Abbey-Road Kenobi: Here Comes the Sweep
Zach Vickers
Bioengineering 2028
Knoxville, Tennessee
Imagine how much aura you have saying that THE WILL RICE BIKER is your O-Week dad. From Knoxville, Zach Vickers can tell you all about the funny stories he has growing up in East Tennessee (make sure you ask him). Zach is a Bioengineering major and a jack of all trades. I'm not kidding, what do you mean Zach throws pottery (@vickers_pottery), plays guitar AND bikes like a champ? Yes, he "helped WRC men bring it home with <0.1s edge on Hanszen," according to one fizz post, literally preventing a Hanszen sweep and saving Will Rice culture. When he's not biking, you can always find Zach and his emotional support water bottle hanging out in Will Rice quad and blasting dad rock on his speaker. And a little fun fact: on Wednesday, he wears the camel shirt! Plus, if you're a late-night foodie, Zach is always down to make that 2 am Taco Bell trip. Seriously though, Zach is one of the nicest, smartest and funniest guys, and you're lucky to have him as an advisor. If you need someone to help you with math, go on bike rides with or yap to, your dad Zach's got you.
Emily Nguyen (Will Rice '28)
Opal Lung
Social Policy Analysis & English Literature 2027
Austin, Texas
Picture this: you are sitting in Will Rice Commons and you look out the window and see a girl slowly approaching a cat in the quad. Odds are, this girl is THE Opal Lung. Hailing from Austin, this cat-loving social policy analysis major is a true nature lover. One can even say she has a "granola girl aesthetic." The backpacking enthusiast that she is, she is always down to go on any side quest and will approach it with positivity. She can make mundane activities like picking up a coffee or moving laundry into a good time just from her presence and all-round good vibes. If there is one thing about Opal that never ceases to amaze me, it is her music taste. If you pick three random nouns, Opal probably likes a band with that name: from Soccer Mommy to Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Car Seat Headrest. But seriously, Opal is the kindest advisor you can ever dream of. She will support you through ANYTHING with a smile on her face and a witty sense of humor that will always make your day. Her chronic good-vibes are infectious, and y'all are so lucky to have her as your advisor (I am honestly jealous!)
Miller Harris (Will Rice '27)
Ruchi Tiwari
Social Policy Analysis, Statistics 2026
Cypress, TX
Who's that slowly trudging behind the rest of the group? It's Ruchi! Hailing from Cypress, Texas, this Social Policy Analysis Major and Data Science Minor is passionate about civic advocacy and social change. But that's not all! She can usually be found watching one of her many favorite TV shows or Bollywood movies, often while painting another amazing landscape or portrait (she's quite the artist). She can and will tell you all about her love of Target (she used to work there, so ask her about the deals!). Ruchi never gets enough sleep, but she will still always make time to chat with friends, work on yet another side project, or even participate in student government as Senior Rep! Seriously though, you've gotten lucky with your advisor. Ruchi is compassionate, level-headed, loyal, and a little bit silly. If she's your advisor, prepare to be supported to the max!
Mary Margaret Speed (Will Rice '26), Misha Gupta (Will Rice '26)
Liz Cox
History and Economics 2028
Tomball
A long time ago, in a residential college far, far away... lives Liz Cox! All the way from the other side of campus from Brown College, Liz is so extremely overjoyed to be your advisor for O-Week! Hailing from Tomball, Texas, Liz is a Houston-adjacent native, and knows all about the Lone Star State. If you have any questions about theater at Rice, she's a Rice Players Coordinator. Catch her STARring on and offstage in various theater shows at Rice. She knows all about WARS cuz she's a History and Economics double major!! She is probably secretly a jedi since she is also a theater and financial computation and modeling double minor AND pursuing a certificate in Japanese. You'll probably run into Liz fulfilling her Fondren Ambassador duties, she's got your back on all things Fondren Library. If you see her around campus giving tours to middle and elementary school students, make sure to wish her a happy birthday! A mango green tea boba hates to see her coming, and as a Rice Health Advisor, if you ever need to talk to someone about anything especially if it's over boba, Liz is your girl (and she has a car so she's a mobile diva). She can't wait to welcome you all to Rice and is excited to make your O-Week absolutely Obi-Wanderful!!!
Michael Li (Brown '28)
