stan Lee Foundation
Theodore A. Adams III earned a BS in mechanical engineering from Rice University and his MBA from UCLA. In 1985, Adams co-founded the Rice chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and was the only African American mechanical engineer in his graduating class. He also completed post-graduate studies at the Yale-China Program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and is a graduate of Harvard Business School.
Adams owns several companies and currently chairs two non-profit charitable organizations. He is President and CEO of Unified Industries Inc. (UII), the company his father started in 1970. He is also the President and Founder of Unified Resorts, a real estate development company, and Red Zeppelin Productions LLC, a movie production company that has created a number of award-winning and best-selling films.
Adams is a co-founder of the Stan Lee Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy, arts and education, and Chairman of Unified Empowerment, a non-profit organization that trains and finds employment opportunities for people living with severe disabilities. He serves on the Rice Engineering Alumni Board, Association of Rice Alumni Board, the Advisory Board for the George Mason Film School, the Board for the Chesapeake Film Festival and the DC Black Film Festival.
Toya Cirica Bell is an attorney and consultant with significant experience in the areas of employment law; ethics and compliance;and diversity, equity,and inclusion. She recently retired from public service with a career of over 20 years. A member of the class of '87, Toya holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Rice University and a Juris Doctorate from the College of William & Mary.
Toya's active engagement with the ARA includes serving as an alumni interviewer, founder of the Rice Attorneys in Austin, co-chair for her class Reunion Committee during the Rice Centennial, past President of the Rice ARA Chapter in Austin, and as a member of the ARA board of directors. Her board contributions include chairing the Nominations Committee, co-chairing the inaugural ARA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Committee, and serving on the Executive and Strategic Planning Committees. She also participated as a member of the Affiliate Outreach and Alumni Engagement Task Forces.
Toya currently serves on the board of directors for the Austin Community Foundation and Mission Capital. Sheis a past board chair of Leadership Austin and has served on the executive committee of numerous nonprofit organizations including the Long Center for the Performing Arts and the Junior League of Austin. Toya is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Links, Inc. She is also an alumna of Leadership Texas and the Texas Lyceum.Toya is the recipient of the Junior League of Austin's 2021 Volunteer Extraordinaire Award, Austin Bar Association's Joseph C. Parker, Jr, Diversity Award, Mission Capital Community Leader of the Year Award, and the Austin 40 Under 40 Mentor of the Year Award.
Travis San Pedro graduated from Rice in 2012 with a BA in English, Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, Hanszen Academic Fellow Emeritus, with English Honors. During his time at Rice, San Pedro wrote for The Rice Standard and was a member of Hanszen College's Ambience Committee, Silver Spoon Society and New Section Advisory Board.
In 2013, he received his master's from Yale in American Studies with a focus in material culture and built environments.
As an alumnus, San Pedro has interviewed prospective students with Rice Alumni Volunteers for Admission, served as the head of the young alumni group for the Dallas alumni chapter, welcomed newly admitted students at the Dallas summer send-off, written pieces for OffCite, The Rice Thresher and Rice Center for Career Development, and is a member of Rice Parliament. He has also served as the Young Alumni Coordinator for the Yale Club of Dallas. He is currently a project manager at Lockton Dunning.
Vinay Pai is an experienced technology executive with a track record of leading high-performing global organizations and driving technology transformation at scale and business growth globally.
During the past 5 years at BILL, Pai scaled the engineering team from 65 engineers to over 750. Under his leadership, the engineering team has transformed the platform technology, transitioned to the public cloud/AWS, introduced new payment capabilities with cards, international, and real-time payments, and delivered numerous other products and features.
Prior to joining Bill.com, Pai was SVP of Engineering at First Data, where he led engineering for the Clover point of sale product line. Earlier, he held several leadership roles in the small business group during his eight years at Intuit, which he joined as part of the PayCycle acquisition. Most recently, as VP for Intuit Developer Platform, Pai led the business segment responsible for the QuickBooks ecosystem of third-party applications and developers. He has also held engineering leadership roles at Cassatt, Sun Microsystems and Schlumberger, and founded a startup on the Apple platform that delivered three products.