She received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota. Her research with Dennis Simon focuses on how incumbency and redistricting shape the integration of women into Congress, based on an original data set that includes more than 15,000 House and Senate elections and 35,000 candidates from 1956 to 2008. In addition, she has published articles on sex-discrimination law, the impact of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor, and judicial decision making. Her teaching and research interests also include American politics, civil rights and liberties, and judicial process. She serves on the board of Running Start, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that encourages young women to run for office.