From Dean Sterling: Two new faculty members welcomed to campus

I am very pleased to announce that this fall YDS will welcome two new faculty members to our campus: Assistant Professor of Religious Education Almeda M. Wright and Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Religion John Pittard. Both of these scholars have made significant contributions in their fields and we look forward to the ways they will enrich our distinguished faculty here at YDS.

Both a scholar and a minister, Wright brings significant expertise in youth ministries and education to her position as assistant professor of religious education. Her research focuses on African-American religion, adolescent spiritual development, and the intersections of religion and public life. She has taught at Pfeiffer University and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Almeda is an ordained minister of the American Baptist Churches and has been on the ministerial staff of several churches. She is a graduate of M.I.T. and Simmons, and she received her M.Div. at Harvard, and Ph.D. at Emory. Visit Almeda’s faculty webpage to read more about her work.

John Pittard, a recent doctoral graduate from Yale, has been appointed assistant professor of philosophy of religion. John specializes in epistemology and the philosophy of religion and has secondary interests in ethics and early modern philosophy. Much of his current research is focused on the rational implications of disagreement. John is a graduate of Harvard and Princeton Theological Seminary, where he received his M.Div.. Visit John’s faculty webpage to read more about his work.

A third new faculty member, Michal Beth Dinkler has been appointed assistant professor of New Testament and will join us next year from a post at Loyola Marymount University. A graduate of Stanford, she received her M.Div. at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and TH.D. at Harvard. 

All three of these outstanding faculty have the distinction of being the first choice candidates of their respective search committees. 

Please join me in welcoming these new colleagues in our community!