About
Yolanda Pierce joined the VDS community in July 2023 as Dean. Her scholarly research specialties include African American religious history, womanist theology, and race and religion. She holds degrees from Cornell University and Princeton University.
An accomplished administrator in higher education, Pierce also served as the Founding Director of the Center for African American Religious Life at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). A widely published author, she has written several books, essays, and articles for academic and trade journals. In addition to her teaching and academic scholarship, Pierce is a native New Yorker, public theologian, community activist, and ordained minister.