Mayra Rivera

Mayra Rivera is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Religion and Latinx Studies at Harvard University's Harvard Divinity School. Her work bridges philosophy of religion, postcolonial theory, and Caribbean thought, focusing on how discourses shape embodiment and socio-material ecologies. She earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, followed by an MTS and PhD from Drew University.

Her research explores intersections of coloniality, race, gender, and theology. Key works include *Poetics of the Flesh* (2015), analyzing 'flesh' as a metaphor for social-material embodiment, and *The Touch of Transcendence* (2007), examining divine otherness and human difference. Current projects address colonialism and Caribbean ecological thought.

Rivera served as President of the American Academy of Religion (2022). She is on leave in Spring/Fall 2025 but remains active in teaching and scholarship. Her work engages interdisciplinary dialogues between theology, critical theory, and postcolonial studies.