Doctoral Student

Fred Traylor is a Ph.D. student in Sociology at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. His research primarily centers on how relationships with science and religion, both separately and together, affect how people think about climate change and climate change solutions. For example, one project investigates the perceived moral hazard of technological solutions to climate change and another explores the role of institutional trust in advancing support for climate policy. His MA thesis compared how members of Congress understand scientific authority and how this changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two secondary streams of research explore innovations in survey methodology and trends in religious disaffiliation. In a project funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, he fielded five surveys to test for sampling and mode effects in environmental public opinion research. He is also investigating “don’t know” responses to survey questions on environmental and technological issues. Lastly, he studies how family ties and political disagreements affect religious behavior and belonging throughout the lifespan.

In addition to an MA in Sociology from Rutgers University, he holds a BA in Sociology and an MS in Social Data Analytics and Research from The University of Texas at Dallas.