In less than a decade, Rodriguez has transformed Rice Business in nearly every dimension. Beyond creating a thriving undergraduate offering, he has overseen a 192% increase in student enrollment. The growth stems from a doubling of MBA students and the launch of an online MBA—the university’s first online degree—along with a hybrid MBA option.
Rice University professor Mikki Hebl says job seekers’ willingness to accept lower pay and roles reflects a softer labor market and shifting values toward flexibility, balance, and meaningful work.
Rice Business rose to No. 24 in U.S. News’ 2026 undergraduate business rankings, up from No. 27 last year. The school now shares its spot with seven peers, reflecting strong momentum among top-tier programs.
New research co-authored by Rice Business lecturer Richard Schwartz finds that problem-solving daydreaming can trigger powerful career epiphanies and a stronger sense of professional purpose.
ChopnBlok owner and Rice MBA '14 Ope Amosu is partnering with Trill Burgers to host two fusion dining nights, blending West African flavors into comfort food. The collaboration celebrates ChopnBlok’s first year in Montrose and re-connects Amosu with Bun B, whom he first met years ago.
ChopnBlok owner and Rice MBA '14 Ope Amosu is partnering with Trill Burgers to host two fusion dining nights, blending West African flavors into comfort food. The collaboration celebrates ChopnBlok’s first year in Montrose and re-connects Amosu with Bun B, whom he first met years ago.
A study co-authored by Rice Business professor Marlon Mooijman on voter preferences in the U.S. and Europe helps explain why strong-arm leaders often get the minority vote.
Rice Business rose to No. 24 in U.S. News’ 2026 undergraduate business rankings, up from No. 27 last year. The school now shares its spot with seven peers, reflecting strong momentum among top-tier programs.
Rice Business ranked 28th globally and 15th in the U.S. in the 2026 QS Online MBA Ranking. The program continues to gain recognition among top schools worldwide, reinforcing its growing impact in online business education.
Businesses know customer satisfaction drives success, yet rates keep falling. Research co-authored by Rice Business professor Vikas Mittal shows that leaders often rely on guesswork without credible data to identify and rank what customers truly value.
Houston’s ChopnBlok, founded by Chef Ope Amosu '14, was named to The New York Times’ 2025 list of America’s 50 best restaurants. The Montrose spot earned praise for its vibrant West African dishes and was hailed as a standout dining destination.
At SXSW London, Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez emphasized Texas’ status as a global trade leader, citing its energy dominance, rapid growth, and diverse talent, while underscoring Rice’s role in driving innovation worldwide.
Opeyemi “Ope” Amosu ’14 grew ChòpnBlọk from pop-ups to a nationally acclaimed Houston restaurant, merging West African cuisine with business expertise and earning James Beard Award recognition.
New research from Rice Business Professor Jung Youn Lee finds that grocery purchasing data could predict credit risk as reliably as traditional credit scores — helping banks identify trustworthy borrowers and expand access to credit.
Hear from clean energy startups from nine countries and 19 states at the 22nd annual Energy Tech Venture Forum during Houston Energy & Climate Week, September 15-19.
In this episode of Work From The Inside Out, Rice Business professor and best-selling author Scott Sonnenschein shares his unconventional career journey and insights from his book Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined.
A study by Rice Business professors Jefferson Duarte and David Zhang found a small increase after the settlement went into effect in the share of buyers who chose not to use real-estate agents in certain states.
Flexibility has long been a selling point for entrepreneurship. But COVID-19 helped make flexible arrangements more of a norm. A new study co-authored by Rice Business professor Yael Hochberg shows how this shift in workplace norms changed who starts businesses.
Houston–based wellness-focused developer Define Living, founded by Rice MBA Henry Richardson, is launching a mid-rise, 388-unit apartment community—Define Living: Park Row—on a 10.4-acre site in the Energy Corridor’s Central Park master-planned development.
"All the professors at Rice Business are truly world-class. As a professor myself, who regularly teaches and speaks at conferences, I was often impressed by how captivating and effective they were in the classroom."
Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business MBA programs have been ranked among the top five in the country in The Princeton Review’s 2025 Best Business Schools rankings.
"You want to have a consistent story that’s woven throughout your application," says George Andrews, associate dean of degree programs. "In your essays, you’re talking about the things you’re good at or areas of opportunity for growth. That carries on through the interview and, ideally, your letters of recommendation."
"Since my career in the Army involved healthcare, I was drawn to Rice Business because of the number of classes focused on the healthcare industry. These classes give me the opportunity to align my Army experience with the business side of healthcare."
A study reveals that 13% of scientific articles show signs of AI, raising a debate about the integrity of research. Rice Business professor Kathleen Perley says that AI can play a decisive role in democratizing access to academic research, especially for non-English-speaking researchers or those suffering from learning disabilities.
"Rice was the only school I seriously considered. As a Houstonian, I wanted to root myself locally while still learning from one of the best programs in the country. Rice’s reputation, combined with its values and community, made it the clear choice."
A recent study, co-authored by Rice Business professor Daan van Knippenberg, challenges a common assumption in team innovation research: members’ diverse knowledge backgrounds will facilitate innovative outcomes in teams.
Rice Business reveals how having a “promotion focus” can mean the difference between fostering innovation and letting it slip by.
"I chose the Online MBA because I needed the flexibility. I have a mortgage to pay and couldn’t afford to step away from work. Rice Business’ program gave me access to a top-tier education while allowing me to grow my career and remain financially independent."
Rice Business professor Vikas Mittal says that senior executives need to take greater responsibility in regards to the findings of business research rather than rushing to oversimplified conclusions.
Houston's urban landscape is evolving beyond its iconic skyline, yes Rice Business professor Burdette Huffman — with a focus on creating vibrant, walkable spaces that could reshape the city's economy and quality of life.
Ivan Diaz is a full time student studying business at Rice University and the owner of Oasis, a concept that offers acai bowls and smoothies in the Lyrics market. “I don’t think age really defines what you can and cannot do,” he says.
David Jaurrieta ’24 shares his journey to becoming an associate at McKinsey & Co. He talks about the value of community, shines a light on the importance of commitment and more.
In this edition of Real Numbers of MBA Admissions, we round up the percentage of students of the Classes of 2024 placed in tech.
Nine Houston universities have climbed through the ranks in U.S. News & World Report’s recently released report of the best graduate schools nationwide for 2025. Several graduate programs also appeared among the top 10 in a Texas-wide comparison.
Rice University is embarking on a significant growth plan to increase enrollment by 30% while simultaneously facing unexpected challenges from Washington, according to President Reginald DesRoches in a recent interview.
Meet Diego Pedrazas, a recent graduate of Rice Business and a rising leader in the renewable energy investment space. Originally from Bolivia, Diego brought five years of engineering experience at Shell into the MBA program, where he focused on finance to pivot into strategic and deal-focused roles.
Celebrating its 25th year, the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship hosted the celebrated Rice Business Plan Competition this month, doling out more than $2 million in investment and cash prizes to the top-performing teams.
Rice MBA Mercedes Moncada-García shares the best practices for making connections and building relationships in business school.
Five student-founded startups have been named finalists for Rice University's prestigious pitch competition, hosted by Rice University’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship later this month. The teams will compete for a share of $100,000 in equity-free funding at the H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge (NRLC).
"When you see in big red letters that your stocks are losing money, it's hard to not react," says Rice Business professor Benedict Guttman-Kenney. “But a fantastic way to lose money is to sell in a panic.”
Congratulations to Caroline Mazur-Sarocka for being named one of Poets&Quants Best & Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors Of 2025.
Georgian legislation directly mirrors a contentious law Russia passed more than a decade ago to stifle dissent and quash the power of civil society groups.
Research co-authored by Rice Business professor Jung Youn Lee found that variables such as shopping frequency, consistency in spending, choice of products, and use of discount programs correlate strongly with credit risk profiles.
An endowment was recently created for the Gibborim Scholarship at the Jones Graduate School of Business, which aims to provide a scholarship to one non-U.S. veteran a year, preferably for those who “have advanced knowledge of the mission and fundamental values” of the Israeli Defense Forces.
More than half of all payday lending fees issued in the country are paid by Texans, according to the nonprofit advocacy group the Center for Responsible Lending. Why does that happen, and what can Texans do to escape the cycle of debt?
Online labor platforms increasingly rely on customer ratings to evaluate worker performance, yet these systems and their opaque algorithms can unintentionally introduce racial bias, impacting worker pay and opportunities. New research co-authored by Rice Business professor Sora Jun explores why this may be.
Michael Koenig, Associate Dean for Innovation Initiatives and Executive Director of Executive Education, shares his experiences in driving innovation within academia, overcoming resistance to change, and leveraging emerging technologies like AI to enhance learning.
Karen Veroboski turned an internship at Pfizer during her Rice Business MBA into a full-time offer. Pfizer, one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies in America, offered the culture and fast-paced environment Karen sought.
International full-time MBA student Mercedes Moncada-García shares memories and lessons learned from her recent global field experience to Buenos Aires.
Take a look at Clear Admit's chart of average GRE scores at U.S. business schools.