Many people who do not know what professors actually do -- which is to say, most people -- wonder how I spend my work week. After all, I only teach two or three classes a semester, typically either on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday schedule. And I don't teach at all in the summer if I don't want to. Must be nice, they think.

I certainly cannot complain about the autonomy I am granted in organizing my work life, but that autonomy also provides ample opportunity for self-exploitation. Not having to punch-in and -out at the office every day means that I am always on the clock. (For example: I am revising this web page on Christmas Eve. Yippee!)

One of the hidden forms of work many professors do, myself included, falls under the umbrella of "professional service": reviewing book manuscripts for publishers, articles and books for journals, and grant proposals for funding agencies; serving on boards and committees; writing letters of reference for students and colleagues; and so on.

SOME OF MY ACTIVITIES

I have been an elected member of the councils of both the Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) and the American Sociological Association's Religion Section, and served as program chair for the ASR's annual meeting in August 2005.

Most significantly right now, I am serving a three year term as editor of the ASR's journal, Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review.

At Wake Forest, I serve as faculty advisor to the women's club rugby team, traveled to Ghana with Pro Humanitate Scholar Kayla Landers, and am supervising two sociology department honor's theses and two Divinity School third year projects. I was also the faculty escort for 2007 Commencement speaker and honorary doctorate recipient David Brooks (pictured above).

More on my service activities here.

[BACK TO TOP]