Rice University Names Peter Rodriguez as New Dean of Jones School

Peter Rodriguez, international business scholar and current associate dean for degree programs at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, has been appointed dean of the Rice University – Jones Graduate School of Business.

A Princeton-educated economist, Rodriguez’s specialty is within international business and trade, with a focus on understanding how corruption can affect the economic environment. In addition to his role as dean of the business school, which will begin July 1st, Rodriguez will serve on the Jones School faculty. “As an accomplished scholar and educator, with a unique ability to connect with the many Jones School constituencies, Peter is exceptionally well-positioned to lead the Jones School,” said Rice Provost Marie Lynn Miranda.

As dean, Rodriguez hopes to make connections with the Houston business community at large to find ways that the school can serve the local community while strengthening global engagement. As faculty, he will have the additional opportunity to teach classes on international business, comparative economic growth and development, and international macroeconomics.

Rodriguez, a native of Kilgore, Texas, received his B.S. in economics from Texas A&M University before achieving his master’s and Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University. He served in a number of leadership roles before joining the Darden faculty, including roles at Mays Business School and the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. He worked for many years as an associate in the Global Energy Group at JPMorgan Chase, and also spent time teaching at Princeton. He has served as associate dean for degree programs and chief diversity officer at the Darden School since 2011, helping the school to earn the No. 2 spot in the Economist’s 2015 ranking of full-time MBA programs.

The Jones School’s current dean, William H. Glick, will be stepping down at the end of this year to return to the faculty after 11 years in the role. According to Miranda, the school experienced incredible growth during his tenure. “We are grateful to Bill for his remarkable record of accomplishment over the past decade,” she said, “which reflects extraordinary dedication to the Jones School and to Rice.”

regions: Houston

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