Pillar 2 (2022)
Leadership and Oversight
We are committed to ensuring that every member of our Rice Business community is confident that the leadership team is addressing strategic priorities related to diversity, equity and inclusion, including the creation of equitable policies and practices that foster a sense of belonging, where every person feels wholly accepted, included and valued, especially those who are from historically excluded and/or under-resourced populations in higher education.
Rice Business Senior Leadership Team
Dean Peter Rodriguez has cultivated a diverse senior leadership team with the breadth of experiences and perspectives that fosters inclusive, innovative and equitable decision-making.
Dean-Level Leadership of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
In 2021, Dean Rodriguez appointed Professor Constance Porter as senior associate dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to lead the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Senior Associate Dean Porter’s appointment signaled the expansion in the scope of the mission of the pre-existing Diversity and Inclusion Office. Shortly thereafter, Senior Associate Dean Porter created two new positions to complete the first phase of the expanded office: executive director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lina Bell and DEI specialist Regina Edwards.
Rice Business Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Collaborates with University Partners
The Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion actively partners with DEI-focused leaders across the university to collectively share best practices, collaborate on joint efforts and initiatives as well as ensure that Rice Business DEI-related policies and practices are visible and aligned at the institutional level. Key partners in our collaborative efforts include Professor Alexander Byrd, vice provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion who provides strategic leadership for DEI initiatives; and Dr. Richard Anthony Baker, executive director for Institutional Equity and EEO, University Title IX Coordinator, Office of Access, Equity and Equal Opportunity.
Rice Business Alumni Association Board DEI Task Force
Rice Business Alumni Association Board DEI Task Force took a proactive measure to integrate DEI thinking into board operations. To that end, DEI facilitator Sonya Ware of Blue Beagle Consulting, was hired to bring DEI into a deeper focus in FY23. (Summer 2022)