Sophia Pivnik joined Rice Global in August 2025. As Global Programs Specialist, Sophia supports the daily operations and outreach for all of Rice Global's student programs, serving as the first point of contact for students, faculty, staff, and external partners. Before Rice Global, Sophia served as the Administrative Coordinator for the Rice Office of Study Abroad. 

Sophia was born in Hanoi, Vietnam. Before moving to Houston for high school, Sophia grew up living in Egypt, Australia, and Scotland. Sophia completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Chinese Language & Culture at the University of Puget Sound. While in high school, she participated in a summer study abroad program in Spain. While in college, she participated in a semester study abroad program in Ireland, and a summer study abroad program in Taiwan. During her time in Taiwan, Sophia interned at Fulbright Taiwan (Foundation for Scholarly Exchange), assisting local students applying for fellowships.