Rita Nakashima Brock, a leading scholar in the fields of feminist theology and women's studies, became the new director of the Mary Ingraham Bunting Institute on Sept. 1.

In an announcement, Radcliffe College President Linda S. Wilson noted Brock's "intellect, leadership qualities, community-building capacity, warmth, and commitment to the mission of Radcliffe and the Bunting Institute." Brock succeeds Florence Ladd, who led the unique community of women scholars, artists, and activists from 1989 until her retirement in June 1997.

Since 1990, Brock has held an endowed chair in the humanities and was director of the humanities program at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn. She has also directed the women's studies program at Stephens College and has taught religion, philosophy, and women's studies at Scripps College, Valparaiso University, and Stephens College.

Brock earned a bachelor's degree in religion and psychology from Chapman University and a doctorate in the philosophy of religion and theology from the Claremont Graduate School. Her scholarly work is well-known in the field of feminist theology. She is the author of two award-winning books, Journeys by Heart: A Christology of Erotic Power and Casting Stones: Prostitution and Liberation in Asia and the United States (co-authored with Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite). She was coeditor and author of several chapters in Setting the Table: Women in Theological Conversation and has published numerous journal articles and book chapters. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion.

Brock is active internationally and nationally in a number of organizations. She chairs the board of directors of the Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. She serves on the board of trustees of the Starr King School for Ministry in Berkeley, Calif. She has also served on the board of the American Academy of Religion and chaired its committee on the status of women in the profession.

An activist on issues affecting women around the world and on peace and justice, Brock has lectured at a number of universities in the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, and the Philippines. She has also served as a representative of the National Council of Churches on a high-level international peace delegation to Guatemala and El Salvador. She is currently involved with the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians and the Association of Asian American Studies.

The Bunting Institute awards about 40 fellowships each year to distinguished women scholars, artists, creative writers, and activists. During their year at the Bunting, fellows work on individual projects that range from postdoctoral research in science to the completion of a novel. Bunting Fellows not only make significant advances in their work, they also contribute to the multidisciplinary community of the College and the larger intellectual milieu of Harvard University. More than 1,200 women are Bunting Institute alumnae, including anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson, performance artist Anna Deavere Smith, and author Alice Walker.

As director, Brock will lead the Bunting Institute and collaborate with the directors of the College's other educational, research, and public policy programs. The Radcliffe Institutes of Advanced Study (RIAS), of which the Bunting Institute is a part, links the College's four flagship research institutions and encourages scholarly access to their respective educators and leaders. The RIAS is comprised of the Henry A. Murray Research Center, the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, the Radcliffe Public Policy Institute, and the Mary Ingraham Bunting Institute.