Dr. Korie Little Edwards is a Distinguished Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University and leading scholar of race and religion in the United States, with a particular focus on multiracial churches and the black church.

She is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles, including The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches, Smart Suits, Tattered Boots: Black Ministers Mobilizing the Black Church in the Twenty-First Century, and Estranged Pioneers: Race, Faith and Leadership in a Diverse World (in production with Oxford University Press).

Building and expanding knowledge is a calling of sorts for me, one I came to a bit circuitously. My original plan was to have a long, solid career as a civil engineer. For a first generation college student who grew up in the rustbelt city of Pittsburgh, engineering made good sense. However, to paraphrase a common adage, best laid plans often go awry. Once my sociological imagination was awakened, that is once I came to an awareness that how we experience life is in no small part impacted by social forces outside of ourselves, there was no turning back. I knew in my spirit I was to take another path. So, after working professionally as an engineer for four years, I left engineering and pursued a career in sociology. I received my PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago in sociology. For nearly twenty years I have been a professor in the Department of Sociology at The Ohio State University.

My research and intellectual interests focus on if and how religion reproduces or dismantles racial hierarchies in the United States and, conversely, how race impacts religion. I have authored numerous articles and books on the topic. I also have had the opportunity to direct or co-direct several funded research projects totaling nearly 1.85 million grant dollars. One of these is a national study of multiracial church pastors called The Religious Leadership and Diversity Project (RLDP). The RLDP is the most in-depth, comprehensive project ever conducted on leaders of multiracial congregations. In addition to conducting research, I am an active member of the academy serving in multiple roles including President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR), an international, interdisciplinary association, and Editor-in-Chief for the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (JSSR).  

Ultimately, my greatest desire from the beginning of this journey has been that my scholarship has helpful and practical implications for churches and their leaders. I am exceedingly grateful for the opportunities I have had to connect my scholarship and faith.  

Little Edwards is also a highly sought-after national and international speaker and co-host of The Elusive Dream Podcast.