Timothy Renick

Timothy Renick is the founding Executive Director of the National Institute for Student Success and a Professor of Religious Studies at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

From 2008 to 2020, he directed the student success efforts at Georgia State University, achieving a 62% improvement in graduation rates and eliminating equity gaps based on race, ethnicity, or income level. During his tenure, Georgia State was recognized for graduating more African American students with bachelor’s degrees than any other not-for-profit college or university in the nation for six consecutive years. Renick has testified on strategies for helping university students succeed before the U.S. Senate and has twice been invited to speak at the White House. His work in student success has been featured in major publications such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time, and CNN, and has been cited by former President Barack Obama.

Renick has been named one of the Most Innovative People in Higher Education by Washington Monthly and one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine. He is a recipient of the Award for National Leadership in Student Success Innovation and the McGraw Prize in Higher Education. He has been the principal investigator for over $50 million in research grants focused on promoting better and more equitable outcomes for college students. At Georgia State, Renick has also served as Chair of the Department of Religious Studies, Director of the Honors Program, and Senior Vice President. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Religion from Princeton University.