Rita Chin, PhD
Rita Chin is an Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Initiatives of Rackham Graduate School and Professor in the Department of History.
Chin has served the Department of History in many capacities, including as fellowships chair of the graduate program (2013–14, 2016), associate director of graduate studies (2016), director of graduate studies (2016–18), and director of career diversity and professional development (2018–2019). In 2017, she was awarded an Undergraduate Teaching Award by the department. Of particular note is her work as the director of graduate studies to expand career opportunities for history graduate students beyond the professoriate. This initiative resulted in a two-year program supported by the American Historical Association for internships in academic administration, which will help the Department of History build an alumni network and database, design curricular innovations to hone transferable skills, and create more in-term internships with local partners.
Chin has served as an advisory board member of the Center for European Studies/EU Center (2004–05, 2011–14), as well as a faculty associate of both the Center for European Studies/EU Center and the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies. She is currently a member of the executive committee for the Institute for the Humanities (2018–19). She has also served on selection committees for Rackham and for the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; the School of Education; the Institute for Research on Women and Gender; and the International Institute, among others.
She earned her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in history at the University of Washington in 1990, earned her master’s degree in history from the University of Washington in 1992, and completed her Ph.D. in history at the University of California, Berkeley in 1999. Chin served as an assistant professor in the Department of History at Oberlin College from 1999 to 2003. In 2003, she joined the faculty at Michigan as an assistant professor in the Department of History, and she was promoted to associate professor in 2008 and to professor in 2017.