About the Beirne Chair and Director

Jason E. King, Ph.D., is the Beirne Chair of Catholic Studies and Director of the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary’s University. His teaching, research and leadership focus on renewing Catholic higher education and connecting scholarship with the life of the Church and society.

Jason King speaking at a podium.

King is widely recognized for his research on the outcomes of Catholic higher education. He leads the Higher Education Outcomes (HIR) Study, a multi-year national project that measures the ways Catholic colleges and universities shape students’ lives. The study has drawn attention in national media and professional associations, highlighting how Catholic higher education fosters not only faith and moral reflection but also civic engagement, openness to diversity and deeper meaning in graduates’ work and lives.

His scholarship spans theology, culture and education. He is the author or editor of several books, including Faith with Benefits: Hookup Culture on Catholic Campuses (Oxford University Press), Love, Sex, and Families: Catholic Perspectives (Liturgical Press), winner of two national Catholic press awards and The Green Mister Rogers: Environmentalism in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (University Press of Mississippi). His forthcoming book, The Soul of Catholic Higher Education (Bloomsbury), explores how Catholic colleges can reclaim their identity and serve as a model for all of higher education.

In addition to books, King has published widely in leading academic and public outlets. His work appears in journals such as Horizons, New Blackfriars, Journal of Moral Theology and Journal of Catholic Higher Education, as well as in America, Church Life Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, National Catholic Reporter and The Conversation.

He is also an active public speaker, having been invited to lecture and present at leading universities and organizations across the country. His recent talks include lectures at the University of Notre Dame, the Catholic University of America, the University of Dayton and Duquesne University. He has spoken at professional associations such as the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and the National Catholic College Admission Association, as well as at scholarly societies including the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Christian Ethics, the Catholic Theological Society of America and the College Theology Society.

Through this combination of scholarship, leadership and public engagement, King seeks to strengthen the mission of Catholic higher education and to contribute to the Church’s intellectual and social traditions. His work at the Center for Catholic Studies continues to foster dialogue across campus, Church and community, ensuring that Catholic scholarship not only shapes students’ lives but also speaks to the broader challenges facing society today.

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