Hi! My name is Gayle. My pronouns are they/them. I am a sociologist who studies gender and family attitudes, marriage, fatherhood, work and family,  and LGBTQ+ families. I’m a professor of Sociology and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Davidson College.

I teach courses on gender, family, sport, statistics and research methods. My classes challenge normative conceptions of gender and sexuality and examine the role of institutions in shaping these norms. I like to center students’ voices in the classroom and particularly enjoy engaging students in research projects.   

I am the author of two books – Fixing Parental Leave and Superdads: How Fathers Balance Work and Family in the 21st Century – as well as dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles. My work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the American Sociological Association, the Fulbright Association, and the Economic and Social Research Council (UK). 

I have been a visiting fellow at University of Cambridge, University of Leicester, Umeå University, and University of York. I am a member of the International Network on Leave Policies & Research, which is a group of approximately 60 experts from 45 countries, an Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Family Studies, and President-Elect of  the Southern Sociological Society.