Rice University’s 111th commencement ceremonies will take place May 3-4 at Rice Stadium and Tudor Fieldhouse, with the undergraduate ceremony Saturday night featuring an address from alumna Peggy Whitson ’86, America’s most experienced astronaut.
Throughout her 37-year career, Whitson has flown on three NASA long-duration space flights and Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), accumulating 675 days in space, more than any other American astronaut or female astronaut in the world.
Whitson currently serves as director of human spaceflight for Houston-based Axiom Space. Over the past four decades, she has held various remarkable leadership positions, often being the first woman to do so, including NASA’s chief of the Astronaut Office, twice as commander of the International Space Station, chair of NASA’s Astronaut Selection Board, NASA’s Operations Branch chief and NASA deputy division chief for both the Medical Sciences Division and the Astronaut Office, and as commander of Ax-2, a private space mission in May 2023.
All 2024 Rice graduates along with their families, guests and members of the university community are welcome to attend the undergraduate commencement to hear Whitson’s remarks.
Undergraduates will complete their ceremonial walk through Lovett Hall’s Sallyport just before that evening’s ceremony.
Each commencement ceremony will be broadcast online for those who are unable to attend in person. Streaming video will be available at commencement.rice.edu.
May 3
- Jones School (MBA) Commencement Ceremony
- 2 p.m.
- Tudor Fieldhouse
May 4
- Doctoral Commencement Ceremony
- 9 a.m.
- Tudor Fieldhouse
- Advanced Degrees Commencement Ceremony (includes Bachelor of Architecture as well as Jones School Master of Accountancy and Master of Arts degree recipients)
- 2 p.m.
- Tudor Fieldhouse
- Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony
- 7 p.m.
- Rice Stadium
A full listing of all commencement-related events across campus this week is available by visiting commencement.rice.edu/all-events. For more information on Rice’s 111th commencement, visit commencement.rice.edu. Watch the live stream of commencement activities online beginning the afternoon of Thursday, May 2.
