I am currently a Senior Research Scientist and Lecturer in the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) and an affiliate of the Clergy Health Collaborative (CHC) at Duke University, where I lead qualitative and mixed-methods research on professional education, occupational formation, career pathways, and health and well-being among Mainline Protestant seminarians and clergy. 

Most prominently, I lead qualitative data collection and analysis for the Seminary to Early Ministry (SEM) Study, a 10-year, $5M 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 and political speech in United Methodist congregations and on the lived experiences of hope, and teach undergraduate courses in sociology.

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).

Research Approach

My approach to research 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, and in-depth ethnographic observations.

• Translating Research into Practice: Producing research that informs organizational strategy, program development, and broader public conversations.