Wabash Center funds religious studies data analytics at Appalachian

Posted Feb. 1, 2018 at 4:06 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Randall Reed, associate professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Philosophy and Religion, received $5,000 in funding from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion to perform data analytics in religious studies.

According to Reed, the project evaluates different technology platforms for data analytics to determine which is best suited for asking religious studies questions.

He said the project “seeks to be the first step in putting together a curriculum that helps religious studies students use big data to ask religious studies questions.”

Appalachian alumna Alaina Doyle ’17, a native of Cary who double majored in religious studies and general economics, assisted with the project.

About the Department of Philosophy and Religion

The Department of Philosophy and Religion invites students to explore the world, examine beliefs, understand a diversity of worldviews, and challenge the ideas and values that instruct our lives. The department offers a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies, as well as a minor in both of these areas. Learn more at https://philrel.appstate.edu.

About the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion

The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion supports theology and religion faculty and doctoral students reflecting on their teaching practice — in both theological education and undergraduate education — in North America. The center facilitates faculty conversations about the goals and processes of teaching and student learning. Programming at the Wabash Center develops faculty skills for critical reflection on teaching practice.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.