Senior Research Associate
I am currently a Senior Research Associate and Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and an affiliate of the Religion and Social Change Lab (RaSCL) and the Clergy Health Initiative (CHI) at Duke University. In this role, I lead qualitative data collection and analysis for the Seminary to Early Ministry (SEM) Study. This longitudinal, mixed methods, cohort study follows divinity school students from matriculation into the early years of their careers in an effort to examine how seminary forms students. Using annual surveys, in-depth interviews, and site visits we are tracking students' theological beliefs, social and political attitudes, physical and mental health, social networks, academic experiences, and career aspirations. This is the first-ever long-term study of divinity school students.
I also co-lead a new project, "Politics and Polarization in Mainline Protestant Congregations," which has received funding from Bass Connections at Duke University, and teach undergraduate courses in the Department of Sociology.