Overview
I am an Assistant Research Professor the Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research and the Duke Global Health Institute. I am an expert on the health of religious clergy, the changing shape of churches in North American society, and the implications of these trends for the professional training of ministers.
More recently, my research has begun to branch out internationally. I am doing research on clergy in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and studying the mental health of sexual and gender minorities around the world.
Methodologically, I am skilled in the collection and analysis of survey data, including longitudinal and social network data.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Associate Research Professor of Global Health
·
2025 - Present
Duke Global Health Institute,
University Institutes and Centers
Assistant Research Professor of Sociology
·
2022 - Present
Sociology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
A brief report on the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among United Methodist clergy.
Journal Article Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy · October 2025 ObjectiveThis brief report examines the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among United Methodist Church clergy in North Carolina. Clergy serve the mental, spiritual, emotional, and material needs of their congregants and communiti ... Full text CiteHouse Negro or Field Negro?: Racial Salience and Claims-Making in the United Methodist Church
Journal Article Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion · September 1, 2025 Relational inequalities theory relies on categorical differences in status to explain why the claims of people of color may be discouraged or denied. However, this mechanism may be insufficient to explain intraracial inequalities in claims-making. In this ... Full text CitePeer Networks and Ideological Consistency: How Student Communities Facilitate Belief Liberalization in Higher Education1
Journal Article American Journal of Sociology · September 1, 2025 Why do students in higher education tend to become more liberal? The authors outline a model of belief change wherein cognitive motivations for ideological consistency interact with social factors in peer networks to influence how students in higher educat ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Preaching Politics: Examining the Prevalence and Correlates of Political Rhetoric in the Sermons of United Methodist Clergy
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Society for the Scientific Study of Religion · 2023 - 2024Evaluating Clergy Mental Health and Attitudes Towards Mental Health in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Religious Research Association · 2018 - 2021Flourishing mental health in caregivers: A mixed methods study of religion and virtuous practices across four countries and religious traditions
ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by St. Louis University · 2016 - 2018View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
Duke University ·
2015
Ph.D.