Our Business

Forward Focus

Meet the leadership team at Rice Business. As Rice conducts the search for the next dean of Rice Business, a team of longtime faculty members and academic leaders will guide the school. Together, Jeff Fleming, James Weston, Brian Rountree and Barbara Bennett bring decades of institutional knowledge, distinguished records in teaching and research, and deep experience shaping the school’s programs. Here, they share more about their work, themselves and their perspectives on business education.

Jeff Fleming, Interim Dean

Fleming has been a finance professor at Rice since 1993 after earning his Ph.D. from Duke University. He has served in various roles in the dean’s suite, including associate dean of degree programs, senior associate dean of academic affairs and seven years as deputy dean. More recently, he served as director of the Rice Business Ph.D. program.

Favorite sports team: The Texans
Best experience as interim dean: Our Faculty and Staff Town Hall
What advice would you give to MBA students: Take advantage of your most highly valued opportunities.

James Weston, Deputy Dean of Academic Affairs

Weston is the Harmon Whittington Professor of Finance at Rice Business, where he oversees faculty and research. His scholarship focuses on corporate finance, econometrics and the role of financial institutions in the broader economy. Weston has published extensively in leading academic journals. He is also a dedicated teacher and has received more than a dozen teaching awards over the course of his career. At Rice, he has held a variety of academic leadership roles and remains deeply engaged in the school’s research, teaching and faculty community.

Favorite vegetable to grow: Tomatoes
Where are you backpacking next: Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool, Texas
Have you ever owned a bar: Sadly, yes.

Brian Rountree, Senior Associate Dean for Degree Programs

Rountree is professor of accounting at Rice Business. As senior associate dean, he oversees the school’s portfolio of degree programs. His research focuses on financial reporting, disclosure and the role of accounting information in capital markets. He has published in leading academic journals and has served in editorial roles for several accounting and finance journals. A member of the Rice faculty since 2003, Rountree has taught in every program offered by Rice Business and has received multiple teaching awards. He is currently leading a schoolwide initiative focused on how teaching and the curriculum should evolve in response to advances in artificial intelligence.

Favorite activities: Golf and wake surfing
What he’s listening to: “We Are Legion (We Are Bob)” audiobook by Dennis E. Taylor
His AI advice: Build a strong foundation of knowledge first, then use AI to augment your investment in learning, not replace it.

Barbara Bennett, Director of Special Projects and Director of MBA@Rice

Bennett is a professor of finance and statistics at Rice Business. A member of the faculty since 1994, Bennett has taught a variety of courses across all of the degree programs, including International Finance, Portfolio Management, Applied Risk Management and, the course that is her passion, the Economic Environment of Business. For over a decade, she served as senior associate dean of degree programs. In that capacity, she led the launch of both the MBA@Rice online program (the first online degree at Rice University) and the Hybrid MBA format. She also played a crucial role in launching and growing the undergraduate business major.

What she’s (re-)reading: “Ursula, Under” (an all-time favorite)
Where she’s traveling: Newfoundland, Canada
Favorite teaching message: Twist out your production function.