She earned her doctorate in Developmental Education Literacy from Texas State University, becoming the first in the nation to earn a Ph.D. in developmental education. Her teaching background includes postsecondary literacy instruction in developmental education domains as well as composition instruction for first- and second-year students, in Michigan, Texas, and Illinois, and within community college and university settings. In addition, she has taught abroad at an International Baccalaureate high school in Oulu, Finland. Her research interests focus around postsecondary students’ conceptualizations of literacy, expert and novice practices within the disciplines, and policy mandates on curricular and program structures and their effects on student outcomes.