Biography
My research broadly addresses the social patterning of health and religion. I am principally
focused on the role that social characteristics (e.g., religion, ethnicity, and social
class) play in population health. I have studied these topics in the general U.S.
adult population and in groups such as older Hispanic Americans and South Asians in
the U.S. Recently, I have been involved in disaster research, focusing specifically
on child and parent health following the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. I am also
interested in the causes and consequences of religious involvement more broadly. I
have studied determinants of religious involvement and how religious ecologies and
personal religiosity shape a variety of outcomes. In terms of research methods, I
use quantitative methods to analyze data from administrative databases and social
surveys.
My work has been published in journals from a variety of fields including sociology,
behavioral medicine, social epidemiology, public health, and gerontology. I have served
on the editorial boards of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior and Review of
Religious Research. In addition to scholarly publications, my research has received
coverage in media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. I teach
courses at the undergraduate and graduate level including Sociology of Medicine, Sociology
of Mental & Physical Health, Sociology of Religion, and Methods of Social Investigation.
Education
PhD: Baylor University (2013)
Curriculum Vitae
Courses Recently Taught at LSU
(Syllabi are for illustrative purposes & subject to change)
- SOCL 4441: Sociology of Religion
- SOCL 4451: Sociology of Medicine
- SOCL 7211: Methods of Social Investigation
- SOCL 7491: Sociology of Health and Illness
- SOCL 7491: Religion
- SOCL 7691: Sociology of Mental & Physical Health