Emily Rice | Program and Communications Officer

Emily Rice joined The West Foundation in 2022 as the organization’s Program and Communications Officer. Emily is responsible for supporting partnerships with constituent organizations to further the ultimate goal of moving beneficiaries out of abject poverty and into self-sufficiency.

Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Indiana University where she explored the social science of culture, museum studies, archaeology, linguistics and biological anthropology. She has previously applied her skills as a specialist in nonprofit educational programming at the Academy of Model Aeronautics and Minnetrista cultural center. Emily also spent two years working as a consultant for Appen Butler Hill on projects that evaluated data for machine learning. She brings a passion for the transformative power of education and the commonalities that connect people across cultures to the role of program officer.

Some of Emily’s career experiences include managing an educational competition that teaches students professional drone technology skills, crafting federal funding proposals for educational initiatives, serving on a federal advisory committee regarding K-12 education, speaking at trade shows and conferences, and teaching a wide variety of educational workshops and programs involving science, nature, history and art to learners of all ages.

Emily believes that intentional acts of kindness, big or small, have the power to make the world a better place. She and her family participate in a variety of programs and events that give back to their local community. They also work together to raise funds and awareness for international projects that specifically serve vulnerable populations including women, children, people with disabilities and people who have been victims of violent conflict.