She earned an Associates of Liberal Arts from Johnson County Community College and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Kansas. She is interested in American politics, public policy, and teaching and learning in political science. She enjoys bringing innovative teaching into her classrooms and engaging students in their communities. Her research examines youth political behavior and public opinion, and education policy-making. She regularly engages in conferences and scholarship, and has articles published in Social Science Quarterly, Politics & Gender, and Social Science Journal.