Rebecca Catto

Rebecca Catto is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Kent State University, part of the College of Arts & Sciences. She specializes in qualitative sociology with a focus on religion, nonreligion, science-society interactions, and cultural conflicts. Her work bridges sociological theory with empirical research on belief systems and scientific understanding. Dr. Catto advises the Sociology Collective undergraduate organization and has held significant research grants including a National Science Foundation award (2020-2024) and a Templeton Religion Trust-funded project (2014-2022).

Educated at the University of Oxford (BA Theology), King's College London (MA Anthropology/Sociology of Religion), and the University of Exeter (PhD Sociology), her career spans UK and US academic contexts. Her research employs interviews, participant observation, and focus groups to explore topics like science communication, secularism dynamics, and global religious trends.

• Education:
  • PhD Sociology, University of Exeter
  • MA Anthropology & Sociology of Religion, King's College London
  • BA Theology, University of Oxford

Her recent scholarship emphasizes the intersection of science and belief systems, including groundbreaking work on nonreligious identities and the global diversification of science studies. Notable contributions include analyzing scientific workplace secularization dynamics and investigating racialized narratives linking Islam with science. Her 2023 paper on science's social imaginary highlights evolving connections between secularism and scientific thought.

• Awards:
  • Fellow of ISSR (2022)
  • Co-PI £3.4m Templeton Project (2014-2022)
  • NSF Grant (2020-2024)

Dr. Catto's teaching and mentoring reflect her commitment to graduate student development. She has pioneered interdisciplinary approaches in science-religion studies and contributed to podcasts exploring belief systems' empirical foundations. Her research lab focuses on global science-religion dynamics and nonreligious identity formation.