KIMBERLY RUSSAW GRANTED TENURE AT PITTSBURGH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
On May 29, 2024, the Board of Directors of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary voted to confer tenure upon the Rev. Dr. Kimberly Russaw, associate professor of Old Testament, effective immediately.
NBC News has named Dr. Russaw one of “Six Black Women at the Center of Gravity in Theological Education”. She is the author of two monographs—Revisiting Rahab: Another Look at the Woman of Jericho (Wesley's Foundery Books, 2021) and Daughters in the Hebrew Bible (Fortress Academic, 2018)—and has published additional work in an array of edited volumes, academic journals, and online spaces, including the 30th anniversary expanded edition of Stony the Road We Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation (Fortress Press, 2021).
Dr. Russaw currently serves the guild as a member of the Society of Biblical Literature Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession Committee (CUREMP), as a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Biblical Literature, and as the secretary of the Society for the Study of Black Religion. She is an ordained itinerate elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she is dedicated to ministries that empower women, girls, and the communities surrounding them. She has spoken at events for PBS, Bible and Religions of the Ancient Near East, The Association of Theological Schools, the Society of Biblical Literature, and many universities and seminaries. Dr. Russaw holds a Ph.D. in religion with a concentration on Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel from Vanderbilt University and additional degrees in Hebrew Bible (M.A., Vanderbilt University), divinity (M.Div., Interdenominational Theological Center), marketing (M.B.A., Clark Atlanta University) and English (B.A., Spelman College).
“Dr. Russaw has brought tremendous value to the Seminary in her time on faculty,” said the Rev. Dr. Angela Hancock, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. “She brings a wealth of leadership and organizational skills to the institution, and her scholarly interests bring fresh questions to our team of researchers and instructors. We are delighted that she will continue to live out her commitment to preparing students for a range of ministries at PTS.”
Dr. Russaw said: “I am grateful for the affirmation of my contributions to the Seminary and the guild by my peers. Coming to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has been one of the best decisions I have made in my professional career. I look forward to continuing the good work that has begun here on Highland Avenue.”