Pillar 5 (2022)

Student, Faculty and Staff Development

We are committed to recruiting, retaining and advancing students, staff and faculty from populations that reflect the diverse identities represented in our city, nation and world, especially those from historically-excluded and/or under-resourced populations in higher education. As part of this commitment, we will enhance the cultural competency of our students, staff and faculty in ways that prepare them to engage and contribute as inclusive leaders, teachers, scholars, advocates and/or allies in a diverse, equitable campus and workplace environment.

Student Development

Career Development Office

The Career Development Office (CDO) kicks off the recruiting year with its annual Diversity Networking Event. The reception provides an opportunity for hiring organizations to network with students from diverse backgrounds (underrepresented minorities, women and veterans). The CDO helps students with career conference support, student association sponsorship and individual professional development.

Student Association Sponsorships

The CDO provided sponsorship funding ($6,452) to student organizations in support of various DEI initiatives and programs:

  • Rice Business Women’s Organization - Women in Leadership Conference; Female Founder Lunch and Learn; Own Your Career Event
  • Men As Allies Organization – Guest Speaker, Aaron Limonthas, VP of DEI, Shipt for a deeper dive into actionable allyship upon graduation

  • The CDO provides pre-MBA prep as well as on-site support to students attending summer and fall career expos with Rice Business Strategic Partners, including Consortium Orientation Program (OP), Forté Foundation for Women, NBMBAA, Prospanica, ROMBA and the MBA Veteran’s conferences. Specifically, the CDO staff provides career advising, pitch development and career expo strategy.

Strategic Partnerships

Rice Business is dedicated to making academic experiences inclusive and forward thinking. We’re proud to support all our students through strategic partnerships with local and national affinity organizations. These alliances provide opportunities for scholarship, career prep and programs for women, underrepresented minority students and others committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the business ranks.

Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management

  • Rice Business joined as the 19th school member in 2017.
  • Lina Bell, executive director for the Office for DEI, is a board member.
  • Class of 2024 has the highest number of incoming students — 28 — in a cohort to date.
  • Takeya Green '22 was awarded the Inaugural Future Executive Leader of Distinction Award by the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
    • Consortium Preview Weekend – Spring 2022
      This Recruiting and Admissions Office event provided an opportunity for Consortium applicants and admitted students to connect with the Rice Business community in a meaningful way. The event included information sessions, networking opportunities, and exposure to the Houston community. Sessions included Real Talk Sessions with Current Students, Orientation Program (OP) Overview, Rice Business Student Experience, and Closing Reception. Of the twenty-nine Consortium candidates who attended, 59% matriculated to Rice Business.
    • Consortium Happy Hour – Spring 2022
      This Recruiting and Admissions Office event was hosted directly following the release of Round Two decisions to provide a celebratory moment for all newly admitted Consortium students. This event was launched by the Recruiting and Admissions Office but executed by current Consortium students. 79% of the 19 attendees ultimately matriculated to Rice Business.
    • Consortium Orientation Program – Summer 2022
      This program is led by our external partner, the Consortium, to facilitate meaningful connections with the incoming students, to network more broadly among other MBA programs, and begin engaging with corporate partners supporting the conference in hopes of securing career opportunities. The Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Career Development, and Recruiting and Admissions teams collaborated to support the preparation of this program for all incoming Consortium students, including setting expectations about the conference experience. Support to students included career advising, pitch development, and career expo strategy. 96% of the twenty-eight attendees ultimately matriculated to Rice Business.

National Black MBA Association, Inc.

  • Rice Business participates in the College Partnership Program.
  • Two scholarships in the amount of $25,000 are offered to incoming MBA students.
    • National Black MBA Conference (NBMBA) & Career Expo – Fall 2021
      This event provided support to current students attending NBMBAA Career Expo, including career advising, pitch development and career expo strategy. Career sessions with Joanne Courtney in collaboration with Black Business Student Association and five Career Development Office staff were available during the conference/career expo for on-demand coaching and virtual support throughout the event.

Prospanica

  • Rice Business received the 2021 Brillante Award for Educational Excellence which recognizes an institution or individual who advocates on behalf of diverse communities and students and has a successful track record dedicated to fostering Hispanics and preparing them for advanced educational, career and leadership opportunities.
  • Marie Bergeron and Maria De Alba Ortiz are board members.
  • Awarded scholarships to two incoming MBA students: Gerardo Almaguer and Pedro Martinez
    • Prospanica Conference – Fall 2021
      The Career Development Office (CDO) offered conference support, including advising, pitch development and career expo strategy to current students attending the virtual Prospanica conference career. The CDO offers ongoing support through two Prospanica Board memberships in the Houston Chapter, including promoting companies interested in Hispanic talent, professionals and students. Rice Business was recognized by the Prospanica Houston Board for leadership, commitment and dedication to empowering and enabling Hispanic professionals to achieve their full educational, economic and social potential.

FORTÉ Foundation

  • The Class of 2024 cohort was comprised of 81 women in the full-time and professional MBA programs. Approximately half of the group attended the Forté MBA Women’s Conference in Los Angeles June 10-11 where they explored career paths, connected with recruiters and mentors, and sharpened career skills.
    • Forté Conference FAQ & Logistics Chat – Spring 2022
      This Recruiting and Admissions Office virtual event was hosted for all incoming women who planned to attend the annual Forté Conference. This was a collaborative event between the Career Development Office and Recruiting and Admissions Office to ensure the women attending the event had a clear and strong understanding of the value of the conference experience. Of the women, including current and prospective students who attended the conference, 97% of the 39 prospective students matriculated to Rice Business.
    • Forté MBA Fast Track Financial Services – Spring 2022
      Provided support to incoming students attending Forté Conference, including career advising, pitch development and career expo strategy.
    • Forté Conference Annual Conference – Summer 2022
      This program is led by our external partner Forté; however, both the Career Development and Recruiting and Admissions Offices collaborated to support the preparation of this program for all of our incoming female students who registered to attend. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate meaningful connections with the incoming students, to network with women more broadly among other MBA programs, and to promote engagement with corporate partners supporting the conference. The Recruiting and Admissions and Career Development offices provided on-site support for all Rice Business women including sessions and activities that promoted personal and professional development. Of the 38 registered, 92% ultimately matriculated to Rice Business.

Management Leadership for Tomorrow

  • Recruiting and Admission staff supported Management Leadership for Tomorrow’s (MLT) Summer Seminar at University of Chicago-Booth School of Business (Summer 2022) and the Pre-Application Seminar University of Virginia - Darden School of Business (Summer 2022), where they networked and helped MBA candidates gain clarity about the admissions process.

Reaching Out MBA

  • Educates, inspires and connects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender graduate business students and school clubs through its year-round events including the annual Reaching Out LGBT+ MBA & Business Graduate Conference.
  • Rice Business offers two scholarships and access to leadership programming.
    • Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Conference & Career Expo - Fall 2021
      The Career Development Office (CDO) offered conference support to current students attending ROMBA Career Expo, including career advising (onsite and virtual), pitch development and career expo strategy.

PhD Project

  • Provides historically underrepresented students a model of achievement and businesses a powerful way to enrich the talent pipeline. Supports the creation of business Ph.D.s from historically underrepresented groups.
  • Access to networking, mentoring and unique events.

 

Learn More about our Strategic Partnerships

Other Student Development Events

Women of Color Panel – Spring 2022
This Recruiting and Admissions Office event provided an opportunity for a small group of admitted and enrolled women of color to connect virtually with current first– and second-year candidates across the full-time and professional students. Of the students who attended, 58% ultimately matriculated into Rice Business.

Women Empowerment Happy Hour – Spring 2022
This Recruiting and Admissions Office event provided an opportunity for a small group of admitted and enrolled women to connect and network with each other and current full-time and professional students. Of the students who attended, 55% ultimately matriculated into Rice Business.
 

Diversity Networking Event – Fall 2021
This Career Development Office virtual event provided a recruiting event for 127 current students from diverse backgrounds (i.e., underrepresented minorities, women and veterans) and 24 hiring organizations.

Faculty Development

Cocktails and Conversations with Faculty: DEI at Rice Business – Spring 2022
The Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosted a casual gathering of faculty to learn and share how they are elevating DEI in teaching, research and beyond. Professors Ben Lansford, Janet Moore, Barb Ostdiek, Natalia Piqueira and Anastasiya Zavyalova shared their insights about how they consider diversity, equity and inclusion in their work inside and outside of the classroom. 

Enhancing Inclusive Teaching at Rice Business
The Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is helping Rice Business faculty instructors design and deliver inclusive learning experiences. Our updated website offers resources for faculty that contains self-learning resources about topics such as “Addressing Microaggressions in the Classroom.” Also, in spring 2022, the Office of the Dean provided full financial support to all 12 instructors who registered to attend a live, two-day virtual workshop called “Delivering an Inclusive Learning Experience for your GME Programs.” The workshop was delivered by MBA Roundtable, a Rice Business partner-relationship cultivated by Michael Koenig, associate dean for innovation initiatives and executive director of Executive Education. 

Staff Development

DEI Specialist Regina Edwards discusses initiatives from the DEI office, and other offices at Rice Business, to create areas where staff members can learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion.

Professional Affiliations and Certifications

Rice Business is dedicated to making academic experiences inclusive and forward-thinking. We're proud to support all our staff members through partnerships and professional affiliations with DEI-related affinity organizations locally, regionally and nationally. These partnerships and professional affiliations provide opportunities for learning and development, as well as elevation of diversity, equity and inclusion among staff in higher education.

    • American Library Association (ALA)
      Nicolas Castellanos, director for Business Information Center, attended the American Library Association (ALA) Conference in Washington D.C. in June 2022. Distributed information on Recognition of Indigenous History of Washington D.C. at ALA Events on the National Mall. Disseminated information about and outreach for ALA’s Directory of Diversely Owned Businesses.
    • Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management (Consortium)
      Lina Bell, executive director, Office for DEI, serves as a Consortium board member since 2017.
    • MBA Career Services Employer Association
      Jennifer Applebee, former associate director, Recruiting and Employer Relations, Career Development Office served on the DEI Resource Group. Presented at the Global Conference in New Orleans in June 2021.
    • Prospanica
      Marie Bergeron, director, Experienced Hires and Alumni, joined with Mariella De Alba Ortiz, associate director, Career Education and Advising, Career Development Office, serve as Prospanica Board members. Participated in the UST/Prospanica ExxonMobil Event in Spring 2021. Attended Prospanica and National Association of Healthcare Latin Executives (NAHLE) in Spring 2021.
    • Technology in Business Schools Roundtable
      Elaine Brewer, senior director of technology, Office of Technology served on the DEI committee for the Technology Roundtable for Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Assisted in planning a virtual seminar for all members focusing on defining diversity and the role of advocacy in the workplace. (https://tbsr.wildapricot.org/)
    • The TechPACT
      Elaine Brewer, senior director of technology, Office of Technology is a member of The TechPACT, an organization of IT professionals leading the charge for inclusion and equity in the technology industry by instilling equity and access to opportunities and by providing mentorship and support to young technologists (https://techpact.org/).
    • DEI Certifications
      Phillip Heavilin, executive director, Career Development Office, successfully completed the ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate’ through the Muma College of Business at University of South Florida.

      Regina Edwards, DEI specialist, Office for DEI, successfully completed the ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate’ through the Muma College of Business at University of South Florida.

Learning and Development Special Events

Braving Trust Workshop: Dare to Lead facilitator, Cheryl Bryan – Fall 2021
Michelle Kaltenbach, the director of employee engagement and development, invited all staff to attend an interactive workshop led by Cheryl Bryan, a certified Dare to Lead™ facilitator, to explore how BRAVING Trust can help you be a more courageous leader. BRAVING Trust is one of the four fundamental skill sets described in Dare to Lead, a courage-building program based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown.
 

Inclusive Leadership Lunch and Learn – Fall 2021
Michelle Kaltenbach, the director of employee engagement and development, invited all staff to attend a session led by Dr. Eden King about the emergence of an increasingly diverse American workplace. The session focused on two important questions: (1) What happens when people from different backgrounds work together? (2) How can organizations encourage positive interpersonal interactions?

Pillar 1

Pillar 2

Pillar 3

Pillar 4

Pillar 5

Back to Report