Michael Rackett, Ph.D.-Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies, VCU Transform Faculty
rackettmr@vcu.edu
West Grace North
Michael Rackett teaches courses in the curriculum of the VCU Transform living-learning program, having previously served as faculty instructor for the VCU ASPiRE community engagement living-learning program from 2014-2020. A native of the Richmond suburbs, Dr. Rackett earned a B.A. from the College of William and Mary, an M.A. in Writing and Rhetoric from VCU, and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Duke University with a specialization in the History of Christianity in Late Antiquity. At various institutions, he has taught courses on topics ranging from biblical studies and the history of Christianity to research writing and argumentation to community engagement. For VCU Transform his teaching focuses on leadership development, community engagement, cultural identity and intercultural competence, and career readiness.
Dr. Rackett’s educational philosophy values the role of community knowledge, and his pedagogical practice has involved community members as co-educators and co-learners, inside and outside of the classroom. A strong advocate for service learning, study away, and all other forms of experiential education, he has supervised co-curricular activities in Richmond, taught courses that brought undergraduate students and community members together to study social issues, and co-led numerous domestic and global service experiences in Appalachia and Belize, Central America.
