He attended Oregon State University and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
A graduate of Oregon State University's College of Business, Rich began his media career as a news reporter for Portland radio station KINK.
[1] He transitioned in 2001 from full time at KINK to morning updates while pursuing a screenwriter career.
[2] In 1998, he was awarded a Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his first film script Finding Forrester.
[citation needed] He was awarded an honorary dFA by OSU on June 17, 2007, for his acclaim earned by his first two movies.