Houston, Texas, USA: Rice University alumnus Rushi Bhalani has been selected to receive the Builders Award, an honour presented by the Association of Rice Alumni (ARA). The award ceremony will take place on November 7 during the university president’s town hall, part of Rice’s annual alumni weekend celebrations.
Established in 2005, the Builders Award highlights graduates from the past decade who have made outstanding contributions to Rice University and its wider community. This year, Bhalani will share the recognition with Will Eldridge (Class of 2016,17).
“Rushi and Will truly embody the essence of being builders — alumni who not only represent Rice’s values but also contribute meaningfully to its future,” said David Leal, President of the ARA. “Their commitment to enhancing the Rice network and supporting future generations of Owls is remarkable.”
A computer science graduate, Bhalani has maintained strong ties with Rice through leadership and volunteer work. He has been an active member of several alumni boards, including the Rice Engineering Alumni Board of Directors, the Association of Rice Alumni Board, and the Centre for Career Development Advisory Board.
Through his initiatives, Bhalani has helped raise over $200,000 using data-driven outreach methods and launched a summer internship program connecting engineering students with alumni mentors.
Beyond these efforts, he has served the Rice community as a Baker College community associate, admissions interviewer, Rice Fund volunteer, and mentor to more than twenty students.
In his professional life, Bhalani has built a strong career focusing on strategy, product design, and innovation. His experience includes roles as a strategy consultant at Accenture, senior business analyst at BiggerPockets, and senior product strategist at Indeed, where he led global go-to-market strategy for a billion-dollar platform.
Currently, he is pursuing graduate studies at Northwestern University, aiming to design impactful, human-centred product experiences.
Raised in the Los Angeles suburbs, Bhalani credits his leadership values and sense of community to his formative years at Rice University.
