Education:

Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania (2010)
M.S. (History & Theory of Architecture), University of Michigan (1996)
M.Arch, Tulane University (1991)

Keywords:

Accreditation, Architecture, Design, Curriculum, Education, Diversity, Public Interest Design, Service Learning, Social Engagement, Studio

Biography:

Michelle Rinehart is vice provost for Faculty, where she supports and advocates for the interests of Tech’s almost 4,000 faculty members, meant to deliver an exceptional faculty experience through the recruitment, advancement, and retention of a diverse and talented workforce.

Rinehart has over 20 years of administrative leadership in faculty affairs and development, academic affairs, assessment and accreditation, student success, and enrollment management. In 2021, Rinehart served as the interim dean in the College of Design. She has been at Georgia Tech since joining as assistant dean in 2013, and then in 2015 associate dean for Academic Affairs and Outreach in Tech’s College of Design.

Before joining Georgia Tech, Rinehart worked at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. from 2004 through 2013, serving as assistant dean of the School of Architecture and Planning. She was director of Public Programs at the National Building Museum, and senior project manager at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, both in Washington, D.C. She also worked as an adjunct instructor and program coordinator at Tulane University.

At Georgia Tech, she was selected for the College of Design’s Dean’s Award in 2021, and the Thank a Teacher Award, from the Center for Teaching and Learning, that same year. She serves as faculty advisor for the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society and the American Institute of Architecture Students. She is also faculty co-advisor for the ABLE Alliance, an organization to improve on-campus disability inclusion, and teaches undergraduate design studios, history of architecture, introductory courses in the built environment, and special topics on career development.

Nationally, Rinehart serves as the chair of the Committee on Faculty Affairs for the American Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU). In addition to her service as a visiting team chair for National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accreditation site visits, she is also a member of the NAAB's Accreditation Review Committee (ARC) and serves as a team member on International Certification reviews.Rinehart is currently a member of the Dean's Advisory Board for Tulane University's School of Architecture and Built Environment. She is a Past President of the Tulane University Alumni Association, as well as past president of the national Grand Chapter of Tau Sigma Delta and the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC).

Statement of Teaching Interest

Rinehart's teaching focuses on foundational courses in the Bachelor of Science in Architecture program. Her special interest in these courses stems from her desire to support and mentor students as they transition into college, giving them the tools they need to succeed at Georgia Tech and beyond.

Statement of Research Interest

Rinehart is currently a site PI for a five-year grant funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that examines promotion and tenure (P&T) processes to identify mechanisms that impact non-meritorious decision-making.