Marie Cornwall was born in 1949. She is the editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, a professor of sociology and women's studies at Brigham Young University, and a former director of BYU's Women's Research Institute. Sister Cornwall holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah, a master's degree in sociology from BYU, and a PhD in sociology from the University of Minnesota. Besides being a member of the BYU faculty, Dr. Cornwall was also a visiting professor at the University of Utah for one year. She was a researcher for the LDS Church's Correlation Department prior to joining the BYU faculty. Dr. Cornwall was one of the moving figures behind the growth of the Mormon Social Science Association.