Religion and Social Change Lab, Director
I am an Assistant Research Professor of Global Health and Sociology. I am the Director of the Religion and Social Change Lab at Duke, a group of interdisciplinary researchers seeking to understand how societies are changing religiously and the implications of change for religious congregations and those who lead them.
I received my PhD in Sociology of Religion at Duke University, a ThM from Duke Divinity School, and MDiv from Fresno Pacific Seminary, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta. Methodologically, I am skilled in the collection and analysis of survey data, including longitudinal and social network data. I am a certified R-nerd.
In partnership with Duke Divinity School, Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell and I help lead the Duke Clergy Health Initiative, a world leader in researching and designing interventions for pastors and religious leaders.
I am an expert on the health of religious clergy, the changing role of churches in North American society and the implications of these trends for the professional training of ministers. I have done significant work on burnout, depression and social support. A major strand of my research explores how structural racism impacts the experience of Black clergy.
I am Principal Investigator of The Seminary to Early Ministry Study, a multi-year, multi-cohort study seeking to understand how seminary impacts the health, occupational wellbeing, theology, and career trajectories of students.