Degrees: PHD, 2001, Duke Univ; MA, 1996, Duke Univ; BA, 1990, Duke Univ

Bio:

Julie Byrne holds the Monsignor Thomas J. Hartman Endowed Chair in Catholic Studies and is currently Associate Professor of Religion in the Department of Religion. Before coming to New York in September 2006, she taught at Duke University (2004-06) and Texas Christian University (2000-04). Her first book, O God of Players: The Story of the Immaculata Mighty Macs (Columbia University Press, 2003), traces the cultural history of Catholic women's basketball in the Philadelphia archdiocese from 1930-75. Her current research interests include Catholic historiography and independent Catholicism. In addition to Catholic Studies, Byrne writes and teaches subjects in American religion, from gender and race to method and theory. Her courses at Hofstra include "World Religions in the U.S.," "What is Catholicism?", "American Catholicism Now," "Religion & Media," and "African American Religion." Her next book, an ethnography of an independent Catholic group, is called The Other Catholics. Her work at Hofstra includes the new Catholic Studies program.