Peter Rodriguez has been named 15th president of Wake Forest University.
An economist by training, he currently serves as dean of Rice University’s School of Business, which includes the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business and the Virani Undergraduate School of Business.
Rodriguez will begin his presidency at Wake Forest on July 1. He follows Susan R. Wente, who has served as president since 2021.
Founded in 1834, Wake Forest is a university with historic Baptist roots but became independent in 1986. In 1999, the university opened its School of Divinity, with Baptist historian Bill Leonard as dean.
In the 2026 edition of US News and World Report’s Best Colleges, Wake Forest is ranked No. 51 in national universities and No. 12 in best undergraduate teaching. The school has a total undergraduate enrollment of about 5,500.
“Peter is a trained economist who has an insatiable curiosity and strategic mind,” said Curt Farmer, co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee and vice chair of the board of trustees. “We were impressed by his academic credentials, business acumen, steady leadership and reputation for strong relationships across his various campuses. He is an attentive and responsive leader who demonstrates excellence and humility.”
Before working at Rice, Rodriguez served as professor, senior associate dean for MBA programs and chief diversity officer for the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. His research interests include corruption, globalization, economic development and social institutions.
He also previously worked as an associate in the Global Energy Group at JPMorgan Chase.
At Texas A&M University, he held positions as an assistant professor in the Department of Management and an adjunct professor at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service.
Rodriguez currently serves as chair of the board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (Houston Branch) and as a member of the board of directors for Texas 2036.
He is a Texas native whose father was a college chemistry professor and mother was an elementary school teacher. He is married to Kathleen, who is a third-grade teacher, and they have three grown children: Gabriella, Sam and Michael.