Sr. Mary Bendyna is a member of the Buffalo Regional Community of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.  She has a B.A. in history and political science from Canisius College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in government from Georgetown University.  She has also done graduate work in theology and in education.  Her scholarly research focuses on the relationships between religious values and political orientations.  Her dissertation, The Catholic Ethic in American Politics: Evidence from Survey Research, examined the political attitudes and behaviors of American Catholics and their role in contemporary American politics. She has authored or co-authored several journal articles and book chapters as well as more than two dozen papers presented at academic research conferences.  Her experience before joining CARA in 1998 includes teaching at the high school level at Mount Mercy Academy in Buffalo, NY and at the undergraduate level at Georgetown University and the George Washington University.  Since 1991, she has also served as a chaplain-in-residence with Campus Ministry at Georgetown University.  At CARA, Sr. Mary specializes in questionnaire design, focus group facilitation, and quantitative and qualitative data analysis, with emphasis on attitudinal and cultural research.  She has led numerous studies on ministry, faith formation, and religious life and has focused in particular on generational differences among Catholics.

Curriculum Vitae
Email: bendynam@georgetown.edu
Phone: 202-687-0839