معرفی
Laura Upenieks is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Undergraduate Program Director at Baylor University. She joined Baylor in 2020 after completing her Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Toronto (2019), along with an M.A. (2014) and BSc. (2013) from the same institution. Her research focuses on religion and health, aging, and quantitative methods. She explores topics such as perceived relationships with God, religious virtues, and spiritual struggles across the lifespan. Recent awards include the 2023 Baylor Outstanding Faculty Research Award and the 2024 ASA Sociology of Religion Early Career Award.
Her work spans editorial roles at journals like Society and Mental Health, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, and Review of Religious Research. Key research areas include religious influences on well-being, intergenerational mental health, and clergy occupational stress. Her recent publications analyze prayer’s mental health impacts, forgiveness mechanisms, and the buffering effects of religiosity in trauma and gendered stress contexts.
- Education: Ph.D./M.A./BSc from University of Toronto
- Editorial Boards: Three major religious sociology journals
- Key Themes: Divine relationships, health disparities, and life course sociology
Her studies combine quantitative rigor with sociological theory to address contemporary issues in spiritual health and societal dynamics.
