Richard N. Pitt

Richard N. Pitt is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). His research bridges two core areas: the sociology of religion and the sociology of higher education, with a focus on social identity, work/occupations, gender, sexuality, and race. Trained as a sociological social psychologist, he employs mixed-methods approaches including qualitative content analysis, interviews, and quantitative data analysis.

His academic contributions include influential books such as Divine Callings: Understanding the Call to Ministry in Black Pentecostalism (2012) and Church Planters: Inside the World of Religion Entrepreneurship (2021), as well as major reports on double majoring in higher education and STEM postdoctoral experiences. Current research examines career decisions of trailing spouses in STEMM training regimes, exploring how projectivity and uncertainty shape their trajectories.

Pitt’s teaching spans undergraduate courses in higher education sociology, family dynamics, race/ethnicity studies, and social psychology, alongside graduate courses in education, family, and social psychology. His work frequently intersects with themes of social inequality and cultural processes, leveraging both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

His recent publications analyze religious entrepreneurship, mental health in STEM postdocs, and the interplay between race and regional disparities in mental health. Though noted for teaching excellence, no specific awards are explicitly listed in the provided texts. His research often bridges micro-level identity processes with macro-level institutional dynamics, particularly in religious and educational contexts.