Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez appointed to Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Houston Branch board of directors

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Economist Peter Rodriguez, dean of the Jones Graduate School of Business and the Virani Undergraduate School of Business at Rice University, has been appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Houston Branch board of directors by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. The Houston Branch board consists of seven members, four appointed by the Dallas Fed and three appointed by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas is part of the Federal Reserve System, the central bank of the United States. The Dallas Fed works with other regional Federal Reserve banks and the board in Washington to drive monetary policy attentive to the diverse needs of communities across the nation. Rodriguez will provide input on regional economic conditions as part of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy functions, according to its press release.

“I can think of no better alignment of my academic career, professional training and my commitment to public service than serving on the Houston Branch of Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, especially during this pivotal moment for our nation’s economy,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez also serves as a board member for two nonprofit organizations: Good Reason Houston and Texas 2036.

As an economist and professor of strategic management, Rodriguez teaches MBA classes on leadership and has instilled the core values of being attentive, responsive and kind as central to the culture of Rice Business. His tenure as dean has driven significant change since he joined Rice in 2016: increased enrollment of underrepresented minority students, the creation of an operations faculty group to address global trends, integration of a global field experience into the curriculum for every MBA student and numerous successful and growing entrepreneurship initiatives at Rice.