Richard Baker
Executive Director for HR People, Equity & Development, Rice University
Dr. Richard Anthony Baker’s involvement in equal opportunity matters spans over 20 years. Since he was a student, Dr. Baker has worked at every level of equal opportunity compliance, eventually becoming the chief equal opportunity officer for the third-largest university system in Texas. After serving in that role for eight years, Dr. Baker transitioned to Rice University in August 2019 and is now the executive director for people, equity and talent development. In this role, Dr. Baker manages three units within human resources: Employee Relations, Access Equity and Equal Opportunity, and Organizational and Talent Development. Dr. Baker also teaches Foresight in Social Justice in the Master of Liberal Science program at Rice's Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.
Additionally, Dr. Baker is the immediate past president of the board for the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity, the oldest operating national association serving equal opportunity professionals, and has the distinction of being the first African American to obtain a doctorate of jurisprudence and graduate degrees in public administration (MPA) and higher education (Ph.D.) from Texas Tech University.