Melissa Rogers

Melissa Rogers is a visiting professor at Wake Forest University Divinity School and a nonresident senior fellow in Governance Studies. From 2013-2017, she served as special assistant to President Barack Obama and executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Melissa previously served as chair of the inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Prior to that she was director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at Wake Forest University Divinity School. She has also served as executive director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Her area of expertise includes the First Amendment's religion clauses, religion in American public life, and the interplay of religion, policy, and politics. Rogers co-authored a case book on religion and law for Baylor University Press, Religious Freedom and the Supreme Court (2008). She holds a J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.A. from Baylor University.

EDUCATION

• University of Pennsylvania, J.D.
• Baylor University, B.A.