Through the generous support of Lori and Chuck Whitten, the OASUS supports a vibrant community of practice for Rice student educators - tutors, consultants, coaches and TAs. Our program centers meaningful learning, inclusive communities, and metacognitive awareness of the learning process. A full schedule of events can be found on our OASUS Program Calendar.
Foundational Training
Our eight-hour foundational training series introduces new peer educators to fundamental theories and strategies of peer education. For a detailed overview of the curriculum, see OASUS Foundational Peer Educator Training Program.
Spring 2026
- Orientation Day 1: Tuesday, January 13th, 6:30 - 8 PM
- Orientation Day 2: Thursday, January 15th, 6:30 - 8 PM
- Core Workshop 1: Sunday, February 1st, 12 - 1 PM
- Core Workshop 2: Sunday, February 8th, 12 - 1 PM
- Core Workshop 3: Sunday, February 18nd, 6-7 PM
For more information, see Spring 2026 Invitation and Registration.*
*Please note - Students not employed by OASUS must have the approval of their supervisors in order to participate in this paid training. Faculty who would like their TAs to participate should contact us at oasus@rice.edu.
Join the OASUS Team
The OASUS employs Rice undergraduates to support our peer programs - Drop-in Study and PAL Study Groups. These positions offer the opportunity to contribute to a supportive, inclusive community of learners while developing skills as leaders and students. Click here to meet our current team!
- Drop-in Study Tutors provide course-specific tutoring to students at Drop-in Study.
- PAL Leaders plan and facilitate regular structured study sessions for specific courses.
- Drop-in Study Managers create a welcoming, efficient learning environment at Drop-in Study.
- Lead Peer Educators and Lead Managers coordinate and mentor other peer educators and contribute to program development.
For hiring cycles and applications, see “Employment Opportunities” in the menu.
Questions?
Email us at oasus@rice.edu. For more details about our program and upcoming workshops and events, add our OASUS Program Calendar and following us on Instagram, @rice.oasus.
Professional Development
Each semester, the OASUS offers workshops and discussions designed to support peer educators in their practice, enhance their professional skills, and contribute to a larger community of student educators at Rice.
Past workshop topics include Ethical and Effective Gen AI for Peer Educators, Designing a Successful Exam Review, and Showcasing Peer Education experience on resumes and LinkedIn. Our Lunch & Learn series are brown bag gatherings where you can socialize and participate in informal discussions led by OASUS Lead Peer Educators. For a schedule and full description of upcoming events, see Spring 2026 OASUS Professional Development Opportunities.
Whitten Fellow Spotlight
Introducing our Spring 2026 Whitten Peer Educator Fellow: Vamsi Makineni
My name is Vamsi Makineni, and I’m a current senior philosophy major at Martel. In high school, I cultivated an interest in philosophy because it let me peer into my head so I could improve on my philosophical thinking process. Later, in college I realized that this interest in monitoring my thinking process, or metacognition, was very useful in improving my learning skills for my courses. But, I noticed that this skill of consciously monitoring the learning process wasn’t just important for me, but for my peers as well. I voraciously read many research papers, books, and articles on learning science to improve my learning process further, and I translated my discoveries into “The Art of Understanding Concepts” COLL Course in Spring 2024 and an online course on Coursera, “Practical Metacognition for Learning” in 2025.
With the support of the Whitten Fellowship, I drew on my previous experiences to host the Effective Learning Workshop to teach my peers at Rice how to implement learning strategies so they could succeed in their academic courses. The Whitten Fellowship came with invaluable training to shift my mindset from teaching courses to a structured three-session workshop. I pitched my ideas and activities for the workshop to receive constructive feedback, which only strengthened my abilities to help educate my peers. Through the fellowship, I became a more confident educator and more engaged with the peer educator community.
Resource: Effective Mindmapping