Jennifer King Rice

Jennifer Ann King Rice (born February 12, 1968) is an American education policy expert and academic administrator serving as the provost and senior vice president of the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) since 2021. She researches education finance, teacher quality, and the economics of educational reform, with a focus on data-driven policy impacts. Rice was previously dean of UMD’s College of Education and director of the Center for Educational Policy and Leadership, where she led studies on teacher incentive programs, high-stakes accountability, and resource allocation in education.

Early life and education Rice was born on February 12, 1968, in Dayton, Ohio to Victor and Judy King. She lived in State College, Pennsylvania for a few years before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina. She completed a M.S. (1993) and Ph.D. (1995) in educational administration and social foundations from Cornell University. In 1995, she joined the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park, as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Policy and Leadership, where she developed her expertise in education finance and policy analysis.

Personal life She married Jim Rice in 1994. In 2013, she resided in Annapolis, Maryland.