Rate My Professor Heather Rimes

Dr. Heather Rimes serves as Distinguished Professor and Director of the Master of Public Affairs (M.P.A.) program at Western Carolina University in the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science and Public Affairs. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia's Department of Public Administration and Policy, where she received recognition including a Dean's Award as a Ph.D. student. In her leadership role, Rimes directs the NASPAA-accredited M.P.A. program, a 39-credit graduate degree designed for aspiring and current public sector professionals. The program equips students with essential skills in public policy analysis, financial management, legal issues in public affairs, and more, preparing them for careers as town managers, department heads, nonprofit executives, policy analysts, and leaders in government agencies or educational institutions. Students can pursue full-time or part-time study, often completing the degree in 2-3 years, with internship opportunities for those without prior professional experience. Rimes is accessible to students and prospective applicants via her office in 349 Stillwell Building, phone 828.227.3494, and oversees admissions with rolling deadlines.

Rimes specializes in public management and nonprofit management, with research exploring volunteer-staff dynamics, workplace giving campaigns, local legislative professionalism, and research collaborations. Key publications include 'Exploring the Dynamics of Volunteer and Staff Interactions' (Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 2017, co-authored with Rebecca Nesbit), 'Giving at Work: Exploring Connections Between Workplace Giving Campaigns and Patterns of Household Charitable Giving in the USA' (Voluntas, 2019), 'Towards a Measure of Local Legislative Professionalism' (Urban Affairs Review, 2023, with Christopher A. Cooper and others), and her dissertation 'Organizing and Managing Scientific Research Collaborations' (University of Georgia, 2015). She contributed to 'The Palgrave Handbook of Volunteering, Civic Participation, and Nonprofit Associations' chapter on 'Leadership and Management of Associations' (with R. Nesbit et al.). Rimes partnered on the WNC Nonprofit Compensation Study with WNC Nonprofit Pathways, analyzing executive compensation patterns. Her scholarship has garnered over 660 citations across eight works. At WCU, she represents Faculty Senate on the Research Council (2023-2026), contributing to graduate research initiatives and faculty governance.