Kent J. Rissmiller

Kent J. Rissmiller is an Associate Dean of The Global School and Professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). His roles include directing the Pre-Law program, overseeing the Law and Technology minor, and advising interdisciplinary projects. He holds affiliations with multiple departments: Environmental & Sustainability Studies, International & Global Studies, Liberal Arts & Engineering, Political Science & Law, and Society, Technology & Policy.

Education:

• AB in Political Science, Muhlenberg College
• JD, University of New Hampshire School of Law
• MA in Political Science, Syracuse University
• PhD in Political Science, Syracuse University

Research & Teaching: Focuses on energy policy, environmental regulation, and regulatory theory. Advises student projects on topics like electric utility restructuring, green communities, and hydrologic fracking. His work emphasizes bridging technical and policy expertise, such as integrating chemistry/geology knowledge into environmental law.

Advising & Global Projects: Oversees the Washington Project Center and advises students globally (e.g., Washington, London, Costa Rica). Highlights student successes in law and policy careers, emphasizing WPI’s technical foundation as a competitive advantage in policy and legal fields.

Labs/Teams: Central to WPI’s Global Program, fostering interdisciplinary projects that address real-world challenges through applied learning.