Rachael Murdock
Sociology of Religion
Education
B.A., Psychology and Sociology, Pepperdine University, 2022
Biography
Rachael earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in both psychology and sociology from Pepperdine University in the spring of 2022, along with a certificate in the Great Books curriculum. During her time at Pepperdine, Rachael had the opportunity to work with professors in both the psychology and sociology departments as a teaching assistant and a research assistant during her senior year. From the beginning of 2022 until the present as a post-undergraduate student, Rachael has been working with Dr. Rebecca Kim from Pepperdine's sociology department in her work studying qualitative survey data on race and religion, specifically in how young people from Generation Z can have a sense of belonging with religious communities and how this is impacted by race. This research has opened up Rachael's view of the broad opportunities for study within sociology of religion, leading her to strive to research the intersection of religion and mental health and wellbeing for young people.
As an incoming first year graduate student at Baylor, Rachael seeks to further her experiences with research and begin her training as a sociologist. Rachael's goal upon graduation is to produce research to positively impact the wellbeing of young people as well as become a professor and mentor for university students.
Recent Publications
Kim, Rebecca Y., and Rachael Murdock. 2023. "To Be Safe and Seen: BIPOC Gen Z Engagement in Evangelical Campus Ministries" Religions 14, no. 8: 963. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14080963