https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4909-9497
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 Duke 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 Scholarly Works
The Relationship between Obesity, Elevated Depressive Symptoms, and Physical Functioning Among United Methodist Clergy: A Longitudinal Study
Journal article North Carolina Medical Journal · October 8, 2026 BACKGROUNDUnited Methodist Church (UMC) clergy face occupational stressors (e.g., unpredictable schedules, emotional labor, politically polarized congregations) that contribute to disproportionately elevated obes ... Full text CiteStill Secularizing: Cohort Replacement, Rebound, Overreporting, and Gender Convergence in a Pooled Analysis of Eight National Surveys
Preprint · September 29, 2026 Recent reports claim young men in the United States are becoming more religious. This would signal an end to the longstanding pattern of cohort-driven declines in religiosity. Pooling young-adult trends within eight national surveys measuring affiliatio ... Full text CiteThe Anatomy of Liberalization in Graduate Theological Education
Journal article SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION · July 15, 2026 Full text Link to item 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
Duke University ·
2015
Ph.D.