Jones School faculty recognized with teaching honors

As part of commencement festivities, students and alumni of the Jones Graduate School of Business recognized four of the school’s faculty members for their excellence in teaching. Honorees were chosen by the Rice MBA alumni group as well as by students from the school’s three MBA programs.

Brian Rountree

Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching
and Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business MBA for Professionals Weekend Award for Excellence in Teaching
Brian Rountree, associate professor of accounting

Rountree joined the Rice faculty in 2003 and has taught accounting courses across all MBA programs at the Jones School. His research focuses on the influence of external forces on the financial reporting choices and characteristics of firms.

James Weston

Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business Full-time MBA Award for Excellence in Teaching
James Weston, professor of finance

Weston joined the Jones Business School faculty in 2000. His teaching interests focus mainly on corporate finance and financial institutions. He has taught popular courses on economics and finance in all of the Jones School programs. Weston currently teaches the flagship first-year MBA core finance course for the daytime MBA program.

Robert Westbrook

Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business MBA for Executives Award for Excellence in Teaching
Robert Westbrook, the William Alexander Kirkland Professor of Marketing

Westbrook, who joined the marketing faculty in 1989, teaches courses in two areas, strategic marketing and customer satisfaction and loyalty. Westbrook’s scholarship has examined a wide range of issues in the fields of marketing, retailing and customer behavior.

Prashant Kale

Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business MBA for Professionals Evening Award for Excellence in Teaching
Prashant Kale, associate professor of strategic management

A member of the faculty since 2007, Kale has a research focus on corporate strategy, strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions. He has taught electives on managing strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions and health care strategy.