Laura R. Olson is Thurmond Professor of Political Science, affiliated faculty in religious studies, and director of the PhD program in policy studies at Clemson University. She is a US Fulbright Scholar to Italy (2020), president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (2020), and former editor-in-chief of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Her research focuses on contemporary religion and politics with emphases on public opinion and civic engagement. Her work has appeared in leading scholarly journals, including Political Research Quarterly and Social Science Quarterly. She is also the author, coauthor, or coeditor of nine books, most recently Religion and Politics in America: Faith, Culture, and Strategic Choices (Routledge, 2018).