Marla Frederick appointed as the next dean of Harvard Divinity School.

As the New Year approaches, Harvard Divinity School is pleased to announce Marla Frederick as the next dean. President Claudine Gay expressed her enthusiasm for the appointment, noting that “Marla Frederick’s scholarship and leadership have been distinguished by wide-ranging curiosity and engagement, and I am confident that those qualities will make her an outstanding dean.”

Marla Frederick is no stranger to Harvard. She served as a faculty member from 2003 to 2019, and held various roles across the university. These included assistant professor in the Department of African and African American Studies, member of the provost’s academic leadership forum, director of graduate studies, and chair of the admissions committee for the Department of African and African American Studies.

The professor currently holds a position at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, but is excited to return to Harvard. “I am honored to return to Harvard as the next dean of Harvard Divinity School,” Frederick said. “It is a place bustling with conscientious faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends who are committed to the work of justice and human flourishing informed by deep study. I look forward to joining the HDS community in developing religious and civic leaders for our increasingly complex and diverse society.”

Frederick’s expertise in the study of religion and media, religion and social activism in the U.S. South, and the sustainability of Black institutions in a “post-racial” world makes her an ideal candidate for the role. Her impressive list of published works, including Colored Television: American Religion Gone Global and Between Sundays: Black Women and Everyday Struggles of Faith, further strengthens her credentials.

The university is confident that Frederick is the right person to take the helm of Harvard Divinity School. Provost Alan M. Garber noted that “she recognizes the challenges and opportunities facing the School and will bring a fresh perspective informed by her service both within and outside of Harvard.”

Frederick will succeed Dean David Hempton, who has served in the position since 2012. It is clear from this appointment that Harvard Divinity School is in safe hands.

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