Fuller Appoints Biblical Scholars Drs. Janette H. Ok and Collin Cornell to Endowed Chairs

Fuller Seminary is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Janette H. Ok and Dr. Collin Cornell to endowed chairs that honor the legacy of influential Fuller professors whose work has shaped biblical studies, theological education, and research on Christian mission.

Dr. Ok, associate professor of New Testament, has been formally appointed to the George Eldon Ladd Chair of New Testament. Named in honor of George Eldon Ladd, whose scholarship on the kingdom of God and biblical theology impacted generations of New Testament scholarship, the chair recognizes excellence in research, teaching, and service in the field of New Testament studies.

Ok joined Fuller’s faculty in 2020, after teaching for five years at Azusa Pacific University. Her research focuses on the Catholic Epistles and early Christian identity formation, with particular attention to Asian American, intersectional, and interdisciplinary approaches to biblical interpretation. Her work includes Constructing Ethnic Identity in 1 Peter: Who You Are No Longer and the coedited The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Commentary on the New Testament, which received the 2025 Christianity Today Book Award for Biblical Studies. Through her scholarship and teaching, she connects New Testament studies with the formation and life of the church, reflecting the legacy of the George Eldon Ladd Chair. Ok is the first Asian American woman to occupy an endowed chair at Fuller and among the few Asian American women to hold an endowed chair in New Testament studies in the United States.

Dr. Cornell, associate professor of Bible and Mission, has been formally appointed to the Arthur F. Glasser Chair of Bible and Mission. Named in honor of Arthur F. Glasser—missionary, missiologist, and dean of Fuller’s School of World Mission—the chair is the only one in the world dedicated to the subject of biblical theology of mission.

Cornell joined Fuller’s faculty in 2023, dually appointed to the Bible and missions departments, and teaches classes at the Fuller Texas campus. His research explores the intersection of biblical studies and mission, with particular attention to how Hebrew Scripture informs Christian witness within complex global contexts. He is the author of several books, most recently God Draws Near: Rethinking the Biblical Theology of Mission. Through his scholarship and teaching, Cornell equips students to engage the entire canon of scripture as a resource for discerning God’s action in the world, reflecting the vision embodied in the Arthur F. Glasser Chair of Bible and Mission.

The appointments recognize Ok’s and Cornell’s ongoing contributions to their fields and to the life of Fuller. As holders of these endowed chairs, they extend the scholarly and ecclesial legacies of George Eldon Ladd and Arthur F. Glasser while advancing Fuller’s mission of theological education for the church and the world.

“We are grateful for the work of Dr. Ok and Dr. Cornell as they step into the legacy of these essential scholarly chairs,” said Dr. Jeffrey F. Keuss, dean of the School of Mission and Theology. “They have been recognized by their peers both within Fuller and by the academic guilds as top scholars. Most importantly, they have been recognized as faithful disciples of Jesus who will continue to bring top scholarship and teaching to the global church for the next generation of scholar servants.”