Elaine Howard Ecklund is the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, a professor of sociology, and a Rice Scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. Her latest research focuses on how scientists in different nations understand religion, ethics, and gender. She is the author of six books and numerous peer-reviewed research articles and op-eds for national publications. She has received grants and awards from a number of organizations, including the National Science Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, John Templeton Foundation, Templeton World Charity Foundation, and the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. In 2013, she received the Charles Duncan Award for Most Outstanding Academic Achievement.