How is AI enhancing our creativity and problem solving and how does that compare to other digital tools we use everyday, like search engines?  Through controlled lab experiments and field studies, Assistant Professor Jaeyeon Chung spends her time at Rice Business researching questions just like that. Her work in the field of marketing focuses on the groundbreaking innovations and psychological implications of AI’s growing role in our lives.  Jaeyeon joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about her journey from psychology to AI, her recent study on generative AI’s effectiveness in assist ..read more

It takes grit for a history major to walk into a job fair for business students and convince the rep from Kraft Foods that she’s the right person for the position. But that’s exactly what our guest, Mindy Smith did.  Landing that job with Kraft springboarded Mindy into a marketing and sales career where she held positions with companies like Coke and now Shell. Currently, Mindy is the Global Brand Strategy and Marketing Performance Manager for Shell’s Mobility business, and is responsible for brand standards at more than 47,000 retail sites worldwide. Mindy joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to ..read more

Crystal Maxwell was born in Texas but raised in Saudi Arabia as an "oil brat." Both her parents worked for Aramco. Exploring different cultures developed her global perspective that helps shape her investment recommendations even today.  She moved back to the U.S. for college and earned her bachelor’s degree in hotel restaurant management from the University of Houston but pivoted to wealth management with the help of an MBA from Rice. Crystal sits down with host Scott Gale ’19, and shares her journey: growing up amongst the expat community in Saudi Arabia,  an early career in hosp ..read more

Owl Have You Know is pleased to welcome Twice-Rice grad Will Eldridge – a consultant at Bain & Company and the president-elect of the Rice Business Alumni Association Board. Will earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Rice in 2017. But after an unforgettable experience in MAcc program director Ben Lansford’s class, he decided to pivot to accounting. Will went on to work at Deloitte as a senior auditor for oil and gas clients, before deciding to go back to school again for his MBA at Chicago Booth. Will chats with Owl Have You Know guest host Brian Jackso ..read more

How do you take a business from bankruptcy to an $18 billion acquisition? Today’s guest is Dan Tinker, CEO and President of SRS Distribution and Rice Business alum. When Dan took over SRS, the company was bankrupt. But under his steadfast and visionary leadership, SRS profits grew rapidly over 16 years, culminating in an acquisition deal with Home Depot for $18.25 billion – the largest acquisition in Home Depot’s history. Dan joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about the major deal and how it’s turned many of his frontline employees into millionaires. The pair also discuss Dan’s decision to pu ..read more

Not only are today's guests both esteemed faculty members at Rice, but they are also a married couple!  Lee Ann Butler is a Senior Lecturer in Management at Rice Business and the former academic director for the Online MBA program, MBA@Rice. She has been teaching business law and related courses since 2001 — and has been teaching at Rice since 2010.  Alex Butler is the Jesse H. Jones Professor of Finance at Rice University. His research is in empirical corporate finance, financial institutions, and financial markets, with a focus on external financing decisions of firms, governments ..read more

Our guest today is a 2024 Executive MBA graduate devoted to driving the synthetic biology industry into the future. Shalini Yadav is a seasoned leader in the fields of synthetic biology, immuno-oncology, and therapeutics, with over 22 years of research experience and more than a decade in leadership roles.  Post-graduation, she started her new role as executive director of Rice’s Synthetic Biology Institute, leading innovative research initiatives, fostering collaboration across disciplines, and driving forward the institute’s mission to harness the power of synthetic biology for transfo ..read more

It’s not everyday you talk to a reporter with an MBA. Kalyn Norwood is Hearst Television’s White House Correspondent. She joined the company’s Washington Bureau in July 2022, right after earning her MBA at Rice Business. An Emmy award-winning journalist, Kalyn landed in Washington D.C. after a stint in Albuquerque, where she worked as an anchor/reporter at KOAT, covering the state of New Mexico. She helped lead the station’s election coverage, as well as President Biden’s visit to the state.  Host Maya Pomroy turns the tables on Kalyn and asks her a few questions about her unique and un ..read more

Why do people respond positively to misinformation? Thats the question behind our guests latest paper, and the focus of our episode today. Our guests Ezra Zuckerman Sivan and Minjae Kim both have a depth and breadth of expertise in not only management, but sociology and organizational behavior. In this episode, we're going to discuss their latest collaboration focusing on flexible morality and a key reason why American voters support divisive misinformation. The paper is called When Truth Trumps Facts, Studies on Partisan Moral Flexibility in American Politics, and this is a forthcoming study ..read more

From the bustling streets of Dubai to the corporate offices of Houston, Pooja Talreja's journey is one of resilience, growth, and continuous learning. Her story is not just about crossing geographical boundaries but also breaking through personal and professional barriers to find one's true calling. Pooja Talreja is the Senior Vice President of People at Ironclad Environmental Solutions, with 15 years of experience guiding global teams across the oil and gas industry and an impressive transition from accounting to HR. In this episode, Pooja joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to discuss growing up in ..read more