On a chilly Friday night, February 6, 2026, Rice alumni gathered in Seoul to kick off our inaugural Coast to Coast Lunar New Year Toast! Twenty undergraduate and graduate alumni reconnected and met new friends, including a parent of a current Brown College sophomore. It was a wonderful evening to relax, celebrate the Lunar New Year, forge new connections, and strengthen our ties to the Rice community.
The gathering brought together Owls from across generations in the spirit of celebration and camaraderie. We were amazed to hear from an Economics graduate alumni from the 1970s as well as an UG alum who was an athlete Owl. We all think he must be the only athlete from Korea that Rice has had and he told us a funny story of how the golf team would use the weight room after the baseball players and they spent a ton of their work out time unracking all the weights before they could start their workout (lol!)! Truly two pioneers! From sharing memories of life on campus to discussing current endeavors, the conversation flowed as freely as the toasts raised in honor of the new year. The event marked a special milestone as the first in what we hope will become an annual tradition of bringing Rice alumni across the world together during this festive season.
Thank you to everyone, especially James Hurley, our Alumni Relations head, who joined us for this memorable evening. Our Seoul alumni were very moved that James was able to join us. Here’s to prosperity, good health, and continued connections this upcoming year!
