About Us

Acknowledgments

The American Academy of Religion thanks Lilly Endowment Inc., The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life; the Religionsource founding advisory board, consultants, research assistants and data assistants; and the many scholars and journalists who graciously suggested ways to improve Religionsource.

Special thanks go to Kyle Cole, Ph.D., University of Missouri, former Associate Director of Religionsource. Kyle was instrumental in designing the Religionsource website and was the main contact for journalists from 2001 to 2005.

Consultants

Abel Solutions handled technical development of the current website.

Lipman Hearne provided marketing advice.

Merrill-Hall New Media handled technical development of the original website.

MV Design created the Religionsource logo.

Pamela J. Cravey, Ph.D., Independent Information Specialist, supervised the development of the expertise taxonomy and the identification of scholars to be included.

Research Assistants

Mary Catherine Cole, M.Div., Emory U.

Lisa Crothers, Ph.D. student, West & South Asian religions, Emory U.; M.A., religion,    Indiana U.

David Dault, M.T.S., Columbia Theological Seminary

Douglas Ealey, Ph.D. student, political science, Clark Atlanta U.; M.Div., Fuller Theological    Seminary; M.A., business administration, Bowie State College

Jim Hastings, Ph.D., Asian cultures, and M.A., S. Asian studies, U. Wisconsin-Madison

Dorothy Ingram, M.L.S., George Peabody College; M.S., human resources, Ga. State U.

Diana Jones, Ph.D. student, community research and action, Vanderbilt U.; M.T.S. and    M.A., sociology, both from Emory U.

Julie Meadows, Ph.D. student, ethics, Emory U.; M.Div., Earlham School of Religion

Robert Puckett, Ph.D. student, religion and society, Boston U.; M.A., history and critical    theories of religion, Vanderbilt U.

Shelly Rambo, Ph.D. student, theology, Emory U.; M.S.T., Yale U.; M.Div., Princeton    Theological Seminary

Jonathan Smith, Ph.D. student, religion and New Testament, Emory U.; M.A., biblical    studies, Multnomah Biblical Seminary

Data Assistants

Suzanne Lock, B.A., French, Wake Forest U.

Tricia Maloney, B.A., social work, Ga. State U.

Emily Noonan, M.A., women's studies, Ga. State U.

Kerry O'Hare, journalism student, Emory U.

Jeff Osmus, computer science student, Ga. State U.; B.A., music, Mercer U.

Scholars and Association Staff

The following scholars and association staff were gracious in providing suggestions to improve Religionsource.

Nancy Ammerman, professor of sociology of religion, Hartford Seminary

Jeffrey Biggs, director, Congressional Fellowships, American Political Science Assoc.

Zahid Bukhari, director, Muslim Americans in the Public Square Project, Georgetown U.

Sean M. Connors, manager, "Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature"

Josh DeWind, director, International Migration Program, Social Science Research Council

Carl Dudley, professor of church and community, Hartford Seminary

Jonathan Eble, former staff member, Public Religion Project, U. of Chicago

Gaston Espinosa, manager, Hispanic Churches in Public Life, U. of Calif., Santa Barbara

Michael Foley, faculty, Life Cycle Institute of Catholic U. of America

Mara Greengass, former staff, media office, American Anthropological Assoc.

Rodney J. Hunter, editor,"Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling"

Mark Juergensmeyer, director, International Studies, U. of Calif. at Santa Barbara

Adair Lummis, research associate, Hartford Seminary

Debra Mason, executive director, Religion Newswriters Assoc.

J. Gordon Melton, editor of numerous religion encyclopedias

Jon Miller, research director, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, U. of S. Calif.

Alan Mittleman, director, Center for Jewish Community Studies

Laura R. Olson, associate professor of political science, Clemson U.

Kent Richards, executive director, Society of Biblical Literature

Melissa Rogers, executive director, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

David Roozen, director, Hartford Institute for Religion Research

Jay Rosen, chair, journalism department, NYU

R. Drew Smith, director, Public Influences of African-American Churches, Morehouse Coll.

Scott Thumma, chair, Publicity Committee, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion

Pam Willenz, manager, public affairs, American Psychological Assoc.

John Witte, director, Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion, Emory U.

Stuart Wright, associate director, graduate studies, Lamar U.

Aristide R. Zolberg, director, International Ctr. Migration, Ethnicity & Citizenship, NYU

Journalists

The following journalists were gracious in meeting with Religionsource staff and offering suggestions on how to improve the website.

Adelle Banks, reporter, Religion News Service

Elizabeth Bernstein, reporter, The Wall Street Journal

Bill Broadway, religion reporter, The Washington Post

Deborah Caldwell, Beliefnet

Joanna Corman, religion reporter, Los Angeles Times: Inland Valley Times

Missy Daniel, webmaster, PBS "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly"

Berta Delgado, religion reporter, The Dallas Morning News

Bruce Bryant Friedland, former Washington political reporter, The Florida Times-Union

Autumn Gray, assistant city editor, Waco Tribune-Herald

Tom Hargrove, reporter, Scripps Howard News Service

Susan Hogan-Albach, religion reporter, The Dallas Morning News

Nancy Jeffrey, reporter, The Wall Street Journal

Don Lattin, religion reporter, The San Francisco Examiner

Kim Lawton, managing editor, PBS "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly"

Susan Lee, editorial board, The Wall Street Journal

Robert P. Marus, Washington Bureau Chief, Associated Baptist Press

Paul Moses, freelance journalist; journalism professor, Brooklyn College

Kim Sue Lia Perkes, religion reporter, Austin American-Statesman

Mary Rourke, religion reporter, Los Angeles Times

Terri Jo Ryan, religion reporter, Waco Tribune-Herald

Gary Stern, religion reporter, The Journal News (Westchester County, NY)

Teresa Watanabe, religion reporter, Los Angeles Times

Diane Weddington, independent author and freelance journalist, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Jeffrey Weiss, religion reporter, The Dallas Morning News

Gayle White, religion reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Larry Witham, religion reporter, The Washington Times

Kenneth Woodward, senior writer, Newsweek