Professor Michael Rabens joined the School of Architecture faculty in the fall of 2005. Professor Rabens holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies (1982) and a Master of Architecture (1984) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as M.F.A. (1987) and Ph.D. (1992) degrees in art history from Princeton University. He has taught at a number of institutions, including the University of Missouri (Columbia and Kansas City campuses), Kansas State University, the University of Florida, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Michael has received several important fellowships including a Fulbright Fellowship in 1987, a Graham Foundation Research Grant in 1987 and the Mellon Fellowship in 1991. Publications include: “Baroque: Visions of the Temple of Jerusalem” (1995) and “La fausse généalogie des Mansart” (1999).
Professor Rabens’s primary research interests lie in the history of Renaissance/Baroque architecture, particularly that of 17th century France. He has devoted considerable study to the life and work of Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646-1708). He also maintains a solid interest in American architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries. He will be teaching various courses in the history/ theory curriculum and will also be a critic in the design studio sequence. Outside of school, Michael is an accomplished pianist and brought his baby grand piano with him to Stillwater!
