Episode 4

Student Leadership: The Rice SA and GSA with Emily Oppold and Trevor Tobey

On today’s episode, host David Mansouri speaks with Emily Oppold, 2025-26 president of the Graduate Student Association, and Trevor Tobey, 2025-26 president of the Student Association, about their time at Rice and experiences at the school and in their student government positions. Emily and Trevor discuss their paths to Rice, leadership motivations, and what the SA and GSA really do. Emily, a third-year PhD statistics student, was drawn to Rice by its Houston and Texas Medical Center collaborations. She emphasizes GSA advocacy and community-building for a graduate population that is 41% international, with focuses including dining, professional development, alumni connections, and support for graduate caregivers. Trevor, a senior studying economics and sports management, describes the SA as a bridge to the administration to advocate and illuminate student issues and can help improve the undergraduate quality of life. Their conversation covers managing growth, changes in social culture, fostering dialogue across differences via institutional neutrality and free-speech efforts, and adapting to AI’s impact on teaching, integrity, and trust in higher education. Let us know you’re listening by filling out this form. We will be sending listeners Beyond the Hedges Swag every month. Episode Guide: 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:44 Emily’s Path to Rice 02:18 Trevor’s Path to Rice 03:33 Why Student Leadership 06:59 What the Student Association Does 08:35 What the Graduate Student Association Does 10:13 Top Student Issues Today 14:22 What Alumni Should Know 17:36 Protecting Traditions 18:57 Leading Diverse Voices 23:44 AI in the Classroom 27:03 Hopes for Rice Future 30:36 Rapid Fire Questions Beyond The Hedges is a production of Rice University and is produced by University FM.

Beyond the Hedges

April 8, 202634m 55s

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Show Notes

Emily and Trevor discuss their paths to Rice, leadership motivations, and what the SA and GSA really do. Emily, a third-year PhD statistics student, was drawn to Rice by its Houston and Texas Medical Center collaborations. She emphasizes GSA advocacy and community-building for a graduate population that is 41% international, with focuses including dining, professional development, alumni connections, and support for graduate caregivers.

Trevor, a senior studying economics and sports management, describes the SA as a bridge to the administration to advocate and illuminate student issues and can help improve the undergraduate quality of life. Their conversation covers managing growth, changes in social culture, fostering dialogue across differences via institutional neutrality and free-speech efforts, and adapting to AI’s impact on teaching, integrity, and trust in higher education.

Let us know you’re listening by filling out this form. We will be sending listeners Beyond the Hedges Swag every month.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:44 Emily’s Path to Rice
02:18 Trevor’s Path to Rice
03:33 Why Student Leadership
06:59 What the Student Association Does
08:35 What the Graduate Student Association Does
10:13 Top Student Issues Today
14:22 What Alumni Should Know
17:36 Protecting Traditions
18:57 Leading Diverse Voices
23:44 AI in the Classroom
27:03 Hopes for Rice Future
30:36 Rapid Fire Questions

Beyond The Hedges is a production of Rice University and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Ensuring student life improves as Rice grows

11:57: [Trevor Tobey] So with the growth, we should also be expanding services. Students should be benefiting from the growth, not lowering the experience. And so that is why we have pursued things like late night dining and printing credits. And we had the largest initiative fund in student association history this year for clubs to apply to. And so, initiatives like this to make sure that students aren't getting left behind in the growth, I think is the biggest priority and the biggest concern among the student body right now.

What’s the central role of GSA in Rice?

20:54: [Emily Oppold]: I think not only getting my PhD, but getting it at Rice has committed me to becoming a lifelong learner. And that's something that I'm proud of and I'm excited about, and a lot of that is just surrounded by people that I'm meeting outside the classroom and just listening. Like I am learning as a leader so much just to listen. My ears are more powerful than my voice a lot of times, and that's something that I wish I could have told myself a year ago.

Learning to lead by listening

08:07: [Trevor Tobey] To me, our central mission is improving student quality of life at Rice. How do we expand services? How do we make sure that students are taken care of? How do we make it the best experience for students on our campus?...I would say that our central role is student quality of life, and bridging the gap between students and administration.

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