Grace Yia-Hei Kao
Professor of Ethics Bishop Roy I. Sano & Kathleen A. Thomas-Sano Professor in Pacific & Asian-American Theology
Dr. Kao regularly teaches and researches in the following four areas: (1) rights, human and animal, (2) religion in the public sphere in the U.S., (3) feminism/ecofeminism, (4) Asian American Christianity. Her latest book, My Body, Their Baby: A Progressive Christian Vision for Surrogacy (Stanford UP, 2023) won a silver medal Illumination Book Award in theology and was named a 2024 Choice Outstanding Academic Title. Her other books or co-edited anthologies include Grounding Human Rights in a Pluralist World (Georgetown UP, 2011), Asian American Christian Ethics: Voices, Methods Issues (Baylor UP, 2015) and Encountering the Sacred: Feminist Reflections on Women’s Lives (T&T Clark, 2018).
At CST, Dr. Kao was the co-founding director of the Center for Sexuality, Gender and Religion (CSGR) (2010-2022) and has previously served as the faculty advisor to the Asian Pacific Islander/American Association student group. She is a two-time recipient of CST’s Faculty Teaching Award (2010-2011, 2016-2017) and is the first Asian American woman to have been tenured and then promoted to full professor at her institution.
An active member of professional societies, Kao currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Pacific, Asian, and North American Asian Women in Theology and Ministry (PANAAWTM) network, the Managing Board of the Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative (APARRI), and CreatureKind. In the Society of Christian Ethics, she has served on the Board of Directors, co-convened the Asian and Asian American Working Group, and co-founded the Animal Ethics Interest Group. Her other service includes past steering committee membership in three different groups at the AAR, and editorial board service (Journal of Religious Ethics, Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics).In the Society of Christian ethics, she has co-convened the Asian and Asian American Working Group, served on the Board of Directors, and co-founded the Animal Ethics Interest Group. She is also served on several steering committees in the American Academy of Religion. She is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Religious Ethics (JRE) and previously served on the editorial board of the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics.
For more about Dr. Kao’s publications, current work, and speaking schedule, visit www.drgracekao.com.
Contact
Email: gkao@cst.edu
Education
BA, Stanford University
MA, Stanford University
PhD, Harvard University
