Dr. Holland earned her doctorate in Religion and Society/Ethics from the GTU in 1997. Her leadership experience includes ten years as director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington State and three years as director of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. Holland is cofounder of the American Academy of Religion's Bioethics and Religion Group, and served as chair of the religion department at the University of Puget Sound for seven years.
Holland's upcoming book, Technologies of Desire, explores the ways in which Westerners, especially Americans, use biotechnologies of the body to fulfill fundamental human desires--desires for children, for better bodies, for avoiding old age and death. In this work, Holland considers the way in which marketing and advertising create a hyper-culture of desire that blurs the distinction between wants and needs.
In announcing the award, GTU President Riess Potterveld noted, “Dr. Holland excels as a scholar and a teacher, known for her ability to fuse rigorous academic work and the real-life issues that are roiling national debates and the Halls of Congress. Her ability to hold theory to reality and carefully analyze the intersection represents the best of what the GTU seeks to cultivate in its scholars. We are delighted to honor her as the GTU’s 2014 Alum of the year.”
Dr. Holland will receive her award on Saturday, November 22, at the GTU Alumni Reception during the Annual Meetings of the American Academy of Religion in San Diego.