She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Animal Science from New Mexico State University, and a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Kentucky. Her area of study was animal nutrition and physiology, and her dissertation research focused on improving the efficiency of milk production and rebreeding in cattle and sheep. After earning her Ph.D., Dr. Appeddu spent a year as a Congressional Science Fellow for the Federation of Animal Science Societies in Washington, D.C., and two years as a Research Animal Scientist at the USDA-ARS Grazinglands Research Laboratory in El Reno, OK. She came to Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) in 2002, and has taught in the Department of Biological Sciences and School of Allied Health Sciences.