Marla F. Frederick

Marla F. Frederick is the Dean of Harvard Divinity School and holds the John Lord O’Brian Professor of Divinity title, alongside being a Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She became Dean in January 2024, returning to Harvard after serving as the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Religion and Culture at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology (2019–2023). Her interdisciplinary work examines religion, race, and politics, with a focus on African American religious experiences, media’s role in religious expression, and the sustainability of Black institutions.

Education: She earned a BA from Spelman College and a PhD from Duke University.

Research Interests: Dr. Frederick’s research bridges religion and media, social activism in the U.S. South, and the legacy of historically Black institutions. Her courses cover religious anthropology, gender and race in religion, and African American studies. She has authored/co-authored four books, including Colored Television and Between Sundays, and currently edits an encyclopedia on historically Black colleges and universities.

Awards and Leadership: She received the Harvard College Professor Distinguished Teaching Award (2016) and was a Joy Foundation Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute (2008–2009). She has served as President of the American Academy of Religion and the Association of Black Anthropologists. Leadership roles at Harvard include interim chair of the Committee on the Study of Religion and director of graduate studies in African and African American Studies.

Labs/Teams: Her editorial work on the HBCU encyclopedia reflects her commitment to preserving Black intellectual and institutional histories.