Catherine Ruth Pakaluk is Associate Professor of Social Research and Economic thought at the Catholic University of America, where she also serves as Director of the Social Research academic area. Formerly, she was Assistant Professor and Chair of the Economics Department at Ave Maria University. Her primary areas of research include economics of education and religion, family studies and demography, Catholic social thought and political economy. Dr. Pakaluk is the 2015 recipient of the Acton Institute’s Novak Award, a prize given for “significant contributions to the study of the relationship between religion and economic liberty.” She is author of the forthcoming book “Hannah’s Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth”.