Erin F Johnston, Ph.D.

Applied Research Leader | Qualitative and Mixed Methods Social Scientist

I am a sociologist and applied researcher who designs and leads qualitative and mixed-methods studies, with particular expertise in in-depth interviews, longitudinal research, and multi-site qualitative data collection.

I have extensive experience leading large-scale qualitative data collection and analysis across multi-year projects and collaborating on complex mixed-methods research designs that integrate qualitative and survey data.

My work examines how people navigate education, work, and institutional life, with a focus on how organizations shape career pathways, professional identities, and lived experiences over time.

Across projects, I focus on producing research that is both analytically rigorous and directly useful to the organizations and communities I study.

Current Work

I am currently a Senior Research Scientist and Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and an affiliate of the Religion and Social Change Lab (RaSCL) at Duke University, where I lead qualitative and mixed-methods research on professional formation, institutional life, and organizational change

I lead qualitative data collection and analysis for the Seminary to Early Ministry (SEM) Study, a longitudinal, mixed-methods cohort study that follows divinity school students from matriculation into the early years of their careers. This project integrates annual surveys, in-depth interviews, and ethnographic site visits to examine how seminary shapes students’ health, beliefs, career trajectories, and early professional experiences.

I also co-lead research projects on political polarization in congregations and lived experiences of hope, and I teach undergraduate courses in sociology.

Research Approach

My work focuses on three core areas:

Research Design and Leadership: Designing and leading multi-year, collaborative research projects that integrate multiple methods and data sources
Qualitative Methods: Specializing in interview-based and longitudinal qualitative research, including large-scale qualitative data collection and analysis
Translating Research into Practice: Producing research that informs organizational strategy, program development, and broader public conversations

Background

Before coming to Duke, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, where I worked with Ari Kelman and colleagues in the Concentration for Education and Jewish Studies on projects at the intersection of learning, religion, and identity.

From 2016-2018, I served as a Teaching Fellow in the Introductory Studies program at Stanford University, where I collaborated with senior faculty and other fellows to design and implement innovative, interdisciplinary courses for first-year students at Stanford. You can read more about my teaching experience here.

I received my PhD in sociology from Princeton University, and have taught at Princeton, Kean University, and Bennington College. I served as the Sociology Course Director for Verto Education's field semester programs from 2020-2021.

In addition to my academic work, I have conducted applied research and program evaluation for nonprofit and educational organizations (read more about this work here).

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