Rice Business names Constance Porter senior associate dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Constance Porter, assistant clinical professor of marketing at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, has joined the leadership team of the school’s newly expanded Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

As the senior associate dean of the DEI office, Porter is part of the Rice Business Task Force on Racial Equity and Social Justice, which is charged with researching, evaluating and recommending actions to promote diversity and inclusion at the school.

“I am honored to serve in this new role at a momentous time in the history of our school. The task force established by Dean (Peter) Rodriguez paved the way for the expansion of our DEI office,” Porter said. “I look forward to engaging and partnering with students, staff, faculty, alumni and stakeholders in our greater community as we continue the work to be done to amplify DEI at Rice Business.”

Porter joined Rice in fall 2011 and teaches marketing, marketing research and customer relationship management, consistently earning outstanding reviews from her students. She also leads an experiential learning course, Marketing Lab, as well as two integrative executive seminars.

“I look forward to working with Connie as she brings her deep insight and thoughtful perspective to this new position as we commit to advancing the school’s goals of diversity, equity and inclusion with students, staff, faculty, alumni and beyond,” Rodriguez wrote in an announcement to the campus.

Porter earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (with dual concentration in finance and public policy), an MBA from the University of Michigan (with dual emphasis in operations and corporate strategy) and a Ph.D. in marketing from Georgia State University. Prior to her career in academia, she spent several years as a management consultant with multiple firms.