Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard, a university professor and gospel radio host, is also the award-winning author of When the Church Becomes Your Party: Contemporary Gospel Music (Wayne State University Press) which was named a 2009 Michigan Notable Book. Its chapters cover praise and worship music, the changing dress code in the Black Church, Christian rap, women gospel announcers and gospel musical plays.

In October of 2009, Dr. Pollard celebrated fifteen years as host and producer of “Strong Inspirations” on FM 98 WJLB-Detroit, heard Sundays, 6-10 AM. In 2005, she was named Gospel Announcer of the Year during the Stellar Awards. Her resume also includes producing the Emmy-award winning television show “GodSounds” on Detroit’s WDIV-TV for eight years and McDonald’s GospelFest and Motor City Praisefest for twenty-two years. Dr. Pollard is also listed in the 2009 and 2010 editions of “Who’s Who in Black Detroit.”

An Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Michigan-Dearborn since 1995, Dr. Pollard served as director of the African and African American Studies program from 2002-2006. Dr. Pollard has lectured on gospel music throughout the United States, as well as in Japan, South Africa and Nigeria. In 2010, she was named the recipient of two prestigious campus-wide honors, the Susan B. Anthony Award and the Distinguished Service Award.

Married since 1997, Dr. Pollard is a member of the Hartford Memorial Church.