Dr. Benjamin “Benny” Rieth (he/him/his) is the Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging at Bellin College. His professional background spans admissions, student affairs, campus life, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, allowing him to approach student success through an integrated, systems-level lens.
Benny is an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a descendant of the Menominee Nation. Grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, his scholarship and practice center on relationality, space, and student sense of belonging. He is the creator of the Five Rs of Student Sense of Belonging and Space, a research-based framework developed through qualitative inquiry into students’ lived experiences of campus environments.
In addition to his institutional leadership, Benny is the founder of BelongingU: Rieth Strategy Solutions, where he consults with colleges and organizations on belonging, equity-minded practice, and organizational culture change. He is a frequent conference presenter and speaker, amplifying Indigenous research methods and bridging theory to practice in higher education.