Michael Lam is a Sid Rich junior majoring in Bioengineering. He has served as an O-week PAA for two years, helps lead the Health Professions PAA Committee and currently serves Sid Rich as a head PAA.
Rebecca McKinnell is a junior at McMurtry college majoring in Computational and Applied Mathematics. She has served as an O-week PAA for two years, works closely with the transfer committee and is serving as a McMurtry Head PAA.
When asked why he chose to apply for the position, Michael says, “Personally, I wish to play a more interactive role in the world of PAAs. I want to contribute even more to the PAA family by not only assisting my college but also engaging students and other PAAs from all colleges. By being the student director, I hope to bridge the relationships and ideas between all the PAAs between the colleges … for unbounded discussions among the PAAs.”
When asked why she chose to apply for the position, Rebecca says, “Being a part of the PAA program has become a very central part of my time at Rice. Not only do I love interacting with individual students, but I also enjoy being more involved on the planning and leadership side of the program. It has been both challenging and rewarding to establish the PAA program at McMurtry and I have loved every aspect of being a Head PAA, from talking with students to planning events and organizing our team. I am starting to realize just how much goes on behind the scenes and I believe I could help the PAAs at every college keep things running smoothly and improve their program.”
In addition to their work with the Office of Academic Advising, both Michael and Rebecca are active in many other organizations on campus. Rebecca is considering a career in teaching high school or working in industry with her CAAM background. Michael hopes to continue his education in Medical School upon graduation.