Dr. Tarek Rakha

Associate Professor

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Biography

Tarek Rakha is an associate professor and the director of the High Performance Building Lab at Georgia Institute of Technology. He integrates building design technology with environmental sustainability, catering to the needs of underserved communities. He holds a Ph.D. in Building Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), awarded in 2015, and has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications. His research interests include sustainable design, urban modeling, building performance simulation, energy efficiency, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision. Prior to joining Georgia Tech in 2019, he served as an assistant professor at Syracuse University. He has also been involved in numerous funded research projects, attracting over $4 million from various federal, state, and private entities. Recognized for his contributions to education and research, Tarek has received awards such as the Emerging Contributor Award from the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA) and the Georgia Tech Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching. He emphasizes the combination of design with technology in educational settings and has successfully guided students to achieve excellence in competitions.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor, Director, High Performance Building Lab

2019-01-01 — Present

Georgia Institute of Technology • Atlanta, GA, USA

Researcher focusing on building design technology and environmental sustainability.

Assistant Professor

2015-01-01 — 2019-01-01

Syracuse University • Syracuse, NY, USA

Educator and researcher concentrating on building technology.

Awards

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Emerging Contributor Award

2020-01-01
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Georgia Tech Student Recognition Excellence Teaching: Class 1934 Award

2022-01-01

Requirements for Georgia Institute of Technology

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:19
Reading
Required:19
Writing
Required:19
Speaking
Required:19
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Listening
Required:6.5
Reading
Required:6.5
Writing
Required:5.5
Speaking
Required:6.5
Overall
Required:7.5
Prerequisites
Undergraduate degree in computer science or related field
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
Specialization Notes

Department of Computer Science: GRE scores are optional for Fall 2026.