While attending the annual meetings of the Religious Research Association (RRA) and Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR), I was honored to accept the inaugural Outstanding Applied Research Award “In recognition of your dedication to advancing knowledge through applied research on religion.” Sociologist (and Sister of Charity) Patricia Wittberg offered incredibly kind and flattering remarks.

Doing research that translates across wide audiences and carries practical import is my personal passion and commitment; receiving this award means so much. I am grateful to my research teams, research participants, funders, mentors, supporters, and all who made this possible.