Dear Rice community,
We are writing today with exceptionally exciting and impressive news. Our esteemed colleague Peter Rodriguez, who has served as dean of Rice Business since 2016, has been named the 15th president of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He will begin his presidency there July 1.
While we are sad to be losing Peter’s trademark ambitious yet deeply thoughtful and inclusive leadership at the business school, we couldn’t be happier for him for the opportunity to lead one of the country’s finest private universities. This is a proud moment for our community and a reflection of Rice’s reputation to have one of our deans be selected for such a role. You can view Wake Forest’s announcement here.
Peter’s leadership for Rice Business’ Jones Graduate School of Business and the Virani Undergraduate School of Business has been transformational, enriching our diverse student body on campus and online. He has doubled MBA enrollment, grown the tenure-track faculty by more than 40% and introduced the first online graduate degree at Rice, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2023. He also launched a Hybrid MBA program, renovated McNair Hall, including the installation of a new public art project, broke ground on a state-of-the-art new building set for completion this fall and welcomed the Virani School, home to the undergraduate business programs.
His tenure as dean has also ushered in a new operations faculty group, led successful and growing entrepreneurship initiatives at Rice, and integrated a global field experience into the curriculum for MBA students.
Peter did all this while leading through hurricanes, floods, freezes and a global pandemic and building an “attentive, responsive and kind” culture that defines the school and its community today.
An economist and professor of strategic management, Peter has also served the broader Houston and Texas community with distinction. He currently holds a three-year position on the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Houston Branch board of directors. In this role, he offers insights into regional economic conditions as part of its monetary policy responsibilities. He has also served as a board member for three nonprofit organizations: Good Reason Houston, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and Texas 2036. He was named dean of the year by Poets & Quants in October 2025.
The university will launch an international search for the new dean of Rice Business this summer, and we will share updates on this soon.
We have appointed Jeff Fleming, the Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Professor of Finance and director of the Ph.D. program, as interim dean. Jeff has been part of the Rice faculty for more than 30 years and has served in multiple senior leadership roles at Rice Business, including associate dean, senior associate dean and deputy dean.
Peter’s last day at Rice will be June 5.
For now, please join us in congratulating Peter and wishing him, his wife, Kathleen, and their family all the best as they embark on this exciting new chapter.
Read more in Rice News.
Best regards,
Reginald DesRoches
President
Amy Dittmar
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs