Karrie Gaspard

Karrie is a licensed social worker and doctoral student on the Sociology track of the City, Culture, and Community program at Tulane University. A Louisiana native and a graduate of LSU, Karrie began her professional career as a high school teacher where she taught Biology and Integrated Physics and Chemistry. Wishing to affect change in the larger educational system led Karrie to pursue graduate degrees in both Behavioral Science/Sociology and Social Work where she developed greater interest in the impact of social institutions on inequality and social change. 

During her time in the CCC program, Karrie’s interests have evolved to include the interaction of religious and political institutions, along with the policy implications of this interaction. Her research focuses on religion, social movements, religiopolitical violence, and the varying expressions of Christian Nationalism within the United States. 

Karrie has served as a consultant to the Center for Peace Diplomacy on U.S. electoral violence and has been an invited speaker, providing education to both religious groups and clergy on the threat of Christian Nationalism, as well as the goals and tactics of these groups. Karrie also teaches two of the required courses for the Social Policy & Practice Coordinate major at Tulane and serves as a Teaching Assistant for Social Statistics. She lives in New Orleans with her husband, Jay, and two rescue dogs, Otis and Mila.