Tia Noelle Pratt, PhD
Special Assistant to the VP and Director of Mission Engagement and Strategic Initiatives/Assistant Professor of Sociology Villanova University
- Villanova PA
Tia Noelle Pratt, PhD, researches Catholicism in the U.S. with emphasis on systemic racism and African American Catholics.
Media
Social
Areas of Expertise
Biography
Education
Fordham University
PhD
Fordham University
MA
Chestnut Hill College
BS
Select Accomplishments
Second Place – Religion News Association Award for Commentary
2021
Finalist – Religion News Association Award for Commentary
2020
Links
Affiliations
- American Sociological Association : Member, 1999-Present
- Sociology of Religion Section : Council Member, 2021-2024; Chair-elect, 2025-2026
- Association for the Sociology of Religion : Member 2000-Present, Secretary 2019-2022
- Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
- Black Catholic Theological Symposium
- American Catholic Historical Society : Member of the Board of Managers, 2020-2024
- Journal of Catholic Social Thought : Editor, 2022-Present
- Association of Theological Schools : Research Advisory Committee, 2022-2024
Select Media Appearances
I will watch what Pope Leo XIV does with great interest — and not simply because I work at Villanova
The Philadelphia Inquirer online
2025-05-09
"In more practical terms, the name Pope Leo XIV chose invites us to think about the needs of the poor and vulnerable, the needs of the planet, and the need to listen to and accompany others. We live in another time of upheaval in which the world hungers for leadership that focuses on these issues."
Why Pew's new study on Black Catholicism is critical for US church leaders
National Catholic Reporter online
2022-03-16
"These numbers tell us that Black Catholics in the United States are not a monolith. These drastically different numbers deserve further consideration by scholars and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as well as dioceses and parishes."
Netflix's 'The Chair' is a needed yet unrealistic depiction of academia
National Catholic Reporter online
2021-08-27
"The series stars Sandra Oh as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, an English professor at the fictional Pembroke University, an elite, New England institution, and begins on her first day as the chair of the department — the first woman and, presumably, person of color to hold the position...For many academics of color, the show will feel almost viscerally familiar."
Following attempted coup, Biden administration must prioritize anti-racism work
National Catholic Reporter online
2021-01-08
"Heeding these words of Pope Francis requires the Biden administration to be authentically transformative in its approach to systemic racism. And the transformation can't just be in comparison to its immediate predecessor. The Biden administration must lead a transformation in how our society thinks and collectively speaks about racism."
'Lucifer' is a family drama exploring relationship between faith and reason
National Catholic Reporter online
2020-11-21
"I'm a sociologist of religion. So, while I am not a theologian, theology factors greatly into my work. All of my intellectual interests seem to come together in this one show. "Lucifer" is one-part police procedural, one-part melodrama about a charming, oversexed, devilishly handsome playboy, and one-part exploration of the dichotomy between faith and reason told through the lens of a family drama and a love story."
‘I Bring Myself, My Black Self’
Commonwealth Magazine online
2020-11-03
"We all need to be reminded of Sr. Thea Bowman’s witness and her work—those of us who bear the wounds of racism and those who inflict them. It matters who we choose to honor in public spaces, both as a society and a Church."
There is time for the church to support black Catholics—if it has the will to do so
America Magazine online
2019-09-18
"Globally speaking, black people have been practicing Catholicism since the earliest days of the church. Additionally, black people were practicing Catholicism in North America for more than 200 years before the United States was founded. Yet, African-American Catholics are constantly required to justify their existence."
Toni Morrison made living in this world more bearable
America Magazine online
2019-08-06
"In 1993, Morrison became the first black woman to win a Nobel Prize in any category. More than 25 years later, she remains the only black woman to win the literature prize and the only African-American woman to have won a Nobel regardless of category. Before #RepresentationMatters became a part of our lexicon, Morrison’s work provided black people, especially black women, with representation."
Research Grants
Small Project Grant
Wabash Center
2024
Subvention of Publication Grant
Villanova University
2023
Project Grant for Researchers
Louisville Institute
2017
Jack Shand Research Grant
Society for the Scientific Study of Social Problems
2017
CAS Professional Development Grant
St. Joseph’s University
2017
CAS Professional Development Grant
St. Joseph’s University
2016
CAS Professional Development Grant
St. Joseph’s University $700.00
2016
Travel Grant
Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies
2015
