April 21, 2022 – (Louisville, KY) Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS), in partnership with Louisville Institute (LI), is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gerardo Marti as the Interim Executive Director of Louisville Institute for academic year 2022-23.

LPTS president, Alton B. Pollard, III shared, “Dr. Marti has long served on the LI Advisory Board and is an accomplished researcher and scholar. In 2020, he presented the Henry H. and Marion A. Presler Lecture at Louisville Seminary. Currently Chair and Professor of Sociology in the department of Sociology at Davidson College, this interim appointment continues the longstanding relationship between our respective institutions. In addition to providing leadership for LI, Dr. Marti will teach a Sociology course as a visiting professor at LPTS this fall. It is an honor to have him here. We are excited to have Dr. Marti join us.”

Louisville Institute Advisory Board member, Rev. Dr. Eric D. Barreto added, “I’m incredibly grateful that Gerardo Martí will be leading LI during this moment of transition. As both a longtime member of the Advisory Board as well as a leader in the guild, Dr. Martí is in an ideal position to sustain the good work of LI while continuing to build new and expanded networks for the sake of the flourishing of the church and the academy alike. His leadership and expertise are a gift to LI in this important season.”

“For pastors, religious educators, and academic researchers, the Louisville Institute remains a vital center for sponsoring rigorous reflection and high quality scholarship, allowing all of us to avoid speculation and discern what is actually happening with religion in the world,” shared Dr. Marti about his ongoing relationship with Louisville Institute.

Marti will succeed The Rev. Dr. Edwin David Aponte who served as Executive Director of the Louisville Institute since 2015.  Aponte’s final day is May 31, 2022.

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About Louisville Institute

Louisville Institute is funded by the Religion Division of Lilly Endowment Inc. and based at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Louisville, Kentucky). The Louisville Institute’s mission is to bridge Church and academy through awarding grants and fellowships to those who study North American religious institutions, practices, and movements, and thereby promoting scholarship that strengthens Church, academy, society, and contributes to the flourishing of the Church. For more information, visit www.louisville-institute.org.

About Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Founded in 1853, Louisville Seminary offers an inclusive and diverse learning community, welcoming students from wide ecumenical backgrounds while maintaining its long, historic commitment to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). Louisville Seminary is committed to building bridges across the world’s religious, racial and cultural divides. It is distinguished by its nationally-recognized marriage and family therapy and field education programs, the scholarship and church service among its faculty and a commitment to training women and men to participate in the continuing ministry of Jesus Christ. For more information, call (800) 264-1839 or log onto www.lpts.edu.