Sociologist and leading expert on marriage, family and fatherhood Brad Wilcox has accepted one of the top academic honors at the University of Virginia.

Wilcox, a Deseret News contributor, was named the Melville Foundation Jefferson Scholars Foundation Distinguished University Professor at the University of Virginia, one of the school’s most prestigious academic titles. The new appointment will allow Wilcox to continue his work at UVA, where he’s the director of the National Marriage Project, a research initiative focused on studying the state of marriage and family life in the United States.

“Dr. Wilcox’s decision to remain at UVA represents a tremendous win for the university,” said Jimmy Wright, president of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, in the announcement of Wilcox’s appointment. “His research tackles some of the most critical social questions of our time, and retaining a scholar of his caliber ensures UVA will remain at the forefront of these vital discussions.”

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In his work, Wilcox bridges rigorous research with public policy, advocating for family stability as a solution to major cultural and economic challenges. Wilcox is the author of six books, most recently “Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization,” which was recently named book of the year in the nonfiction category by WORLD magazine.

His findings have sparked widespread discussion, particularly on topics related to gender roles, socioeconomic inequality and shifting societal norms around relationships. His work was also published in leading academic journals like The American Sociological Review and The Journal of Marriage and Family, as well as publications like The New York Times and The Atlantic, offering insights into cultural and policy-related issues that impact families. Wilcox is also a senior fellow of the Institute for Family Studies at BYU.

As a Deseret News contributor, he has consulted for the past 10 years on the American Family Survey, has made the case for marriage and family from a data-based perspective, and has worked as a leading voice with Utah’s Office of Families, created under Gov. Spencer Cox.

“It is an honor for my research and teaching to be acknowledged in this way,” Wilcox told the Deseret News. “My elevation, in part, is a reflection of UVA’s desire to spotlight more intellectually diverse scholars, who are on the faculty at UVA,” he said. The appointment holds personal significance for Wilcox, who was a Jefferson Scholar as an undergraduate student at UVA. It also marks a milestone for UVA as Wilcox becomes one of UVA’s first fully endowed University Professors, a prestigious role reserved for scholars of exceptional distinction. Wilcox will now report directly to the provost and university president.

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With additional resources for the National Marriage Project, Wilcox hopes to expand its event programming on marriage and family life at the university. On April 8, the program will host its signature event, titled “In Pursuit: What Do Marriage and Motherhood Have to Do with the Happiness of Women?”, featuring female scholars and public intellectuals from across the ideological spectrum, reflecting on the meaning of marriage and motherhood in the United States. The speakers will include Jenet Erickson, family life professor from Brigham Young University, journalist Michelle Goldberg from The New York Times, and Michel Martin from NPR, and others.

Although marriage has declined in the United States — Wilcox describes it as “the closing of the American heart”— from the perspective of a social scientist, he says, it’s not all bad news. Abundant research shows how marriage benefits children, adults and the common good, Wilcox said. “And what’s particularly striking about the research is that we’re seeing more evidence that not just marriage matters for kids and adults, but that it matters more than ever for kids and adults when it comes to outcomes, such as college graduation and adult financial well-being,” Wilcox said.

On another hopeful note, family stability for children has increased in America. In the past decade, Wilcox noted, there’s been a slight uptick in kids raised in stable and married families. “That’s good news and I’m trying to draw people’s attention to that news as well,” Wilcox said.

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Other scholars have highlighted the significance of Wilcox’s work and his new professorship title. “This kind of research is not just, well, academic research,” Nadya Williams, a UVA graduate and author of “Mothers, Children, and the Body Politic: Ancient Christianity and the Recovery of Human Dignity,” wrote on X. “These are key conversations about quality of life for everyone, and I am grateful to see (Brad Wilcox) continue these conversations in a setting filled with young people.”

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