Sociologist. Author. Researcher. Speaker.

Tricia C. Bruce, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, a 2025-2026 Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Religion & Society at the University of Notre Dame, President-Elect of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, and a five-time marathoner. She served previously as President of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, a papal-appointed consultor to the Synod on Synodality, and a tenured professor. She is the author of numerous award-winning books, articles, and reports in the sociology of religion and U.S. Catholicism.

Happenings


  • API Catholics: Presenting Study Findings to the U.S. Bishops Conference

    After an intensive, mixed-method, national study of Asian and Pacific Islander Catholics in the United States, I and co-PI Dr. Stephen Cherry presented our findings to the Fall 2015 gathering of the U.S. Bishops Conference in Baltimore, MD. It was wonderful… Continue reading

    API Catholics: Presenting Study Findings to the U.S. Bishops Conference
  • SheSource Expert Media Profile

    I am pleased to now be including among the experts in SheSource, “an online braintrust of female experts on diverse topics designed to serve journalists, producers and bookers who need female guests and sources.” View my full SheSource profile here. I… Continue reading

  • Moved

    The following is a rough script of a message I delivered for a Maryville College Chapel Service on Tuesday, September 22, 2015. There are two mass movements of people underway today. One is the mass movement of Syrians, fleeing a… Continue reading

  • Catholic Connections

    PEW’s new data on Catholics is helping us to better understand the U.S. Church, in anticipation of Pope Francis’ first visit to America. Here, I breakdown the study and my own role in it for Knoxville’s NBC affiliate, WBIR: http://t.co/tdpWGkSt8j Continue reading

  • Nearly half of Americans are connected to Catholicism in some way

    PEW just released a groundbreaking study of contemporary U.S. Catholics. Having participated in conversations from the shaping to analysis stages of this study as a part of the advisory panel, I’m happy to see the full report now available as a tool… Continue reading

  • Target & Gender

    Target’s efforts to de-gender their toy and bedding aisles received ample attention nationally. Three stations invited me to offer a sociological perspective on the move. Target to move away from gender-based signs WATE-Knoxville – 8/12/2015 http://wate.com/2015/08/10/target-to-move-away-from-gender-based-signs/ Gender-neutral labeling WBIR-Knoxville –… Continue reading

  • Update on Research – Asian & Pacific Islander Catholics in the U.S.

    We (myself, Dr. Jerry Park, and Dr. Stephen Cherry) recently submitted a draft report of findings from our year-long, multi-pronged, national study of Asian and Pacific Islander Catholics in the United States to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’… Continue reading

  • Diapers, Dads, & Social Change

    Changing stations (and their absence) in mens’ restrooms speak volumes about men’s and women’s perceived roles in family & society. I sat down with Knoxville’s WBIR station to talk through what this means: http://www.wbir.com/media/cinematic/video/24929293/getting-dad-more-involved/ Continue reading

  • Vatican II at Fifty

    Join the conversation at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center Campus for a look back and a look ahead, as we mark the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican II. Our Inheritance: Vatican II at 50 The Post-Conciliar Generation Looks at the Next Half… Continue reading

  • National Study of Asian & Pacific Islander American Catholics Featured on Cover of Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly 

    The current issue of Our Sunday Visitor features timely and comprehensive coverage of important work that myself and Drs. Jerry Park & Stephen Cherry are leading for the U.S. Bishops. Read the full story here: https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/Article/TabId/535/ArtMID/13567/ArticleID/16750/USCCB-assessing-Asian-Pacific-Islander-needs.aspx Continue reading