Reid L. Neilson
Dr. Neilson joined the BYU faculty in August 2022, when he began leading as the assistant academic vice president for religious scholarly publications, a newly created position at the university. He oversees three organizations on campus: the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, the Religious Studies Center, and BYU Studies.
Prior to rejoining the faculty at BYU, Dr. Neilson and his wife, Shelly, served as the leaders of the Washington DC North Mission. Before his mission presidency, Neilson was appointed Assistant Church Historian and Recorder of the Church in 2015. He also worked as the managing director of the Church History Department from 2010 to 2019.
In 2006, Dr. Neilson began his academic career as an assistant professor of Church history and doctrine in Religious Education at BYU, where he received the university’s Young Scholar Award. He is the author and award-winning editor of more than thirty books, including "Restless Pilgrim: Andrew Jenson’s Quest for Latter-day Saint History" (with Scott D. Marianno in 2022).
A native of Orange County, California, Neilson received a bachelor’s degree (international relations) and two master’s degrees (business management and American history) from BYU and holds a doctorate in religious studies (American religions) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He later completed the Harvard Business School’s General Management Program.
He and his wife, Shelly, have five children and live in Bountiful, Utah.