His research has focused primarily on the concepts and history of political representation; exploring how institutional design and reform (e.g., of voting, redistricting, and qualifications for office) can strengthen democracy and advance justice.
[3] He earned his Ph.D. in political sciences at the University of Chicago in 2000 under the direction of Cass Sunstein (chair), Charles Larmore, and Susan Stokes.
[5] From 2001 to 2019, Rehfeld was a member of the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis, where he held a primary appointment in the department of political science and (from 2007 to 2010) served as its director of undergraduate studies.
[8] He was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 2011, and has held visiting faculty appointments at the University of Chicago and Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali "Guido Carli" (LUISS) in Rome.
He reoriented the institution toward a collaborative, community-development approach,[12] and successfully launched a campaign to rebuild the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.
[13] Rehfeld was elected as the 10th President of Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in December 2018 and began service in April 2019.
We must prepare our students to lead communities who are themselves not always ready to embrace this change.”[16] In partnership with HUC-JIR's Board of Governors, Rehfeld is leading a strategic planning process focused on five key goals: advancing educational excellence, strengthening student support, growing our impact, achieving fiscal sustainability, and ensuring a sacred and respectful culture.
Our vision and determination will secure our promising Jewish future.”[17] Rehfeld is a staunch advocate for sacred and respectful environments at HUC-JIR, stating, “We must continue to combat all abuses of power, bias, and discrimination, including on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disabilities, national origin, and other important personal characteristics.
It is our sacred responsibility to create a safe and respectful environment at the College-Institute, recognizing that all of us, in all of our diversity, are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God.” Under his leadership he has initiated two significant reviews of the culture at HUC, including leading HUC-JIR's Board to engage in a process of reconciliation, that resulted as a first step to the historic Morgan Lewis Investigation Report of November 2022.
[18] Rehfeld is deeply committed to the academic environment as a venue for fostering difficult conversations as articulated in his 2009 Convocation Address at Washington University.