Alumni Stories

Keeping Rice on the Radar

“One thing I’ve learned here that I didn’t expect was the importance of soft skills, like team dynamics and communication. It’s not just what you work on, but with whom you work and how you work together.”

The McNair Scholar at Rice Business, Adrian Trömel wants to help bring new medical technologies to market. His master’s thesis at EPFL in Switzerland — where he earned an MS in materials science — involved building bioabsorbable heart valve scaffolds. Rice Business was a logical next step. “Rice was already on my radar for its renown in the field of materials science, as was the Texas Medical Center. And it made sense to go somewhere with a reputation for outstanding entrepreneurship,” he says. The fact that his father had earned an MBA at Rice was only one factor in his choice.

Flexibility was key. At the time, I was based in West Texas, testing rocket engines at Blue Origin. An online program was the only realistic way for me to pursue an MBA. But for me, it wasn’t about the format — it was about access to knowledge and mentorship. My goal was to solve the ‘How do I become an entrepreneur?’ puzzle. Whether online or on campus, I knew Rice had the answer.”