An expert in religion, sociology and public policy from Rice University is available to comment on the Aug. 27 school shooting in Minneapolis.
Michael Emerson, the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, focuses his work on how religion influences policy and in turn how public policy influences religious communities, both domestically and internationally. Emerson also sent his children to Catholic grammar school in Minneapolis and is uniquely familiar with the city, its school system and people.
He has published widely in the areas of religion and public issues, most recently serving as the principal investigator of the largest national study of religion and race ever conducted. He is the author of 15 books and nearly 100 other publications. He has secured major research and institutional grants and won several national awards for his research. His research and expertise have been featured in hundreds of media outlets, including CBS Evening News, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times and USA Today.
In addition to his current role, Emerson served for 15 years at Rice as the R.A. Tsanoff Professor of Public Affairs and Sociology as well as the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Professor of Sociology. He was the founding director of Rice’s Center on Race, Religion and Urban Life and is the co-founding director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
To schedule an interview with Emerson, contact Avery Franklin at AveryRF@rice.edu.