Instructions for making an appointment
- All appointments must be made at least 24 hours in advance. Make sure your calendar view is in Central Standard/Daylight Time.
- Students who have previously met with an advisor must continue to meet with the same advisor unless otherwise instructed.
- Our office does provide advising for short-term faculty-led programs including but not limited to Rice in Country, Rice in Madrid, OEDK iSEED, and Rice Global Paris Center. Please reach out to the corresponding office or department with any questions about their programming, application, and funding opportunities since their processes differ from ours.
- Appointments are for current undergraduate students only.
- Freshmen can meet with an advisor in our office starting their second semester.
- Please write in the comments of your appointment request a brief note that includes the following:
- Your major(s), minor(s), or area of study relevant to your study abroad plans
- What features or types of programs you're interested in
- Programs of interest from our program search, if you've identified any.
Yahaira Verdejo
Associate Director
Yahaira joined the Rice Study Abroad team as a Study Abroad Advisor in July 2015. As a Rice student and alumna, she has had the opportunity to study, volunteer, and work in Europe and Latin America. She studied abroad in Paris for a semester with the Sweet Briar Junior Year in France Program and taught English in the south of France with TAPIF. She also worked at the Institute of International Education with the Gilman Scholarship Program. Her family is from Mexico and she is a native Spanish speaker. She was a FGLI student while at Rice and is now a part of the FLI Network Supporters program on campus. She has had the chance to visit some of our programs in Amsterdam, London, Oaxaca, Stockholm and Copenhagen. Yahaira is available to help you with your study abroad process before you leave, while abroad, and after you return!
Terri Hitner
Study Abroad Advisor
Terri joined the Rice Study Abroad Office in September 2022. Her family is originally from South Africa but then moved to South Florida where Terri was born. She attended the University of Florida for her undergraduate degree in English Literature. During her junior year, she participated in a study abroad program in London. Throughout Terri's undergraduate studies, she worked at the ELI (English Language Institute) at UF, peer-leading conversational English classes for international learners. She continued her education by earning her Master's degree at UF in English Education. After completing her Master's, Terri joined EPIK (English Program in Korea) to teach English to middle school students in Busan, South Korea for 3 years. Having experienced living abroad herself, she is prepared to help guide and advise you along your own study abroad journey!
Beata Loch
Director, Study Abroad
Beata Loch joined the Study Abroad Office in 2010. Beata holds a 5-year university degree in English and History from Hungary, and an MA in TESOL from the University of Minnesota. As Director, her primary role is overseeing the office and serving as liaison for Rice’s undergraduate exchange programs with partner institutions, advising only incoming and outgoing exchange students. Beata is originally from Hungary and first arrived in the U.S. as an exchange student. Prior to joining Rice, Beata worked at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Iowa, and the University of Pittsburgh, building decades of experience in the field of international education.
Exchange advising only.